I would get any cheap nikon or canon body. Don’t get wrapped up in the megapixel race it is not worth the money unless you plan on printing huge. Go to a camera store that is not a major chain, and they will help you out. My advice is to get a cheap body, and a nice lens. Also choose the newest model camera body in your budget, instead of an older higher-end model. If you want a body that shoots good video you will spend a lot more, so if video is a must I would wait a little longer and let the technology catch up a bit. The lower end camera bodies may start having video soon, or at least that seems to be the trend. Personally I wouldn’t worry about the video feature, but everyone is different.