ok...went to park cameras...fondled both cameras for a while...mmmmm...gadget geekness....
decided on the ............
eos 550D with an 18-135mm
sandisk 16gb Extreme HD Video hmc
Hoya 62mm UV(C) HMC Filter
and the Canon DSLR Accessory kit (which includes Adobe Elements 8)
dont ask how much tho..lol
both cameras are fantastic pieces of kit, no doubt about that, but the nikon was just edged out by the price, functions and weight..lol although it feels nice in the hand, it was far more weighty than the Canon, and then 1080i HD recording swung it in the end.