Nikon D60

The D60 is the third incarnation of Nikon's compact, user-friendly entry-level SLR line that started back in 2006 with the D40. The D60 is a direct replacement for the D40X , and once again it's not a major upgrade; the sensor remains the same (though now has a dust reduction system) and the external design is almost identical. There's a few new features, including the same Expeed processing 'concept' seen in the D3 / D300, Active D-Lighting, an eye sensor (to control the screen display), and some tweaks to the interface, but perhaps the most significant change isn't to the camera at all; the move to an optically stabilized version of the kit lens. It's not the most highly specified entry-level DSLR, but it's affordable, lightweight and a pleasure to use, and it produces pretty good results too.