Originally Posted by
dblevitan
I'll echo other comments here about a D40 and an 18-200 lens.
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The 18-200 specifically has been very well received and a lot of people like it.
IMHO, the Nikon 18-200 VR by itself is a good reason to buy a Nikon over a Canon.
On a serious note, the D40 and permutations thereof + the 18-200 VR sounds like it fits your needs to a "T". For travel, this combo gets my vote, too.