Originally Posted by
anrkitec
1] The D60 megapixel count has not been increased. It is still the same 10.2 MPs as was the D40x.
I was comparing with the D40, note the D40x.
Originally Posted by
anrkitec
2] The D40 is only available in a kit with either the 18-55, the 18-55 and the 55-200, or 18-135 lens, you can't buy the D40 body by itself.
Worst case the OP has an extra lens and still saves several hundred dollars over the D60.
Originally Posted by
anrkitec
3] The D40x has been discontinued and the D60 is its replacement
I don't think the D40x is discontinued yet (still on the Nikon website), but yes, this is definitely a replacement for it. This is not, however, a replacement for the D40.
Originally Posted by
anrkitec
4] The D60 adds to the D40x an active sensor dust removal system and RAW+JPEG mode, two important features which alone make the D60 well worth the additional $80 over the cost of the D40x.
First, the D40 is around $300 less than the D60. Not sure about lens vs. no lens, etc...
The OP stated he would not be changing lenses, thus the dust removal system does not affect him/her. Frankly, dust is not the end of the world and even if OP does need to change lenses once in a while, dust can be dealt with.
As for RAW+JPEG - this is something for the OP to decide if he/she really needs. RAW is good for post adjustment, but frankly, you need a lot of time to be able to manually adjust everything. If OP just wants to take good pictures and not worry about adjusting them later, then JPEG is perfectly fine and will give as good results as RAW. And if the OP does want to shoot RAW, then a simpe batch-convert is trivial. The only problem comes when you want to shoot RAW but are without your computer and need to see the pictures. But I don't know if OP will ever be in this situation and at that point the question of whether this feature is worth $300 is raised.
The D40 does have one feature that neither the D40x nor D60 have - faster flash sync which is needed for fill flash (up to 1/500 exposure). This is better than even the D3 and equivalent to the D70. On the other hand, the D60 supports the wireless flash while the D40 does not. If the OP wants off-camera flash capability then this is a factor to consider.
I also just noticed the OP stated he wanted at least 10 MP. If so, yeah, you'll probably need to go with the D60 or higher. But realize that more pixels will (in these entry level cameras) mean lower light sensitivity and frankly, the difference between 6 MP and 10 MP is not very significant. Take a look at
Ken Rockwell's opinion on this and the NY Times articles he links to.