Warning: beginner looking to buy a d-SLR camera

"I've looked at a few Sony and don't think they are my preference, and none of the Canon's caught my eye like these 3 Nikon's did. I have definite plans to visit a store to get some 'hands on' knowledge of which one brand feels best, but for right now my personal preference seems to hold with Nikon."

Sonys also have a guide mode simillar to that which appeals to you on Nikons.

Don't rule anything out until you can actually try handling them.

Any modern DSLR from Canon, Nikon, Pentax or Sony will perform well but they do handle differently.

Of course once you get to a shop you may find that you prefer something smaller like a NEX or micro 4/3 rather than a full size DSLR.