I have been contemplating upgrading my digital point/shoot for awhile as well. Either a x12 extended zoom point/shoot style: Sony H5, Canon G3 or Pan Z50 or just going with a NikonDSLR and using the lense I have for my Nikon 35mm SLR. One thing I will say Nikon do make very good SLR cameras and as mentioned lense choice is second to none. My 35mm nikon has produced some amazing photo's and I couldn't be more pleased with it or the investment. Here the overwhelming majority of professional photographers run Nikon DSLR's so that must say something about their positioning.

As far as reviews I have found when it comes to the point and shoot styles Canon seems to be the odds on favorite. My mom has a G3 thats a few years old and it has been flawless, she isn't a picture taker or techy so must say Canon must being doing something right!! Though reviews are subjective and I would reccomend you getting your hands on them and finding what you like, you'll find when you disect the reviews most major brands get good marks but it is styling/fit/features of the reviewer that skew the final score. You can almost tell which ones have been canon, nikon, sony, etc users as they are used to their bells and whistles soanything short will make them downgrade them. My Nikon SLR is all metal body so it has some meat to I liked that my sister didn't and chose the canon instead. Putting photos side by each you usually can't tell, one exception is macro mode where my nikon is a clear winner based on the glass that the lense uses. My wife is a flower person so we actually use the macro feature a lot for photographing bloom stages, etc but on the other hand it is rarily used in my sisters case. So in the end personal preference and use should be the main focus not only what a 3rd party may say.

Good Luck