NIKON UNVEILS NEW D40 — THE SMALLEST AND EASIEST-TO-USE NIKON DIGITAL SLR EVER
[DETAILED PRESS RELEASE]
* D40 Inherits Incredible Picture Quality from Nikon’s Photographic
Expertise, Making it Easy for Everyone to Take Breathtaking Pictures
* Features an All-New, Visually Intuitive Interface, In-Camera Editing and
Built-In Help Features for Just $599.95** With a 3X Zoom-Nikkor Lens
MELVILLE, NY, NOVEMBER 16, 2006 — Nikon, (www.nikondigital.com) the world
leader in high quality digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging
technology, today unveiled its new D40, the latest addition to its
comprehensive line of digital SLR cameras. Designed to bring the picture
performance, excitement and experience of Nikon’s digital SLR cameras to
more customers than ever before, the D40 is an ultra-compact, lightweight
6.1-effective megapixel D-SLR that offers simplified new features,
exceptional speed and a redesigned, visually-intuitive menu system that
brings consumers a whole new level of simplicity in a digital SLR. The D40
also incorporates handling and performance advantages that eliminate the
frustrations often associated with compact digital cameras, making it ideal
for anyone who wants to capture spectacular digital pictures without
complication.
“Digital SLR cameras have gained substantial interest among consumers
looking for higher-quality pictures and faster handling response,” said
Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon
Inc. “But perceived complexity and bulkiness of some models has discouraged
some customers. With the D40, Nikon addresses these challenges with
incredible ease of use, compactness and a remarkable range of features and
technologies. Consumers can enjoy the satisfaction of Nikon digital SLR
quality by simply pressing the shutter button and getting beautiful
pictures with vibrant colors, stunning sharpness and outstanding detail.
With the D40, even first-time digital SLR camera users will be thrilled
with their results.”
Outstanding Image Quality
The D40 features a high-resolution 6.1-effective megapixel Nikon DX Format
CCD image sensor and a highly advanced Nikon Image Processing Engine.
Combined, these features produce exceptional image detail with vivid,
true-to-life colors.
The D40 combines sophisticated exposure automation with options for
complete user control to help make it the ideal camera for anyone ready to
explore their creative potential with photography. Using Nikon’s exclusive
3D Color Matrix Metering II, the D40 assures accurate exposure control,
even in difficult lighting conditions. Its frame-wide 420-pixel sensor
instantly and automatically assesses and compares each scene’s brightness,
contrast and color with a built-in database of information from over 30,000
real-world lighting scenarios, before setting the accurate exposure. For
those who want more control over their shots, alternative metering options,
such as spot metering, center-weighted metering and exposure compensation,
are also available.
Precise, Quick Response
One of the hallmarks of Nikon’s digital SLR cameras is how fast they
operate, not only when capturing images, but also when recording them to
the camera’s SD memory card. The D40 proudly carries this tradition
forward; the camera powers up and is ready to shoot in only 0.18 seconds.
With minimal shutter lag time and the ability to shoot 2.5 frames per
second, up to 100 consecutive shots (in JPEG Normal mode), the D40 is ready
to capture priceless expressions or special moments perfectly. Images are
instantly processed and rapidly recorded to the SD memory card. Bright,
clear preview images are also displayed in an instant on the D40’s 2.5-inch
color LCD monitor.
The D40’s three-area auto-focus system also adds to the camera’s overall
speed, delivering fast and precise focus under varying shooting conditions.
Incorporating Nikon’s advanced Multi-CAM 530 AF Sensor Module, the
three-area AF system, with central cross-type sensor operation, adds
effective new focusing options and ensures greater ability to capture that
perfect shot.
Designed for Life as it Happens
The D40 brings the fun, excitement and superior image quality of Nikon
digital SLR photography to everyone. Its compact size and ideal ergonomics
make it the digital SLR solution for pictures anytime, anywhere. Its bright
and sharp viewfinder, with 0.8x magnification, ensures precise composition.
After shooting, share your new images with family and friends, or check
sharpness, exposure and focus on the D40’s large 2.5-inch, 230,000-dot
high-resolution color LCD monitor, which provides the ability to enlarge
your shot up to 19 times. The operating menus have been carefully designed
with color schemes and large fonts for quick, easy navigation through the
camera’s options. Also, the newly introduced assist images help you select
the appropriate settings for many camera features by showing illustrative
end-result images typical of that setting.
The D40’s innovative information display can be shown in Classic format or
with the new Graphic and Wallpaper formats for Digital Vari-Program modes
and Program Auto, Shutter-priority Auto, Aperture-priority Auto and Manual
(P/S/A/M) exposure modes.
The camera boasts refined ergonomics and design, born from Nikon’s
extensive experience designing successful high performance SLR cameras for
more than 50 years. The D40’s size, layout and operation of all controls
are designed for maximum ease-of-use. The result is an incredibly compact,
light SLR camera that is comfortable to handle and can go anywhere, anytime.
Creativity at Your Finger Tips
For anyone just beginning to enjoy the added performance and versatility of
digital SLR photography, creative shooting is as simple as rotating the
D40’s Digital Vari-Program mode dial. The camera has eight preconfigured
program modes that optimize the camera’s performance for specific shooting
conditions, allowing photographers to take great pictures in challenging
conditions that might otherwise be confusing or time-consuming. In Portrait
mode, for example, the camera automatically optimizes the color, hue, and
saturation levels to capture the most flattering skin tones, softens the
focus of the background images to emphasize the face and applies a milder
form of in-camera sharpening. The D40 includes a new Flash Off mode that
shuts off the camera’s flash and boosts its ISO, so users can easily take
pictures in places where flash photography is not allowed, inappropriate,
or when they prefer the look of natural light. Users can also select from
other Digital-Vari Program modes including Auto, Portrait, Landscape,
Close-Up, Sports, Night Landscape or Night Portrait. As users gain
experience with the camera, the D40 offers advanced controls that offer
greater creative control over the look and feel of their pictures.
D40 photographers will enjoy the camera’s Image Optimize menu options that
closely tailor results to the scene at hand, the intended use of an image
or to the photographer’s custom preference. Sharpness, tone (contrast),
color, saturation and hue optimization are controlled by the user-selected
choice of Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait, Custom and
Black-and-White.
The D40 also features an image Retouch menu, with exclusive in-camera
editing functions that promise to keep D40 shooters engaged when they’re
not busy shooting. Options within the Retouch menu include:
* D-Lighting: Automatically balances underexposed portions of an image to
enhance detail in these areas, without affecting the highlights of the
picture.
* In-camera Red-eye Correction: Automatically removes the annoying red-eye
effect sometimes caused by flash.
* Trim: Images can be trimmed to produce smaller cropped versions of any
file on the SD card for greater creative freedom and greater efficiency.
* Image Overlay: Merges a pair of selected RAW files to create a composite
image within the camera as a RAW or JPEG file. This feature is especially
useful when trying to create a soft-focus effect with two similar images.
* Monochrome settings: Convert any color image in the camera into a
pleasing monochromatic picture, either in black-and-white, sepia or
cyanotype.
* Filter Effects: Emulate and apply the effects of a skylight or a warming
filter to any image stored on the SD card. A Color Balance menu within
filter effects can also be used to make subtle shifts in color.
* Small Picture: Create a smaller version of any image in the camera for
easy sharing and faster download.
Total Package: The Nikon Advantage
One of the key advantages Nikon digital SLR cameras offer is access to
Nikon’s extensive system of lenses, Speedlights and accessories. The D40 is
compatible with all Nikon AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses*, and comes packaged
with a new 3X zoom 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens that
incorporates cutting-edge Nikon optical technologies, such as ED glass and
aspherical lens elements. This lens offers users a popular 3x zoom range,
which conveniently covers picture angles that meet the needs of everything
from tight portraits to wide-angle landscapes.
The D40 is also compatible with Nikon’s range of i-TTL technology enabled
Speedlights including the SB-800, SB-600 and the recently introduced
SB-400. A perfect companion for the D40, the SB-400 is an ultra-compact,
lightweight Speedlight which is ideal for photographing subjects at
extended distances or illuminating subjects with a softer, more natural
appearing lighting effect with its bounce flash capability. With a guide
number of over 98 feet the SB-400 provides all of the power and coverage
that a D40 customer may demand for shooting group shots and reducing harsh
shadows. All of the SB-400’s settings can be controlled automatically by
the camera’s metering system or manually from the camera’s built-in menus.
Keeping with the D40s remarkable ease-of-use, using the SB 400 Speedlight
is as simple as sliding it on, turning it on and shooting.
The D40 comes with Nikon’s PictureProject software that makes transferring,
organizing and sharing images fun and easy. The camera also includes a
30-day trial version for Capture NX software (optional), Nikon’s
award-winning software that dramatically simplifies photo editing for JPEG,
TIFF and Nikon RAW (NEF) format images. Designed specifically for
photographers, Capture NX software provides a unique and easy-to-understand
interface with tools that photographers need, but without the level of
complexity and clutter of other image editing applications. Its patented
new U Point technology simplifies picture editing by enabling photographers
to enhance specific areas of a picture selectively, without the use of
masks, selections, or layers. Capture NX also helps Nikon users realize the
full potential of Nikon’s RAW (NEF) file, with robust processing
capabilities for the highest quality results from NEF files.
The D40 camera and the new 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor
lens will be packaged together and made available beginning December 2006
for an estimated selling price of $599.95**. For more information, please
visit www.nikonusa.com.
About Nikon
Nikon, At the Heart of the Image. Nikon Inc. is the world leader in digital
imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally
recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for
its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon
Inc. distributes the Nikon Total Imaging System of consumer and
professional digital SLR cameras, Nikkor optics, Speedlights and System
Accessories; Nikon COOLPIX compact digital cameras; COOLSCAN digital film
scanners; 35mm film SLR cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports
and recreational optics. At the heart of every Nikon camera is Nikon’s
Exclusive Feature System, making it easy for anyone to take amazing digital
pictures. Through the Nikon Spirit Initiative, the company, plays an active
role in supporting aspiring and advanced photographers through a variety of
philanthropic organizations, educational programs, events and workshops.
For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit www.nikonusa.com, which
links all levels of photographers to the web’s most comprehensive photo
learning and sharing communities.