Hi everyone :)

I am looking to buy a digital camera and after reading Consumer Reports, am more confused than ever.

I take high photos and digital art and blow them up for printing on art tile wall murals. Typical wall murals run about three feet by three feet and can go to eight by eight, and the resolution for printing must be 300 dpi. So it's urgent that I have a camera that can support this requirement.

Some other requirements interspersed with some questions :)

1. I like to take closeups, as well as wide shots....a good zoom and wide angle built in is important to me.

2. There is a new generation of 10 mp. Is 8 sufficient for my needs? Or should I go to ten megapixels? Is there really a difference?

3. Do I have to have the Nikon D200? Consumer reports says that the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is the best of its class, which includes that aforementioned Nikon. But I have heard that the Nikon is the best. Is this true? Or is the Nikon overly ballyhooed?

4. I prefer a camera that is easy to use as far as automatic settings. I do my postwork in Photoshop, so I rarely use the manual settings and easy-to-use is high on my list. Sixty eight mysterious buttons will give me cramps. ;)

Knowing these parameters (and I would ideally like to keep the purchase to 800-1000), what would you recommend for me? I greatly appreciate all responses and thank you in advance. :)

peapodgrrl