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Reviews (40)
Oct 28, 2007
Professional results CAN be acheived
11 of 11 found this helpful I recently switched to the D40 from the Panasonic FZ30, mainly due to the noise in low-light shots. No more running images through Neat Image! And going from 8mp to 6.1 is unnoticeable in 8.5" x 11" prints (now, come on...how many of us really print any larger than that?). I can live with printing at 287dpi from 311dpi. The only real problem I've found with the D40 is the diopter...I tend to shoot without my glasses (bloody bifocals), and it doesn't quite adjust down (or up?) as well as the FZ30. Not a big deal, I reckon, since it does have a focus aid in the viewfinder. I thought I would miss "Live View", too, but I don't. I shoot a lot of landscape scenes, on "P", auto white balance, and at 200 ISO with great results, so the lack of a dedicated WB button is not an issue to me. Flash shots on "Auto" gave me something the FZ30 couldn't, too...decent pictures. As far as Nikon's included software goes, I haven't even taken it out of its packaging. I use a Bonzai SD reader from Simpletech, and plug it into my laptop. In fact, I've hooked the D40 directly to my computer once, when I sent the Bonzai in for a warranty replacement (an indispensable little device). Battery life is outstanding.
The old saying "You get what you pay for" rings true for the D40. For the price (around $550 and coming down), you get a camera that's more than capable of producing excellent images. It's mainly what's behind the lens that determines the outcome.
May 20, 2017
Good blades...
...but not as good as Voskhod. I think the Silver Blues beat them, too. But it's a YMMV thing. Better than the previous Platinum Plus blades from the '70s. Worth stockpiling...I have two years' worth.
Dec 23, 2008
Vivitar 283 Flash
9 of 11 found this helpful It's big, it's bulky, but it puts out some light. Nowadays, the Vivitar 283 seems like a relic from days gone by (for all intrinsic purposes, it probably is)...everyone wants auto-this and auto-that, to have each piece of equipment do their work for them. Maybe I'm a relic, too, but I sometimes prefer the old ways. All this new-fangled stuff has gotten me lazy.
Look at the plastic hotshoe foot (the only real issue I have with it) on the 283...one contact point. Dedicated to nothing, but will work with all. Illuminated dial, with a scale showing what aperture to use at what distance with what ASA/DIN (that alone should tell you what era this thing comes from). No LCD panel. Proprietary PC socket. Bounce, but no swivel head. Adjustable sensor (which I've replaced with the VP-1 Vari-power adapter for greater range of output) which control the amount of light it puts out. Another (minor) issue is the battery insert...the 283 has to have it to hold four AA batteries. You can't just drop 'em in.
One note about the 283: older models made in Japan will fry (literally) some digital cameras unless a WeinSafe voltage regulator is used. Hotshoe voltage can reach 400 volts on some. The New Korean and Chinese models are safe, but the voltage should still be checked (especially if you're planning to use one on a Canon).
I bought this thing to use as fill flash for my D1x. I tried it on my D80 this morning, syncing at 1/200, with great results. I may get two more 283s, and stick 'em up on stands and do the strobist thing. They are not shy about putting out light. Put on-camera flash to shame.