great camera (if you're looking for an SLR that's relatively compact and small). 6MP will make nice 8x10" print, including cropped shots. Highly suggest SB400 external flash ($100) for bounce lighting. Makes indoor shots look much better than direct flash. ...alright, now I have the 10 posts needed for the contest. signing out.

this one or the D60 refurb listed below?

#2, if you're really thinking about get into photography. throw a bit more bucks for a D80. D40 and D60 both do great job but not enough for studio shooting. but if u really want an answer of your question. go for the D60. but dun blame me if JR sends u a low quality ref.

#3, a D80 would be nice but it is a little more than a "bit more bucks". Amazon lists it starting at $899 with a VR 18-55mm lens.

D80...and for a bit more, D90 with way better noise management. You get better lens selection that AF like 50mm 1.8d. In the long run, if you're gonna upgrade lenses, D40 and D60 will outprice the D80 because you have to get the more expensive (and not necessarily better) AF-S lenses to get it to focus. With the D80, you can use AF and AF-S lenses.

AF lenses does not have a motor built in the lens, instead uses the motor from the camera body to focus. D40/40x/60 lacks this motor in body

AF-S lenses has the motor built in, and usually more expensive than AF lens

Some Lenses you can't use on D40 (from top of my head):
50mm 1.4d
50mm 1.8d
10.5mm fisheye
85mm 1.4d
85mm 1.8d
80-200mm 2.8d

Get the D60 at the same price.
You can use all those lenses with a D40/60, but it will not autofocus (you focus yourself), there is a light in the viewfinder that lights up when you are focused.

Who makes better lenses, Canon or Nikon? Thanks in advance!

noended war Nikon-Canon.
I am on middle, just for better deal.As an independed I prefered canon(DSLR) but Nikon is not far away. Zuiko, Carl, minolta great lencsec too, but made in japan lenses(even for Olympus) will be much much better then chinese one.

Great camera for people looking to get into DSLR. And from what I've heard, D40 has officially been discontinued by Nikon a few weeks ago so grab it if you want it

I also forgot to mention that Costco has the same kit for $399 but only with a 2gb card.

#5, can the D80 (that has a focus motor built in) also handle lenses that have a focus motor built in, e AF-S lenses? I have a few AF lenses (F-mount) from my older Nikon 35mm camera. It would be nice to still use them (even though there is a magnification). However, to avoid the magnification (and F-Stop reduction) then a newer lens will also be needed. Is the D80 flexible enough?

So what is beter this or Xsi from Canon?

Xsi from Canon, this is 6.4MP... most people don't print posters but they do crop down, and a lot MP count makes cropping more difficult.

This camera has the following advantages:
- relatively inexpensive
- very light for a DSLR (among NIkon's lightest)
- small for a DSLR (easy to carry for small or weak hands)
- solid set of controls allows you to learn the fundamentals of DSLR usage

Disadvantages:
- The light sensor isn't on par with the high end, more expensive, sensors you can get now. Therefore you'll see some noise in your low-light shots

If you do buy this camera:
- Buy the Nikkor 18-200 autofocus lens, it is AMAZING. ( http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200.htm )

Conclusion:

With the lens linked above, this is a great entry-level DSLR. If you want a better sensor or more megapixels to crop from, you could go for another Nikon in order to get access to this lens, but keep in mind that they will all be larger than this one.

VS Canon:

The Canon XSi is mildly more advanced in terms of sensor tech, but the Nikkor 18-200 lens is so awesome that I would recommend getting this D40 over the Canon.

The more I use my D40, the more I like it. Compared to other cameras, these features stand out:

1. Nearly silent shutter.
2. Wakes up instantly. Always ready to shoot.
3. Battery life very good.

Initially I used the kit lens. A couple of months ago I added the 18-200 VR lens. The camera is now heavier. But I don't miss anything and I can shoot at really slow shutter speeds.

A D40 or D60 at these prices is a steal. Not sure about Abe's though.

Geeez, come on guys, I paid $375 for a D40 at CC liquidation sell a month ago, prior to that I shot over 2000+ pics on the D60, personally, I like the D40 better than D60, 6.1MP or 10MP doesn't bother me a bit.Unless you are going to get a D90 (bigger, heavier , more $ and course much better than a D40)then don't worry about the D40 with this and that lenses,why? for a $400 range and less for a D40 is a bargain,how much those Point and Shoot with (useless) 20X zoom cost now? Therefore if you are an amateur or beginner (like me) get a D40, play and learn from it for an year or two then the D90 will drop down to $400, voila`...you'll be a Pro already.
Otherwise for a beginner to start out with a D90, may be too much to learn?

I am reading that there is hardly any difference in the 40 to the 60. Go with the new model.

Thanks for the well thought-out comments. Lots of helpful information here.

The D40 and D60 will give very similar image quality. But the VR lens with the D60 will add a lot of value for most people. (Unless you're interested in the sweet unlimited x-sync speed of the D40)

Abes is good. I have bought from them. D40 or D60 are both great cameras.