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Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40

Portability
94
Imaging
41
Features
27
Overall
35
Nikon Coolpix L31 front
 
Nikon D40 front
Portability
71
Imaging
45
Features
33
Overall
40

Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 Key Specs

Nikon L31
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F3.2-6.5) lens
  • 160g - 96 x 59 x 29mm
  • Revealed January 2015
Nikon D40
(Full Review)
  • 6MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 200 - 1600 (Boost to 3200)
  • No Video
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 522g - 124 x 94 x 64mm
  • Revealed December 2006
  • Successor is Nikon D3000
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Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 Overview

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Nikon L31 and Nikon D40, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both are manufactured by Nikon. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the L31 (16MP) and D40 (6MP) and the L31 (1/2.3") and D40 (APS-C) use different sensor sizes.

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The L31 was revealed 8 years later than the D40 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Nikon L31 being a Ultracompact camera and the Nikon D40 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple summation of how the L31 matches up versus the D40 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Nikon L31 over the Nikon D40

 L31 D40 
RevealedJanuary 2015December 2006More recent by 99 months
Display dimension2.7"2.5"Larger display (+0.2")
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Nikon D40 over the Nikon L31

 D40 L31 
Manual focus Very precise focus

Common features in the Nikon L31 and Nikon D40

 L31 D40 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display resolution230k230kIdentical display resolution
Touch display Lack of Touch display

Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 Physical Comparison

When you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Nikon L31 has exterior dimensions of 96mm x 59mm x 29mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 160 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Nikon D40 has specifications of 124mm x 94mm x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 522 grams (1.15 lbs).

Check the Nikon L31 and Nikon D40 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the L31 compared to the D40.

Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the L31 and D40 is 94 and 71 respectively.

Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 top view buttons comparison

Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it's hard to imagine the difference in sensor measurements purely by seeing specifications. The graphic below will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the L31 and D40.

To sum up, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The L31 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh more difficult and the Nikon L31 will produce more detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images much more aggressively. The more recent L31 provides an edge with regard to sensor tech.

Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 sensor size comparison

Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 Screen and ViewFinder

Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Nikon L31
Portrait photography with Nikon D40
36
good megapixels (16MP)
comes with face detect autofocus
lack of manual focus
manual mode not available
no external flash support
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
53
has manual focus
flash sync speed is above average (1/500 seconds)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
does not have liveview
sensor resolution low (6MP)
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Street Comparison

Nikon L31 Street photography factors
Nikon D40 Street photography factors
56
image stabilization (Digital)
fixed screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
more heavy than others (160g)
58
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Nikon L31 Sports photography details
Nikon D40 Sports photography details
40
image stabilization (Digital)
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect autofocus
39
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
does not have liveview
slow frames per second (3.0 frames/s)
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (6 megapixels)
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Travel Comparison

Nikon L31 Travel photography highlights
Nikon D40 Travel photography highlights
68
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
display is selfie friendly
fairly wide (26mm)
lack of Timelapse recording
more heavy than others (160 grams)
slow maximum aperture (f3.2)
47
has built in flash
missing Timelapse mode
sensor resolution low (6 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Nikon L31 Landscape photography highlights
Nikon D40 Landscape photography highlights
39
fairly wide (26mm)
image stabilization (Digital)
good megapixels (16MP)
lack of manual focus
cannot change lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.2)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
manual mode not available
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
lack of Timelapse recording
47
has manual focus
change lenses (Nikon F mount)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
tiny screen (2.5")
does not have liveview
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (6MP)
missing Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Nikon L31
Vlogging with Nikon D40
65
fairly wide (26mm)
display is selfie friendly
image stabilization (Digital)
comes with face detect autofocus
slow maximum aperture (f3.2)
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pxls)
lack of microphone socket
more heavy than others (160g)
9
no video recording
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Nikon L31 vs Nikon D40 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Nikon L31 and Nikon D40
 Nikon Coolpix L31Nikon D40
General Information
Company Nikon Nikon
Model type Nikon Coolpix L31 Nikon D40
Class Ultracompact Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2015-01-14 2006-12-21
Body design Ultracompact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.7 x 15.5mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 367.4mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 6 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 3008 x 2000
Highest native ISO 1600 1600
Highest boosted ISO - 3200
Min native ISO 80 200
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Nikon F
Lens zoom range 26-130mm (5.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/3.2-6.5 -
Macro focusing range 10cm -
Amount of lenses - 309
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 2.7 inches 2.5 inches
Screen resolution 230 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.53x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed - 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 3.60 m 17.00 m
Flash settings - Front curtain, Rear curtain, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync - 1/500 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 -
Highest video resolution 1280x720 None
Video file format Motion JPEG -
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 160g (0.35 pounds) 522g (1.15 pounds)
Dimensions 96 x 59 x 29mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 1.1") 124 x 94 x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 56
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 21.0
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.0
DXO Low light rating not tested 561
Other
Battery life 200 photos -
Battery format AA -
Battery ID 2 x AA EN-EL9
Self timer Yes (10 secs) Yes (2 to 20 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC card
Storage slots One One
Cost at launch $0 $500