Advice on first DLSR camera
Zoom lenses for convenience.
Serious photogs in the field will have a different lenses on separate housings so the don’t have to change while on a shoot.
10MP is the max needed, even for a 40meter poster!
Larger than 10MP is a sales gimmick or for cropping (mostly for photographers that can’t compose or are lazy).
With a 18MP camera (7d) and one good lens you can (conceivably) just crop the photo massively (creating a digital zoom) without noticeable loss of quality. It would be better quality due to using a better lens.
IMO; if you using it while traveling and are concerned about carrying lenses (or the trouble of changing them) DON’T BUY A DSLR - you wasting your money.
Improve you skill as a photographer and apply those skills to a Compact (Canon EOS M).
Other compacts:
Sony Nex
Fuji X-E1
Nikon 1 V2
Olympus E-PL5
Sony NEX-6 has WiFi and apps that can even make it able to be controlled with your phone or edit video!
Fuji X-E1 is as good as DSLR image quality.
Canon EOS M, DSLR results without the bulk.
Dan it really depends on what you are shooting and what purpose you have in shooting. A better lens will give you better bokeah ( those little starburst things) , and when shooting with shallow depth of field ie f 2.8 ish the blurry background will be more blurry. Actually, you won’t get many (any?) kit lenses that get to f 2.8. That’s a pretty tough depth of field to use but gets some cracker shots. A better lens will have less ” bleeding” of the colors when you enlarge it. So you won’t see the red green blue edges around things as much… But each lens is different and that’s surely not the technical explanation.
The 18-200 means that you have one lens, it’s not massively heavy, that covers wide angle to long distance all in one lens. We have an 18 to 55 and 55 to 135. And they never go on the camera. The 18 to 200 is on thee all the time. The other camera has either the 100 macro ( delicious lens) , or the fish eye, great lens, crap lens cover. And the camera bag gets the 70 to 200, 10 to 22.
Simple answer, yes you can tell. ( You can tell as soon as you put the lens on the camera) but in the canon range you have to go L series to really tell. once again, you need to think, what and how do I want to shoot, what and how do I want to carry my gear. Do I want to have to get close to stuff I shoot? As long as it works for you, it won’t be wrong.
Do you want to drive your farrari to do the canning stock route?
Yeah thanks for the info, Tambo. The 18-200 does sound convenient.
Dan the single lens is all about convenience for me.
My SLR I currently own has a 28 - 80 lens and a 70 - 200 lens. And well, no matter what I was shooting I was constantly swapping between the two.
And more parts more things to get broken.
I was on holiday in Africa when I last used the camera and i was constantly swapping between the two and the 28 - 80 lens broke. I couldn’t get get it fixed until i was home. whilst I love my photos from that trip you look through the album and well you can tell something is not quite right. every photo feels over cropped.
What is your budget?
Cheers, Oz.
I haven’t set an exact budget yet. But would like to pay as little as possible 
Regarding the kit vs non-kit lense, although I have no doubt the pricier L lenses etc are much better quality, I am happy to work up to something like that. Hopefully a kit lense will be good enough to learn on. I figure after some use I’ll know more what type of lenses I would want etc. Plus it’s a signficant cost factor, and until I actually get the camera I won’t know just how much I will get into photography to warrant the costs. But as always thanks for all the viewpoints and opinions!
I found these reviews of the 18-200 lense and the 18-55 lense. Some of it is a bit over my head but the review covers pretty well the pros and cons of each lense, and gives them generally favourable reviews for what they are.
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_18-200_3p5-5p6_is_c16/2
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_18-55_3p5-5p6_is_c16/
Edit: Here’s another review that seems pretty balanced for the 18-200:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-18-200mm-f-3.5-5.6-IS-Lens-Review.aspx
Now I remember, that we did get that 18-200 lens with the 50D camera. That sits in the cupboard now as a backup camera, just in case one dies while we are working. Not worth selling it for what we’d get, so it just sits there. I’d agree with that review, pretty much spot on.
I haven’t set an exact budget yet. But would like to pay as little as possible
Right!
So you def don’t need or want the 7D.
I agree that you wont know until you start using it!.
So get a cheaper more entry level and a twin lens kit if you want.
But don’t just get a 18 - 55 lens. That wont work for snowboarding. And I think you will give up on photography if you don’t have a decent zoom range.
But note that most of us agree that the 18 - 200 lens is a good investment for not that much more.
I guess I’m willing to pay $1000+... I had a look around and for $1238 on DD photographics website you can get the 7D with the 18-200 lense. For the 60D with same lense I saw it for about $1000.
I think the 60D is good enough for you.
But it is up to you.
I believe the only plus thing about the 7D is the video quality - and its not like you ever do anything with that gopro footage 
Yeah thanks for your input! Will give it some more thought…
Oh and I finally have internet again (as of today) 
Only took them 5 weeks!
I think the 60D is good enough for you.
But it is up to you.
I believe the only plus thing about the 7D is the video quality - and its not like you ever do anything with that gopro footage
Hahaha touche! I’ll get to editing Gopro footage one day lol!!!
From what I have read, the video for the 7D and 60D is pretty similar. The 7D seems to be that bit better in the photo department and more solidly built. I can’t vouch for that myself though.
I wouldn’t necessarily rule out considering Nikon though either. What are the equivalent models in their cameras
D7000 also looks good and is pretty well priced. What did you have again, Oz?
I don’t think you really need a DSLR.
Get a compact, the have removable lenses and the canon have plenty of lenses to suit it.
You will more likely take better photos with a compact and your dollars will be spent on features you will actually find useful instead of features you will never use or know exist.
Perhaps you’re right, but I’m keen to take the plunge into DSLR territory I think. It’s intrigued me for awhile and I think I’m ready haha. But yeah there are so many good potential options. I also have a P&S that I am happy with for those times when you want something small and light etc but I now really want something that offers a lot more in terms of quality and creativity.
Dan, have a look at the bridge cameras then, I’m starting to lean back to a newer bridge camera, I’m struggling to think of why I would want to go the DLSR over the bridge other than they are quicker to write to the card when you’re banging out continuous shooting of 8-10fps.