What you're missing is the fact that you're buying a system. Nikon's metering, for example, drives me insane. I'd eat a bullet if I had to use it on a regular basis. That's a personal thing that no review can address. The ergonomics of the body and intuitiveness of the interface should be your MAIN concern. If you're not truly comfortable with the camera, it'll take a lot more effort to make good pictures. Really.
All three bodies that you're looking at are better than you are (not a slam, just the facts) at the moment. If you buy Canon now, for example, and don't end up liking the way their autofocus, etc works you're already invested in a system. It's very expensive, in the long run, to make the wrong choice on your first body. Slow down and take some time deciding. Spending that kind of money on a camera without at least putting it in your hands is foolish, IMO.
I shoot Canon, professionally, but there's nothing that prevents me from getting the same results from a Nikon, Sony, Pentax or Olympus. It's a tool; nothing more. It's like agonizing whether a red or blue hammer drives a nail straighter.
You should spend more time/effort researching lenses, than the body. As beer guy said, your buying a system and your body is only one part of the equation.
Theres a cliche in photography, Im sure its been said on this forum many times (I'm new so cut me a little latitude
) and that is.
glass last, bodies don't.
If you only ever become a hobbyist, you will at some point replace what ever body it is your agonizing over. If you get into photography, you
will replace it sooner and if photography gets into you, you will outgrow and replace it even sooner. Your lenses if you take care of them are your
investment and can/will last your life.
Put a middle of the road lens on the worlds best body and you middle of the road IQ. Put the worlds best lens on a middle of the road body and you get world class IQ. Thats not to say you need to run out and buy high end lenses but the choices you make today/tomorrow are your investment, not the body.
So if we can agree that's true why not put as much and more time/effort into researching lens lineup, their strength/differences as you/we do our first bodies?
Canon/Nikon are similar, however their lens lineup's do have some significant differences. I went Canon for no other reason than Canons lenses, and lens options.
Take the 70-200 focal range (very popular). In Canon your have four choices.At the long end there are differences as well. That said some Nikon lenses Canon doesn't really compare favourably either...Both have reasons to merit close looking.
At the end of the day you can probably pick either body and be happy, but thats just the beginning.
