Are all beginner DSLR chargers the same?
I lost my Nikon D40 charger and I was hoping I could use my friend's Canon DSLR charger to charge. Both are beginner DSLRs so I thought maybe it's the same. And if it fits, it wouldn't affect the charger/battery would it?
No, even cameras from the same manufacturer use different batteries, necessitating different chargers.
Contact your local dealer for the price of a replacement charger.
You don't understand. Each charger and battery combination are specific to each other. That means that only the type of charger intended for a specific battery should be used. There are safety reasons.
Using the wrong charger can cause over heating, fire and even explosion in certain cases. This has burned down some structures in the past and is really a stupid way to try to charge any battery.
Do not, and I can't emphasis this strongly enough, do not attempt to charge any battery with a charger not intended for that specific battery.
Buy another Nikon charger! You can damage the Canon charger, or the Nikon battery if you try to do what you have in mind.