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Here you'll find a list of things that I use and love, plus some other widely recommended stuff, with descriptions and comments. I'm an amazon.com affiliate, so I've set it up as an online shop (and I get a small percentage every time somebody buys something following my links). I hope you find it useful.
Cameras
Canon - Nikon - Others
Canon cameras
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Canon 5D mark2
I think this is the best full-frame camera you can buy right now (october 2011).
Full-frame means huge sensor (36x24mm), and that gives you low noise and great low-light performance, a very narrow depth of field, and a very special look. Not everybody needs to go full-frame (chech this out before you spend this kind of money; and look at the lens side of things: good zoom lenses for full frame are a lot more expensive), but if you're going to go that way, this is the camera to get right now (again: october 2011; a new generation of Canon and Nikon cameras is expected for the first half of 2012, and things will surely change then).
It is the only full-frame camera that can record 1080p24 video. It is not as sharp as it should be, it is full of moire and aliasing, the codec is 4:2:0 H.264, there's no autofocus while recording... but (if you jump through all the hoops) it is beautiful; that's why it heralded the video DSLR revolution of 2009-2010.
More recent Canon DSLRs have better specs for video (720p60 and 720p50, swivel screen, digital 3x zoom), but the 5D2 still has the best colors, and in broad terms the nicest image.
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Canon 7D
A semi-pro APS-C camera.
This is not one of my favorites, because it has the same sensor as the cheaper 60D, T3i and T2i, and image quality is exactly the same (both for stills and for video).
It also has some advantages over those cheaper cameras, but personally they are not too relevant for me: better construction (magnesium body with weather sealing), better autofocus and faster stills shooting (even better than the 5D2: the 7D is a great sports camera, the 5D2 is not), FullHD HDMI out while recording video (relevant for video productions with a big budget), etc.
The biggest reason I can think of to go for this camera is that right now (october 2011) it is the cheapest Canon with autofocus microadjustment (and if you're going to shoot stills using AF, this is a must). But for me, I'd rather go for a cheaper Canon; and for stills guys, I think the Nikon D7000 is better value.
Also, unlike the 5D2, 60D, T3i and T2i, the 7D cannot be hacked with Magic Lantern, which is a very, very useful tool for shooting video.
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Canon 60D
A prosumer APS-C camera.
It has the same sensor as the 7D, T3i and T2i, and image quality is exactly the same (both for stills and for video).
If you want stills with AF, you'd rather go for the 7D or the D7000, which have microadjustment and better AF. If you want video, you can save some cash by going with the T3i, which has a similar swivel screen (very useful), plus a 3x digital zoom that loses some sharpness but can be very convenient at times.
The only relevant advantages of the 60D with respect to the T3i are the bigger body (I find it more comfortable to hold) and the extra thumb wheel (so you have one for aperture and one for speed). Apart from that, they're essentially the same. In particular, the lack of microadjustment (which the 50D did have) puts this one much, much closer to consumer level than to pro level.
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Canon T3i (600D)
A consumer level APS-C camera. The best Canon DSLR for video (together with the 5D2), and also very decent for stills if you can live without microadjustment (otherwise go for the 7D, or, if you don't mind switching to Nikon, for the D7000).
It has the same sensor as the 7D, 60D and T2i, and image quality is exactly the same (both for stills and for video).
The swivel screen is very useful for video (and sometimes for stills too). The 3x digital zoom for video is less sharp but can be very convenient at times.
The only relevant disadvantages with respect to the 60D are the smaller body (I find the 60D more comfortable to hold) and the lack of thumb wheel (in the 60D you have one for aperture and one for speed). Apart from that, they're essentially the same.
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Canon T2i (550D)
A consumer level APS-C camera. The cheapest option that gives you the same image quality as the 7D (it has the same sensor as the 7D, 60D and T3i, and image quality is exactly the same, both for stills and for video).
Reasons to move up from here: if you want the swivel screen (for video, and for stills to), go for the T3i or the 60D; if you want AF microadjustment, go for the 7D (or, if you don't mind switching to Nikon, for the D7000). If you want a full-frame sensor or the best possible image quality, look at the 5D2 (and prepare your wallet for some lens love).
Compared with the lower end T3, the T2i offers more megapixels for stills, a better body (the 1100D is a bit too plasticky), and full manual control for video (with better resolution too).
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Canon T3 (1100D)
An entry-level APS-C camera.
I wouldn't completely rule it out: it offers decent image quality for a very low price. Build quality is not as bad as others, and the buttons and menus are very similar to what you'd find on a T2i or T3i, meaning: it is very well thought out, easy and confortable to use, which is always a very important thing to consider.
Still, the T2i offers more megapixels for stills, a better body (the 1100D is a bit too plasticky), and full manual control for video (with better resolution too).
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Nikon cameras
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Nikon D7000
A great prosumer DSLR with APS-C sensor.
I don't know much about Nikon cameras or lenses, so you definitely want to look for someone else's advice. The only bits I know about this one are: there are better options for video (manual control is not easy to use), but for stills it is awesome (it has microadjustment, and image quality and features to handily beat the Canon 60D and 7D).
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Nikon D5100
A consumer-level DSLR with APS-C sensor.
I don't know much about Nikon cameras or lenses, so you definitely want to look for someone else's advice. The only bits I know about this one are: there are much better options for video (manual control is not easy to use), and it doesn't have microadjustment, but it is reasonably popular.
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Nikon D3100
A decent entry-level DSLR with APS-C sensor.
I don't know much about Nikon cameras or lenses, so you definitely want to look for someone else's advice. The only bits I know about this one are: video is sub-par (huge rolling shutter issues), and it doesn't have microadjustment, but it is very popular.
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Other cameras
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Sony NEX-5N
A decent big-sensor camera that is cheap and small.
Most DSLRs will pack better features (phase detection autofocus, optical viewfinder). But the sensor in this camera is great, comparable to what you'd find in prosumer DSLR cameras (it's the same one that the Nikon D7000 uses, and better than the one in the Canon 7D, 60D, T3i and T2i, see here).
Also, it has great video quality, with less aliasing/moire issues than the Canons, full manual control, 1080p60 for better overcranking, the cleanest ISO 3200 video for under $4.000, and features such as peaking, live histogram, etc, that work great with the (great quality) optional electronic viewfinder.
So image quality is absolutely spectacular for such a small camera. The problem is, there are no great, small lenses for it (yet?). So when you put a good lens on this camera, it is smaller than a DSLR, but much bigger than the Olympus E-PL1 with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7.
The way to make this camera shine is to buy a dumb adapter (just a piece of metal, no optics or electronics) and use great, fully manual lenses (Samyang, or vintage). If the adapter has a tripod mount, stress on the camera's lens mount will be greatly reduced, and stability when mounted on a tripod will be improved. If you're going this route and buying lenses from the start, look at this table to see what will work on what (personally, I'd get manual lenses for Leica-R, Sony A or Nikon F, since they are the ones most likely to work on any cameras I own in the future).
For what I do, if I had to buy a camera today, it would either be this, or the Canon 5D2.
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Olympus E-PL1
A decent big-sensor camera that is cheap and small.
Most DSLRs will come with a bigger and better sensor (this one is 2x crop factor, and not stellar) and much better features (faster operation, phase detection autofocus, viewfinder). But compared with the not-so-much-smaller point and shoot and bridge cameras (or to the Nikon 1 interchangeable lens system), this one is a HUGE improvement (the sensor has about 10 times larger area than what you'd find on a point-and-shoot or a bridge camera).
Paired with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens, it is the smallest camera giving top-notch image quality (the alternative would be the Sony NEX-5N, which has a much better sensor; but all the high-quality lenses for NEX make the whole package a lot bigger than E-PL1+20/1.7).
As with many new camera systems, the problem is that there is not a lot of quality glass for it: apart from the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7, there are another two very nice normal primes (the Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95, the Panasonic Summilux 25mm f/1.4), and very little else.
There are more modern options from Olympus and Panasonic, but they don't offer a significantly better image quality, and can't compete on price.
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