I decided to reenter the market after six years with film in 2003, somewhat after Canon introduced the D60.  Great camera, but in 2006, I replaced it with a Canon EOS 5D from B & H Photo Video.  In addition to leveraging my existing investment in Canon lenses, the 5D is really my first "no compromise" camera.  It has all of the features of the film cameras I've owned and in many cases is better.

Here is what I currently carry in my bag:

• Canon EOS 5D 12.8 Megapixel SLR
  • Canon BG-E4 Vertical Grip/Battery Holder
    The vertical grip makes the 5D look huge and it does add a lot of weight.  However, I think it's a must-have accessory because it makes portrait photography so much more convenient.  It also adds a second battery, to ensure a full day of shooting.
• Canon 580EX Speedlite E-TTL II (x2)
  Canon flashes do a great job of lighting the subject and I find they're especially versatile when used with the LC-5 Wireless Controller.  The controller allows you to place the flashes throughout the room and create some very interesting lighting effects.  It also allows you to simply get the flashes away from the lens to make more natural lighting.
  • Canon LC-5 Wireless Controller
    The LC-5 can control up to three banks of Canon Speedlite flashes and I think it's useful even if you only have one flash on the shoot.  At a minimum, it allows you to get the flash away from the lens for effect.
  • Canon Compact Battery Pack CP-E3
    The battery pack is heavy and overkill for most situations, but it's nice to have a very fast recharge during heavy shooting.
• Canon Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3
  This is also overkill, but in addition to being a remote shutter release, the TC-80N3 can take sequences of pictures unattended and you can directly select the number of frames and time between frames.
• Lenses
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
    This is a nice lens for portraits, but I find I'm farther away from the subject than I would prefer - and for interior shots, there's sometimes not enough room.  I believe I will eventually replace this lens with the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM.
  • Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer USM
    My favorite lens and this is the one that's usually on the body.  It's versatile and the only failings are in low light and for nature photography.  For general "touristy" photos, I think it's ideal.
  • Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
    This is a cool lens because it uses diffractive optics to make it small and compact.  It doesn't look like a zoom lens at all!

I carry all of this stuff in a Crumpler Whickey And Cox bag.