What dslr camera should I purchase as an amateur looking to start shooting?
I'm an amateur photographer with very little education in the art. I'm looking to purchase my first dslr camera very soon. As a broke college student I'm looking to minimize my spending as much as possible. I wouldn't mind going used, but I really have no clue what kind of camera I'm looking for. From what I've been reading, I hear the body is less important than the lens. I will most likely be shooting portraits and people, landscapes, and night shots. I would like to stick to a Nikon as my mother owns a Nikon and I'd like to be able to swap lenses with her. I'd be willing to go Canon too. Any good cameras I should check out? Maybe some older models that can still do the trick?
If you can save your pennies ($700) you can get the latest and greatest entry level Nikon D3100 dSLR
And yes, you can use any of your mothers Nikkor AF-S lenses
If you can't afford an up to date entry level camera, look into something slightly older such as the Nikon D40X. You will not need anything over a 10mpx unless you intend on blowing the images up quite large. You could probably get away with a 6mpx as most people don't go beyond an 8X10 print. Your moms lenses will also fit on older bodies such as the D40X or D60.
I personally prefer Nikon D5000 12.3MP Dx Digital SLR camera which is really good.
* 12.3-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor
* D-Movie Mode with sound; record 720p HD movie clips
* Vari-angle color 2.7-inch LCD monitor; one-button Live View
* Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards