Nikon D40 Body Only Digital Camera

A great camera for beginners - those wanting to try something with more control than a compact but without leaving them completely baffled - you still have full auto and scene modes to revert back to if required.
Thecamera is light, nice to hold with a sensible sized grip (take note Canon), a nice bright and detailed 2.5" LCD screen - pop up flash and uses SD cards which are more user friendly than CF ones (no bent pins!!).
Camera is 6 megapixels, more than enough I think for a decent print, and the large sensor in comparison with compacts means you can take better detailed shots in low light without flash.
The battery last nearly forever, as you have no live view (thats why cameras have anti shake these days, no one can hold a camera still at an arms length, its supposed to be put up to your eye!!)
I love this camera - the only downside is you have to use the newer AFS lenses for auto focus - all the legacy lenses made by Nikon or others will be manual focus only (with a confrmation light in the viewfinder which does make the job easier). There are various types which give more or less auto exposure but some you have to guess everything. OK if you want to experiment but not good if you want a grab shot to be perfect every time!!
So there it is - a great camera for those on a tight budget - bodies can sometime be had for about £170.00 - not much more than a good compact - as for lenses the sky's the limit.
Phil