Nikon D40 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark II

This is a full comparison between the cameras Nikon D40 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Nikon D40

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Manufacturing

Nikon D40 is manufacturered by Nikon but Canon EOS 5D Mark II is from Canon. Both Nikon and Canon are well known brands though.

Nikon D40 were released 2006 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II was released 2008. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Nikon D40	2006
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	2008

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Nikon D40 has a "Nikon DX"-sensor while Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a "Canon Full Frame"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Nikon D40	75 mm Nikon DX sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Nikon D40 has a 6 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 5D Mark II has 21,1 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Nikon D40	6 MP 6016000 pixels 3008 x 2000
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	21,1 MP 21026304 pixels 5616 x 3744

Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a 250 % larger resolution than Nikon D40. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D40. Canon EOS 5D Mark II has an ISO range that stretches from 50 to 25600 while Nikon D40 has 200 to 3200.

Camera	ISO Range
Nikon D40	200-3200
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	50-25600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

There is a big difference between these two cameras. Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a built-in autofocus motor but Nikon D40 does not. If you want to be able to use autofocus on Nikon D40 there is a need for having an autofocus motor inside the lens. We really encourage you to look closely at our lens compatibility charts at the links below.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D40
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Nikon D40 can shoot up to 2,5 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 5D Mark II can shoot up to 3,9 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Nikon D40	2,5
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	3,9

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

It is only one of these two cameras that support recording movies and movie clips and that is Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Sadly, the Nikon D40 does not support this.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II weighs 850 gr (equal to 1.87 lb) which is 63% heavier than Nikon D40 and its 522 gr (or 1.15 lb).

Camera	Weight
Nikon D40	522 gr 1.15 lb
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	850 gr 1.87 lb