Nikon D3 Canon 1Ds MKIII Comparison

Nikon D3 with 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 @ISO 25,600
Attendees of the Jay Maisel seminar at The Luminous Landscape Gallery watching a video slide show.The illumination in the gallery was so low when this shot was taken that it was too low to read.
Background
Regular readers will have noted that I shoot primarily with Canon cameras and lenses.
Why? Because I have to shoot withsomething– right? In about 1996 I switched from 30 years of shooting Nikon because I was attracted to lenses which Nikon didn't offer at the time, the Canon's T/S and IS lines.
I had few regrets at the switch through the first 7 years of this decade during the transition to digital, because it's my opinion that with its full frame sensors and superior high ISO noise capabilities Canon had a clear edge. Many other pros apparently thought so as well, and as a consequence Nikon lost some market share in this segment.
But with the introduction of the D300 and D3 a few months ago, and the commencement of their shipping ...