well, I happen to think Leica is about the best there is, but I'm a Canon shooter myself, so I don't really know how well they've kept up with the whole digital thing.  I do love their cameras though.  I think Canon and Nikon have both done a great job in the DSLR arena.  If it was me, I'd avoid the Rebel only because it feels slightly cheap to me.  I think it's all about the lens and some of mine are heavier than  my camera bodies, and I like balance.  I'd say if you're going to look at Canon, the 20D is awesome and is at a nice price point right now becuase the 30D just came out, but really doesn't offer you justifiably more.