Which DSLR is ideal for a rookie?

jrmond

I want to get this D40 I found for exchange and i was wondering if its the right choice for me to get into photography?
Other than that what would you recommend?

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ziggy53

A Nikon D40 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens may be just fine for getting started in general digital photography, but it's also fairly weak for features that would be nice for some types of photography.

How do you intend to use the camera? (What specific activities and types of photography?)

endurodog

I started out my DSLR life with a D40 and still have it. Took lots of pictures with it but moved up to a D7000 and never looked back. The D40 does ok but there are lots of other choices out there. A lot of the answer for this question has to do with your budget. What range are you trying to stay in?

Zerodog

The best one is the one you can afford. The D40 will get you in there for cheap and get you taking pictures and learning.

jmphotocraft

At the end of the day, there are only 5 "features" you need. Aperture, Shutter, ISO, decent autofocus, and the ability to shoot in RAW mode. I would say get a Pentax K1000 and learn how to use the first 3 features, but that's no longer relevant advice because the time it takes to see your results is no longer acceptable. You can shoot your D40 in full auto mode to learn composition and focus, but real joy won't come until you learn aperture control and proper exposure. That can only be done in Manual mode. Or in Aperture priority mode and playing with exposure compensation, which is just as much work and a bit more frustrating because the meter is still affecting things. I wish someone had told me this when I was starting out.

The point is, the D40 is capable of all that, and it will make great prints up to about 12x18". If you can afford more, then bonus, but you don't need lots of bells and whistles to learn photography.