Hi! I am searching for my first Dslr!!
I have boggled my mind searching through the different manufacturers sites- only to confuse myself more!
The only conclusion I have come to is that I think I should be able to get a pretty descent one that should suit my needs for less than $2000. With that my budget is to spend less than $2000. (The lower the cost the better, BUT I want to be hopefully happy with it for many years to come, be able to upgrade lenses and accessories if needed in the future).

What I want to use it for will be mainly
-outdoors,
-daytime (have to deal with the elements to an extent! )
-action/sports (mostly horses jumping, kids sports, fishing)
-for the most part I can be within 10-30 feet of the subject
- then some general everyday shots - kids, animals, nature

I have really gotten used to using the live view for framing/shooting subject - should I get thought out of my head for a dslr?

I am thinking one that shoots at least 4 fps and has the ability to process quickly.

Should I get a body only with a good lens or are there packages with good body/lens combo.(at least for starting out)?

Not sure how the digital camera world is with Vista - but that is what I use on my pc , so any programs associated with the camera would have to be compatible with Vista.

Thats all for now, if I am missing some criteria let me know.

Thanks ahead for any advice!!
Mary Jo