1st time buyer - nikon purchase advice, pls!

i couldn't be more excited to buy my first SLR, but at the same time..
just like the 'rules thread' says: i'm extremely overwhelmed.

heres my dilema:
i know i want a nikon & i planned on purchasing the D40.
then i saw the D40x & now i can't decide between those two, OR the D60.
...is it worth the extra $ if i'm not planning on printing large photos?
8x10s would probably be the largest i would print.. maaaaaaaaaybe 10x13

the other "issue" i'm having is what lens(es) would be best for me.
i will primarily be shooting portraits, events ...and my favorite: macro.

my budget is $700 max.
i don't have any accessories or gadgets at all.

i'd like to have:
memory card [min 2gb]
camera bag
sb400 flash [found that on cameraaddict.com for $100]

long story short..
i can't decide between the D40, D40x & the D60
...and i'm at a complete loss as to which lens(es) would be best for my needs.

i found this: Nikon Nikon D40, 6.1 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera w/18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Asph. IF Macro Autofocus Lens Kit [here: http://www.cameraaddict.com/viewprod...id=9948105#ps] but it doesn't include any accessories ...is it worth $661?

h e l p!!

Welcome to the site, Heather! I understand it's tough to know what to do. For you, with it being your first digital SLR, I think you'll be perfectly happy with the D40. The D60 and D40x have a 10-megapixel sensor, which offers more detail. But 8 megapixels is really plenty for most purposes. To get started, I would recommend just buying a kit and worrying about the rest later.

As for where to buy, I recommend not shopping by price. There are too many scumbag electronics dealers on the Internet to risk it. Check our Dealer Feedback forum and then shop by dealer reputation. B&H is probably the most trusted dealer on this site.

For more opinions, you might also post on our Nikon forum. Since you've decided it's going to be a Nikon, you might as well go straight to the Nikon experts here :)

The D40 (6Mpix) was replaced by the D40x (10Mpix) which was replaced by the D60 (10Mpix with a dust removal mechanism). Before that there was the D50 and the D70 which I have - same 6Mpix sensor as the D40 and it's fine for 8x10 or even 16x20.

The 18-250 lens you mention is made by Tamron - I'm not going to say anything bad about Tamron (I have one of their lenses) but the 18-250 is an attempt to do everything with just one lens. I haven't seen any tests of this lens but I think it may be a compromise in terms of optical performance.

I advise people to buy the Nikon kit with camera plus the Nikon 18-55 and Nikon 55-200 lenses. It's a more conservative setup and Nikon are masters at making good cheap lenses.

The D40+2 lens kit would fit in your budget but you may find it's not in the shops any more.

+ 1. I bought the D40 kit a few months ago and couldn't be happier. I try for the 55-200VR lens though. I got my kit from Ritz for $499 and the 55-200 was $250, I think with an instant $100 rebate at the time. Any, i did a lot of research before I bought and B&H phot also had good deals online.