Shutterlag?

Look a picture on a DSLR is made the moment the button hits the bottom!

What you probable talk about is that the situation is so dark or the light is so bad that the lens stays open long, This causing your movements in the end to make things unsharp.

Well yeah photography is about LIGHT and the kitlens is a fine little lens giving you pretty nice images during the day and even if it gets a bit darker. But really dark situations the kitlens will be to slow.

Have you ever tried the poppy uppy flash? Cute name not? It is not a powerful flash compared to what you can buy but it is a good start. If it gets to dark get used to using the flash. Even if that takes away the atmosphere.

If you want the atmosphere [the colors of the night] then use a tripod or somewhere stable and lets time do its magic. If the camera asks for 3 seconds open give it that.

You can buy for your Nikon D3000 a lovely lens, it is relative cheap and *looks left and right* well not nikkor but trust me this lens is worth is price. The Tamron SP 17-50mm, why? F2,8 aperture through the full zoom range. So even when the lights go low yo at least have two stops of light more! Meaning longer time without needing the flash.

See the D3000 is a good DSLR.. replacing it..with what? for $500 there is no upgrade.. for that all you get are entry level models like the D3000!

No a good lens, a tripod, a book about how to use your camera, Maybe a short course on photography using a DSLR.. as you are slowly weaned of auto modes you are going to have to do more thinking and more setting ahead. A photographer is both an artist.. and someone who knows the technics to get it right.

I am in the game for .. 3-4 years and I am learning still every day more! Yes even I as amateur am learning how to improve my photography!

I shoot in aperture mode.. I use a Tammy SP 28-75mm the big brother off the 17-50. So a nice relative quick zoomlens. I still lack a big flash.. so I use mr Popup!

One of the things is that yo have to understand that DSLR"s are able to run full auto yes. And that in many situations they make the right choices, but that the person behind the camera must learn to take control. It is not a point and shoot!

Your camera is a good one but if you only got the kitlens.. yes those are slow. YES! A Tammy 17-50mm F2,8 will definitely feel allot better on that body trust me. A tripod every photographer should have a tripod and maybe a monopod at the side..

In the end no matter what you own.. know your tools. The camera and lenses are just a tool! YOU see the situation YOU want a certain picture! YOU gotta set it right up and YOU gotta push the button!

And yeah buy a booklet about your camera.. knowing what the buttons do is worth gold!

In the end really experience.. through the years you just learn... you learn to take it off auto..of P mode into [A]perture mode or [S]peed mode depending on what the situation asks for. You get better lenses, maybe a few primes, A tripod.. a bigger flash :)

You might even stand there one hot summer night on the bridge looking out over the sleeping town, the traffic slowly moving... and even A or S mode cannot aid you. [M]anual calls out to you in its sweet voice..

Experience, making mistakes.. learning.. DSLR's are no point and clicks though they can be used like them! The true power is in taking control, YOU know what YOU want.. the camera might guess 90% of the time right.

IMO the T3 seems like a plastic toy, even by $500 DSLR standards. Don't get me wrong Canon makes some great cameras but T3 is not one of them. Also if you go with Sony you can get some amazing Minolta AF lenses (look it up before buying so you don't end up with Rokkors) for incredibly low prices. I got the 70-210 f4 "beercan" lens for $150 and the 50mm f1.7 for $35 both in incredibly nice condition with the caps and everything. You should also check out the a35 and see if you like the SLT technology more or less than SLR.

Btw there is no way the T3 would be an upgrade over the D3000. Unless you just really want some crippled 720p video.

I think you should hang onto your Nikon. dSLRs don't have shutter lag. What you are experiencing is most likely long shutter speeds, get your camera out of auto mode, take control of it and reduce your shutter speed. A new dSLR won't solve this issue.

my vote is with canon t3 its really a nice camera