Cheap, heck no, not cheap. I recently looked back at my hobby expense over the last 5 years of going digital. Started with a D30 and many dslrs since and currently a D200 kit and lens, totalled out to over $30k. This being a paultry sum compared to many others in these forums I know. For me a hobbyist it is still a considerable amount. But it allows me to get quality that my Hasselblad and LF gear and many hours in the darkroom achieved only after much work. Don't get me started on getting a second perfect print after the first one, 12 hours later or 48hrs. But, and it is a big but, what else would I be doing.....hehe. Now I am totally smitten with digital darkroom and for me, health issues, stopped me from enjoying what was 35 yrs of wet darkroom fun. I would not, could not go back. That is to say to the darkroom, but film is another issue, and you certainly can still obtain some of the beauty of film even by scanning it and printing with my 7600. The consistency issue that occurred with the wet darkroom is now solved, file saved, backed up repeatedly, different format and media thanks to both dvds and LaCie External Hard drives in both my home and office. Security that never existed alone in the film and wet darkroom environment, now practically assured. Is digital perfect or the only object, NO, but nothing is, but with health issues, 50+ year old eyes, AF is certainly appreciated and the fun is back...now where is that spare 50 grand for the H2D and 39 MP back, lenses.....oh my poor back..well the wallet will be lighter, that will help.