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Nikon D40 vs Sony A55

Portability
71
Imaging
45
Features
33
Overall
40
Nikon D40 front
 
Sony SLT-A55 front
Portability
67
Imaging
56
Features
80
Overall
65

Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 Key Specs

Nikon D40
(Full Review)
  • 6MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 200 - 1600 (Push to 3200)
  • No Video
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 522g - 124 x 94 x 64mm
  • Launched December 2006
  • Later Model is Nikon D3000
Sony A55
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Expand to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 500g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
  • Released August 2010
  • Renewed by Sony A57
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Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 Overview

Let's look a little more in depth at the Nikon D40 vs Sony A55, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by manufacturers Nikon and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the resolutions of the D40 (6MP) and A55 (16MP) but they come with the same exact sensor dimensions (APS-C).

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The D40 was revealed 4 years prior to the A55 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a brief summation of how the D40 matches up vs the A55 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Nikon D40 over the Sony A55

 D40 A55 

Reasons to pick Sony A55 over the Nikon D40

 A55 D40 
ReleasedAugust 2010December 2006More recent by 44 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display sizing3"2.5"Larger display (+0.5")
Display resolution921k230kCrisper display (+691k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Nikon D40 and Sony A55

 D40 A55 
Manually focus Very accurate focus
Touch display Lack of Touch display

Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 Physical Comparison

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Nikon D40 has physical dimensions of 124mm x 94mm x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 522 grams (1.15 lbs) whilst the Sony A55 has proportions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

See the Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the D40 vs the A55.

Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the D40 and A55 is 71 and 67 respectively.

Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 top view buttons comparison

Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it's difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements merely by researching specifications. The visual underneath might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the D40 and A55.

Plainly, both of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different MP. You should anticipate the Sony A55 to render extra detail because of its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older D40 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 sensor size comparison

Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 Screen and ViewFinder

Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Nikon D40 Portrait photography factors
Sony A55 Portrait photography factors
53
has manual focus
above average flash sync (1/500 seconds)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
does not have liveview
MP count low (6MP)
73
focusing manually
good megapixels (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
includes face detect focusing
supports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Nikon D40 Street photography info
Sony A55 Street photography info
58
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
fixed screen
no image stabilization
77
screen articulates
image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Nikon D40 Sports photography features
Sony A55 Sports photography features
39
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect autofocus
does not have liveview
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
MP count low (6 megapixels)
68
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good megapixels (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect AF
bad battery pack (380 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Nikon D40
Travel photography with Sony A55
47
built-in flash
doesn't have Timelapse function
MP count low (6MP)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
62
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
selfie friendly screen
lack of Timelapse function
bad battery pack (380 per charge)
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Landscape Comparison

Nikon D40 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A55 as a Landscape photography camera
47
has manual focus
swap lenses (Nikon F mount)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
screen is somewhat small (2.5")
does not have liveview
no image stabilization
MP count low (6MP)
doesn't have Timelapse function
67
focusing manually
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good megapixels (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
bad battery pack (380 CIPA)
lack of Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Nikon D40 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A55 as a Vlogging camera
9
lack of video recording
78
selfie friendly screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
includes microphone jack
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Nikon D40 vs Sony A55 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Nikon D40 and Sony A55
 Nikon D40Sony SLT-A55
General Information
Brand Name Nikon Sony
Model Nikon D40 Sony SLT-A55
Type Entry-Level DSLR Entry-Level DSLR
Launched 2006-12-21 2010-08-24
Body design Compact SLR Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor measurements 23.7 x 15.5mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 367.4mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 6 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 3008 x 2000 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 1600 12800
Highest enhanced ISO 3200 25600
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points - 15
Cross focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mount Nikon F Sony/Minolta Alpha
Total lenses 309 143
Crop factor 1.5 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Display size 2.5 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 230 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,150 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage 95% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.53x 0.73x
Features
Min shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Max shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 3.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 17.00 m 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Flash modes Front curtain, Rear curtain, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash sync 1/500 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video file format - MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 522 gr (1.15 lbs) 500 gr (1.10 lbs)
Dimensions 124 x 94 x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5") 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 56 73
DXO Color Depth score 21.0 23.0
DXO Dynamic range score 11.0 12.4
DXO Low light score 561 816
Other
Battery life - 380 images
Type of battery - Battery Pack
Battery model EN-EL9 NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 to 20 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC card SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Pricing at release $500 $800