mrquacker wrote:
Get a camera with as many mega-pixels as you can afford.
This is only true if you want really big images. The pixel count has no relation to the quality of the image, only the size of the image and in fact, can have the opposite effect.
If you are going with the canon line of DSLRs, try the 70-300 IS for a zoom. It is a little slow but the results are good. I can hand hold down to 1/60 sec. and get sharp results. The Tamron 28-75 2.8 is a good walking around lens and gives you a faster aperture.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/ is a great place to check lens and camera reviews.