The results: How the D40 handled a beginner shooting the Irish and French countryside

And finally, the photos from my trip. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. These photos really show what the D40 can do, even with a novice looking through the viewfinder.

Photos of the Cliffs of Moher (above) and the Burren (below) in western Ireland shot with my 18-55mm lens.

These photos were taken with the D40 and its 18-55mm lens, which has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 27-82.5mm. They're relatively wide-angle shots and show the expansiveness of the landscape while maintaining detail — from the jagged edges of the cliffs to the rippling current of the ocean. I was impressed with the level of detail in these shots.

Closeup photos shot with the 18-55mm lens — the colors were realistic and vibrant.

My favorite photos were the closeup shots. The color reproduction and detail was much better than it would have been with my old camera. Again, it was the accuracy in the rocks and flowers that made these photos stand out. And the accurate colors convey the amazing weather and colorful landscapes of my trip.

An abbey photographed with my 18-55mm lens at 55mm (above) and then with my 55-200mm lens at 185mm (below).

The zoom lens was a great purchase — it really let me get close to my subjects. In this example, I photographed an abbey from the Rock of Cashel. With the 18-55mm lens, I was able to get more of the landscape. For a closeup of the abbey, I switched to the 55-200mm lens. This, and walking forward a few steps, let me get incredibly close to the old stone building. The photo was shot at a great distance, but I can see the details in the stone wall.

Using a polarizing filter — photos of Blarney Castle (above) and the Poulnabrone Dolmen (below).

I purchased a polarizing filter before I left for my trip, and got some great photos because of it. Polarizing filters deepen the colors of skies when shooting outdoors. We had incredible weather throughout our entire trip, but without a polarizing filter, I wouldn't have been able to capture the vibrant blue sky that seemed to follow us everywhere.

The D40 also comes with some pretty cool features for adjusting your photos after you take a picture. A cropping tool makes it easy to cut out a small portion of your photo in camera. The D-lighting feature corrects backlighting issues, when the light behind your subjects makes their faces dark and hard to see. However, I have to admit that I didn't get into these features much on my trip, but instead left photo adjustments for my computer at home.

Was the D40 the right choice for me?

Absolutely. Having a combination of automatic and manual controls let me get the best photos that I could, and gave me many manual controls — some that I am just starting to understand. I was worried that I might outgrow a point-and-shoot camera too quickly, but it'll be a while before I fully master the D40. And that makes this cam good for me. I can take excellent photos with auto or semi-manual modes and then progress to more manual modes in the future. This would be a great camera for folks, like myself, who are learning and getting serious about digital photography. It offers a lot of features without being overwhelming, and is quite easy to use.

Conclusions on my SLR experience

My transition to an SLR was very smooth, even though I learned how to use my camera in a short period of time. Upgrading to an SLR gave me improved picture quality right away, along with increased control and the ability to add extra flashes, filters and lenses. I've got more camera than I know how to use right now, but every time I go out to take photos I learn a little bit more.