Hello Jeff and welcome to the board.
You can always use the boards search feature to get more information on your question. This question gets asked several times a week, so through searching you can literally find hundreds of recent threads that you can check out to get a wide spectrum of answers.
I suggest searching for "beginner first dslr help". That should get you going.
Keep in mind when you ask a question such as this, it's similar to popping into a car discussion forum and asking what type of car you should buy. You'll have partisans loyal to Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, etc. all giving you advice based on their bias and preferred brand.
The truth of the matter is that most all modern DSLR's are capable of giving you similar results. Some will have certain strengths and weaknesses others might not share. It's a matter of first learning what these strengths and weaknesses are then deciding which one best suits your needs.
Some things to consider:
- What type of photography are you interested in? Sports? You'll want a fast and accurate focusing camera with a relatively fast continuous shooting speed and high ISO capabilities. Wildlife? You'll want something similar to the sports camera. Portraits? This is probably the least demanding area so just about any body will do. Landscapes? High ISO is a good feature, super fast AF isn't so important. You get the idea.
- How much money do you want to spend? If you have a small budget ($600 or so) your options will be limited to consumer grade cameras but you will have a pretty large selection to choose from. $1000 to $1500? You're getting up there into the prosumer area. $2000 to $3000? You're easily into the prosumer area and if buying used/refurb you're into the pro-level body market.
- Accessories. Check out the accessories for the various brands to see what might interest you, and don't forget to consider cost and availability (easy access). If you buy Nikon or Canon, you can easily rent lenses and other accessories via any number of outlets to test stuff out before you buy. If you buy something like Pentax or Olympus, your options for renting equipment to test out before you buy will be far more limited.
- What do your friends shoot? People often overlook this aspect, but honestly, it's great having the same brand as your buddy(ies) because it allows you to learn together and share accessories. If your buddy shoots Nikon, or if you've joined a local photography group and the majority shoot Canon, consider buying a model from their lines so you can share equipment and get pointers on how to do various things.
- Ergonomics. As I mentioned, most modern cameras are for the most part equally capable of producing high quality images. One of the most important things to consider is the human interface. How does the camera feel in your hands? Are the controls logical to you?
- What does the future hold? Do you plan on staying a hobbyist taking snapshots of the family and vacations? Or do you aspire to turn pro and make a few bucks on the side, or perhaps express yourself as an artist? This is important because if you plan on stepping up to the professional level bodies, you'll want to consider that today when you buy your entry level DSLR. Olympus and Pentax for example don't have pro-level bodies. If you decide next year you want to get a pro-body, you'll have to switch brands which means dumping everything you bought previously and learning a new system.
The easy answer is to start off looking at the offerings by Canon and Nikon. These are the "big two" and most people shoot products from one or both of their lines. But don't discount Pentax, Olympus, Sony, etc. as they all have great bodies with unique features in some cases. Carefully weigh the points above and once you have an answer to a few of those questions, let us know what you're thinking and we can point you towards a brand and model... but then we delve into the world of brand loyalty and things tend to get a bit heated.
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