Well it has been about a year and nearly 10k shots with the Nikon 5100.   I am very happy with this body.   Its very versatile, doing all I have asked of it.  The high ISO performance is very good, allowing me to explore a broad range of shots.  The only thing more I would want would be for a faster frame rate for sports and other action shots but even this is not bad, just icing on a very good cake.   I've added a Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC to my kit and this is turning into an exceptional all purpose lens, especially considering the price.   If you are looking for fast glass in this zoom range I would recommend looking at this lens.   Is it as good as the equivalent Nikkor glass?   I would say its close but no, however, it is more than good enough for my level of skill at this point.   I will be putting it through its paces in the coming weeks during a bit of a vacation.

 

I finally took a step up and purchased a Nikon D5100.    I was considering the D7000 and D5200 but decided to go with the older and less expensive body and save money to invest in new glass.   The D5100 has the same sensor as in the D7000 so its performance is exceptional and I don't have any lenses or plan to buy any that need the AF motor in the body, I also don't do a lot of fiddling with settings between shoots so having the controls at the fingertips so the 200 buck extra really didn't make sense.   The D5200 has 24MP but again the extra pixels didn't justify the 200 bucks more.   The D5100 has the high ISO/low light performance I was missing in the D3000.    I considered a D5000 but I couldn't find one new.  

Just an odd note, I've discovered I've taken over 10,000 photos with my trusty little Nikon D3000.   This entry level camera has been a work horse and I've learned a lot on it.   Its a GREAT platform to learn and hone the craft on.   I do want to step up to the D7000 but it is a WANT not a NEED.

I have always been a fan of photography and finally picked up an entry level DLSR (Nikon D3000) a year ago.  Now, although I have much to learn, I finally feel I have things worth sharing.   I will be posting from time to time different things.  I shoot motorsports, wildlife, the small world, as well as land and cityscapes.  I also shoot nudes and other erotic subjects from time to time.   While not artistic in the least, I do enjoy trying to share what I see in my head.