so over the spring we had some unfortunate incidents at our church where we experienced a rash of thefts. one of the items stolen was my nikon d70. needless to say i was confused & upset when it was stolen. well, after a long standing time where we were deciding whether or not my camera was personal or work related by church insurance, it looks as i'll be getting back into the market again for a replacement camera.

so, i am taking suggestions from my photography friends as to a suitable replacement to my d70. some purchase thoughts

• like the nikon size, cannons handle feel designed for smaller hands (not that mine are super huge)
• can't spend huge amount of money
• needs to have an automatic setting for the wifey to use
• can't downsize to lesser camera once i've dipped into the higher end