Best digital slr for manual artistic or black/white photography?

I am looking for a digital slr that is very simple to use for making artistic shots using manual settings, so the aperture and shutter speed should be easy to adjust looking through the viewfinder. I took lessons in black and white photography in college and like b/w photography a lot. I wonder if I should just stick to film slr's and scan my negatives? I want interchangeable lenses for sure, somewhat compact body. Thanks for comments.