Well currently im using an old Nikon F series all Mech camera which i moved to out of necessity when all of my cannon SLR's broke. i have found in the last 10 years that Nikon seems to make the best , most durable camera's ... but thats my view....
getting onto suggestions... i would definetly advise looking at the Nikon D200's you will get a shorter battery life as the main con. but you do gain exceptional pictures and a great photo-composing view screen. ontop of that the LCD screen is fantastic for viewing previous shots (as stated before this is the reason for the loss of battery) i had the option to test this camera about a month ago and have been trying to rack up the 9000 HKD to buy it.
my current views is its probably the best camera at the moment but thats from my experience.....
the main X-Factor is your preference. try going around and testing them side by side see which one you like and check the online reviews for faults and see if you had the same conclusion...
all the best
James