calling all enablers: need camera suggestions

[F8&Bthere]

Yes, it's such a hard decision isn't it? At some point you just go with your gut and/or heart cuz the brain gets overloaded. Marko's point about the glass being the place to invest is a strong one, and since all the brands have strengths and maybe weaknesses, if you are serious about your photography long term and can see that passion leading you to accumulate a reasonable collection of lenses, then you might look more at the prices and selection of lenses in making your decision.

I've already made a case for Pentax in that regard, but their some of their new lenses have got quite expensive after some recent price hikes.

But FWIW if I was starting out again, from scratch, and if I wanted to stick with one of the big two brands (Canon, Nikon) for whatever reason, and if I was on a tight budget (under $1000, for example), I would probably go with a Canon digital Rebel and kit lens for now and then save for other quality lenses in the future. The reason I say this is that Canon L lenses are much more reasonably priced than Nikon's upper tier glass. And there is quite a nice variety. The top of the line Canon flash is also much more affordable than Nikons.

Remember, you always should budget for at least another $100 or so on top of your kit for memory and maybe even an extra battery. Plus you might need a bag, etc. It all adds up pretty quickly.