You DO have a good camera. There are better cameras out there and there are a LOT WORSE.

The Real Truth of this particular matter is that you are starting on a road that is very long, very winding, and potentially very satisfying! I have seen BRILLIANT photos taken with a POS (piece of shite) $10 cardboard box camera, and I've seen dudes with $3000 Fancy Schmancy cameras that take nothing but RSPs (real shitty pictures).

Practice! That is the BEST benefit of digital: shoot yer arse off... keep going. Go to your library and start reading books. There is a reason people pay us photogs $100 an hour or more to take images for them. Sure, some of it (not in my case, of course) is talent. Some of it is craft and technique. And at the end of it the actual camera helps the previous items.



At the end of the day, educate yourself (as you've started doing by asking questions here) and never EVER say you've got it all figured out - that is the BEST way to stop learning.
(I have come to find that this is true for anything in Life! )

PS: As SuperKomaMan sez, the Nikon D40 is a good value for a digital SLR. I personally have been using Canon for the last 1/2 decade and love them (I'd suggest the digital Rebel). Again, they will both take you to the edge of what excellent digital photography can be all aboot!

I use a Canon D20, which cost me about $2800 when all was said and done (about 1 1/2 years ago)

I love it and only wish I could afford the D5!

other than the zoom thing... You also mentioned you shoot in dark situations... just this alone can increase noise. It's almost like film cameras... if you need to shoot in a dark situation, you use 1600 ISO film, but it is grainier. If you change your ISO on your digital camera, the image will have more noise. Going to a better camera will help that some!