Which DSLR to buy?

So far, I've always had a point and shoot digicam. While I havent suddenly been bit by the shutterbug, I've increasingly been interested in learning more about photography and have been considering buying a DSLR for a while now. After doing some amount of research, here are two options I am considering:

1. Canon Digital Rebel XT


Product summary CNET's Editor's Choice

The good: The Canon Digital Rebel XT's image quality leads its class; competitive price; ultrafast start-up time; very responsive.

The bad: The Canon Rebel XT's lightweight plastic body isn't ergonomically satisfying; no spot meter; limited continuous-shooting mode, unimpressive kit lens; 1.6X lens-conversion factor.

The bottom line: The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is an exceptionally small and lightweight camera designed for amateur digital SLR photographers, but it delivers the responsiveness and image quality you'd expect from a semipro model.

Specs: Digital camera type: SLR; Resolution: 8 megapixels; Display type: 1.8 in LCD display See full specs >>

Price range: $409.00 - $539.99


2. Nikon D80



Product summary CNET's Editor's Choice

The good: Excellent color rendition and noise levels; large feature set; highly customizable; lightning-fast performance.

The bad: Full raw editor costs extra; flash sync of 1/200 second.

The bottom line: Nikon scores big with the D80, its new 10-megapixel, sub-$1,000 dSLR.

Specs: Digital camera type: SLR; Resolution: 10.2 megapixels; Display type: 2.5 in LCD display See full specs >>

Price range: $765.00 - $899.99

In order to get some more data on the popular cameras used by the consumers globally, I also checked out Flickr's list of most popular cameras in their community. Not surprisingly, the Canon and Nikon were high on the list.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT Nikon D80 Nikon D50 Nikon D40

In all honestly, I'm happy with a camera with 8-10 megapixels. I dont need a 12MP monster which would suck up a lot of storage. I definitely want a camera that is a) reasonably priced, b) easy to use, c) high light sensitivity since I often taken pictures in dim light or on the move.

I've scoured the net, and found a lot of interesting articles in response to the search query 'What DSLR to buy?'. But of all of them, Philip Greenspun stands out - read it.

I'm leaning towards the Canon since I think it fits my needs sufficiently and is reasonably priced. If you own either of the two and have some advice for me on buying it in India, please let me know.