Replacement to D40/X as early as Spring?

File this one under rumor mill and wild speculation. According to a wildfire post on Dpreview, the D40X is apparently at the end of its shelf life and there is a possible replacement for the camera coming soon. While change is good, this flurry of camera releases by Nikon for its entry level cameras is not following the 18 month to 2 year product cycle normally employed. Nikon certainly shocked (and disappointed) the community when it released the D40X; a camera that seemed to play more into the marketing hype of the mega-pixel myth than an actual camera upgrade. Consumers who purchased the D40X appeared to basically be paying $50 for each additional megapixel and a very minor list of additional features, as well as the downgrade of the max shutter sync speed (non FP) from.

Also in the rumor department is the talk of a new Nikon lens, the 16-85 VR, which is interesting since Nikon just recently upgraded its 18-55mm kit lens to VR status as well. To be honest, VR isn't really needed in that range, and the consumers who purchase it are the type that are confused about what VR does anyway. All in all, I think PMA 2008 is going to have a lot of surprises for us when it comes around in late January.