What kind of camera for semi-pro?

I have been working on my photography skills as an ameteur for about 5 years. I have been using a DSLR (Nikon D60) for about 2 and a half years now. I think I'm ready to step it up a notch. I want to eventually persue my hobby as a business when I feel I'm ready. I want to start to start venturing out and photographing other people besides my family and kids. I was thinking of starting to do this for free for experience. What kind of camera should I get that is the cheap (like an older model maybe) but still able to take real professional shots. Last time I was looking a couple years ago I coveted the Nikon D2 but now there are so many more. Is there something similar to the D2 but cheaper? Any ideas? I'm so done with the D60.

Please don't leave comments that I woke up and decided to become a photographer. I have put many years of thought into this and have taken a couple of courses at a local college and I still know I'm not ready yet even though I have come a long way. I just want to start working with equipment because I'm now ready to step it up.

Personally, I believe that if you already have a nikon body, save up and buy a very nice piece of glass; maybe 2. Lenses are very important. You see, When nikon bodies keep getting upgraded, Glass stays the same, and with nikon you're basically able to use all lenses on any nikon body you want. This would be great.

What I suggest you do is save up for a Lens that perhaps cost about the same as a prosumer body. Once you get a nice lens, start saving up for a nice body, such as: D300S, or the D800.

This is just a personal opinion, of course.

Moving from a D60 to a "semi-pro" camera would be closer to buying a Nikon D90 or D7000

The D2 is a very old camera and will not provide you with the performance found with the D90, D7000, D300s or D3s

Since you have Nikon I think it is wise to stick with Nikon. I'd consider the Nikon D800 which will be available in a couple of months or a D3s which is a great camera and will be more available once the D4 hits the shelves. Don't ignore lenses. I'd rather shoot with the D7000 and a great lens than a D4 and a mediocre lens. You should start thinking about the 70-200 f2.8 as your primary lens. I shoot 80% of what I do with that lens.

Buy gear as you get work and just remember, if you buy cheap gear you will end up buying it twice as you progress. You don't need a lot of gear to shoot. I can make my living with a 70-200 and a 28.It's all about you.

. There's no D2; There was a D2H, D2x, D2HS and then D2XS. Pass on all of them. What lenses do you own? You couldn't go wrong with a D7000.

You're used to shooting Nikon at this point, so I'd advise staying with Nikon. There's a D2H and D2X, but their technology is quite dated. I'd go instead with a D7000 or a D700/D800 if you want to move up to a full-frame. Go for D3X/D3s if money is no object. I'd look into some decent portrait lenses, such as 50mm f1.4 and 85mm f1.4 if you want to get into portraits.

Moving from a D60 to a Dx… You gotta be really, really good to make that work. Like placing someone who got their license 18 months ago and has been driving a basic volkswagen golf suddenly in a bugatti veyron

I'd say get a D90 or D7000 with a grip and start using that.

There are people that think a $45, 000 camera will take better photos than an entry level camera, and then get disappointed when it doesn't. Photography is 70% photographer skill, 20% lens quality, and 10% camera body.

My thoughts:

1) Photography is NOT a cheap hobby or profession
2) I would rather have a $600 camera with a $1, 500 lens than I would an $1, 800 camera with a $300 lens.

I had my first DSLR for about 7 years, before I finally upgraded to a new body. Over those 7 years, I upgraded my lens collection by getting rid of the slow/cheap glass and replacing everything with f/2.8 or better.

By that point, I could then honestly answer "what do I need/want that this camera body can't do?" That is when I went out and bought my first Canon 1D.

Miffy, without sounding overly sarcastic, the problem we elderlies have is that, had you actually spent years thinking about this, you would have been telling us what camera you wanted, not asking for help. You would have learned that a professional takes professional shots with whatever they have to hand - or refuses the job.
The only things I want from a camera are (a) the facility to tell it exactly where to focus, (b) a lense that is sharp enough for the job, (c) controls that let me choose shutter and aperture settings and (d) the knowledge that I can trust it to do these things repeatedly as long as it gets a service when recommended.