Although we've only had our hands on a prototype of the new Nikon D40, we can say that we've been mightily impressed with what we've seen. Smaller than any Nikon DSLR to date, the new D40 is nonetheless surprisingly comfortable to hold. It also packs a load of features and a great new user interface, all for an impressively low price. As most affordable Nikon DSLR to date, the D40 promises to open the experience of Nikon photography to legions of new users.

Clearly aimed at the new DSLR owner, the Nikon D40 carries over a lot of the feature set from its big brother the D80, but presents a very user-friendly face to the newbie. At the same time though, it has more than enough capability to interest the enthusiast on a budget. (The Nikon D40 strikes us as a near-perfect camera for photo student, soccer mom, or budget-minded enthusiast shooter alike.)

Our ultimate judgement will have to await our testing of a full production sample of the camera, but from what we've seen so far, the Nikon D40 promises to be one of the smash hits of the 2006 holiday season. Read our full Nikon D40 hands-on preview for all the juicy details!