RE: Best Nikon for beginners?
I'm an amateur photographer, and have had experience with old SLR's, and am looking for a great Nikon DSRL for the best price. New budget- $400-600
OK, the D3100 is probably your best choice. In a few months Nikon will probably start selling refurbished ones at a savings of around 10%. New D3100s w/ an 18-55 kit lens will cost around 575-600 bucks. If you won't be doing low-light/high ISO shooting, you should consider the D3000 - no video, 10MP, no live view, but you'll have a few extra bucks for a nice lens.
Canon EOS XS, T3, T2i, Nikon D3100 and that's it.
I don't know why you would stick to Nikon only when you're at such a low price range you should be open to all possibilities. All DSLR cameras have the same quality.
Here's a DSLR Buying Guide - http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/2009/11/which-dslr-to-buy/