When you chose a brand you should that you buy into a 'family of equipment'. It is a little like getting into a religious sect..

Besides the purely technical aspects, I would look at the comfort of the viewfinder, clarity of the menus, general handling, how do your hands feel at ease with these cameras, their weight, even the looks..

I believe that everything else is literature because you will find as many people advocating one or the other for all sorts of good reasons..

Your personal reasons will be as good as anyone else's..

Basically it is a matter of choosing your love and loving your choice...

I was in your same shoes a little while back. I opted for the d40x, but that's me..

What I think would be helpful is googling "400D vs D40x" and each camera indivually as well. This will bring up loads of reviews, comments, and complaints on each camera. Some links will be junk, others will be invaluable as far as detailing performance and comments of every day use of the cameras, and their technical specs laid out in plain English..

Also as important, if not more so, is to go to Best Buy, Circuit City or a camera shop (preferably, so you can get more knowledgeable answers) and hold them, fire them, and see which one feels right to you - it's like picking out a car, you eventually know the features of each car, but you have to test drive them to see which one feels right .

Get it, learn it, and shoot!..

Also, keep in mind, as has been mentioned earlier, that you are not just buying the camera, but a "system". This was not an issue for me, I owned no previous lenses to factor into the decision, had not gotten used to certain buttons doing certain things, so image quality (my main concern), price, functionality and comfort were my considerations. The D40x has many lens choices despite the gripes you may read about (mainly from people who already have older Nikon lenses that may not be fully compatible with the D40x - due to focus and metering and so they are looking at it from a different viewpoint, but you'll read about that...)..

Cosilver wrote:.

I was in your same shoes a little while back. I opted for the d40x,but that's me..

....

Also as important, if not more so, is to go to Best Buy, Circuit Cityor a camera shop (preferably, so you can get more knowledgeableanswers) and hold them, fire them, and see which one feels right toyou - it's like picking out a car, you eventually know the featuresof each car, but you have to test drive them to see which one feelsright .

Same here. I did a ton of reading, and it just seemed (for my level of forseeable ability) very very close..

Went to the store and picked up the Canon and the Nikon and played with them.Took me 10 seconds I just did not like the feel of the Canon in my hands..

I do have other Canon (point and shoot) and nikon (CP 8800) cams that I do like, so I don't think I am especially biased..

Also, as mentioned, it's a "system" I have two friends with D40's so if I am nice to them, maybe I get to borrow their lenses ..

If budget is a deciding factor, I understand why you would ignore some brands. However, I don't understand why the Pentax K100D isn't an option. Not only is it a very nice camera with a nice price, it also has built-in image stabilization. To get the same with Nikon or Canon you need to buy quite expensive lenses.http://flickr.com/photos/iskender..

You should definitely hold all the different brands and see what feels comfortable to you.Here is a good review of the 40Xhttp://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D40X/D40XA.HTM.

Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window..

The next best thing you can do is to go to a shop, hold and use both the models and see which one you feel comfortable with. Go ahead and buy the same. You are not going to loose anything else if you go either way....

Http://budding-nature-photographer.blogspot.com/..

I have just been going through the same thing, and opted for a D40x. It went something like this:.

- After looking on the web (a lot), I realised the Canon had better features than either the D40 or D40x. Better range of lenses, a sensor that can (sort of) clean itself, some little techie things like DOF preview. It sounded like a better bet..

- I went to a shop and held the Canon and the Nikon, and preferred the Nikon quite a lot. It has, imo, a much classier feel and a better grip. I also like the "help me" menu system that tells you what all the functions do! Didn't feel the same about the Canon. I know others feel differently.

- Was then stuck between the D40 and the D40x. Tried both, couldn't tell a lot of difference. However I knew I would always wonder with a D40 if the shot would be better if I had the D40x. As there is not size or weight difference to speak of, I plumped for the D40x..

Everyone here, and in shops, will have a preference. If you like, I opted for the slightly less practical but slightly more desirable Nikon. I can see why people get the Canon though. Go and hold the thing. You will know I think!..

I completely agree with all of the above - hold them, play with them, and you'll know which one just feels right to you. Any good shop should let you play. Personally, despite their reputation for ergonomics, I couldn't get on with the Nikon. To me the Canon felt much better, but if you look at all the postings here theres lots of arguments in favour of each. Go try them, and make up your own mind - you're the one who'll have to live with what you choose..

J..

I have shot both. The D40x has a much nicer and viewfinder but the 400D has nicer operation. Both produce photos that look too processed compared to my old *istDS. I would actually consider the K100D, K100D Special or K10D. The first 2 would be small and offer better photo quality than either D40x or 400D. They also offer better usability...

I am at a similar stage as you and I opted for the Samsung GX-10 (which is actually the Pentax K10D rebranded with better button layout and about $100 less).

It's a little more pro-end in that it's doesn't have any of the pre-set modes like sports, portrait, etc. It's gives more absolute control to the user. I like this as it forces me to learn all about the principles and techniques of proper photography without the automated crutches. It's a little bigger than the Canon or Nikon but it's also fully sealed against dust and water (I wouldn't advise diving mind you!) It has built in anti-shake (this allows you to have anti-shake with non anti-shake lenses). It also has dust removal. The camera feels great in hand too.



N..

I m not going for pentax k1000 coz I want a 10 mp camera.I would make up my mind soon. Thank you everyone for your valuable help..

I m not young enough to know everything - Oscar Wilde..

And just as a reminder, the reason to hold one, and play with it, is to know which one you will be comfortable with and like holding... if you don't like how it feels or feel comfortable holding it, you won't use it as often, and that would be a waste .Albert-O.

Http://www.berto.zenfolio.com..

Shksays wrote:.

I m not going for pentax k1000 coz I want a 10 mp camera.I would makeup my mind soon. Thank you everyone for your valuable help..

If you want 10MP, get a Pentax K10D. It has 10MP, built-in image stabilization, weather sealing, and costs only about $100 more than the D40X...