>>3078971The D40 is a competent camera, all memes aside. A friend of mine got a one when he wanted to give photography a go, and while I wouldn't jump at the chance to shoot with once again, it was way better than I had imagined.
I would honestly get a D7000 though since that's the next logical progression for someone getting into Nikons. You get a more robust body, a brighter viewfinder with more coverage, better AF, and you get the ability to use old screw drive lenses which will help you in terms of budget.
There was a photo I saw about a year back in the RPT where a dude took a really good picture of some vaulted ceilings and that really made me admire how much he got out of a D40.
