Thanks Tony - I agree with pretty much everything you're saying.

I do still get out shooting now, just with my current P&S camera...so composition gets work, but, as mentioned, any new camera will need the "learning curve" dealt with.

I won't be at the event (so handling cameras is out), but I was thinking more along the lines of maybe manufacturers would roll out new ways of dealing with dust, new chip in a current model, that kind of thing.

really what it's going to come down to is my confidence in a product I've never owned before - that pretty much means canon and Nikon are the short list - I've had canon gear previously, and it was tops - I'm sure Nikon is/was/will be the same.

I know folks who've shot other brands, but not digital - so no help there...

KNowing that even a 6.1 mp cmaera can produce a clean 11x14 print (all things being equal of course), makes me feel pretty confident that regardless of what I choose, it'll be fine - at this point it's money and features. Knowing where I intend to shoot mostly (indoors, available light, outdoors, etc.) could help me with what tech specs are important (high ISO with low noise, for example), which in turn leads me to only a few choices.

My goal is a body and a good lens, maybe two, for about $1500 Canadian. So far, for that price, I've worked up a coule of likely scenerios surrounding Nikon gear...then I start thinking about that nifty feature Olympus has for dealing with dust and BANG - Im off track again...LOL

What i really NEED to do is just buy the damn camera - then deal with it - I suspect my short-list is a solid bunch anyway:

D50
D70s
E500
Rebel XT

...I think I like the torture of the researching things to death part - I must...