36.6 megapixels really is impressive but don’t forget that Nikon’s latest pro model the much more expensive D4 has dropped the pixel count down to 16.2MP.
Still I would not be surprised to see a 36.6MP sensor in a pro model before too long.
Hasselblad has a 56.9 mega pixel if your a lottery winner.
Photography is always fun though. Many times I have seen some of the best pictures come from really inexpensive cameras. Location, timing and subject is everything. I love toys though !
You will be able to get good results with almost any current (within a few years) digital SLRs that are on the market. As mentioned earlier - knowing what you want to shoot will help direct your purchase.
‘Shooting sports’ doesn’t really answer the question. Indoor or out if the most basic question. Indoor = closer to the action (typically) and artificial light. Outdoor = longer shots with natural or artificial light. General rule to ‘stop’ action is get in as much light as you can to let you shoot with a faster shutter. This means finding a ‘low’ aperture lens that still has enough reach (magnification/zoom) to get the shots you want.
After you get over that sticker shock - then its time to start making trade-offs. If you have no investment (yes, investment) in a particular brand of lenses, take a look at which camera body / lenses will perform for the type of shooting you like. It could be a 4/3rds camera - it might be a 1.6 crop or a full frame camera. Guess what - ALL can provide the results you want - if you match the lens to the type of shooting you will be doing.
For me and my wife - we enjoy shooting airshows and nature settings. We both have Canon dSLRs so the lenses are interchangeable. For an airshow, my favorite lens is a 100-400L while she uses a 70-300. Shooting planes - outdoors - on sunny days is far different from shooting an indoor wrestling match. That said, I’ve used a different lens to shoot indoor action too. That is the primary advantage of interchanging the lenses, you change to what you need for a setting.
With all the choices that exist, see if your friends have equipment that you can try out sometime. That way you get your hands on the cameras and lenses to see what ‘fits’ you. In addition, consider renting equipment before you buy - again, to see if it fits what you want. To rent, I have used LensRentals.com and received outstanding service (and equipment) from them.
When you are finally ready to purchase, DONT ignore the pre-owned market. There are excellent deals out there - once you decide what you want to own. Always try to take some shots prior to being separated from your money. What can look great on the outside does not always work great. With pre-owned units, they are being sold for a reason. And with interchangeable body/lens combinations - you don’t need to find the ‘entire’ unit at one place.
And, to muddy the waters a bit, there have been some outstanding point-and-shoot cameras that probably have been introduced since you purchased the one you are using. Don’t necessarily decide that you need a digital SLR when some more advanced P-n-S models could provide you the shots you want.