Nikon D40X vs D80

The Nikon D40X and the Nikon D80 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in March 2007 and August 2006. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 10 megapixels.

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

Headline Specifications

Nikon D40X		Nikon D80
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Nikon F mount lenses
10 MP – APS-C sensor		10 MP – APS-C sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 100-1,600 (100 - 3,200)		ISO 100-1,600 (100 - 3,200)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
2.5" LCD – 230k dots		2.5" LCD – 230k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
520 shots per battery charge		600 shots per battery charge
124 x 94 x 64 mm, 522 g		132 x 103 x 77 mm, 668 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D40X and the Nikon D80? 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 D40X and the Nikon D80. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The D40X can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the D80 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D80 is notably larger (17 percent) than the Nikon D40X. Moreover, the D80 is markedly heavier (28 percent) than the D40X. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the D40X nor the D80 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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Nikon Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the D40X gets 520 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL9 battery, while the D80 can take 600 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL3e power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D40X	124 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	520	n	Mar 2007	US$ 729	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D80	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	668 g	600	n	Aug 2006	US$ 999	ebay.com
3.		Canon 400D	127 mm	84 mm	65 mm	556 g	370	n	Aug 2006	US$ 799	ebay.com
4.		Canon 450D	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	524 g	500	n	Jan 2008	US$ 799	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D40	124 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	470	n	Nov 2006	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D50	133 mm	102 mm	76 mm	620 g	400	n	Apr 2005	US$ 749	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D60	126 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	500	n	Jan 2008	US$ 629	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D70	140 mm	111 mm	78 mm	679 g	400	n	Jan 2004	US$ 999	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D70s	140 mm	111 mm	78 mm	679 g	500	n	Apr 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D90	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	703 g	850	n	Aug 2008	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D3000	126 mm	97 mm	64 mm	536 g	500	n	Jul 2009	US$ 599	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D3100	124 mm	96 mm	75 mm	505 g	550	n	Aug 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D5000	127 mm	104 mm	80 mm	590 g	510	n	Apr 2009	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-420	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	440 g	500	n	Mar 2008	US$ 599	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic L10	135 mm	96 mm	78 mm	556 g	450	n	Aug 2007	US$ 599	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 retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The D40X was launched at a markedly lower price (by 27 percent) than the D80, 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. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its 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 and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 10 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the D40X and the D80 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the D40X is a somewhat more recent model (by 6 months) than the D80, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Nikon D40X has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600, which can be extended to ISO 100-3200. The Nikon D80 offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CCD (Charged Coupled Device) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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 adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-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 D40X	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.4	11.4	516	63
2.		Nikon D80	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.1	11.2	524	61
3.		Canon 400D	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.1	11.0	664	62
4.		Canon 450D	APS-C	12.2	4272	2848	none	21.9	10.8	692	61
5.		Nikon D40	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	21.0	11.0	561	56
6.		Nikon D50	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.9	10.8	560	55
7.		Nikon D60	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.5	11.4	562	65
8.		Nikon D70	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	10.3	529	50
9.		Nikon D70s	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	10.3	529	50
10.		Nikon D90	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.7	12.5	977	73
11.		Nikon D3000	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.3	11.1	563	62
12.		Nikon D3100	APS-C	14.2	4608	3072	1080/24p	22.5	11.3	919	67
13.		Nikon D5000	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.7	12.5	868	72
14.		Olympus E-420	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.5	10.4	527	56
15.		Panasonic L10	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.3	10.8	429	55

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The D40X and the D80 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 viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the D80 has a higher magnification than the one of the D40X (0.62x 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 D40X and Nikon D80 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 D40X	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
2.		Nikon D80	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 400D	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 450D	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
5.		Nikon D40	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D50	optical	n	2.0 / 130	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D60	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D70	optical	n	1.8 / 130	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D70s	optical	n	2.0 / 130	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D90	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D3000	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Nikon D3100	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon D5000	optical	n	2.7 / 230	full-flex	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
14.		Olympus E-420	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
15.		Panasonic L10	optical	n	2.5 / 207	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the D40X and the D80 write their files to SDHC cards.

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 D40X and Nikon D80 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 D40X	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Nikon D80	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 400D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon 450D	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Nikon D40	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Nikon D50	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Nikon D60	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Nikon D70	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D70s	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Nikon D90	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Nikon D3000	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Nikon D3100	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Nikon D5000	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Olympus E-420	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Panasonic L10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-

Both the D40X and the D80 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D80 was replaced by the Nikon D90, while the D40X was followed by the Nikon D60 . Further information on the features and operation of the D40X and D80 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D40X Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D80 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon D40X or the Nikon D80 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D40X:

• More compact: Is smaller (124x94mm vs 132x103mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 146g or 22 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (27 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 6 months after the D80).

Advantages of the Nikon D80:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.62x vs 0.53x).
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (600 versus 520) out of a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in August 2006).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D40X comes out slightly ahead of the D80 (4 : 3 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 D40X and the Nikon D80 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 specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the D40X or the D80 perform in practice. 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.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular 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	Street Price
1.		Nikon D40X	..	79/100	..	+ +	4/5	4/5	Mar 2007	US$ 729	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D80	..	+	..	+ +	o	4.5/5	Aug 2006	US$ 999	ebay.com
3.		Canon 400D	..	+ +	..	+ +	o	4/5	Aug 2006	US$ 799	ebay.com
4.		Canon 450D	..	+ +	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	US$ 799	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D40	..	81/100	..	+ +	o	4.5/5	Nov 2006	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D50	..	78/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2005	US$ 749	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D60	..	80/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	US$ 629	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D70	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Jan 2004	US$ 999	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D70s	..	..	..	..	..	5/5	Apr 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D90	..	+ +	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D3000	..	+	..	72/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2009	US$ 599	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D3100	5/5	+ +	..	72/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D5000	..	+ +	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2009	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-420	..	85/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2008	US$ 599	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic L10	..	85/100	..	+	3.5/5	4/5	Aug 2007	US$ 599	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time 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. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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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 make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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