Nikon D40X

The Nikon D40X is a compact DSLR released in 2007. At 522 g and 124 x 94 x 64 mm, it is a light body that is easy to carry and unobtrusive when you raise it to your eye.

Its 10 megapixel APS-C sensor and Nikon F DX mount make it a simple, deliberate stills camera. That combination suits someone learning photography, or anyone who wants a straightforward body for everyday pictures.

Owning it means a purely stills experience: no video, no live view and no wireless transfer, with images coming straight off the memory card.

A 10 megapixel CCD in the APS-C format sits behind the F DX mount, with Expeed processing. The sensor and processor handle the stills pipeline, and the F DX mount determines which lenses can be attached.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 1600. When indoor light demands faster shutter speeds, that 1600 ceiling is as far as the settings go, which pushes you towards the built-in flash or a steady support for dim scenes.

Burst shooting tops out at 3 fps, a rate that favours unhurried subjects over fast action. Three autofocus points keep the system simple and leave only a few focus positions, and the maximum shutter speed is 1/4000s.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so camera shake falls to shutter speed, technique and support. The optical pentamirror viewfinder still gives a direct view of the scene. The ISO ceiling, burst rate, focus positions and missing stabilisation add up to a modest Optics score of 40, placing the D40X in the bottom 6% of cameras in our database for Optics.

The Nikon D40X does not record video at all. There is no movie mode, no frame rate and no resolution figure to discuss, so any moving-image work, from brief clips to a longer project, needs a different camera. The omission is absolute, which is why this section is short on specification and firm on the conclusion.

There is no built-in timelapse function either. A time-lapse sequence would have to be built from individual stills shot one at a time and assembled afterwards, rather than captured automatically, since the camera offers no automated mode for it.

The rest of the camera points the same way. There is no live view, so the rear screen cannot help with framing and the optical viewfinder is the only way to compose. Buyers get a stills camera in the fullest sense, with the moving image left out of the design entirely.

The rear LCD measures 2.5 inches with 230,000 dots, and it serves playback and menus only, since the camera has no live view. Framing happens through the optical viewfinder, and the screen is a place to review results rather than compose them.

There is no wireless connection of any kind and no GPS, so images leave the camera on the memory card. Without weather sealing, it also needs care around dust and moisture rather than offering protection from them.

The built-in flash gives a quick lift to dim indoor shots, and support for an external flash lets you add a speedlight when more light is needed. Even so, the features score of 17 reflects the absent live view, touch input, Bluetooth and weather sealing, along with the screen's size and dot count.

Images record to a single SD or SDHC card. One slot means no second copy during shooting, so carrying spare cards is the sensible habit when a shoot matters.

The EN-EL9 battery is rated at 520 shots. That is a useful reference figure, though no test conditions are attached to it, so real-world endurance depends on how you shoot, including playback and flash use.

The battery cannot be charged over USB, so a spare battery is the practical backup on trips. Together, the single card slot, the battery rating and the absence of USB charging add up to a storage and battery score of 27, which is limited.