I wasn't going to make a comment, because my taste in cameras is competely opposite yours. I'd rather a big, solid, customizable camera, and you want a small, automatic camera. Nothing wrong with the difference, I like photography, and you want something to "capture the moment."

But then somebody posted the comment about the Nikon D70. Now, if you're really going to blow your budget, get the Canon 20D- faster than the Nikon (5 frames per second, continuous for several seconds). Of course, it weighs in over a pound *without* the lens and costs at least $1k (less if you buy it from someplace shady, more if you buy it with a valid canon warranty).

Sorry, I'll shut up now.

Oh, btw... I third, fourth, and/or fifth the suggestion for dpreview.com . The most complete camera reviews I've found, very fair and unbiased, give great comparisons across different cameras, and talk about both advantages and disadvantages.