Best but cheap professional digital camera?

Here is what I'm looking for! (if possible!)
- Zooms in (at least) 40mm
- Can record
- Can change focus during recording (optional / not a must have)
- Comes with a battery charger
- I don't want a huge camera… I feel like I'm a target if I'm walking around the city. The Nikon D60 size is probably the "big" limit. (It's about the size of a medium jewelry box.)

Do you know of any professional cameras that sound similar to this? My family owns a Nikon D60, though I'm saving up for a better one. I have a budget of $350.00, so no more than that!

Please let me know if you have any recommendations; I have heard Canon is very good!
Also, if possible, please give a description of the camera you are recommending!

D5000 and D3100 are great cameras. D5000 has a better sensor and autobracketting feature. D3100 is better in recording movies and night shots. It depends on your needs which one to choose.

If you're looking for a decent new SLR, even a digital SLR, for under $400 you're most likely out of luck. The best ones on the market today are going for anywhere from $600 to $2000. I've heard good things about the Nikon D3100 ($599 on Amazon), and it has a 4.5 star average customer review. If you definitely need to stay inside your budget I would look at a higher-end point-and-shoot with manual options. I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 that's been working really well for me the last couple years; it's got a lot of features, full manual mode, and takes really good pictures, besides being under $300 on Amazon. As for size, it's definitely not something you can stick in a pocket but it fits comfortably in the hand and isn't huge or heavy. I have bad hands and can get good pictures comfortably shooting one-handed. I didn't have the budget for a DSLR and I did a ton of research reading reviews, finding test images, and price checking before buying the Lumix, so just make sure to do your homework and you should end up with a good camera. If you have your heart set on a DSLR try finding one used or refurbished somewhere, but otherwise there are some really good point-and-shoot models out there. Happy camera shopping!

Check the guide below

Professional cameras cost between $4, 000 and $42, 000.

You should buy Canon Rebel XS

Specifications:-

-Phenomenal photo quality/color fidelity
-Intuitive menu/user interface
-Sensor cleaner
-Lightweight, comfortable to hold
-Fast autofocus
-Basically non-existent shutter lag
-Takes only about 1 second to turn the camera on and take a picture
-Compatible with almost all recently (last 10-15 years) manufactured Canon lenses
-10.1 MP is PLENTY
-Poster size prints are excellent (as long as pictures are crisp)