I was in your same position last year, I was looking into the DSLR versions as I have been shooting 35mm SLR for about 35 years, and figured that by now this digital thing isn't just a passing fad, and it's time to upgrade.
I treated it like hunting for anything else. Education is important. I did a lot of research, and got a huge amount of real good advice from the the folks who take the great pictures on this forum. A friend of mine who is a photographer helped me make my final decision. His advice went something like this. He told me to watch some sporting events on tv. Then look at the sidelines, and see how many of the professionals are using lenses that are white vs. how many are black. The white ones are Canon, and everything else is black.
I chose a camera with a crop frame sensor (which I had never even heard of before I started the "hunt" for a new camera), and it fits my needs right now. I have spent way more $ on lenses that I did on my camera so far. Most of the advice I got from this 4m told me to get a decent camera, and spend the cash on the glass.
I will also say that the learning curve has been real steep for me. This camera will do stuff that is beyond amazing! I am still learning and likely will be when this camera is obsolete.
Good luck on your hunt!
