Ok, ive been wanting one for a long while, and now with a baby on the way, the wife thinks we need one too. And just so happens, my birthday is coming up.

Im looking for a good entry level dslr and lens recommendation. Camera will be used mostly for taking pictures of a youngin, and also dead animals that i kill. I might get a little artsy fartsy with it every now and then.

Ive searched this forum a good bit and see that alot of people recommend the cannon t3i. What are some other comparable models that i need to look at? My mother in law has a nikon, and ive played with it some and am half way familiar with it, but not enough to have any kind of brand royalty.

Only thing i dont like about her nikon is the fact that you cant see the picture you are about to take on the little lcd screen on the back. You can review your pictures after the shot but i really would like to be able to see what im about to take a picture of without having to look through the view finder...

So what are yalls reccomendations? Best place to buy? What to look for? Brand/models?