A way-later-than-the-rest-of-the-pack review of the Nikon D40 is up at, of all places, The Washington Post.

It’s a relatively short review and doesn’t go into a whole lot of depth about the D40, although they hint that they actually did some “lab tests” of the camera:

The D40′s image quality is very good because the camera includes the same image-processing circuitry included in Nikon’s more expensive D80 and D200. In our lab tests, the D40 scored only slightly below those cameras in image quality.

However, they don’t give any more details about that. The rest of the article is more about the feel, usability, and features than about image quality. And, no big surprise, they like the camera:

At $600, the D40 is a great value, and a great tool for photographers who want to grow. The included help system and aperture displays are fantastic learning tools, and the fact that the camera provides full priority and manual modes, as well as RAW, ensures that you won’t have to compromise as your shooting prowess grows.

The full article has some more detail, although not a ton, since it is relatively brief.