What is the biggest mistake that first time buyers of DSLR cameras make?

The biggest mistake is underestimating the complexity and cost involved in getting a DSLR camera which will suit not only their immediate but mid-to-long term needs.

A DSLR goes far beyond simple build quality, it unlocks many doors but you are the one who has to find which ones are open and which ones to explore, and perhaps identify the paths you want to explore in the future when more funds come your way.

With regards to Nikon lenses, it's a bit of a jumble. As a first time buyer you probably won't know that the D40, D60, D3000, D3100, D3200, D5000, D5100, D50, D70/S, D80, D90 are all incompatible with AI/AI-S manual focus lenses. Even the range topping D3X has only limited compatibility with AI/AI-S lenses. Wheras if you get a newer D7000/D800/E/D4 you get something called an AI coupling ridge which make it more readily compatible with AI/AI-S lenses, of which there is a while goldmine of lenses waiting to be had for relatively little.

Pentax are probably most straightforward for backwards compatibility, any Pentax K-mount lens will give some form of functionality on a Pentax K-mount camera, regardless of range or generation. However Pentax are not without their own issues, financially they can't compete with Canon/Nikon so their range ends at the K-5 without a full size full frame option.

Then we have Canon, the brand I bought into. I must admit that I was very lucky. Canon while having their own problems of keeping no backward compatibility with older non-autofocus Canon products, did create system which has some compatibility to a vast selection of other manufacturers' lenses, such as the Leica R, Olympus OM, Nikon Pre-AIAI/AI-S/Series-E/AI-PAF/AF-D, M42, Contax/Yashica, T-mount, Adaptall/Adaptall2, Pentax K, Bronica 645, to name just a few.

Any brand might have the occasional lemon. In general, cameras are pretty reliable. Think about what is most important to you. If it's being able to get the shot in low light, look for the model with the best high ISO performance. Some may have a faster burst rate than others. I am sure there are other small differences, but I am no camera guru.

My suggestion is to go to the camera shop and handle a few models from several different manufacturers and see which one feels best in your hands. I would think that lenses are equally available for both Nikon and Canon, and the others as well. If your local shop doesn't stock many lenses, somewhere like B&H or Adorama will have them available to order.

No matter which camera you end up getting, be sure to spend some time with the user manual.

I would stick with either Nikon or Canon brands. These have the largest amount of lenses available for them. My personal preference is Nikon, but that does not make them any better or worse than Canon, each of has different likes and dislikes. I like the extra options in the menu system on Nikon cameras.

It really depends on your needs which camera you should purchase. If you do a lot of low light shooting, a camera with high ISO capabilities would be good for you. If you take a lot of pictures, you might want to consider the shutter life of the camera. Some cameras have a 1.6 or 1.5 crop factor (DX), which acts sort of like a built in zoom, giving you a little more 'reach'. So it really depends on whether you need the extra reach or not.

I currently have 2 Nikon cameras, the D90 and the D700. I like the D90 for shooting sports since it gives me 50% more reach than the D700. I like the D700 for shooting in low light situations. A good camera to handle both situations would be the D7000. It is much better in low light than the D90 but still has the extra reach.

The D7000 may be a good all around choice and it is rated at 160,000 actuations/clicks. Before purchasing any DSLR, I would recommend that you read the reviews on the camera you may want to purchase.

Best wishes

I would personally recommend getting a Canon t3i a lot of features and the swivel screen is a great plus. Also you can put a customs firmware on it known as magic lantern (similar to a jailbreak for the iphone but it just goes on the memory card) and with this firmware it pretty much gives you the features that are only available to high end models. The biggest mistake that most photographers make is to not read the manual that thing is a godsend haha. And if your interested in landscape photos I would recommend looking into HDR processing it really makes landscapes photos a lot better imo.

The fist mistake you made is asking a friend what to buy: " I am considering buying a Nikon because someone told me that it is easier to get lenses for them", which to be blunt, is utter tosh.

If you want unbiased reviews, head over to dpreview http://www.dpreview.com/

All the major brands, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and others produce fine DSLR cameras. It's unlikely you will get a "dud" - although not impossible. But rest assured you will get a warranty with a new camera in the unlikely event that you buy a faulty camera.

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I'd look at a Nikon D3100 or Canon Rebel T3, both nice entry level cameras. Both now around $450 with a 18-55mm lens.

The biggest mistake is not reading the camera manual,learning about photography properly and thinking that a Dslr makes them a photographer.

It is a tool, you need to learn it and photography properly.

It is virtually impossible to "buy a dud" these days. All Dslrs are fine when used properly and with the knowledge.

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Make sure you do research. Find a camera you are interested in and look up any problems people have had with it. If there are too many problems then find another camera and do the same.