Hi wolfiebear, you don't say which way you're biased; ie: whether you're looking to go DSLR or all-in-one super zoom or CSC - or even a 4 thirds system.
IF you're thinking DSLR then I would tend to agree with Mr PC. I've bought Factory Refurbished DSLRs & Lenses from B & H Phot Video and from adorama .com All items have looked like new and performed faultlessly.
(Purchases have includes: Nikon D7100 with 18-140mm VR lens, Nikon D5200 with 18-55mm VR lens, Nikkor 18-105 VR lens. . . . so, especially if you're on a bit of a budget have a look at these 2 sellers and what they have as regards refurbished Nikons & Canons. (IMHO the Nikon D7100 is a very capable DX DSLR).

Hi, I've seen reviews which suggest the Tamron 24 -70mm f2.8 Lens is a better lens. (What's your budget)?

Hello Siren Rising,
I still see myself as a bit of an amateur but I have the D5100 and the D7100 Nikons; (both DX sized sensor models). I bought the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 G Lens; good price and nice results. However would wait to see what others (more experienced than myself) suggest.
Regards, Danny JS

Hi jamesl,
Congratulations - and Happy Shooting!
I had my D7100 (with Nikkor 18-140mm VR Lens from
B & H in July 2014. (Refurbished item, but spotless; - looked like "new"). Very pleased with it so far. It's a definite step up from Nikon's 3000 and 5000 series; - I had the D3200 - which I let my daughter have, plus I still have the D5100 that I bought 30 months ago. . . . Just a pity Nikon didn't see fit to build the D7100 with a Vari-angle rear screen.
Regards,
Danny J

Hi, the Nissin Di622 Mk2 Speedlight is pretty good IF you can still get them. They also have the Di600; (newer model but very similar tpo the Di622 Mk2) and the new i40.
I know the 622 Mk2 and the 600 have off-camera capabilities as I have 2 of the former and 1 Di600. If you own a Nikon D7000, D7100 or better then you can also trigger these flashes by using your built-in flash in Commander mode; - works great!!!

Hi, I've never dealt with 42nd Street photo. Have always bought from Adorama and B&H Photo Video. Just had a deal on a refurbished D7100 with Nikkor 18-140mm VR lens in July; looked like new and works perfectly, - and good savings over new.
Regards, Danny J.

Hi twna, I bought a Cotton Carrier 2 - camera system from B&H Photo Video in November & have used it on 3 or 4 occasions this December, shooting events (including two Weddings. Once I properly adjusted the straps I found it sits quite high on my chest and is secure & very comfortable. I had my D7100 with 18-140mm lens & a Flash gun on the chest holster and my wife's D5200 with lens & Flashgun on the (right) side holster. The system costs a good few quid but it's secure & comfortable.
Regards, Danny J.

Hi, definitely this is NOT "normal", - even if you shot in RAW. I have been using Sandisk Extreme (16GB) SDHC Cards, also Transcend Ultimate SDHC Cards in 16 & 32GB capacities for more than 2 years - when I bought my Nikon D5100 DSLR. Bought the D7100 in July this year, no problems. I would go along the lines of "happy sailor"; - you might need to upgrade UR laptop/PC. I'm currently running an ASUS Windows 7 laptop with i5 processor, 6GB Ram and 1GB NVidia Graphics Card - and could do with MORE power & speed when processing photos in Adobe Elements 11. Bear in mind todays cameras have 16 - 24 megapixel sensors - so even a best resolution JPeg file is quite large, - which means more storage space & processing power is needed. (When last have you run error check & defrag on your PC/laptop)???

Hi raypep, I also bought the Nikon D7100 earlier this year; (July). I bought it refurbished with the Nikkor 18 - 140mm VR Lens (from B & H Photo Video). From the photos I've taken with it I am of the opinion the Nikkor 18-140mm VR is quite a nice, sharp (fairly low-cost) lens. I'm glad I did not go for the body only deal. Also, as someone else mentioned: it usually works out cheaper if you go for the deal that includes the lens. - IF the deal had been D7100 body with Nikkor 18-55mm VR lens - then yes! - I would have gone for the body only deal.
I could suggest selling the 18-200mm lens and buying a 70-300mm VR Lens to use alongside the 18-140mm lens. Just about any lens that tries to be all things - (eg has a zoom range of 18-250 or 18-270mm or more) will do some things badly - and not likely excel at anything, - AND likely cost quite a bit.

Hi PCity,
as I understand it LiveView is handy for a number of things - some mentioned in previous responses to your question.
It's also handy for checking your White balance, thus giving you the chance to change/fine tune your WB settings. In LiveView what you see is what you get.
Regards,
Danny J

Hi, I didn't move from Canon to Nikon; my first DSLR was a Nikon D5100. nI like the Vari-angle screen - and loved the fact that I could set the rear LCD Screen to be always on as my near sight isn't that good; - (the larger characters on the rear LCD was easy to see without spectacles). However I've also bought a Nikon D7100 and there's no option to set the rear LCD screen to stay on on this model - so I have to keep resorting to pressing the "i" button to get the display back on.

Have never checked out The Digital Pros either. Have always bought both new and Refurbished kit from adorama and B & H Photo Video, - both these suppliers have proved reliable so have stuck with them.

Funny - and worth a chuckle. I guess just about all the main manufacturers make good cameras nowadays; Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, Fuji, Sony, etc.
Whether it's a DSLR, CSC or 4 thirds system, you check the specifications & reviews and make your choice.
No camera from any manufacturer in any price range is going to do/have ALL the facilities you want, so it's about
choosing what suits you best at a given price point I guess.

Hi, I would suggest that if you have the budget, go for the Nikon D7100, ie the model that replaces the D7000. It has a 24MP resolution, 51 focus points, 15 of which are crossw hair type. It accepts FX lenses as well as DX lenses, has an autofocus motor built into the camera body, enabling the use of older Nikon lenses. Nice camera; - I bought one in July this year. adorama and B & H photo Video do refurbished deals (as well as new) and the deal on refurbished gives quite a savings over new. My (refurb) D7100 with 18-140mm Nikkor lens looked like new; - not a mark on it. Regards, Danny.

Hi, suggest you check out the Nissin D600 - or the new Nissin i40 models. (The i40 model is really nice).
I have 2 of the older Nissin Di622Mk2 units and a Nissin D600, all of which work fine. (I'd already ordered the D600 when the i40 hit the shops or I would have gone for an i40.
Regards, Danny.