Nikon D5000 (with 18-55mm lens)

Pros: Quality Quality Quality
Speedy
Ease of Use

Cons: The look of it, I suppose. I think I just like Canon's look a little more.

Summary: I was nervous about this camera when I got it. Though everything I'd heard about the image quality turns out to be true, the articulated LCD is nice but I wasn't sold on the flip DOWN, versus to-the-side that I'm used to on the point and click that I use. As it turns out, when you hold the camera as you should, with left hand supporting the lens from underneath, the flip-down is much much better than the side-flip. Additionally, how often do you shoot from the side, versus top or bottom? For the times in which an articulated screen helps, I say the flip-down is a better configuration than the side-flip.

Honestly, though, what really sells me, though, is the combination of speed and quality. D90 quality in a smaller form for less money? AND it's faster? Done.

What many reviewers don't talk about much is low-light shooting. The d5000 EXCELS in darkness; I do an odd combination of architectural and party photography (not professional yet). Both require shooting in low-light, or even near-dark settings, one with quality, the other with speed. For the architecture, I wanted shadows to be rich, gradients to be subtle, and highlights to be dramatic without blowing out. It's great for all that. And for the party photos, they're great quality, low noise, get a good amount of the surroundings without having to use a flash and still capture speed and energy of the setting.

I'm very happy with this camera and am excited to see how far I can push it.