Hello novass, I give you my opinion.
If you search a DSLR to upgrade your quality image (from compact camera to more professional system like DSLR) you must ask you some question:
1) Do you like photography and want to learn and try to improve your technick?
3) I'm only a point-and-shot man?
2) Which type of lenses I will use?
4) How much can I spend in quality lenses?
Choose Canon or Nikon is not so important. Personally I think that both have great Camera body and performance Lenses.
More important is tho choose good quality lenses if you want to use all great performance of DSLR system.
The problem is that lenses are not so cheap...so you must calculate expenses of all system like Camera + often 2 lenses from wide to tele.
Sying this I'm a Canon fan and I work with a EOS 30D. I know, isn't so cheap but with type of camere you can work...yes...not only for amatorial use but also for professional use. Is not so performace like 5D, 1Ds, ecc but it's still amazing. If you want to spend less there is Canon 400D...another great camera, with less functions and also a small price (approximately the half of 30D) but with the hight quality image of Canon Digic processor.
If you cannot touch and test camera who interest you, visit some important digicams website like Dpreview or Steves-digicams and you read the tests. They could help you in the choice.
