I just bought "Mara for Victoria 3" from http://www.illusions-designs.net/ and I'm very impressed. Very good value for money and a lovely model. Not quite as life-like as Nikita, but well worth a look.

I'm building scenes using Daz & Poser content like Victoria 3, clothing, hair etc. Are there other choices for that?

Have a look at Nikita on http://www.mec4d.com/ (a horrible web site, I'm afraid, with huge flash, unnecessary sound etc).

I'm in a similar position: I'm new to 3d modelling, I've tried Daz Studio 'cos the price is right (free). But it's sluggish and the QT gui is clunky. I tied the Poser demo, but it's so crippled I can't relly tell if I like it or not. The Poser gui looks appalling -- a dreadful use of screen real estate. Vue 5 looks interesting, but it's beyond my current financial means. Do I have any other choice but Poser in the self-financing price range? I don't think so.