I am new to digital photography I am comming from 35mm and medium format 6x6. So one thing I know is that the D80,D40x and 40D will give you about the same image quality. The canon has a better body,nikon D80 has a good body but not as sturdy as the canon. D40x nikon is a plastic body and not as durableAlso education trumps allcurtis..

The D40 and D40x are pretty much the same, the D40x has a higher resolution sensor. The D80 is a larger camera (IIRC), that is very similar in performance to the D200. The Rebel is closer in size/performance to the D40s as opposed to the D80. The Canon 40D is an entirely different animal, larger than all of these, more expensive, a higher performer. Reading the reviews on this site will help you a lot with the differences. The D40 and D40x have some limitations in lens compatibility - they won't autofocus a lens that doesn't have an internal lens drive motor. Not as big an issue if you start new but might be less desireable if you have a lot of older Nikon lenses...

Without going into lots of details, below my personal reasons for choosing the D80 over the D40(x) and the Canon Rebel. D40 is too small for my (medium sized) hands. As a test, attach a 18-200 mm lens to the D40 and hold it for a few minutes; D40 does not have direct access buttons for ISO and WB; D40 does not provide RAW + JPEG fine; Disappointed with build quality / look and feel of the Rebel, as well as the viewfinder; No status LCD panel on top of either D40 or Rebel.Hope this helps!..

(Canon 40D owner).

You are forgetting the most important part: the Nikon d40 and d40x do not support a large range of lenses. That in itself is a good reason to totally stay away from them. If you're interested in Nikon and want to start small, get yourself an D80 kit with the 18-135mm lens. You will not regret it. Great camera, great lens, great reach...

Sure. go to your nearest "serious photography store" and rent all three of them. whatever lens they give you, look it up on slrgear.com before and after you try it...

Hi, I have the same dilemma, but have reduced my choice to either D80 or D40x. I'm not considering D40 for obvious reasons. I was thinking about Rebel (being a film SLR Canon user) but after a bit of research, Nikon seems to offer better choice of lenses than Canon.

My boyfriend has a Nikon D300 - but it's too heavy for me. I also dont need a semi-pro gear - just a nice camera to take with me on holidays and weekends away - which I do quite a lot of, and enjoy travelling to exotic destinations. For this reason, I also dont want something heavy and complicated. D80 is heavier (and better build - sturdier?) than D40x but in terms of specs they seem to be head to head. Could anyone advise me why choose D80 over D40x? At this moment in time, I'm leaning towards D40x... When do yo think Nikon will release an upgrade on either of the two cameras? Thanks!!..

If the weight is a problem then get the lighter camera. You have to actually lift it and shoot it to use the features. And you can always trade up later when you really need those features. The lenses will trade up with you..

"(Canon 40D owner).

You are forgetting the most important part: the Nikon d40 and d40x do not support a large range of lenses. That in itself is a good reason to totally stay away from them." they don't need to support a large range of lenses, just the range that she wants. and as long as their lenses will work with a new Nikon if she upgrades the camera, that's fine...

Have reduced my choice to either D80 or D40x. in terms of specs they seem to be head to head. Compare features as well as specs. Thats where youll see the differences. Camera comparison isn't just about numbers. Features matter.

Could anyone advise me why choose D80 over D40x? The D80 has a better viewfinder than the D40x (brighter pentaprism versus pentamirror, and better magnification: 0.94x versus 0.84x) and a battery that, according to Nikon's specs will take 5 times as many shots as the D40x on a charge. The D40x only autofocuses with lenses that have their own focusing motors. That eliminates a lot of choices unless you're happy with manual focus. (Of course, you can find plenty of current lenses that will autofocus with the D40x. This probably isnt critical to you.

It probably isn't completely comprehensive, but it covers a lot of features. The following is a partial list from the above brochure: Eleven focus zones for the D80 versus 3 for the D40x. Auto exposure bracketing: D80-yes, D40x-no Auto flash bracketing: D80-yes, D40x-no White balance bracketing: D80-yes, D40x-no Shutter speed includes bulb: D80-yes, D40x-no Depth of field preview with CPU equipped lenses: D80-yes, D40x-no Built-in flash commander mode: D80-yes, D40x-no Amount of high-ISO noise reduction user adjustable: D80-yes, D40x-no Auto FP flash sync: D80-yes (to 1/4000 sec), D40x-no Predictive focus tracking automatically activated by subject status: D80-yes, D40x-no (at least the brochure doesn't mention it for the D40x) User selectable exposure steps, 1/3 or 1/2: D80-yes, D40x-no No one else can tell you whether the differences are worth the price to you. That depends on what the differences mean to you given how you expect to use the camera, and on what else you need the money for, and how much it will hurt you to spend it on a camera. When do yo think Nikon will release an upgrade on either of the two cameras? Nikon seems to introduce new models to replace old ones about every two years.

The D300 has just come out. Thats about 2 years and 2 months apart. The D80 has been out since August of 2006. The D40x came out in March of 2007. Whatever you buy now will be replaced by a new model in a year or two..

"No one else can tell you whether the differences are worth the price to you. That depends on what the differences mean to you given how you expect to use the camera, and on what else you need the money for, and how much it will hurt you to spend it on a camera." but an experienced user can say whether he or she has found any given feature to be useful or not, and if so how useful and when. and you could say that about anything...

"No one else can tell you whether the differences are worth the price to you. That depends on what the differences mean to you given how you expect to use the camera, and on what else you need the money for, and how much it will hurt you to spend it on a camera." but an experienced user can say whether he or she has found any given feature to be useful or not, and if so how useful and when. True, and no doubt that would help chilligirl and others with a similar question. The truth is I didnt think of it. But even if I had thought of it, I really didnt have time to write it. I had already spent 2 hours putting together the post from which you quoted.

I estimate that adding the information youre suggesting will take me another hour. I may try to add it when I have time. and you could say that about anything. Agreed. It is a statement that is valid in many categories..