NIKON D3000

I LOVE NEW TOYS
A DSLR with training wheels

Nikon’s just-out D3000 is an entry-level digicam for those who’ve been thinking about graduating from point-and-shoot to the big leagues of DSLRs—but have been held back by, say, not knowing a lick about how to use them. Switch to Intelligent Guide shooting, and on-screen text will school you in either the basics (easy mode) or the subtleties (advanced mode) of turning the shot you’ve framed into the kind of image you actually want. Lest you confuse this with some sort of Baby’s First Camera, though, know that it packs 10.2 MP, a 3-inch display, RAW capability, and 11 auto-focus points within each frame. (Nikon’s previous comparable model, the D60, had three.) Some may bristle at a gadget imposing a course in Photo 101, but think of it this way: At the very least, it spares you from ever having to open the owner’s manual.
$599.95 with AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm lens, nikonusa.com