Nikon D60 d-SLR, 10 megapixels, 3fps, $422 w/18-55mm VR from Cameta Labs

Financial constraints in April 2009 compelled me to sell my Nikon D200 and D40, neither of which I wanted to do. The D200 represented my pinnacle of accomplishment with regards to being the nicest camera I had ever owned (and I had only owned it a month at the time), and the D40 had evolved to being a nice camera that I nonetheless felt comfortable sharing with my wife yet using myself (particularly with photos of our children).

But I was compelled to sell, yet I didn't want to go back to 6mp after the D200 (and D80 and D40x) had me used to 10mp. So I went for the D60, the image quality of the D200 (same 10mp sensor) in the compact body of the D40. Besides making it more approachable for my wife, heck it might turn out to be OK for me as well; at the time, I had been hankering for this body (or reacquiring the D40x it replaced and I owned before) for something more portable while bike-riding. So maybe this will work out fine anyway. (Either way, I'm getting that D40--or something like a Canon Rebel XT--back the minute money allows, just too nervous with my wife using the high-line 10mp models for whatever reason.)