Well I have the d5100 and I love it. It is too my first dSLR so I was "in your shoes" not a month ago. But because my budget was different I got the body and more expensive lens separate. The reason why I got this camera, and not the other ones, is the good high ISO performance, which is good for underground/night shots. Still I recommend you to go to the store and test some of the cameras in your budget range. The reason behind this is that different bodies have different ergonomics, this is where it gets personal. For example, some people claim that they can not stand poor ergonomics of low-end nikons, but for me they are beyond adequate, etc. So tell us what you decide to get.