Camera Selection

Hi,

I used to be an avid outdoor amateur photographer.  I used exclusively Minolta SLRs.  Started with an STR 201, got hooked, bought a Minolta 7.  Of course, when the Minolta 7D came along I jumped on it.  I still have all my gear (a lot of lenses and some sony alpha flashes) and now wish to get back into photography after about a 5 year period of not taking many pictures (accept pics of my 3 kids).

So, the question is, what is the best camera selection that gets me similar features to the Minolta 7D, but with more megapixels and better image quality.  I never felt the 7D produced pictures that would match my old STR 201 or even my Minolta 7 (I shot with slide film).

Is the A77 the right camera?  Or can I go a bit cheaper and buy an A65?  Should I hunt down a used 850 or 900?  Most of my photography will be outdoor/nature, some will be macro work. No sports - but my young kids are quite active so I suppose you could call that action!

Again, I was happy with the features on the 7D, just not the image quality.  I would like something with good jpg output (so I don't have to work with RAW files all the time).

Thanks for your help.