[tedforse]

I am purchasing my first DSLR this month. I have played around with a friends D40 so I don't have much experience but I generally pick up "techy" things quickly. I am looking to photography as a hobby and to have some fun with Photoshop-- not looking to become a professional photographer. I would like a good starter camera to learn with but I don't want to upgrade in a year or two.

The two cameras standing out right now are the d3000 and d5000. I like the live view feature on the 5000 but I have read mixed reviews on this feature due to lag time. I originally wanted to keep the price around $500 but I saw a d5000 for $650 and I am wondering if the extra $150 is worth it.

Can anyone explain the differences between the two cameras? If you were in my situation, which would you buy? Is the live view feature important? Any other recommendations that I am not considering?