Great choice. I've had the D40 for about 4 months and added the VR 18-200 lens about 2 months ago. For me, this camera takes better pics than anything I've ever had and I've had many different cameras. Just a suggestion, follow Ken Rockwell's settings and your pics will be brilliant, crisp and fantastic. You an always adjust if you want but his settings give you a great starting point. This camera should do everything you want.