Which is better Canon EOS 60D Camera or a Nikon d3000?

I'm getting a new camera for college and i want to know which one would be better for portraiture/blurred backgrounds/fashion photography and which lenses i should get? Please make it easy to understand haha

What are lens hoods used for?

I have recently brought a Nikon D3200 and I'm wondering what the purpose of a lens hood is. Do they protect the lens in weather conditions? Do they stop extra light from getting into the lens? What exactly do they do?

Can the Nikon D3200 survive Canada's climate?

I recently purchased a Nikon D3200 and I'm wondering if I'm able to take the camera out into the snowy conditions. As my friends and I go snowboarding quite often, would it be possible to take it up the mountain? Would the snow damage the camera? What sort of precautions should I take?

Recommended things to buy for Nikon D3000?

I want to buy a Nikon D3000 for airplanes spotting, I would like to know what everyone recommends to buy like filters, lenses, etc…

0.45x wide angle lens for Nikon 50mm 1.8 Series E lens?

I have a Nikon d3100 and a 50mm 1.8 series E lens. I'm planning to get a 0.45x wide angle lens. I'm wondering if there will be bad vignetting? I also have a 18-55mm kit lens too. Should I get this wide angle lens?

Added (1). The thing is that a 50mm 1.8 has much better image quality than the 18-55mm. Adding the wide lens to the 50mm maybe a good choice?

Nikon d3000 on S Mode, won't let me take bright photos?

Hi. I have a Nikon d3000, I've been using it for awhile, but I've never actually used S mode, and I thought it'd be useful for my sport photos, but it comes out all black and it says "Subject to dark" even in bright lighting. I added flash, and all but it still won't come out as a decent photo. How would I be able to take photos in that mode or how to adjust it?

Which is the better dslr camera?

A nikon d3200, a cannon rebel xti, cannon eos rebel k2, or a CanonRebel XSi i'm not a pro but i love photography, so nice pictures i want a little digital screen and let me know which ones if any can shoot videos if any thank yall

Added (1). Please only anwser if you can help,.

My Nikon d3100 won't take a picture with flash, why?

I have this Nikon D3100 for less than a year now, but suddenly I whenever I try to take pictures with the flash, it doesn't work. The camera will take pictures on the no flash settings, but when i put it on auto, or any other settings it won't work. The internal flash will pop up and It will focus and make the beep sound like its ready to take a picture then, no picture will be taken. If I hold the internal flash down while i take a picture so it can't pop up, then the camera will finally take a pic. I really hope this isn't an internal problem, because i don't have a lot of money to get this repaired.

Will a Nikon Zoom-Nikkor 50-300mm f/4.5 Non-AI Manual Focus Lens fit my Nikon D5100 DSLR?

Will a Nikon Zoom-Nikkor 50-300mm f/4.5 Non-AI Manual Focus Lens fit my Nikon D5100 DSLR?

Added (1). Andrew. I was just about to bid on that lens. Then I saw your Answer.

Is the Nikon D5100 good for a complete dSLR novice?

I know about ISO, aperture, shutter speed and basics like that. I'm in love with photography, but I only have a Panasonic TZ20 (which I hate) and am looking to upgrade.