hello
we sometimes have the notion that the basic (and cheapest) models cant perform up to par..though its very true about some other stuffs
we can see wulf still uses his D40 and he takes awesome pictures with it..
i started with the S5, because i didnt know then what direction i'd go regarding photography. so i stayed on the safe side.
but hey, just like you, this is the general thinking i grew up with..and it works for me just as yours works for you.
hope we didnt confuse the inquirer.. hehe
mike