Ultra Zooms: Canon S3 vs Sony DSC-H2

[StrayaMate]

Hi,
I've hit the elimination dilemma of narrowing down to these two, which I keep teetering between.
I'm coming from an SLR film and SLR digital background so my main consideration is image quality, stabililization and utility.
interested in performance at full zoom and full wide angle, flash effectiveness, and similar sensitivities (low light performance)
I'm stuck between the reputation of Zeiss lens vs Canon lens ... both excellent
they're pretty much on a par in the specs listings
not really interested in movie capability, cumbersome manuals or menu structures that have been mentioned in reviews ..these are not issues for me
Can any one weigh in here with some comparative issues for either?
I guess my heart goes for the Canon because I'm an EOS-baby :o but I'm not sure ... the Canon's (and it's accessories) slightly dearer (in Australia) and the Sony comes with better "accessories" included like adapter rings/hood and charger, and only needs two AA's ...but it's getting a bit trivial really
For the Canon, I'm a bit worried about the redeye and plastic tripod mount (when will UZ compacts have shutter remotes?) while the Sony doesn't have the swivel viewer .....:confused:
I'm sort of hoping some may have had experience with both and can comment on direct comparisons rather than reviewers who tend to espouse virtues or shortcomings in isolation
Any comments though are welcomed (on the two models nominated)

Cheers

[coldrain]

Why are you worried about a plastic tripod mount? Do you know anyone who broke it?
The Canon comes without 4 needed NiMH batteries and charger, you need to buy those (but they are cheap). I would choose the Canon for its SD memory, its swivel display, its panorama sequence mode and better colours (in my opinion). Oh, and its software bundle is a bit better.

But the H2 is a good camera too, with a bit more purple fringing.