If someone asked you what camera to buy...

...how do you help them arrive at their decision (or at least at your advice)?

For me, it revolves around budget and the obvious analysis of what they're shooting. It's probably going to be a body, 1-2 lenses, and perhaps an external flash. I often suggest nearly half of their budget as lenses. So, (budget - flash)/2 is for body, (budget - flash)/2 is for glass, and <flash> is for flash.

Yep, folks in the <= $1500 range are going to be tight, and might have to go for a less-expensive flash or defer the flash altogether.

How often do you boil it down to the five basic DSLR models (Rebel, prosumer, 5D, 1D, 1Ds)?

All the people I know who want dSLRs know what they want. Therefore if someone asks me what camera, I tell them Ixus 900IS.

I don't give advice anymore. It's pointless.

I ask the following questions:

1. What are you going to use it for primarily?
2. What's your budget?

Then go from there with additional questions as necessary. But, most of the time, it winds up that people want/need a P&S more than a DSLR. If they want more than that, we go shooting together with a couple of my bodies and lenses and go from there.