I'm surprized nobody has suggested the Nikon D40. To me, that is an excellent "budget" DSLR. I use mine all the time hiking. Also, before people start going medieval on my butt about the various drawbacks of the D40, or the fact that some guy by the initials "KR" on some other obscure website loves the camera, I base this on the fact I've used mine for a year, put over 14,000 images on (through it), and have used it successfully in both artistic and commercial use.
Yes, I would love a D90 or a D3 or a D300, but in these economic times some of us just don't have the money for every camera we want. In fact, for many people looking for this this kind of advice, I think we should all bear in mind that the economy is just plain bad, and likely to grow worse, so for some people, even the money spent on a D40 is going to be a minor miracle.
One last thought - the arguement over how good resolution, saturation, tonality, etc, etc, etc, is never ending, no matter what kind of camera you buy, or who's brand it is. I say this because the D40 is a smaller sensor than full frame sensors such as used in the say the D3 or D300, but it just never ends. There is *always* a better camera out there somewhere, so at some point, you just have to jump in and get started.
The other reason I say this is I am just as "guilty" of this anal retentive "bigger is better" madness as the next guy. Maybe worse. I shoot 4x5 (large format, sheet film), and let me tell you, get a 4x5 chrome drum scanned and then see an 8'x10' enlargement made from it - that 8 feet by 10 feet, not inches. Think that makes me happy? Not at all . I just bought an 8x10 LF camera a few months ago after seeing some enlargements made from 8x10 negatives. (inches this time ). It never ends. Just go get the D40, and enjoy it.
good luck
joe
