What is the pixel pitch of the Nikon D40?

The Nikon D40 provides 6 megapixels from an APS-C sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 7.85µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Nikon D40 measures 23.7mm in width and 15.6mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 370 mm². Moreover, the D40 has 3 008 horizontal pixels and 2 000 vertical pixels, for a total of 6 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (370 mm²) to the MP count (6 016 000).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Nikon D40 to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D40	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	21.0	11.0	561	56
2.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
3.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
4.		Nikon D3100	APS-C	14.2	4608	3072	1080/24p	22.5	11.3	919	67
5.		Nikon D3000	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.3	11.1	563	62
6.		Nikon D60	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.5	11.4	562	65
7.		Nikon D40X	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.4	11.4	516	63
8.		Nikon D80	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.1	11.2	524	61
9.		Nikon D50	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.9	10.8	560	55
10.		Nikon D70s	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	10.3	529	50
11.		Nikon D70	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	10.3	529	50

Further information on the sensor in the Nikon D40 and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the D40 was initially launched in November 2006 at a price of $499.

Check D40 offers at
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Camera to camera comparisons

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