What I'm lusting after

I've had shopping on my mind lately...of the electronics sort. With the trip to Iceland coming up soon and browsing through various websites in preparation for the trip, I've seen so many gorgeous photos of this country (check out this photoset on flickr)...inspiring me to finally dive into the Digital SLR world. Now, if you know me, you'll know that I lo-o-o-o-ve taking photos. I have a camera with me everywhere I go. I love getting great shots...but I've always avoided diving into DSLRs knowing how expensive of a habit it can get. It's more affordable now (though still pricey) but I've been really feeling the itch to learn more photography skills beyond the basic point-and-shoot. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE my current point-and-shoot (a Canon Powershot SD1000), especially since I have a matching underwater case for it---fabulous for the next diving trip (Hawaii!). But man, it'd be great to take some amazing scenic shots with a nice DSLR. After getting advise from various friends and visiting a camera store or two, I've decided that what I want right now is a Nikon D40 with the Nikon 18-200mm AF-S VR lens.

How did I come to this? Well, I started off knowing that I couldn't go wrong with either Canon or Nikon---it was just a matter of feeling which one felt best. So I went to a store to hold a Canon XTI, Canon XSI, Nikon D40, Nikon D60, and Nikon D80. I had heard that the Canon was slightly smaller so I figured that I would like that one better...but to my surprise, I actually really liked the grip of the Nikon. It just made a difference for how it felt in my hand. I then tried to narrow it down between the D40, D40x, D60 and D80. The difference between the D40x and D60 was so minor that it was pointless to get the D40x, so that was eliminated. The D80 was more expensive and a bit more camera than I really needed now, so I eliminated that. So then it came down to the D60 and D40---both cameras that I would be very happy with. I soon decided that the D40 was for me as I started researching lenses and realized that the $200 difference was better spent on a good lens. I soon fell in love with the 18-200mm just purely due to the convenience of having a lens that has such a wide range. I'd also heard fabulous reviews from friends and websites. It was a no brainer. Sadly, the lens is nearly twice the cost of the body of the camera! I'm spending my days browsing craigslist, ebay, adorama, amazon and bhphoto constantly monitoring prices.

What DSLR do you own and what lenses?

The other thing I'm lusting after is a TIVO. Series 3 or HD, I don't care. I'm just sick and tired of the crappy piece of metal that Comcasts calls a DVR sitting in my living room. All I want is that it can record on dual tuners and record HD. I delete my shows after I watch them so I don't even need much capacity (hence why the HD version is probably totally fine for me as compared to the Series 3)