I’d like to stay around 500-$800 range. If for a little more I can get a much better camera I might consider it.
This will be my first SLR, but I am a quick learner.
Best? Prepare to spent tens of thousands. 
I like the Nikon D40 but the entry level Canon is good too. There was a thread here a few days ago about that.
The big advantage about Nikon vs Canon is that the new digital Nikons can use all the older lenses, and some of those old 35mm lenses are amazing and can be had on ebay very cheaply. Canon offers no such option. If you start to get more serious about photography and want to build up a decent kit with multiple lenses, this is something to consider.
PM sent.
The big advantage about Nikon vs Canon is that the new digital Nikons can use all the older lenses, and some of those old 35mm lenses are amazing and can be had on ebay very cheaply. Canon offers no such option. If you start to get more serious about photography and want to build up a decent kit with multiple lenses, this is something to consider.
Big caveats needed. Not all ‘old’ Nikon lenses will work fully with the into-level Nikons. The low-end models like the D40 lack an AF motor in the body, and will not AF will many (any?) of Nikon’s consumer primes.
So, yes, you can use all of Nikon’s old lenses; many of those are manual focus. And most digital cameras do not have focusing screens that are conducive to manual focusing. Higher end bodies do have interchangeable focusing screens; intro models not so much.
Canon made the painful switch in lens mounts in the late 1980s. Any lens than is made to autofocus (in the EF line) will work fully with an Canon body, even the lowest end Rebel.
Disclosure: I shoot Canon. Went with Canon because of the lens selection. More AF primes than Nikon and at the time Nikon did not yet have a tilt/shift lens, something I wanted badly.
Actually, as far as I know, you’re completely wrong. The lens compatability of Nikons is listed on this site. AFAIK, D40 accepts most Nikon lenses. I have a D200 and it accepts most older lenses. I believe this applies to all Nikon digital SLR’s.
I’ve been shooting with a Nikon D50 for years now, and its an awesome camera. You really can’t go wrong with any of the major manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Pentax). My sister-in-law shoots with a Pentax and does some nice work with it. I just checked Amazon, and you can get a Nikon D60 for $546.95…I don’t think there’s any real reason to spend anymore than that…you would unlikely be able to tell a difference between it and a more expensive camera, unless you went with something waaaay more expensive that has a bigger sensor (not megapixels bigger, but size bigger). I can get relatively clean 11x14 prints from D50, which is a 5mp camera, and the D60 is 10.2mp (not that megapixels are really all that important…the sensor is the key, in terms of noise and other things that can ruin your image).
Spot
Actually, as far as I know, you’re completely wrong. The lens compatability of Nikons is listed on this site. AFAIK, D40 accepts most Nikon lenses. I have a D200 and it accepts most older lenses. I believe this applies to all Nikon digital SLR’s.
http://www.nikonians.org/nikon/slr-lens.html
He’s actually right, but so are you.
You’re right that the D40 ACCEPTS (as in they will fit) most Nikon lenses…BUT… the poster above you is right in saying that since the D40 doesn’t have an AutoFocus drive built into it, the lens needs to be AFS (meaning the lens itself has a drive for autofocus).
So…while just about ANY Nikon lens will fit onto the D40…many will not allow you to Autofocus.
You don’t see this with the D200, because (I’m guessing) it DOES have an autofocus drive built in.
Disclaimer: I shoot with a Nikon D80 - love it.
I have been shooting with a D50 for 4 years now. I put the pics in my chiro office. People think I am a “real photographer”…I always tell them I just have a great camera and I really have no clue how to use it…point and click on autofocus. Go with a $500 Nikon and a decent zoom and you are good to go.
This is probably one of the best websites I’ve come across for learning about digital cameras and what to look for:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm
There are loads of great articles on all of the DSLRs out there currently.
Spot
Actually, as far as I know, you’re completely wrong. The lens compatability of Nikons is listed on this site. AFAIK, D40 accepts most Nikon lenses. I have a D200 and it accepts most older lenses. I believe this applies to all Nikon digital SLR’s.
http://www.nikonians.org/nikon/slr-lens.html
Nope, the D40 line doesn’t have the full functionality of the other Nikon DSLRs. This is important because of the OP’s budget.
Check the chart to which you linked. Find the D40/D40x. Now scan over to the column for the AF and AF-D lenses. Notice the MF in the column while all the other DSLRs in the line say AF (except the D60, which is also MF for the AF-D lenses).
There’s more to it that just ‘accepting’ the lenses.
I bought a Canon 40D (more than you want to spend, and more camera than I need) but that is only because the people who are helping me learn how to use the camera have Canons. Best buy has the Nikon D60 on sale for $749.99 which includes a 18-55 lens, a 55-200 VR lens, and a carrying bag.
I would second the d80 recommendation. Certainly more than the d40 in price, but I don’t think you could go wrong with either. I have been shooting pics semi-professionally for decades, and a digital SLR has really upped my game. The beauty is being able to edit and adjust on a computer after the original exposure.
Do some aggressive online price comparisons (Amazon, yahoo shopping, etc). I ended up buying locally for more, but just like an LBS they recognized me as the nutty guy who was constantly developing Kodachromes in the 90’s so I got a few nice accesories thrown in.
I have no personal experience with Canon, so I can’t really comment on that.
Tony V