Is the Nikon d3000 outdated?
I want to be a photographer but have no guidance or expire nice. I would be shooting in ohio at old steel mills and parks. Price range is low at $300 and want a DSLR. Would the D3000 be good for me?
The D3000 is discontinued, not outdated. Other than the focus issue with all the low end Nikon bodies, it is still a perfectly good camera.
It is a perfectly fine camera
There's nothing you can't do using the D3000 if you have the necessary skills.
It is an entry level camera, so you will need to buy Nikkor AF-S lenses if you want to use auto focus. On the other hand, for decades, people learning how to become photographers used manual focus lenses and were able to produce brilliant images, even using film.
The D3000 is an excellent starting camera
All you have to do, is learn how to use the cameras light meter and balance the ISO, shutter speed and lens aperture.
http://camerasim.com/camera-simulator/
Once you can learn to do that intuitively, you will be good to go
It won't do video, and there's no Live View (the ability to use the screen as a viewfinder) but they're dubious advantages at best anyway.
If you want to take photos, it isn't bad at all.
I suppose it depends on what you mean by "outdated". While the D3000 does not have the same capability as the latest DSLRs, if it still gets the job done, it is hard to call it outdated.
Perhaps a better question is whether or not it is obsolete. In that regard, it is not.
Especially for a novice to DSLRs, the D3000 should still meet your needs as an entry-level camera. There's a learning curve in being able to use a DSLR to it's full capacity. This could take 3 to 5, years - or even a lifetime. If the price is right, the D3000 would work great for learning how to use a DSLR.
My eldest son has had a D3000 for several years, and he can still get great photos out of it. Only now is he contemplating going to something more capable (he wants my D90 when I upgrade).
After a few years, you will certainly want to upgrade the DSLR to something with more capability, but that is after you learn how to use one, and start buying expensive lenses.
If you know what you're doing, you can take magazine quality photos with it.
It will be fine to learn photography with.