my discontent with my d40 was in the subtle background detail and color.think of a complex sunset with the many variations in tint and hue.my old camera failed to capture the delicate differances.Will the d5100 and its 16m.p.sensor gather in those delicate shades better than the d40 did? really, the d40 was fine for most people. all those who viewed my shots thought they were great. however I wasnt content.a friend has the d3s and she definately captures all the color spectrum.I chose the 50mm rather than the kit simply because Great glass will gather in more detail and bokeh.Which is a huge factor in the images I want to capture.I love the defocused isolation from my subject.in fact its more important than the subject,at times.ive been using the 35mm1.8g,but the background is not defocused enough for me.Ive got a 50mm1.4 manual focus from the early 70's that is wonderful! but i cant focus well enough for ,say,a childs eye reflection.Im always about an inch off.Ill love this new 50 Im sure.