[Duke]

I whole heartedly agree with Jarrod's post.

Both companies offer fantastic products for people who are amateurs, all the way to complete professionals. But quite honestly, it's not the gear that makes you a great photographer, it's your ability to see things; to be at the right-place-at-the-right-time to take that perfect photo... to find a location that'll make a gorgeous photo & getting there at 5:00am to catch that amazing sunset.

I've seen stunning photos taken on the cheapest point-and-shoots, & the crappiest photos taken on high-end gear.

The best advice I can give is, if you're already comfortable with a brand (ie. Canon, Nikon, etc.), then stick with it. Obviously, you'll have a budget... so spend the bulk of it on good lenses (this is where research will come in for you), camera bodies will always be changing, but a good lens will last forever. Don't concern yourself with megapixels, a 6mp camera will create a gorgeous 13x19 print (if not larger). If you're just starting out with a dSLR, I'd suggest getting 2 good lenses to start with... a wide-angle zoom (an 18-70mm f2.8), & a nice long range zoom (70-200mm f2.8), & then a mid-range body; for Nikon, a D60 or D80 (relatively cheap & very easy to use), for Canon, a Rebel xti, or a 40D (again, cheap & easy to use). Of course there are very expensive camera bodies out there, but honestly, the average user will never see the benefit in spending $5,000 or more on a camera body.

More importantly, DO YOUR RESEARCH, go to camera shops, try stuff out, pick their brains. Tell them what kind of photography you like (or would like to do), ask them about the products. Don't do what a lot of new buyers do, & that's making decisions based on online opinions. Everybody has their own favorite, but that doesn't mean that it's the best one out there.

Hope this helps
Duke