Canon 1100D versus Nikon D40

The Canon EOS 1100D (called Canon T3 in some regions) and the Nikon D40 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in February 2011 and November 2006. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 12.2 megapixel, whereas the Nikon provides 6 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 1100D vs Nikon D40

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon 1100D and the Nikon D40. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also toggle the display to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the 1100D – represents the basis for the calculations across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D40 is notably smaller (10 percent) than the Canon 1100D. However, the D40 is markedly heavier (5 percent) than the 1100D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 1100D nor the D40 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Yet, since both cameras are based around an APS-C sensor, their respective lenses will tend to have similar dimensions and heft. You can find an overview of optics for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (1100D) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D40).

Concerning battery life, the 1100D gets 700 shots out of its LP-E10 battery, while the D40 can take 470 images on a single charge of its EN-EL9 power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1100D»	5.1 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	17.5 oz	700	n	Feb 2011	449	-		Canon 1100D
	Nikon D40«	4.9 in	3.7 in	2.5 in	18.4 oz	470	n	Nov 2006	499	-		Nikon D40
	Canon 2000D« »	5.1 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	16.8 oz	500	n	Feb 2018	449			Canon 2000D
	Canon 1200D« »	5.1 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	16.9 oz	500	n	Feb 2014	449	-		Canon 1200D
	Canon G1 X« »	4.6 in	3.2 in	2.6 in	18.8 oz	250	n	Jan 2012	799	-		Canon G1 X
	Canon 650D« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.3 oz	440	n	Jun 2012	849	-		Canon 650D
	Canon SX50« »	4.8 in	3.4 in	4.2 in	21.0 oz	315	n	Sep 2012	429	-		Canon SX50
	Canon 600D« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.1 oz	440	n	Feb 2011	599	-		Canon 600D
	Canon 550D« »	5.1 in	3.9 in	2.4 in	18.7 oz	440	n	Feb 2010	699	-		Canon 550D
	Canon 1000D« »	5.0 in	3.9 in	2.6 in	17.7 oz	500	n	Jun 2008	449	-		Canon 1000D
	Canon 450D« »	5.1 in	3.9 in	2.4 in	18.5 oz	500	n	Jan 2008	799	-		Canon 450D
	Canon 400D« »	5.0 in	3.3 in	2.6 in	19.6 oz	370	n	Aug 2006	799	-		Canon 400D
	Nikon D3100« »	4.9 in	3.8 in	3.0 in	17.8 oz	550	n	Aug 2010	599	-		Nikon D3100
	Nikon D3000« »	5.0 in	3.8 in	2.5 in	18.9 oz	500	n	Jul 2009	599	-		Nikon D3000
	Nikon D40X« »	4.9 in	3.7 in	2.5 in	18.4 oz	520	n	Mar 2007	729	-		Nikon D40X
	Nikon D50« »	5.2 in	4.0 in	3.0 in	21.9 oz	400	n	Apr 2005	749	-		Nikon D50
	Nikon D70s« »	5.5 in	4.4 in	3.1 in	24.0 oz	500	n	Apr 2005	899	-		Nikon D70s
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The camera’s price is obviously a critical decision-making factor. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The 1100D was somewhat cheaper (by 10 percent) than the D40 at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Canon 1100D vs Nikon D40

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D40 is 15 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (1100D) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the Canon 1100D offers a higher resolution of 12.2 megapixel, compared with 6 MP of the Nikon D40. This megapixel advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 5.15μm versus 7.85μm for the D40). However, it should be noted that the 1100D is much more recent (by 4 years and 2 months) than the D40, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). Of the two cameras under review, the 1100D has a notably higher overall DXO score than the D40 (overall score 6 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.9 bits higher color depth, and 0.4 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The 1100D indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the D40 does not. The highest resolution format that the 1100D can use is 720/30p.

Feature comparison: Canon 1100D vs Nikon D40

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 1100D and the D40 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 1100D, the Nikon D40, and comparable cameras. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

Both the 1100D and the D40 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The D40 was replaced by the Nikon D40X, while the 1100D was followed by the Canon 1200D.

Review summary: Canon 1100D vs Nikon D40

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 1100D and the Nikon D40? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 1100D:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (12.2 vs 6MP) with a 42% higher linear resolution.
• Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (6 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (0.4 stops ISO advantage).
• Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 720/30p movies.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (2.7" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (3 vs 2.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (700 versus 470) on a single battery charge.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 2 months of technical progress since the D40 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D40:

• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in November 2006).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the 1100D is the clear winner of the match-up (8 : 1 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the 1100D and the D40 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The detailed reviews can be accessed by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1100D»	80/100	69/100	4/5	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	449	-		Canon 1100D
	Nikon D40«	81/100	HiRec	rev	5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2006	499	-		Nikon D40
	Canon 2000D« »	rev	-	3.5/5	-	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449			Canon 2000D
	Canon 1200D« »	Rec	-	4/5	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	449	-		Canon 1200D
	Canon G1 X« »	Rec	76/100	4/5	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2012	799	-		Canon G1 X
	Canon 650D« »	HiRec	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	849	-		Canon 650D
	Canon SX50« »	HiRec	72/100	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Sep 2012	429	-		Canon SX50
	Canon 600D« »	rev	77/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	599	-		Canon 600D
	Canon 550D« »	HiRec	77/100	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2010	699	-		Canon 550D
	Canon 1000D« »	82/100	HiRec	3.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2008	449	-		Canon 1000D
	Canon 450D« »	HiRec	HiRec	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	799	-		Canon 450D
	Canon 400D« »	HiRec	HiRec	rev	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2006	799	-		Canon 400D
	Nikon D3100« »	HiRec	72/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2010	599	-		Nikon D3100
	Nikon D3000« »	Rec	72/100	4/5	3.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2009	599	-		Nikon D3000
	Nikon D40X« »	79/100	HiRec	4/5	rev	4/5	Mar 2007	729	-		Nikon D40X
	Nikon D50« »	78/100	HiRec	4/5	rev	4.5/5	Apr 2005	749	-		Nikon D50
	Nikon D70s« »	-	-	-	rev	5/5	Apr 2005	899	-		Nikon D70s

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool. If the camera you are interested in is not available, kindly get in touch, and I will try to locate and add the respective data to the application.

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