http://www.costco.com/Panasonic-LUMIX-FZ-Series-Digital-Camera-Bundle.product.100017400.html
An earlier post by a FReeper mentioned this camera which isn’t a DSLR but sounds very nice at $450. it’s only 12+mp’s but has a massive zoom equivalent to a stabilized 600mm lens at 2.8 throughout the zoom, an articulated screen, has a viewfinder of some sort and the Costco package might really fit your needs better than a pricier DSLR.
Uses a leica made or designed lens.. Sony does a lot with Zeiss!