It's an age old question that I think every aspiring photographer asks before diving headlong into the brand wars.  Which one is the better option? Which one is the better brand? Which one gives more value?

Sadly, the answer is (answers are) highly objective and will really depend on the person you're asking.

So why ask?

I'm a Nikonian.  Well, currently a Nikonian.  My D40 will be a year old come May and I'm already making plans for an upgrade but therein lies my predicament.  I'm eyeing two camera's on the Prosumer-Level of the dSLR hierarchy.

The Nikon D90

and

The Canon 500D

Spec-wise, both offer very similar hardware capabilities.  But still the question remains.  Which brand should I go with?  It's not a mere question of which camera is better but rather which investment is best.  This involves lenses, attachments, kits, etc that are available to you when you choose a brand.