If you composition and exposure(including focus) are paramount. Get that right and you might have a good shot...this is the same with any camera used.  So much has to do with the eye behind the composition, the choice of exposure methods, etc.   This is the basics of good photography whether digital or film; this is what makes a photo excellent or very good compared to everyday snapshots.      

CavalierLady, I would be more concerned with these aspects than the camera. Sure, a good camera does make a difference in accurate exposure and metering methods have a lot to do with that...as does practice.  The new sensing of modern DSLR (yikes! modern as if 3 years old is antique?) can be quite accurate. My D200 works in auto white balance almost better than when I chose and manipulated that with my D70.  The D50 also has good auto white balance plus the general settings the sort of light.

While menus can be intimidating, as I said before, you will play with the camera, try this and that. Then you will settle down pretty much to a particular group of menu settings. The rest like ISO, shutter or aperture priority or auto are easily changed with wheels and buttons, no menu needed.

When the time comes, you are cool again with a repaired a/c unit(costly!) and have a new camera, just check back with any questions.  Folks here will respond. This thread is proof of that!   The transition does take a bit of time but you will wake up, go to shoot pictures are realize it is really easy using a digital SLR.   Shoot on auto for a while, nothing wrong with that. Experiment with exposure options and "priorities"...simply delete the ones you mess up on and try again! No wasted film to worry about in the learning curve.

Yikes, it took me more time to get used to bifocals in my eyeglasses than it did to get comfortable with my first DSLR.   At first I went at it gently then played and learned more with the camera. With the glasses, I looked around at all the older folks wearing those and actually not walking an stumbling and thought..well, if they can...so now I have trifocals!

Post anytime on this subject.  I am certain it is very welcomed.  And...a good book on photography can really help.  This clears the air on things like exposure.  One I like is this:

PERFECT EXPOSURE, by Jim Zukerman (Amazon has it.)  This book is on basically one subject, exposure.  Some will disagree with his approach but cannot disagree with his great photography. The book is full of pictures but not as a salute to the author: Each pic is an example with text to explain.

Best  Wishes.      Tom.