Nikon D60 - A Nikon SLR Digital Camera With Quality Optics
By Chris Campbell

For six years, I've been loyal to using my Canon PowerShot point-and-shoot compact digital camera because it's small, lightweight, and very portable. I've taken thousands of great shots with my PowerShot as I've taken it with me on my travels and practically everywhere I went. However, I think I've reached the point where I want to take my love for photography and taking pictures by getting a digital SLR camera.

So I started reading and going through tons of user reviews for digital SLR cameras, and I've narrowed my choices down to Sony A300 and the Nikon D60. I went to several stores to get comparisons of these two cameras until I finally settled on the D60. Why? The Nikon SLR digital camera felt more lightweight than the Sony A300 and the LCD menu or user interface was more user-friendly and intuitive. In addition to that, the D60 supports Nikkor lenses which are among the best in the market. I knew that I would later on branch out and get more lenses so I went for the D60.

I got my D60 from Amazon because of their 30-day price match policy. This means that if the price of your camera lowers within 30 days upon purchase, you can email Amazon and they will credit you with the price difference. In my case, the D60's going price went down thrice after I bought it, and Amazon quickly gave me a refund for the three times the price decreased. I recommend you do the same thing, just make sure you keep a constant watch on the price of your camera.

The D60 is easy to use, and a major bonus is how light it feels. The kit lens with vibration reduction or VR balances well with the body of camera so the weight of the lens doesn't cause the camera to point down. With 10.2 megapixel capacity and a bundled 18-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens, the D60 is able to come out with great, high-quality shots. I also like that the D60 works very well even in low-light settings, regardless of whether you use a flash or not. The quality of the pictures I get is far superior than those I used to get with my compact digital camera.

Another reason why I went for the D60 was its intuitive LCD menu. If you press the right button while moving the mode dial, you will see a brief description of what each mode is about and what it does - something that is extremely useful for a first-time SLR camera user like me. The manual is pretty extensive, although if you want a more detailed guide book, you can buy a separate one from bookstores. I recommend the D60-specific guide book by David Busch.