My camera just broke.

It’s probably rubbing on something internally. Take i to an electronic repair store, they’ll give you an estimate most likely. Do not use it in the meantime. Mine did that and it just died completely from the stress.

That sounds like the lens has thrown a barring, I have a… a few… lens do that. If the body itself is making the noise, then you threw one of the barring or one of the gears inside the body.
I have had a D300 burst open on me, and trust me, you won’t be able to fix anything inside yourself, there are so many small parts inside, and crap like you have never seen!
If you dropped the camera on the lens first, then the body hit, you most likely bent the focus rod (that tinny little piece of metal that operates the lenses auto focus)
Regardless, I suggest taking it your local camera store or Nikon realer, they can give you an estimate.
In my experiences the most costly fix I have ever had was my 80–400mm lens, I dropped it, bending the shaft of the lens, cracking some glass and stuff, it cost me 500$ to fix. The exploded D300 only cost me 300$ to fix, (but the dumb A**es at Nikon didn’t fix it all the way, my viewfinder is still all junked up, but it’s my backup camera, so it doesn’t effect me that much.)
I would say it shouldn’t cost any more then 300$ to fix the thing.

I would take it to a couple electronic places around town and get an estimate from each and take it to the cheapest place

The D40 doesn’t have a focus motor in the body (you’re in luck!), so worst case you need to replace the lens (since it sounds like something in the motor or gearing is broken). Just make sure you replace it with a lens with an internal motor—most good camera shops will be able to advise you on what’s wrong with it.

@itvoar16—Remind me not to lend my camera to you… I fly my cameras on kites and they’re in better shape than it sounds like yours are =)

Radio shack fixed my friends camera it cost liked a quater of he payed.

Total bummer dude

Just to be sure, try a different lens and see if it makes the same noise. If not, then the problem is with the lens like everyone else is saying, and don’t try to fix it yourself! Shop around for the best repair price, and also price some used lens of the same type to see if it’s cheaper to fix it or replace it.

just a question, how do you drop a camera and not know if you broke the lens or not? Just asking really.

Plus, if lens can’t focus and is making noises and you have to force the lens manually to focus… it isn’t the camera at all, it’s the lens itself.

Besides which I’ve dropped my D70s a few times and it works just fine.

@bpeoples: I am what you would call an “extreme” photographer. You know those photos you see where you can tell the photographer probably died after he took the pic? Ya, that’s me. I have yet to die, but a lot of my camera equipment has come very close.

LOL! I have got to see some of those photos.