Photographers - I need some gear advice

[aquadog]

I have a Nikon D40, which overall I love and is an incredible value for the quality of what I got. My only complaint is the viewfinder is tiny.
Recently, a friend told me that there are magnifiers to increase the field of view. This would solve all my problems. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what I should be buying? I'd like a pretty substantial increase in magnification if possible and it must, of course, work with the D40.

many thanks in advance

[photoguy]

I'm not aware of magnifiers that will increase the field of view ( which is really determined by the lens you're using). Maybe what you're experienceing is the fact that the D40 isn't a full frame camera? Compared to a traditional 35mm film camera, the viewfinder will seem small since the smaller sensors usually represent only a fraction of a traditional *full frame*. Not sure about Nikons but you may be able to replace the focusing screen with something brighter...though the angle of view will remain the same. It also helps to use a larger aperture lens for brightness of the viewfinder. Some lenses that are sold with cameras as part of a package can be pretty dark by comparison.

Try getting your hands on a D3 or Canon 5D to see the difference a full frame sensor makes in the viewfiinder... if what you see is to your liking, you'll have found your solution.

[aquadog]

sorry, maybe that was the wrong wording. What I mean is that because the image when looking through the viewfinder is so small, it is hard to see details within the frame, and makes it especially difficult to see adjustments while manually focusing.
A friend has a 5D, and the viewfinder is gigantic - I could see most of the details within the frame as I would see them in real life. In comparison, the image in the frame in my viewfinder with the D40 is diminutive, maybe even as little as half the size.
I'd like to increase the size of the image when using my viewfinder so I have an easier time seeing details within the photo/framing/easing eye strain from the small image.

I found products like this:
http://www.amazon.com/DK-21M-Magnifying-Eyepiece-Digital-Camera/dp/B000C0OF54/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1224486667&sr=8-1

but it seems a bit sketchy based on the reviews and doesn't seem to offer much magnification

[photoguy]

What you experienced when you looked in the 5d *IS* the the difference between a full frame viewfinder and yours...night/day.

I think I agree about the sketchyness of the amazon thing...but for $20 and a good return policy maybe it's worth a shot?

[smiert spionam]

Some people have good luck with those magnifiers -- definitely worth a shot to see if it works for you. It will not work well if you wear glasses, since it reduces the eyepoint.

A full frame camera will be of course miles better, but in between, take a look at the D80 and D90, which are the same DX crop as the D40. They both have significantly better prism viewfinders than the D40, as well as a number of other features you might like.

[jrm]

Yeah, what you are seeing is the difference in full frame. If you ar ebasically lookign for a bigger screen to compose with, take a lok at the Canon XSi. It is a digital SLR but has a feature called "live-view" which lets you compose a picture with the 3 inch LCD screen on the back rather than looking through the view finder.

[aquadog]

Ahhh, well looks like I'm stuck for a while. I guess I'll look into the magnifier for a temporary solution for now. Thanks everyone!

[Boobala]

The Nikon DG-2 is what you seek.

B&H has the DG-2 Eyepiece (2x) Magnifier for $60.

There is also the cheaper Nikon DK-21M (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/407315-REG/Nikon_25339_DK_21M_Magnifying_Eyepiece.html) ($23)