BEST amature DSLR for under $1000?

[Joves]

Nahh...... try a D300, gripped w/ 8x AA batteries, 70-200mm f/2.8 & a SB-800 on top..... Now that's a knife!

Yeah pretty much! Or like me when Im shooting wildlife and, holding my 80-400 with the grip.

 

[peresz]

Don't worry about it being heavy, you'll get used to it. I have tiny hands and I love heavier cameras, which was one of the reasons I bought the D70S and sold my D40.

The D90 is an awesome camera, much better than the XSI or the Sony Alpha. The 18-105 is also a good lens, but if you're going to sell it I recommend saving up for a Sigma 18-50 F2.8. It has near professional quality at only $100-200 more than the 18-105. Be thankful, its a great camera to begin with and a great camera to grow into. Unless you were willing to buy a D200 or D300, I couldn't recommend a better camera.

Sigma 18-50 F2.8 look pretty good. Is there anything in them better then in regular Nikon lenses of the same range

 

[TJ K]

Great choice on camera I was in the same situation and got the d90 as well. Don't really worry about the weight when you really start getting into serious things like possibly wildlife you will need much bigger and heavier lenses I believe the 18-105 weighs less than a pound. Happy shooting.