Rennie, sound like you've got a good plan. That f1.2 lens will rock on a DSLR, even if it's not autofocus. (Part of my reason for wanting a DSLR is so I
can focus manually when I want to.) I found my camera on Craigslist and bought it from a guy who got it as a gift...he sold it because he already had a D200.
Just for the education of others who might read this, here's how one of the common photo equipment scams goes...
A Google search for a particular camera leads you a price comparison website like BizRate or PriceGrabber, where they list a number of legit sellers and a few that have the camera for several hundred dollars less than everybody else. If you check out the websites of the low-priced guys, you'll start seeing some similarities. They are nicely done, but you'll see they have a somewhat limited inventory (although it still may be hundreds of products).
In my case, I saw a D50 package deal for a couple hundred less than everyone else, so I decided to order from them. I went through the online order process easily, including paying with a credit card on a secure site, and at the end, I got a message saying for my "security", I needed to call their 1-800 number to verify the credit card.
I called the number, and the guy at the other end of the line pulled up my order and said "So do you want the filters for those lenses?" No, I don't, thanks. Just the deal you had on the website. After spending a minute trying to convince me that I'll ruin the lenses without filters, he said "OK, do you want to upgrade the memory card? The one in the package is regular speed, but if you want to shoot rapid fire you need the fast memory card." As he's talking, I scroll through their site and see the fast memory cards are priced at about twice the price my local Circuit City or Best Buy sells them for. I tell him no thanks. Next he asks "How about the battery? You'll need a battery and charger for the camera." (A close look at the package description on their website did not specifically list the battery and charger as part of the deal.) Another quick check on their site showed they had batteries and chargers at about three times the retail price. At that point I realized this was a scam operation, so I told the guy enough was enough, just cancel the order. He tried to argue with me a bit, so I got very rude and forceful and cancelled the deal. It was not a "Family-Friendly" conversation at that point.
Afterwards, I did a little research on this "company" -- something I should have done in the first place -- and found that they operate under a variety of names, with nice websites and very little actual camera gear in stock. Their standard MO is the bait & switch and upsell approach they tried on me. I read other horror stories of people being sold non-working cameras, then when they were sent to Nikon or Canon for repair, the cameras were confiscated, since they had been reported as stolen. In other cases, when someone stood their ground and refused all the "upgrades" the sales scum offered, they were then told the camera was on back order, and they would wait 3 to 6 months, all the while their credit card had been charged. And when the camera finally did arrive, it was a gray market model that had no warranty converage. In yet other cases, people told of having their credit card info stolen and used for purchases in New York and New Jersey (where these outfits seem to live.) Once I saw this, I sent e-mail and registered snail mail notices to the company stating that if I saw the slightest hint of activity on that credit card, I would prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. So far, no negative repercussions.
So that's why I caution folks about buying camera equipment from the lowest-priced Internet shops. I believe similar tactics happen in other electronic markets as well.
It really is one of those "if it's too good to be true..." situations.