Nikon, it's fair to say, has confused a lot of people with the D40x. The DSLR camera's predecessor, the D40, had debuted just four months earlier, in December 2006, when Nikon rolled out its replacement in early 2007. These two cameras are very similar, with only a handful of improvements in the D40x and a 30 percent price jump.
About Nikon's DSLR Prosumer Cameras
These cameras have one key similarity you should understand before looking at their differences. The D40 was Nikon's second prosumer camera, a professional DSLR aimed at the budgets of entry-level SLR photographers. It replaced the Nikon D50, which was the last entry DSLR from Nikon to have a built-in auto focus drive motor -- a feature removed in the D40. The D40, and D40x after it, rely on the autofocus capabilities of Nikkor's AF-S and AF-I lenses. Older Nikon lenses don't work in autofocus mode, meaning the D40 and D40x aren't compatible with as many lenses (with full functionality) as the D50 or higher-end Nikon DSLR cameras.
Sensor
The major upgrade in the D40x was its sensor, which though physically the same size (23.7 by 15.6mm) has nearly twice as many active pixels. The D40 has a 6.0 megapixel sensor, whereas the D40x has 10.0 megapixels. The increase in megapixels means that the D40x can capture photos at a maximum resolution of 3872 by 2592 pixels. The D40 has a maximum resolution of 3008 by 2000 pixels. This means that blown-up photos will distort at a smaller size with the D40 than with the D40x, but when displayed on your computer, the photos will look similar, if not identical
Sensitivity
The D40x also has a slightly wider range of sensitivity options, with a lower base ISO of 100 (compared to a low ISO of 200 on the D40). Both cameras max out at ISO 1600 with a boosted sensitivity mode of 3200. The advantage of a lower base ISO is that well-lit photos taken at the lowest range will appear clearer with the D40x, but the difference is truly slight. Most lighting situations require higher ISOs, not lower, and the times you may use ISO 100 will be numbered. The D40 compensates for a higher base ISO with a flash sync speed of 1/500 of a second, which is faster than the D40x's 1/200 of a second.
Continuous Shooting
The D40 featured a continuous shooting rate of 2.5 frames per second. Nikon improved this in the D40x, which shoots continuously at 3 frames per second. This depends on the speed of your lens and the shutter speed settings, of course, but the base rate is faster in the D40x.
Price
The three upgrades on the D40x lead to about a $200 price difference in the kit model of the cameras, with the D40 selling for $599 with a kit lens when it debuted in December 2006 and the D40x going for $799 with the same lens just four months later. Prices vary considerably as of publication time, as both camera models have been discontinued and can only be purchased used.
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