Hasta La Gadget!

(Credit: Nikon USA)

It’s had a loooong run, but now it’s over; the Nikon D40, which the company unveiled in November 2006, is finally being put out to pasture. That’s a pretty good lifespan for a consumer dSLR, and I’m sure Nikon is hoping that its replacement, the D3000–announced today along with the D300’s replacement, the D300s and a pair of lens updates–can match or surpass its popularity.

The body remains mostly unchanged from the D40, but as you’d expect, Nikon beefs up some of the performance and features aspects of the camera, including a much-needed update of the AF system, which includes behind-the-scenes face detection. Other improvements inherited from across the line include enhanced air flow for improved dust reduction and better midtone correction in the Active D-Lighting.

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