+1 !!

In going 5300, you lose the in body focusing motor, meaning all of your lenses will be manual focus unless you buy lenses with in lens motors.

Alternative? Find a good used D90! The camera is identical to the 7100, except the D90 is a lighter plastic body like the 5300.....I treasure my D90 because I can use all Nikon lenses dating to 1978 (and they are waaaaaaaay cheap on E-Bay!!)

My hair hurts now!!

Or.............maybe it was "Harold, the Angel"?? (Hark the Harold Angel sang, glooooorrry to, (well, you know the rest)

The Angle was known as (in the inner circles, anyway) "Fast Eddie, the Angel".....not too much was really known bout Fast Eddie though....

Unless you are a pro and cranking out shutter counts > 150,000+, does a grey market really mean much? I have used them quite successfully over the years w/o issue.....just dunno? If the price is right for most of us, I think grey markets may be a viable alternative to a huge cash outlay for probable minimal use anyway?

Although the D7000 and 7100 look great, the D90 is essentially the same (or better) body for half the cost! Give that a shot and do a little research....the D90 is lighter, sturdy, and a 7100 in a plastic casing!

I like the 18-300, or a sweet 12-24 wide. The possibilities are endless, but a great walk about, do all lend\s is that 18-300 (even the 18-200)

Agree on Cametta and a refurb. I initially rejected the refurb. idea, but spoke with Enrico at Cametta and he made sense! Most refurbs are units that have been in store demos or have been handed to some of the pros to shoot...then returned for a complete refurb, calibrate and packaging. Instead of an assembly line product, you are essentially get a hand made unit! more than half of my stuff is refurb. now!

You can run Rte 66 quite a way, but much of it is poorly maintained, if maintained at all....much of it in NM is still in decent enough shape to make it worthwhile, as is a stretch from Amarillo to the NM border (in Adrian, TX you can stop at the exact midpoint between LA and Chicago....the Midway Cafe and snap a photo of the billboard across the road and walk about reading the crazy signs (some fellow decided he would trek across the country by the alphabet and post these little signs....can't recall the story but it a bit of recent history.)

Just a half mile off I-25 is the ABQ Balloon Fiesta Park and museum....another great op!

Sounds like a darn good choice and price! The i-5 is a great processor and 8 GB should do you well (you can always upgrade if you really need more RAM)

On hard drives....been my experience that the new Dells adapt to Seagate drives more easily than WD, Toshiba, etc. Maybe think about that aspect and ask around on it.

Admins....please delete....empty message....thanks!

I may be off base here, but consider consulting with builders like Tiger Direct, New Egg, etc. and explaining what you do and do not want, your budget, concerns (your peripheries like scanners, printers, monitor, etc.) and maybe building a really decent machine that meets your needs and allows for potential growth for years to come. (I built my latest machine that way)

Besides what has already been suggested (and that is a nice list!), take a drive to Jemez Springs and shoot in the small village. Along the ay is the Jemez Indian Pueblo, but cameras are forbidden there unless specific permission is granted (you can drive into the Pueblo and ask.) From Jemez, take the "loop" to Santa Fe (and the old section downtown is full of great hotels, museums and just great street scenes. A day drive is what that route would take...breakfast at one of the local cafes, lunch at "Los Ojos" in Jemes Springs (that small place has plenty to snap away at inside), and the driver back through Santa Fe for an early dinner (stay local, no chain joints!) and you'd be back in ABQ fo9r the great sunsets over the Sandia range ("Sandia means "watermelon" in the native language ad the sunsets need no filters or effects!)