Nikon D40 vs Olympus E-5

The Nikon D40 and the Olympus E-5 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in November 2006 and September 2010. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on an APS-C (D40) and a Four Thirds (E-5) sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 6 megapixels, whereas the Olympus provides 12.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon D40		Olympus E-5
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Four Thirds lenses
6 MP – APS-C sensor		12.2 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video		720/30p Video
ISO 200-1,600 (200 - 3,200)		ISO 100-6,400
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
2.5" LCD – 230k dots		3.0" LCD – 920k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
2.5 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
470 shots per battery charge		750 shots per battery charge
124 x 94 x 64 mm, 522 g		142 x 117 x 75 mm, 873 g

Check D40 offers at
ebay.com
Check E-5 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D40 and the Olympus E-5? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon D40 and the Olympus E-5. 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.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-5 is considerably larger (43 percent) than the Nikon D40. Moreover, the E-5 is substantially heavier (67 percent) than the D40. It is noteworthy in this context that the E-5 is splash and dust-proof, while the D40 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

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. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Nikon Lens Catalog (D40) and the Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-5).

Concerning battery life, the D40 gets 470 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL9 battery, while the E-5 can take 750 images on a single charge of its Olympus BLM-5 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon D40	124 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	470	n	Nov 2006	499	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-5	142 mm	117 mm	75 mm	873 g	750	Y	Sep 2010	1,699	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D40X	124 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	520	n	Mar 2007	729	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D50	133 mm	102 mm	76 mm	620 g	400	n	Apr 2005	749	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D70s	140 mm	111 mm	78 mm	679 g	500	n	Apr 2005	899	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D80	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	668 g	600	n	Aug 2006	999	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D3000	126 mm	97 mm	64 mm	536 g	500	n	Jul 2009	599	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D3100	124 mm	96 mm	75 mm	505 g	550	n	Aug 2010	599	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D3200	125 mm	96 mm	77 mm	505 g	540	n	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	499	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-3	142 mm	116 mm	75 mm	876 g	750	Y	Oct 2007	1,699	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-450	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	440 g	500	n	Mar 2009	499	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-600	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	535 g	500	n	Aug 2009	449	ebay.com
15.		Olympus E-620	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	521 g	500	n	Feb 2009	699	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic L10	135 mm	96 mm	78 mm	556 g	450	n	Aug 2007	599	ebay.com
17.		Sony A77	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	732 g	470	Y	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D40 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 71 percent) than the E-5, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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

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.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon D40 features an APS-C sensor and the Olympus E-5 a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the E-5 is 39 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.5 and 2.0. The sensor in the D40 has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the E-5 offers a 4:3 aspect.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the E-5 offers a higher resolution of 12.2 megapixels, compared with 6 MP of the D40. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.29μm versus 7.85μm for the D40). However, it should be noted that the E-5 is much more recent (by 3 years and 9 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.

The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-5 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-5 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 20.2 x 15.1 inches or 51.2 x 38.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 16.1 x 12.1 inches or 41 x 30.7 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 13.4 x 10.1 inches or 34.1 x 25.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon D40 are 15 x 10 inches or 38.2 x 25.4 cm for good quality, 12 x 8 inches or 30.6 x 20.3 cm for very good quality, and 10 x 6.7 inches or 25.5 x 16.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Nikon D40 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 1600, which can be extended to ISO 200-3200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus E-5 are ISO 100 to ISO 6400 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the D40 is build around a CCD sensor, while the E-5 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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.		Olympus E-5	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.6	10.5	519	56
3.		Nikon D40X	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.4	11.4	516	63
4.		Nikon D50	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.9	10.8	560	55
5.		Nikon D70s	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	10.3	529	50
6.		Nikon D80	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.1	11.2	524	61
7.		Nikon D3000	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.3	11.1	563	62
8.		Nikon D3100	APS-C	14.2	4608	3072	1080/24p	22.5	11.3	919	67
9.		Nikon D3200	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/30p	24.1	13.2	1131	81
10.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
11.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
12.		Olympus E-3	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.6	10.5	571	56
13.		Olympus E-450	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.5	10.5	512	56
14.		Olympus E-600	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.5	10.3	541	55
15.		Olympus E-620	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.3	10.3	536	55
16.		Panasonic L10	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.3	10.8	429	55
17.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The E-5 indeed provides for movie recording, while the D40 does not. The highest resolution format that the E-5 can use is 720/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The D40 and the E-5 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 viewfinder in the E-5 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the D40 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the E-5 has a higher magnification (0.58x vs 0.53x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon D40 and Olympus E-5 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon D40	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
2.		Olympus E-5	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Nikon D40X	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Nikon D50	optical	n	2.0 / 130	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
5.		Nikon D70s	optical	n	2.0 / 130	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D80	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D3000	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D3100	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D3200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
12.		Olympus E-3	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Olympus E-450	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
14.		Olympus E-600	optical	n	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Olympus E-620	optical	n	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Panasonic L10	optical	n	2.5 / 207	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony A77	2359	Y	3.0 / 921	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that differentiates the E-5 and the D40 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The E-5 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the D40 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.

The D40 writes its imaging data to SDHC cards, while the E-5 uses Compact Flash or xD Picture cards. The E-5 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the D40 only has one slot.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D40 and Olympus E-5 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon D40	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Olympus E-5	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Nikon D40X	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Nikon D50	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Nikon D70s	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Nikon D80	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Nikon D3000	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Nikon D3100	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D3200	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Nikon D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
12.		Olympus E-3	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Olympus E-450	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Olympus E-600	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Olympus E-620	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Panasonic L10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony A77	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Olympus E-5 (unlike the D40) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the D40 and the E-5 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D40 was replaced by the Nikon D40X, while the E-5 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the D40 and E-5 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D40 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-5 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon D40 or the Olympus E-5 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Advantages of the Nikon D40:

• More compact: Is smaller (124x94mm vs 142x117mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 351g or 40 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (71 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in November 2006).

Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-5:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (12.2 vs 6MP), which boosts linear resolution by 40%.
• Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 720/30p video.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.58x vs 0.53x).
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (920k vs 230k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5 vs 2.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (750 versus 470) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 9 months of technical progress since the D40 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-5 is the clear winner of the contest (17 : 4 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. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon D40 and the Olympus E-5 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the D40 or the E-5. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon D40	..	81/100	..	+ +	o	4.5/5	Nov 2006	499	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-5	4/5	..	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,699	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D40X	..	79/100	..	+ +	4/5	4/5	Mar 2007	729	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D50	..	78/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2005	749	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D70s	..	..	..	..	..	5/5	Apr 2005	899	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D80	..	+	..	+ +	o	4.5/5	Aug 2006	999	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D3000	..	+	..	72/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2009	599	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D3100	5/5	+ +	..	72/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2010	599	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D3200	5/5	+ +	..	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	499	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-3	..	88/100	..	+ +	o	4/5	Oct 2007	1,699	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-450	..	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Mar 2009	499	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-600	..	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	Aug 2009	449	ebay.com
15.		Olympus E-620	3/5	88/100	..	72/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2009	699	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic L10	..	85/100	..	+	3.5/5	4/5	Aug 2007	599	ebay.com
17.		Sony A77	5/5	91/100	..	81/100	..	5/5	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check D40 offers at
ebay.com
Check E-5 offers at
ebay.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

~

Check D40 offers at
ebay.com
Check E-5 offers at
ebay.com

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.