I honestly think the Canon Digital rebel XTi, or XSi would be his best bet. They both rival Nikons beginner SLR's, but they have one LARGE advantage when it comes to field photography. They have a built in cleaning system that does help a lot when you consider all the dust, pollen, dirt, and dander you will come across in the field, that will work its way into the camera. If it does, it just damaged the integrity of your pictures.