Nikon D40x Digital SLR Announced - Now With 10.2 Megapixels

The Nikon D40x is being introduced as a "sister camera" to the Nikon D40. The D40x features the same compact body and beginning-user friendly features but it can shoot at 10.2 megapixels with a faster continuous shooting speed and wider ISO range. The D40x will be available as a body only or in a one lens kit with a 18-55mm lens. It will be available in April 2007. The body-only price is $729 and the one lens kit will be $799.

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At the heart of the new features of the D40x is a new Nikon Image Processing Engine. This new processor allows the camera to crunch through 10.2 megapixels of image data quickly and efficiently, allowing for quick operation and better battery life.

The D40x has start up time of 0.18 seconds and a continuous shooting frame rate of 3 frames per second for up to 100 images. (The D40 shoots at 2.5 fps).

Better efficiency means better battery life. The D40x has an estimated battery life of 520 shots (CIPA standard, 50% flash).

The D40x improves its ISO range - it is now able to shoot at ISO 100-1600 with a Hi-1 mode. The D40's ISO range is from ISO 200-1500 with a Hi-1 mode.

The 2.5 inch LCD on the back of the D40x is useful for reviewing images and accessing the menus and settings of the camera. The D40x still features the graphical user interface that was introduced with the D40.

Nikon's Digital Vari-Program shooting modes provide enough options for anyone to pick up the camera and start shooting. There are 8 preset modes and then you can grow into more "manual" exposure modes, like aperture priority and shutter priority.

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Nikon has included a Retouch menu that allow for easy and fun editing of images in-camera. You can enhance and fix images by applying D-Lighting or red-eye corrections. An Image Trim feature allows you to crop and resize images so they can more easily be sent to friends. You can also use more creative features, like Image Overlay, Small Picture, Monochrome (Black-and-white, Sepia, and Cyanotype) and Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Color balance).

If you get the one-lens kit, the D40x will be bundled with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens (3x optical zoom). The D40x is also compatible with all of Nikon's AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses.

New Vibration Reduction Lens

Nikon is also announcing a new lens. The 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor lens is a compact telephoto lens that will be available in April for $249. The 55-200mm lens on Nikon's cameras is the 35mm equivalent of an 82.5 - 300mm lens. You'll find Extra Low-Dispertion (ED) glass, Silent Wave Motor technology and Vibration Reduction also packed into this lens.

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The new lens is engineered specifically for Nikon's DX format cameras, like the D80, D40, and D40x.

With Vibration Reduction you can take handheld shots at much slower shutter speeds than you could without VR. VR allows you to shoot approximately 3 stops slower and still get a crisp, blur-free photo.

The ED glass works to minimize chromatic aberration, astigmatism, and other kinds of distortion.

The Silent Wave Motor provides quiet and precise auto-focus.