desperatedan, I'm starting to think that the relevance of the brand is inconsequential when you think about which generation you're buying into.
You could buy a Canon 40D but the Nikon D60, a consumer body, will probably give better results because of newer technology.
You just need to ask yourself what you want from a camera? I bought my Nikon after a decade of using EOS cameras and after the first day of hesitation, took to it like a duck to water, not because of the results it gave*–*they were better than my 30D but not by a massive gap*–*but because it felt better in the hand and was so much more intuitive.
Compare a D300 against a 50D and the Nikon will feel more 'pro' because it's geared towards quick, effective use by someone who knows what they want, hence the lack of picture modes. The Canon on the other hand is a pro-sumer model, so is aimed at numpties AND semi-pros, which is why I didn't like Canons in the end - they were trying to be jack-of-all-trades.
Also, full-frame isn't the be-all-and-end-all. DX and other crop sensor models give great results - look at a Nikon D3; that was king when released.
Have you looked at the popular Sony models or the reliable Olympus's? There's more out there than just canon and Nikon - visit a camera shop, have a good or borrow a mate's and then decide.
