Used Canon 60D or a new SL1 by canon (400-600 USD body only) add in a Canon Refurbished or used 100mm F2.8 Macro USM lens, and you will be very happy day in and day out. Don't invest in a nice body to start and learn with. The tXi (x=3,4,5) series all have the same Image quality, just different feature set. Some have slightly better ISO handling, but for the most part they are literally all the same sensors. Heck, the 18 mp sensor in the t3i is the same sensor in the 7D! but the 7D has weather sealing and is a lightning fast body with a lot more bells and whistles. But as far as IQ (image quality) goes they are nearly identical in the right hands.
If you want to go with nikon . . . .
Go with the D5100 or D3200, both can be found new / used for under or at 500 USD, then add on a sigma 105mm Macro lens for 400. Or the nikon macro 60mm F2.8 for under 300 off ebay. This combo will also give you outstanding results!
I use www.bhphoto.com almost exclusively.
Final thoughts . . .
Nikons flash system is worlds above canons . . . Nikons ISO use to be king, and still is, but only on their highest end bodies.
Canon is fast, from camera operations to frames per second. They also produce slightly better color tones in skin (and scales) where as nikon just has too much contrast even set at 0 for my flavor. Canons exposure system is GREAT on their high end bodies, and alright on their low end stuff
Nikon's white balance system is an RGB system looking at all three colors . . . Canon. . . is only 2. . . so auto white balance (which doesnt matter in raw) will almost always be more consistent on a nikon than canon (my canons changed white balance during a 10 shot burst! but there is a technical reason for that . . .
A point and shoot will never beat a DSLR, even the lowest end body that is a current model from Nikon or Canon will outshoot the highest end point and shoot from these same companies.
Dont waste money on a kit lens - buy one piece of proper glass and run with it.
Don't want to believe any of this - that's fine. I shot Nikon for 4 years, and have shot canon now for 3 years and am in love with Canon, even with a Nikon D600 at my disposal I still prefer my Canon 5D Mark II or pro 1D Mark III ;-)
www.pbase.com/codyconway <-- examples
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