>>203273Truthfully, for a "beginner" budget camera, I'd look at a D80/D90. The 7100 is a *lot* of camera, it's the successor to the D300s.
If video's not a concern for you, D80's can be found for pretty cheap on craigslist. The D90 gets you video capability (though it kinda sucks, first Nikon with that feature), live-view (like your cheaper P&S cameras, image on the LCD, I never use this), and one of the reasons I went with it, the ultrasonic sensor cleaning. Big sensors are dust magnets, and having the camera shake the chunks off helps with getting quality shots.
A D300/D300s is a fantastic camera, but the features it gets you aren't much more than the D80/D90 if you're just getting into it. Save the money you would have spent there and put it towards glass.
Goat unrelated.
