My new digital camera - Nikon D40

First and foremost, I wish to declare that I am new to the world of DSLR, or digital single lens reflex.

My camera-mad friends have urged me incessantly to upgrade my rotten old Kodak DX7630 to an DSLR because the prices have become quite competitive. So by chance, I came across one recently that I thought would fit my budget.

That included sacrificing several days of lunches plus some proper dinners. So here I am with a Nikon D40 which I thought was pretty cool. For a DSLR camera, the D40 is one of the most basic but friends have attested to its reliability and efficiency as befitting the sterling reputation of Nikon.

I have taken a number of shots with my new camera and the results are impressive. Now, I have been bombarded by persuasions to acquire a 70-300 lens. The one which has been "thrown" at my face is the Sigma APO DG model.

It has been alleged that this lens is reported to be more superior than Nikon lens. Another reason to acquire this lens is the steep price for a similar VR Nikon lens in a similar category.

So there you go, one camera later and my wallet is beginning to get the shakes! But photography can be as addictive as golf. The good thing is I don't play golf, or rather I haven't yet been bitten by the golf bug.

Right now, somewhere tucked away in my home drawer are two compact cameras. One is the ancient Panasonic LC20 2-mega pixel and the other is the Kodak DX7630. I have had and is still having a great time with both compact cameras.

But as digital cameras go, their efficiency level drops with the passing of time, or when technology supersedes it after a brief six months. But then, some of the world's best pictures are taken with ordinary cameras, so I really have no excuse here.

Now that I am truly and thoroughly bitten by the shutter bug, I have to plead guilty to having lascivious thoughts of acquiring new accessories for my new D40. And D40 is not even anywhere near those other coveted digital DSLRs that the professional pixmen often lug around.

If you were me, what do you do? Well, I tend to follow my gut instincts but also keep a sharp eye on the thickness of my wallet. No point going around shooting pictures and wearing tattered clothes.

Wish me luck with my new camera. May I win a prize sometime in the near future.