help me buy

I would definitely go with Nikon! All professional photographers I know and work with all use Nikon! Many of them were formerly Canon photographers that have since switched to Nikon. As for the D40/D40x/D60 models... they are great entry level DSLRs, they only have one major drawback. They don't have an auto focus sensor! This means that you can ONLY use Nikkor brand lenses with these cameras! Nikkor lenses are very high quality... but also more expensive than the good quality third party lenses (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina etc.) Now, if you only plan on buying Nikkor lenses, this isn't a problem. However, if you think you ever may want to buy a third party lens, you'll definitely be better off buying a different camera. (I've heard that you can get a used Nikon D70 or D50 for less than a new D40/D40x/D60. The D70 and the D50 both have autofocus sensors so they will work with any lens!) Just for a comparison, if you want a wide angle lens, some of your choices are: Nikkor 12-24 goes for around $900 Tamron 11-18 goes for around $500-$600 Tokina 12-24 goes for around $500 Tokina 11-16 goes for around $500-$600 Sigma 12-24 goes for around $700 Sigma 10-20 goes for around $500 So you can see that the Nikkor is significantly more expensive than the other third party brands. I myself have a Sigma 10-20 and the quality is absolutely superb! Remember Nikkor lenses usually go for at least $100 more than their third party counterparts. So if you plan on buying a lot of lenses, the D40 or D40x is going to cost you a lot more in the long run. If you only plan on using the kit lens that comes with the camera, then the D40 or D40x is the cheaper buy. If you plan on seriously pursuing a photography career in the future, you will need to upgrade to a more professional DSLR instead of an entry-level one. But I would definitely recommend an entry-level DSLR to start with! (Plus if you go with Nikon, there are some amazing professional models out there to upgrade to! The Nikon D3 is the best camera in the world right now!) And the D40 and D40x are excellent models for a very affordable price... the only downside is the lack of an autofocus sensor which means not all lenses will work on these cameras! If you don't mind going used, I would highly recommend searching for a D50 or D70. You can check eBay, Craigslist, your local camera store, or the "used" sections on sites like B&H Photo Video and Adorama. My first DSLR was a Nikon D70 and it is an absolutely amazing camera! Good luck finding a camera and pursuing your photography career goals!

I have a Nikon D50 and love it. I know the Canon Rebel is comparable but when I was researching I think it is worth it to go with the Nikon. Good luck

I have the Nikon D40 and I love it. My s/o gave it to me for Christmas this past year. One thing I love about it is that you can set it to 'point and shoot' with automatic settings or you can set everything manually. I have had some great shots from this camera. It is also fantastic at taking action photos. And the close-up shots I have taken have been remarkable.