# Nikon D40 Question



## justinlw (Jun 13, 2008)

I just got my wife the D40 SLR camera. I left the settings alone, aside from switching image quality to Fine. It takes all of the pictures in widescreen format (I think) as opposed to the traditional photo ratio. Anyone know how to change the setting to a traditional photo size?


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## justinlw (Jun 13, 2008)

Any Nikon experts here?


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## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

DSLR just gives pictures based on the sensor size. It is not the same ratio as a standard 35mm. To get that you have to go to one of the full frame DSLR cameras like the D700, D3, D3x. If there is a way to change the picture ratio, I don't know about it. You can change file size and dimensions but as far as I know the ratio stays the same.. There are some ratio changes I can make with my little point/shoot camera but not the DSLR. I wish there was an 8x10 ratio so I would not have to crop to 8x10 after the fact. 

Some cameras have a viewfinder mask that shows different ratios so you can see what fits an 8x10 crop but you still have to do the cropping on the computer, not in the camera. D40 does not have that option. I believe you are stuck with the 3:2 "DX" ratio on the D40.


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

Canon user here, but I looked up your manual and on page 29-30 has the info you are looking for.


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## justinlw (Jun 13, 2008)

thanks guys, I'll check that out right now.


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## justinlw (Jun 13, 2008)

stargazer said:


> Canon user here, but I looked up your manual and on page 29-30 has the info you are looking for.


Can you send me a link? Pg 29 and 30 of my manual discuss picture taking modes.


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## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

stargazer said:


> Canon user here, but I looked up your manual and on page 29-30 has the info you are looking for.


He wants to change the aspect ratio of the image. You can't do that. Page 29/30 shows you how to change the compression ratio (jpg quality) and physical size of the print but every combination rather it's 3008x2000 pixels, 2256x1496 pixels or 1504x1000 pixels, it's still 3:2. Change the jpg compression from 1:4 to 1: 8 and the aspect ratio is still 3:2...

D40 is 1.5:1 (3:2) and 35mm is 1.37:1

Some of the new cameras like the D90/D300+ have a lot of in camera photo manipulation you can do. Cropping/trimming is one of them but the original is STILL going to be 3:2..

You'll simply have to buy your wife a new D3/D3X to get the 4:5 crop mode but I don't think you will find that in the D40.

Google "aspect ratio" for more info than you may care to read.


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

Oh, OK. I miss understood him, I thought it was image size....Nevermind



Arlon said:


> He wants to change the aspect ratio of the image. You can't do that. Page 29/30 shows you how to change the compression ratio (jpg quality) and physical size of the print but every combination rather it's 3008x2000 pixels, 2256x1496 pixels or 1504x1000 pixels, it's still 3:2. Change the jpg compression from 1:4 to 1: 8 and the aspect ratio is still 3:2...
> 
> D40 is 1.5:1 (3:2) and 35mm is 1.37:1
> 
> ...


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## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

Unfortunately some cropping is going to occur when you go from the DSLR to the photo printer at wal-mart. Either you crop it the way you want it on the computer or the printer crops it the way it wants to.

Justinlw, just be sure your wife has an idea what size of paper she wants to print and then *LEARN* to compose her pictures accordingly. If she takes pictures of people filling the frame on the D40, they will all have their feet or heads cut off when she gets them printed. Takes a little practice to get it right.

Ken Rockwell has a good users guide for the D40 that's pretty much written in English.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/users-guide/index.htm


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## justinlw (Jun 13, 2008)

Thanks alot guys, this helps alot. Basically we will just have to zoom a little less to leave room for cropping. The image quality is great, so this shouldn't be a problem.


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