Forbes has the info:

Nikon chief financial officer Ichiro Terato told a press conference: ‘High-margin single-lens reflex digital cameras and interchangeable lenses are selling well thanks to the aggressive release of new models such as the D-80, D-40 and D-40X.’

He remarked: ‘The entry into the SLR digital camera market of Sony (nyse: SNE – news – people ) and Matsushita Electric helped increase the size of the market.’

Nikon sold 2.09 mln SLR digital cameras in the last fiscal year, up from 1.34 mln the year before.

It sold 2.64 mln interchangeable lenses for SLR digital cameras, up from 2.02 mln.

‘Brisk sales of high-end digital cameras and interchangeable lenses more than offset sluggish sales of our compact digital cameras,’ Terato said.

Raise your hand if you have something to do with this.  I know I’ve enjoyed my new D40!

I think its pretty clear from these numbers that the release of the D40x over a D3 was more beneficial to Nikon’s bottom line.  We all want a D3 though… or two of’em.

[tags]nikon, sales, profits, d40, d80, d40x, slr, digital, camera, news, money, financial[/tags]