Entering the DSLR World

[Wii]

I am in a photography class right now where I am learning about the functions of the camera (Digital, SLR, and DSLR) and composition of a photo. I love the class and photography but I have to use my sister's Olympus FE-210 which only has a small handfull of manual functions. I don't like it and my sister doesn't like it how I have to borrow her camera so I am looking into buying a new camera. A DSLR hopefully. I know most all of the general functions of a DSLR, but I don't know which are good to buy. I am looking at the Nikon D40 and D60. They are extraordinarily similar except for the fact that one has 6MP and one has 10MP (and a $150 difference.) I was reading online the myth of the megapixels, and I was wondering if it would be better to buy the Nikon D40 and take the extra money I just saved and buy a better lense or if the extra features and megapixels are actually worth the extra cash. I know we have a D40 user here and a D60 user so if you guys could throw in your opinions I would be most grateful!
I'm also looking into a Canon because my teacher likes them, but she has a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with some sort of portrait lense which is probably a * of a lot better than Canon's lower-end DSLR's. Any opinions on the Canon's would be nice, too!

PS, please don't suggest to me anything over $550, the D60 is pushing it for me as it is.

Thanks

[stuart1044]

Im very happy with the D60, and i have not really used it that much yet.  I would agree on the lens idea, but a little hard saving and you will soon have enough for another lens.

[Wii]

"The D60 is actually a D40 body with a few more card-clogging pixels, a VR lens and adaptive dynamic range, but a slower maximum shutter speed with flash.

The D60 is less sensitive to light then the D40 (its default ISO is only ISO 100 compared to the D40's default ISO of 200). Its less sensitive to light because the pixels have to be made smaller to cram more of them into the same-sized sensor. Smaller pixels collect fewer photons than larger pixels. Since the D60 is half as light sensitive, the D60 has to use twice as long a shutter speed or a larger aperture, which makes it more likely to make a blurry picture than the D40. OOPS!

Save your money and get the D40 instead. The D40's faster sync speed is invaluable for use with flash outdoors, and the extra light sensitivity in normal use will help make sharper pictures. These three cameras (D40, D40x, D60) otherwise, for most users, are identical. Compare them in person and you'll see. Megapixels don't matter."

I am leaning more to the D40 because they really are exactly the same! I am not going to be blowing my photos up to billboard size so I don't need to 10mp. I would rather keep the extra money and save up for a nice lense. Mainly because I need my new camera ASAP (or ASAihavemoney). I have $300+ saved up right now and having to save up an extra $200 would mean another few months of saving.

I'm still a bit curious about the canons...

[BFMF]

I am leaning more to the D40 because they really are exactly the same! I am not going to be blowing my photos up to billboard size so I don't need to 10mp.

With as fast as technology is growing, you may want 10mp before long...

[BigTruck]

I am leaning more to the D40 because they really are exactly the same! I am not going to be blowing my photos up to billboard size so I don't need to 10mp.

With as fast as technology is growing, you may want 10mp before long...

That and with 10Mp, you can take a normal looking shot of a beach scene, but then zoom in to that one certain girl sporting the string bikini and have a crystal clear crop at full size...not that I would ever do that when I was living in Hawaii  ;)

[stuart1044]

[quote]

That and with 10Mp, you can take a normal looking shot of a beach scene, but then zoom in to that one certain girl sporting the string bikini and have a crystal clear crop at full size...not that I would ever do that when I was living in Hawaii

[Hagar]

I am leaning more to the D40 because they really are exactly the same! I am not going to be blowing my photos up to billboard size so I don't need to 10mp.

With as fast as technology is growing, you may want 10mp before long...

That and with 10Mp, you can take a normal looking shot of a beach scene, but then zoom in to that one certain girl sporting the string bikini and have a crystal clear crop at full size...not that I would ever do that when I was living in Hawaii

[Wii]

Well I have photography class today and I will ask my teacher (Professional Photographer) about the whole MP myth. My current camera is 7mp and takes 3072 shots (the same as the D40 and the D60 takes 3700 shots) and I don't find the overall clarity of the image much different than our Canon Powershot (4mp). Hmm. :-?