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Nikon D90

Honestly, I wasn't looking to upgrade. It was a combination of several factors that pushed me over the edge:

1.) My trusty D40 is still trucking along just fine, but I recently noticed that I had pushed it over 50,000 clicks (Nikon's rating for that shutter) in the almost exactly three years that I've had it. I will still use it for carrying around with me. I'll try to reserve D90 for special occasions.

2.) Two Words: Tax Refund

3.) I've got some $ coming in from a photography-related project that actually put a dent in the cost. More on that later.

4.) Never hurts to have a backup body that works with the same lenses I already have. I may even have an event coming up where that may be vital.

I have a whole new appreciation for the simple effectiveness of D40. The learning curve on D90 is a bit steeper than I had expected, but I'm working through it and I'll get comfortable with it soon.