I bought the D3100 in June as a first DSLR. I’m really pleased with it so far and have achieved miles better pictures than I could on my compacts. It’s a steep learning curve once you leave the comfort of the auto settings but well worth it. I used the stock 18-55 kit lens for a while, then bought a 70-300mm lens as I was taking quite a few sports shots of my son and needed a telephoto. I’ve also picked up a 35mm prime. I’ll probably add a wide angle lens but I’ve no intention of upgrading the body for a few years – it’s only held back by my lack of skills at the moment. Having the HD video is a bonus too. Having said all that, a bit of me wishes I’d added a bit of money to my initial budget and got the d3200 (didn’t want to stretch that far at the time as I didn’t know that I would start getting into it so much).