Is NIKON D40 6.1 mp capable to shoot the night view photo?

Question

Hello, is me again, i still have the same question about Nikon D40 6.1mp that i am about to purchase.

Before that i'd like to ask if anyone has this camera? Is this camera good to shoot the landscape and nightview?

THanks

P.S : I've decided to buy D40 instead of D40x despite it has higher resoulution but D40 is cheaper.

Answer 1

For night photography you'll need a good tripod and a cable release.

Owning the FotoSharp (fotosharp.com) Day & Night Exposure Guide is recommended. Here is one example, Scene # 14, City skyline in distance

ISO 100

f4 @ 8 sec.
f5.6 @ 15 sec.
f8 @ 30 sec.
f11 @ 60 sec.

ISO 200

f4 @ 4 sec.
f5.6 @ 8 sec.
f8 @ 15 sec.
f11 @ 30 sec.

As you can readily see, neither an excessively high ISO or super fast lens (f1.4 or 1.8) is needed unless you want to stop action.

Answer 2

The D40 is a fine camera. Unless you don't know how to frame a picture while shooting, 6Mpixels is fine for most shots. I use mine for landscape, wildlife, and closeup work (flowers, insects, products). I have used it to take pictures of the Orion Nebula with a f/8 500mm lens. It wasn't great, but it did come out. This is a bit extreme for night shooting. I have used the D40 for night shots of a lightning storm. Those shots came out quite nice, even for hand held 15 second time exposures at f/13, ISO 200 (shoot in Bulb mode and close the shutter just after the lightning strike).

If you want to take night shots, get a stable tripod. The remote control is also a good addition. If you don't want to spring for a remote control ($20), then you can use the 2 second timer feature so you don't jiggle the camera when the shutter opens.

Don't expect the auto modes to do a good job at night shots. The auto mode will get you close, but you will probably need to override settings to get things to look just right.

Most of all, experiment and have fun.

Answer 3

Absolutely, you have complete control of both the ISO and shutter speed so there's no worries capturing those night time shots. I use mine all the time at night and get some great shots. A good tri-pod is just as important as the camera. I would also reccomend getting a remote for those longer exposures, you can grab one of those for $15-$20. Good Luck and don't worry bout anything with the D40, it can handle a ton of situations. Here are some samples that may help.

http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/d40/


http://www.blueskybust.com/dates/2007-06-17-Barnesville_MN/stars.jpg

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/nikon/d40-review/nightshot.jpg

http://dcist.com/attachments/dcist_heather/2007_0906_potd.jpg

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-performance.htm

Answer 4

Choose "Night" or "Landscape" from the "Now Showing" menu for some great samples here.

http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/d40/

By the way, by going to the D40 instead of the D40x, you can invest in a Nikon SB series flash or another lens to expand your system.

I hope this helps.

Answer 5

It can't do nightview like the Sony point and shoots, which see into the infrared to do their night shooting. However, you can do night shooting with a tripod and a long exposure.

With the right lenses, you can do great landscapes.

Answer 6

Yes it can.