Okay, this is a bit out of the blue, but hells bells I need to say something about the amazing thing that is the Nikon D40.

For a long time I have owned various point-and-shoot pocket cameras. I am a fan of the Canon Digital Elph series, and I was the owner of the SD750 when a buddy of mine introduced me to the Nikon D40.

I am not a big photography buff, nor do I have any experience with traditional film cameras, or interchangeable lenses, nor the technical aspects of photography. I like taking pictures of my kids and places we visit, so I always thought that something like the Canon digital elph series would work fine for me. And in all honesty, it does do the job, but it's just that the Nikon D40 does it a whole lot better.

I took the leap and a few months ago I bought the D40 (18-55mm kit) on Adorama, which at the time had 10% rebate via Bing's willingness to give away money via their cashback account service. But B&H are the other top dogs of photo and video wares. The 18-55mm Kit set me back about $440 at the time.

The camera arrives and the first thing is, this camera is tiny. The product pictures don't do it justice because the D40 is not only smaller than you think, but also lighter. The thing is a midget, and if you're worried that you're going to be lugging a huge camera around with you, let me allay that fear right now. It's very manageable and really easy to grab and snap the kids or throw in your bag as you run out the door.

So, back to the story, I open up the UPS package, a bit intimidated by the whole thing, but my buddy says, "Just throw on the lens and start snapping." And quite simply, that is the extent of using the D40.

If you don't know a thing about taking a picture, the D40 is still for you, I know this from (in)experience. Essentially, for someone who is used to a point and shoot type camera, there are two settings you probably want to look at to get started, and that is the Auto mode, and the P mode. In a nutshell, Auto sets everything automatically, and the P mode will keep the shutter open long enough to let the optimum amount of light for the correct exposure. I leave mine on P almost all of the time. That's all I'm going to say because that's about the extent of my knowledge so far.

Flash

The D40 comes with a built in flash, but if you're taking lots of pictures indoors or somewhere that requires a flash, I suggest getting the SB400. It's a cheap little mounted flash that you can redirect the light upwards, bounce it off the roof and soften the light a bit. This gets rid of the ugly flash shadows. Instead of the white-ish blown out look, you get a creamier softer feel.

Spare battery

I also ordered a spare battery, because I'm shitty at recharging batteries and don't want to get stuck without one. That's it, you can stop reading here, that's all you need. Get this camera if you're looking to upgrade from a point-in-shoot or pocket camera. You won't be disappointed, I swear to God. Some extra information follows...

Lenses

I ordered the 18-55mm kit lens, and for almost everyone this would just about do everything for you. At 18mm it's got quite a wide angle, and the zoom at 55mm will be good enough for most. If you're looking for a wider angle, the 10-24mm lens is rock solid but kind of pricey.

If you're looking for a zoom lens, something to catch the action at say, your kid's soccer match or something similar, take a look at the 55-200mm VR or the 55-300mm VR lenses. They're fairly well priced and perform awesomely. The VR is vibration reduction and is absolutely insanely good.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you're getting AF-S lenses for your D40. The AF-S lenses have the auto focus motors inbuilt (as the D40 does not) so if you don't get an AF-S lens, you'll be manually focusing it on the D40. Who wants to do that?

Other considerations

There are none, this camera is fantastic. Perfect for someone like me, and the starting point for anyone interested in taking a nice picture. Not only is it super easy to use, assemble and care for, but it entices you into learning more about taking better pictures, even if you have had no interest previously.