I've used a compact digital camera for the past few years. A couple of months ago, however, I decided that I wanted more manual controls and greater zoom capabilities, so I started the search for a new camera. I found myself wondering whether I wanted another point-and-shoot or whether I should look into an SLR.

Most of my experience had been with compact cameras, but here's what I knew about SLRs. SLR is short for "single-lens reflex." These cameras offer more controls, more options, and more heft than compact point-and-shoot cameras. While a larger size isn't exactly desirable, more options and controls were definitely what I was looking for. A digital SLR would give me the ability to change lenses to get the greater zoom capabilities that my point-and-shoot cam lacked. More controls would let me take my camera off auto mode, learn the more advanced features and get creative with my shooting.

After some serious research, I decided to go with a digital SLR, and more specifically the Nikon D40. (While my article doesn't delve into the details of choosing a digital SLR camera, Dave's article does. It's a great resource if you're in the market for a new camera, with a lot of tips on what to look for in a digital SLR.)

The D40 is a small, entry-level digital SLR camera.

During my pre-purchase research, I learned the following about the D40: It's a 6.1-megapixel digital SLR, and comes in a kit with an 18-55mm lens. The D40 is also one of the smallest SLRs available, which made it a great choice for me — I'd found that other SLRs felt clunky in my small hands. Another attractive aspect was this camera's price. As an entry-level cam in the digital SLR market, it was within the same general price as higher-end compact cameras, but the D40 came with the manual features I wanted. With my decision made, it was time to head home and try out the new camera.

First impressions

As I opened the box, the first thing I noticed was the larger size. I've carried my slim compact cam in my pocket and handbag for two years, and this SLR definitely wouldn't fit in a small handbag, let alone my pocket. The D40 was heavier than my small camera, but that was a good thing. I expected the D40 to be a solid camera and it was — it felt sturdy and well-built in my hand.

I charged the battery, attached the kit lens, and was ready to go. Some digital SLRs use CompactFlash cards, but the Nikon D40 uses SD™ cards. I was able to reformat the 1-gigabyte SD card I'd been using in my compact camera and use it in my new camera — very convenient.

I wanted to see how the picture quality compared to my old cam, so I snapped a few photos in auto mode. It wasn't the greatest test, since the subject was my cats lounging in a darkened living room, but I could see an improvement in the image quality and color reproduction, even on the 2-1/2" LCD screen. Then I turned the camera off and spent about an hour reading the owner's manual. While it was easy to turn on the camera and take photos in auto mode, I knew I'd need the manual to figure out the D40's more advanced controls.

Over the next few weeks, I got the chance to test out the camera's advanced functions at some local parks. I noticed a vast improvement in photo quality when compared to photos taken with my compact camera. I only stepped from a 4-megapixel to a 6-megapixel cam, but the photos were crisper and the colors were more accurate. Some of that was undoubtedly the result of a larger, better quality lens. The best part of my new camera was the increased creative control over my photographs. Even a simple feature like manual zoom made a big difference. I framed scenes precisely as I wanted, instead of relying on the preset zoom stops that my compact camera offered.

The D40 did a great job capturing the fading sunlight at a park near our office.

Getting more zoom — adding a telephoto lens

After my trips to the local parks, I decided to purchase a telephoto lens so that I could photograph distant subjects. In the past, there were many times that I wished my compact cam could get just a little closer to the action — especially when capturing games and vacation scenery. I opted for the Nikon 55-200mm lens to complement the 18-55mm lens that came with the D40.

I tested the zoom lens on a hike in Shenandoah National Park and sure enough, it came in very handy. This photo wouldn't have been nearly as impressive if it were shot from further away.

The zoom lens I purchased let me get close to this deer.

The next testing ground for me and my D40 was Europe, where I'd be visiting a friend who was studying abroad. To make sure I was prepared for an extended vacation with my camera, I bought an extra battery, a larger 2-gigabyte SD memory card, a polarizing filter, and a camera backpack. The camera backpack was big enough to hold all my gear, along with my wallet and other items that I normally stored in a handbag. With all my gear packed, I was ready to head off to Ireland and Paris — the perfect places to try out my new camera.

Learning the D40 on the road (on the trip of a lifetime)

At the start of my vacation, I hadn't spent much time using my D40, but by the end of my journey, it felt more comfortable in my hand than my smaller point-and-shoot cam. I took just over 500 photos in 12 days — probably more than most people take in their first few months with a new camera. We toured every beautiful monument, landmark, and scenic view that we could fit into our time there, and I captured it all.

As I mentioned before, the D40 has a decent auto mode, and I was thankful for that. It was extremely useful at times when I was too exhausted to fiddle with manual settings or when I flagged down a stranger to take a quick snapshot of our group.

From auto mode, I branched out into more advanced shooting controls. Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority let me adjust one setting manually, either the shutter speed or the aperture, while the camera changed the other setting to match my selection. These semi-manual modes gave me the opportunity to experiment with other manual controls like ISO, white balance, and exposure compensation.

The D40's controls made it easy to access advanced features.

The D40's menu was easy to understand, but might have been confusing if I hadn't spent time reading the owner's manual. The menu has two levels. The first one let me set shutter speed, aperture, and exposure compensation. It also displayed how many more photos I could fit on my memory card, the remaining battery life, and the current settings for photo size, white balance, ISO, focus modes, and metering. The second level of the menu let me adjust white balance, ISO, focus modes, metering, and flash output.

Changing shutter speeds was one of the easiest things for me to get the hang of. The more time that the shutter spent open, the more light and action it captured in a single frame. I tested this at the Eiffel Tower as we were waiting to ride the elevator to the top. The lights of the Eiffel Tower sparkle for the first 10 minutes of every hour at night. I slowly increased the shutter speed while shooting the twinkling Eiffel Tower and this was the effect:

Lengthening the time the shutter was open let me capture more twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower. These photos shot with shutter speeds of 1/10, 1/5, and 1/3 of a second.

It's worth noting that the D40 has a number of other shooting modes that I didn't spend too much time with — scene modes and the ever-daunting full manual mode, which will be my next challenge as I learn more about photography.

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.