I thought I’d take a look at Nikons entry level mirrorless camera of today, the Z50ii and compare it with the D40 of 2006. The prices are surprisingly close, so much for those who say the photography hobby has gotten more expensive for beginners, and it’s clear to see that the main areas of improvement, outside of the obvious addition of video capability (obviously), are naturally the resolution, an ability to use higher ISO’s (about 5 stops worth) and much better autofocus. Battery life is the only real win for a DSLR with the mirrorless requiring the photographer to carry a second one to match it.
| Nikon D40 | Nikon Z50 ii | |
|---|---|---|
| Year Released | 2006 | 2024 |
| Price – adjusted to 2025 | N/A – Body Only $999 – with 18-55mm kit lens $1,299 – 18-55mm + 55-200mm | $1,009 – Body Only $1,149 – with 16-50mm kit lens $1,399 – 16-50mm + 50-250mm |
| Lens Mount | F-Mount – AF requires lens with built in motor – Metering only with electronic lenses | Z-Mount Use F-Mount with $250/125g adapter – same AF limitations as D40 – will meter with all lenses |
| Sensor | 6.1MP CCD DX APS-C (1.5x crop) | 20.9MP CMOS DX APS-C (1.5x crop) |
| Image Resolution | 3,008 x 2,000 pixels | 5,568 x 3,712 pixels |
| ISO Sensitivity | 200-1,600 (expandable to 3,200) | 100-51,200 (expandable to 204,800) |
| Continuous Shooting | Up to 2.5 fps | Up to 11 fps (mechanical) 30 fps (electronic, JPEG) |
| AF System | 3-area AF system Phase-detect | 231 AF points Contrast & Phase Detection |
| Subject Detection | N/A | People, Pets, Vehicles |
| Scene Modes | Auto Portrait Child Night Portrait Landscape Sports Close-up (Macro) | Auto Portrait Child Night Portrait Pet Portrait Landscape Beach/Snow Sunset Dusk/Dawn Night Landscape Party/Indoor Autumn Colors Sports Close-up (Macro) Food Blossom |
| In Camera Stabilization | N/A | Digital (for video) |
| Flash | Built-in Hotshoe No wireless flash control | Built-in Hotshoe Wireless flash control |
| Video | N/A | UHD 4K up to 60p 1080p HD up to 120p (H.265/H.264) |
| Screen | 2.5″ – 230k dot Fixed Non touch No live view | 3.2″ – 1,040k dot Vari-angle Touchscreen Live View |
| Viewfinder | Optical 95% Coverage | Electronic Screen 100% Coverage |
| Photo Assistance | N/A | Focus Peaking Manual focus magnified view |
| Storage | Single SD card slot (up to SDHC) | Dual SD card slots (UHS-II compatible) |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Size | 126 x 94 x 64 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.5 in) 0.76 litres | 127 x 96.8 x 66.5 mm (5 x 3.8 x 2.6 in) 0.82 litres |
| Weight | 522g (1.15 lbs) | 550g (1.21 lbs) |
| CIPA Battery Life | 470 shots | 230 shots |
Now let’s take a look the included kit lens. I have added the specs of the later VR ii version (that is what I have) in yellow:
| Nikon 18-55mm EDii DX (VR II version) | Nikon 16-50mm VR DX Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Year Released | 2006 (2014) | 2019 |
| Price – adjusted to 2025 | $189 ($339) | $329 |
| Mount | F-Mount | Z-Mount |
| Coverage | DX – 1.5x crop APS-C sensor | DX – 1.5x crop APS-C sensor |
| Focal length (DX) | 18-55mm | 16-50mm |
| Focal Length (FF Equivalent) | 27-83mm | 24-75mm |
| Aperture | f/3.5 – 5.6 | f/3.5-6.3 |
| Image Stabilization | No (Yes – up to 4 stops) | Yes – up to 4.5 stops |
| Weight | 205g (195g) | 135g |
| Dimensions | 75 x 70mm (60 x 66mm) 2.9 x 2.7 in (2.6 x 2.3 in) 0.29 litres (0.18 litres) | 70x 32mm 2.8 x 1.3mm 0.12 litres |
| Filter size | 52mm | 46mm |
Then we can take a look at the second lens most people would have to complement the kit lens and give more reach, typically available in a dual lens kit with the camera or purchased separately later. Do bear in mind that the original version included in dual lens kits with the D40 was the non VR version which I do not recommend as image stabilization is important at the long end. I added the specs of the later VR ii version (that is what I have) in yellow:
| Nikon 55-200mm VR DX (VR II version) | Nikon 50-250mm VR DX Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Year Released | 2007 (2015) | 2019 |
| Price – adjusted to 2025 | $399 ($479) | $399 |
| Mount | F-Mount | Z-Mount |
| Coverage | DX – 1.5x crop APS-C sensor | DX (1.5x crop APS-C sensor) |
| Focal length (DX) | 55-200mm | 50-250mm |
| Focal Length (FF Equivalent) | 83-300mm | 75-375mm |
| Aperture | f/4 – 5.6 | f/4.5 – 6.3 |
| Image Stabilization | Yes – up to 3 stops (up to 4 stops) | Yes – up to 5 stops |
| Weight | 335g (300g) | 405g |
| Dimensions | 99.5 x 73.6mm (83 x 70.5mm) 3.9 x 2.9in (3.2 x 2.7in) 0.42 litres (0.32 litres) | 110 x 74mm 4.4 x 3in 0.47 litres |
| Filter size | 52mm | 62mm |
It’s interesting to see how the weight of the old D40 dual lens kit at 1,063g is almost identical, in fact slightly lighter, to that of the newer mirrorless setup which comes in at 1,090g. So much for mirrorless systems being automatically lighter…
Even in size they are nearly the same, with the volume of the old DSLR and dual lens combo being 1.47 litres vs 1.41 litres for the new mirrorless. In this case the mirrorless is smaller, but only due to the trick collapsing kit lens design.
Given I have the later versions of both lenses, which do collapse slightly, I have a roughly 11% smaller and ~11% lighter (1,017g) setup than the new mirrorless system if I count the weight of the 2nd battery the mirrorless would need. Hey, when playing with an 18 year disadvantage technology wise I’ll take what wins I can!
I don’t have time to put it through its paces right away due to some unfortunate family matters, but I will take some test shots in the next couple of weeks to see what it can do…
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