Anyone use Sony DSLR's?

I'm in the market for an affordable DSLR. I have one now but with all the pros and cons of all the DSLR's that are more affordable its a tough pick. You find review sites that are partial to Canon, partial to Nikon etc. I've been looking for something small and easy to take with me out in public. I don't like pulling out my main DSLR unless I have to. I've thought of going with a PS but I can't because once you go with a DSLR you don't go back.

I found Sony because a friend of a friend has one of their DSLR's but they're not a photography person so anything to them is "good" that they take. I'm looking at some of their newer models, but our local stores are filled with Canon and Nikon. I've yet to see a Sony on display to try.

If anyone has any experience with Sony (any of the 16mp or higher cameras) let me know what you think.

Please don't recommend a Canon. The only way I'd get a Canon is to drop nearly $8K on the Mark III & I can't do that right now. Specifically I go to a lot of shows for local bands and always like to have a camera handy. I'm not risking my Nikon due to mosh pits, crowd surfers etc and Sony seems to have affordable lenses and flash mounts so I can't complain if gets destroyed.

If i were you, since by the sounds of it you have nikon already, i would stick with them.firstly you already have accessories, lenses etc for nikon. Also you know how nikons work.

if i were you, i would get a D3000, and a cheap, but decent, general purpose sigma, or tamron lens to go with it. That way, you are not investing too much, and you still get a good bang for your buck.

anyway, hope that helps. You can email me from my profile if you want more info.

If you're already into the nikon system and used to it getting sony is asking for tons of frustration. Their idea of what's a useable interface is distinctly different from Nikon's.

I'd say get a baby nikon, a D40 for example. Put an old 105 or 135mm f2.8 manual focus lens on it and you have a solid combination that can take abuse and won't cost a fortune.