I was in the same position as you few months earlier while buying my first DSLR. I read a lot of reviews/discussions/comparisons, also asked a lot of friends but got no significant answer with valid reasoning. Canon users vouched for canon, Nikon users did the same. A friend even told me to get Nikon because it feels good! So I decided to buy the camera that offered me the most for my budget. I didn't care if its a Canon or Nikon.

You can do the same. Take a look at all available models within our budget and check if you get any good deal/sale etc. That way you can decide yourself and thus be comfortable enough with your decision.

If you take suggestion from your friends, its a good thing but later you might start feeling "I should've bought that one" or "I shouldn't have bought this one". Check what are the current DSLR models thats hot and will give you the most for your money.

I was stuck deciding between Nikon D3100 and Canon 500D for quite a long time, but in the end decided to go for Canon 550D/T2i and I must say, I'm very satisfied with the purchase. As it was my own decision, I got nothing to regret :D

I was in the same position as you few months earlier while buying my first DSLR. I read a lot of reviews/discussions/comparisons, also asked a lot of friends but got no significant answer with valid reasoning. Canon users vouched for canon, Nikon users did the same. A friend even told me to get Nikon because it feels good! So I decided to buy the camera that offered me the most for my budget. I didn't care if its a Canon or Nikon.

You can do the same. Take a look at all available models within our budget and check if you get any good deal/sale etc. That way you can decide yourself and thus be comfortable enough with your decision.

If you take suggestion from your friends, its a good thing but later you might start feeling "I should've bought that one" or "I shouldn't have bought this one". Check what are the current DSLR models thats hot and will give you the most for your money.

I was stuck deciding between Nikon D3100 and Canon 500D for quite a long time, but in the end decided to go for Canon 550D/T2i and I must say, I'm very satisfied with the purchase. As it was my own decision, I got nothing to regret :D

Educate yourself enough first, so that you can understand the features/specs of different models. A few things to compare would be:

1. Sensor Type
2. Sensor Size
3. Megapixels (image size)
4. ISO
5. Live view
6. Retractable LCD
7. Build quality, Weight
8. Lens and other accessories availability.
9. Stabilization mechanism, in body or in lens
10. Video shooting and quality
11. Exposure modes and compensation/bracketing
12. White balance

The list can continue. Once you start to educate yourself you'll be able to notice minor changes that makes the difference between models and can help you decide your one. Just remember, in the end, you get what you pay for.