Pocket-sized, point and shoot digital cameras are ubiquitious these days. For less than $300, one can acquire a 9 megapixel model with a 10x optical zoom that can record video - albeit shaky and with distorted sound - from the front row of a roller coaster or concert. If your goal is to remember a drunken gathering with friends and not carry much weight around, these cameras are perfectly acceptable and very easy to use.
However, for those looking to unleash their creative side and produce photography worthy of a wall frame, point and shoots are not the answer. A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a great alternative for those looking to bring higher quality and artistry to their photography. An entry level DSLR, Nikon's D40 offers an affordable option ($450-575 for the camera body and an 18-55 mm lens) for those who are ready to carry a camera around their neck and read a few pages from a manual.
DSLRs offer significant advantages over point and shoot models and are not difficult to operate. One feature of the D40 that you will want to familiarize yourself with - and yes, read about in order to properly use - is depth of field. Imagine that you've stumbled upon a cactus on a hillside and you'd like to zoom in on its spines, blurring everything behind them. With the Nikon D40, you can easily do it - the cactus will look like it's about to prick you, assuming a three dimensional quality.
Whether you're taking a photo of a bee pollinating a flower or an elk fitting its nose through a tight piece of fencing, depth of field allows you to create pictures where objects leap out at you.
The D40 also offers a fast start up time, virtually no pause between pictures, and the 18-55 mm lens it comes with is much better than your average point and shoot. It is also a removable lens. DSLRs, unlike point and shoot models, allow you to change lenses to suit your needs. While shooting a panorama of sand dunes in the Mojave Desert, I found that my point and shoot digital, a Kodak EasyShare C875, required me to stitch three pictures together - tedious and very prone to error.
A DSLR equipped with a wide angle lens could get the job done with one picture.
I bought my first DSLR in April 2007. Without doing much research, I settled for Nikon's D40X ($799), a more expensive cousin of the D40 which offers more megapixels (10.2 vs. 6.1) and a slightly faster frame rate - you can take three photos a second vs. 2.5 with the D40. The differences are minute, yet the D40X costs at least $200 more.
A first time DSLR user would be better served by purchasing the D40 and investing the savings in a 70-300 mm lens, allowing for shooting of distant objects. I acquired a 70-300 mm Nikkor lens for under $150 and it works great with the D40, although it only allows for manual focus. The D40 only autofocuses with the latest AF-S lenses and a 70-300 mm AF-S lens will cost at least $300. That choice still makes sense. If you're a savvy shopper, a D40 kit (450-575) and a 70-300 mm AF-S lens ($300-400) will cost you $750-800, which is exactly what a D40X kit - only equipped with the 18-55 mm lens - will cost you. You wind up with a camera nearly identical to the D40X and a much better lens.
The faster frame rates of DSLRs should be a strong lure for customers who are on the fence. Unlike cheaper point and shoot models carrying a several second delay between shots, DSLRs like the D40 allow for continuous shooting. This comes in handy when you're trying to catch that once in a lifetime moment - f.e., a humback whale breaching - and walk away with more than one picture.
Many point and shoot cameras also have a "shutter delay," the delay between pushing the shutter button and the picture actually being taken. You may press the shutter as that whale is jumping out of the water and only wind up with a picture of the ensuing splash. If you buy a D40, you'll never face that type of disappointment. A word to the wise, however: opt for an extended warranty when making the investment in a DSLR. I only became familiar with the D40 because my D40X broke two months after the one year warranty had expired.
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