A good place to spend some time: http://recordinghacks.com/microphones
 
I have the AT4040 and love it. It's very clinical/flat, but works very well. If you can get your hands on a used AT-4047S/V, that one is less sizzly on the top, more like a U47, from which it's inspired.
 
A used Avantone cv12 (new is $499) is an excellent c-12 type tube mic, great for vocals. I've shot it out with a real AKG c-12. It does a pretty good job, and is even slightly warmer than the older c-12.

brconflict
A used Avantone cv12 (new is $499) is an excellent c-12 type tube mic, great for vocals. I've shot it out with a real AKG c-12. It does a pretty good job, and is even slightly warmer than the older c-12.

Word on GS is that the Stellar CM-5 is basically the same mic (Modded Apex 460) but with better upgrades. Only $400!

Anybody tried one of these??  
I too am in the market for a LDC mike. I have a few small Diaphragm mikes that I'm more than happy with for instruments, But my old Audio Technica ?? is sounding sad and I need a new vocal mike. This one has appeal because it could also be used live which is possible for me as I often do small intimate gigs. 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM27
 

 
I haven't shopped for one of these type of mikes for over 10 years. Boy has the market changed. As your all saying it's flooded with Chinese knock offs that all "look" like the real deal. I made the mistake of buying a MXL  LDC for $90  and  it sounds like a cell phone. 
I'm sticking with what brands I already own. AKG, AT, Rode Shure etc. Anyhow my budget is not great and $300 sound about my speed. 

This one also has my attention, I've had good luck with Audio Technica. This is sort of like my old one that is dying after 10 years of abuse ;)  It smells real bad too! 
 
http://www.tomleemusic.ca/index.php/recording/studio-microphones/82436.html

 

AFAIK the SM27 is the same as the old KSM27 but with slightly improved specs. The KSM27 was, I've heard it said, a single-capsule KSM44, so perhaps the SM27 is a single-capsule KSM44a?

My first LDC was a KSM 27. I paid $300 new. It served me well but as my mic collection grew the KSM 27 became idle. I sold it on ebay. It wouldn't be my first choice today if I had $500 to spend on a mic.
 
Rocky

Well if that's the case then I think I'll go that route. I had a chance to demo a KSM44 while doing sound for the April Vetch band. They brought the mike , She plays fiddle and sings and had a few other musicians. It was the best balanced sound I've every achieved from a 1 mike set up. But they are $1,000 so not something I can afford or justify owning. 
I'll need to get to a store where I can demo these with my own headphones first. 

still recommend the Hamburg.
 

I have the AT 4033a . I've heard many good things about the AT 4040....isn't that the one with two diaphrams? 
The bluebird would probably be the last one I would consider. The se 2200 is also a very nice mic. Just looking at your choices, if it were between those mics I would go with the AT 4040.

In response to the OP I recommended the KEL Song Sparrow. Apparently, KEL has ceased production of their budget mics, so this mic will be hard to find. So I will recommend the very similar
MXL 2003a (the 'a' is important, or so I'm told). It is also sold as the Cr24.

I've owned or frequently recorded vocals with many LDCs in this price range: sE2200a, Røde NT1a, NT2 and NTK, MXL V67G, Oktava 219 and 319 and the AKG c214. I strongly feel that the MXL2003a is superior to all of them regardless of who is singing!

The mic does lack the high-freq lift of most of the mics I mentioned, but I've never missed the excess (IMO) highs!