WillAK,
Congrats on the new camera! I'm in the minority here, and am a fellow Nikon user. Used there film bodies for many years, and stuck with them, when I transitioned to digital. As I posted earlier, I don't really think brand matters, anyway.
Just wanted to comment on your desire for the 80-400VR. When I went to VR glass, I weighed the pros and cons, and went with the 70-200 f/2.8 instead. When I need more reach, I pop on a 2x. The Silent Wave auto focus of the 70-200 is far superior to that of the 80-400, which uses the motor of the camera body. It's slow, and a power hog. Once you get into the telephotos, and are shooting action/critters, auto focus speed is a very nice thing to have. That's my opinion anyway. Good luck, and enjoy your new SLR!
Jeff
