Nikon Nirvana: Which Nikon dSLR?

Not everyone approaches the dSLR buying decision as a tabula rasa choice. If you've already chosen Nikon--whether it's because you already have some lenses, friends who are brand-enamored, or have simply had good experiences with the company's point-and-shoot models--here's some help selecting the right model. On a general note, if your budget is tight, and unless there's a specific feature or performance level you need from a particular model, it's usually a good idea to save money on the body and spend it on a better lens.

• If you're on a tight budget, you don't have much of a choice, and the D40 is the least expensive of the lot. Oddly, though it shipped after the D40, the higher-resolution D40x has been slipping slowly out of the channel and replaced by the D60, while the D40 lives on.
• If you can afford a little more, opt for the D60 or, if you can find it, the D40x; the latter will probably be a little cheaper, but the D60 kit lens comes with Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization. Either one delivers considerably better performance and photo quality than the D40.
• If you're a hobbyist, vacation shooter, or family cruise director and can spend a little more, buy the D80. It delivers superior photo quality, performance, and build quality than its less-expensive siblings.
• If you need a pro-level camera but can't afford the D3, the D300 offers a host of advantages over the D80. It's better constructed, with a dust-sealed body, delivers an extra stop (ISO 3200 versus ISO 1600) of latitude, and a provides a more-sophisticated 51-point AF system. Its photo quality is also visibly better than the D80. The D300's performance isn't clearly superior to the D80's--the larger files tend to slow it down a bit on raw shooting--but the D300's deeper memory buffer and newer processor results in better burst shooting.
• If you need the best performing, most rugged body available with the best photo quality, you're going to have to shell out for the D3. At least until the newly announced D700 appears, at which point we'll revise this story.