Yeah but if he's new to dSLRs starting with something on the same level as the D40x or there about is probably better than starting at the level of the 40D/50D, cost and of course what he wants to shoot is going to play a huge role in what dSLR if any he gets. Canon has the following breakdown which aligns with Nikon's decently well, although I think the lower end Canons are probably better than Nikon's. xxxxD - 1000D (APS-C): $500 entry level consumer xxxD - 500D (APS-C): $800 consumer xxD - 50D (APS-C): $1,100 prosumer xd - 7D (APS-C)/5DII (FF), $1700/$2700 entry pro 1DIII (APS-H)/1DIV (APS-H)/1DsIII (FF), $4,000/$5,000/$7,000 pro That's not even considering lenses yet. DP Review is a great place to start for most things as long as you avoid the forums.