I just love these pissing contests over camera brands...

Facts are that for most people's uses, all the DSLRs on the market can vastly exceed their skills, abilities and expectations!

Take the "dynamic range" discussion, for example. Yes, comparing current models of Canon vs Sony/Nikon, the Sony/Nikon sensors have as much as two stops wider dynamic range at their native ISOs (100 in most cases), which can be measured and demonstrated in a lab or in images you make. However, as ISO is increased that difference gradually disappears until they are about the same at ISO 1600. Then in many cases the Canon cameras start to pull ahead in DR at even higher ISOs. So, ask yourself, where are you most likely to need and want wider DR? At low ISOs or high? Plus DR of Canon digital is pretty close to what slide film offered. And a skillful photographer has long ago learned how to deal with and utilize the dynamic range capabilities of their particular gear (which in all cases is not anywhere near as much as our eyes are capable of). I also can guarantee you that most of you also aren't seeing anywhere close to your images' full DR on your computer monitor... you won't actually see what's really there in the shadows and highlights until you make a high quality print.

All the camera makers have their strengths and weaknesses.

Sony has been very innovative, taken good advantage of certain opportunities that digital provides and they do make great sensors (which they sell to some other manufacturers)... But they also have a smaller selection of OEM lenses, and the highest priced lenses (aside from Leica).

Olympus has done a great job keeping gear compact. To accomplish that, they've compromised a bit with smaller sensors than other manufacturers and specially matched lenses that mean they have less third party support than most.

Pentax has gone further with weather and dust resistance than anyone else in their price range. Their backwards compatibility is also quite good. But a couple ownership changes in recent years have likely slowed down their R&D a bit.

Nikon continues to be a driving force with a deep, broad and thorough system and lots of backward compatibility. They've ridden Sony's coat tails to a large extent, in rems of image quality. And their repair services leave a lot to be desired.

For a while Canon schooled everyone else with sensor design and manufacture (CMOS years before anyone else, as well as their own design and manufacturing facilities), camera innovation (affordable full frame years before anyone else), lens selection and features (stabilization years before anyone else). But Canon offers little to no backward compatibility with vintage gear. OTOH, since the launch of EF lenses and EOS cameras there have been no compatibility issues at all (except by design, i.e. EF-S lenses).

Maybe Canon has rested on their laurels a bit in recent years. Some model improvements have been a bit slow in coming. Other manufacturers have pulled ahead at times with "better" this or "improved" that. Canon was very late to the game with EVFs and mirrorless... But they still have the deepest and broadest DSLR system (Nikon is almost, but not quite as thorough), generally priced competitively (though not "cheap" by any means), reliable and with often-praised repair services.

Nikon and Canon have the most third party support, too. Tokina, Sigma and Tamron make more lenses for them. Sony doesn't see quite as much 3rd party stuff offered for use with their cameras. Pentax even a little bit less. And thanks to their unique format, Oly enjoys the least 3rd party support of all the major DSLR manufacturers.

All the manufacturers have pushed each other to develop and improve... I'm not sure we would have nearly as many options or as good quality choices as we do now, if it hadn't been for the highly competitive one-upmanship and leapfrogging that's been going on in the photo industry for the past 20 years or so.

And, the truth is, any of these systems can meet most photographers' needs very well. The biggest difference will always be the person behind the camera... not the gear itself.