Firstly, welcome back to the world of photography! I think once you start shooting you'll wonder how you managed without it. (sorry to hear about all of your lost equipment) You asked a number of questions so I'll try to briefly cover what I am familiar with and I am sure others will help out. 1. The D40 is (from what I've heard) a good ENTRY level DSLR. The price seems right for you in this instance. Still, I would go to a site like dpreview.com and learn what you can about other inexpensive DSLRs from Olympus, Canon, etc. Lastly, try one out before you buy it, how it feels in your hands makes a big difference when using it. Most DSLRs will deliver close to the same quality in terms of images, lens quality also playing a factor. Here is the full D40 review at dpreview: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/ 2 & 3. SD and CF are different memory card styles. CF is the most common but SD isn't too far behind that. You are starting fresh so this should not be a concern, though CF cards are slightly cheaper and "seem" more robust. Starting off with 1G is fine. Feel it out and if you find yourself running out of room during photo shoots, get another 1G or 2G card. 4. No experience with that lens, someone else will have to fill you in there. Here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-70-300mm-4-5-5-6G-Digital-Cameras/dp/B000HJPK2C/sr=1-2/qid=1169155982/ref=sr_1_2/102-0396042-0740133?ie=UTF8&s=photo Here are two others: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-70-300mm-4-5-6G-Nikkor-Camera/dp/B00005Y3OM/sr=1-1/qid=1169155982/ref=sr_1_1/102-0396042-0740133?ie=UTF8&s=photo http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-70-300mm-4-5-6-Telephoto-Cameras/dp/B000A7V2DC/sr=1-3/qid=1169155982/ref=sr_1_3/102-0396042-0740133?ie=UTF8&s=photo Lasty Arian, digital is far from just point and shoot. For me, taking the photo is only the beginning. In a digital darkroom (like Photoshop) the sky is the limit. Read up on as much things as possible, there is a lot to know. Happy buying. EDIT: I see I cross posted with Richard...he has sage advice...take heed. :)

Kort Kramer - Kramer Kreations