Camera recommendations?

I'm looking into getting a camera but I'm not sure which one I want. I would like to get either a Nikon or a Canon. Here are my requirements:
-Good zoom (I will be taking a lot of really close up photos to draw and if i get a close up of say a bee on a flower i want no loss of clarity)
-Good in low-light (I will be taking a lot of pics in the woods where light may be scattered, I want to be able to pick up the variations of light and be able to see them in the photograph without using a flash
-Reasonable price (I'm new to this and I don't want to pay like 1000$)
-Relatively compact (I understand it won't be the size of your average camera but I don't want to have to lug a giant case and a bunch of extra lenses to the barn or into the woods)

So what would you recommend?

I have an olympus E-420 that does all of those things pretty good. Check comments on the Internet about them and course any lenses is pretty expensive for a good camera. A zoom wide lense I just bought cost $400 to give you an idea if you haven't bought acces. For these kind of cameras but they are worth it!

Visit a camera shop in your area and see how easy the E-420 handles. The newer cameras of any brand keeps getting smaller and smaller and hard to handle for hand space.

Canon 7d

http://www.digitalrev.com/product/canon-eos-7d-with-ef/NzQzNg_A_A
or buy the body and get a lens that will work for what you need.

This Nikon D3100 kit will get you started nicely.
http://www.amazon.com/...003ZYF3LO/

You can add from the 100+ lenses available to it later when you want and can afford them.

You don't need a case and a bunch of lenses. Planning ahead and taking the right lens is the key.

Canon EOS 7D
Source(s):
http://www.amazon.com/...y110171-20