2) Will be taking pictures of race cars, nature, etc
For movement, an SLR is a must, but it probably doesn't matter which one as they all are much faster than point and shoots.
3) Will be taking videos so it should take good quality video
Um...you should be aware that DSLRs are not built with video in mind. Video shooting in DSLRs is a feature in it's infancy at the moment. You can also forget shooting video of anything that moves because, if it will even autofocus during video, it's
very slow and they are subject to "jelloing" because of the rolling shutter.
See
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08090101nikond90samplegallery.asp for D90 sample videos.
A cheap point and shoot will be much better for shooting video. I wouldn't ever consider video to be a feature involved in the decision-making process of buying a DSLR.
The only DSLRs that shoot video are the Nikon D90 ($1000 body-only) and the Canon 5d MkIII ($2700 body-only) and their video features are very limited next to any old point and shoot.
4) Fairly fast boot up time
Again, not an issue with SLRs. They are built with speed in mind.
5) > 2 GB storage (xD is limited)
All DSLRs use either SD or CF cards. Most SLRs made in the last couple of years, and certainly new ones, will support cards with capacities higher than 2GB.
6) Budget of $500 CDN just for the camera
OK, that narrows it down quite a bit. Your options are basically the entry level models from each maker:
Nikon D40/D60 (you might find some deals on the D80 for only a little bit beyond your budget)
Canon XS
Sony A200
Olympus E410
Pentax K-M
All are around the $500 price point. Don't let the term "entry-level" scare you, though. These are all powerful and competent photography machines. The difference between "entry-level" and "high-end" is basically weather sealing and fancy features that you'll probably never use as an amateur.
Personally, the only one I'd seriously stay away from is Olympus, as they use a smaller sensor than other DSLRs. This will result in poorer noise performance and there far fewer lenses available for it as the 4/3rds sensor system as it is a relatively new standard.
I'm not too informed on Sony or Pentax, but I know that I just personally don't really like them in terms of their usability, ergonomics, and their viewfinders in particular. But, hey, that's just my opinion. I'm not saying that you should definitely, absolutely go with Nikon or Canon, but I will say that you can't go wrong with either one.
The differences between all of the cameras in one particular class are mostly in features, not image quality. You will shoot very much the same photos with a D3 as you will with a D40. Ultimately, get whatever camera feels most comfortable in your hands and on which you like the controls and ergonomics.
7) Long battery life (My Fuji F10 currently lasts about 3 weeks taking pictures)
DSLRs today are pretty good with battery life, but I always have spare with me.
8) Can't be huge but can be a bit bigger than my F10 that I currently have
Then you'd better stay with the entry level models (mentioned above). All are around the same size and weight and as small as one can possibly make a DSLR.
I just came back from a local rally event and all I took was videos. I'd rather have video so it is towards the top of my priority things to have.
Then keep your Fuji F10 for shooting video, and get a DSLR for any shill shots that matter. Seriously: DSLRs are
not
do landscapes, studio work etcetera, then the best models for you would be Sonys a900 or the 1DsMk3 and 5Dmk2 from Canon.
If you do landscapes and you can arsed, you use medium format film for absurdly high resolution
That said, I read that the Canon 5D is the sharpest camera you can get for landscapes, as DSLRs go.
So again, doing some more research leads me to SLR-like cameras instead. I found a few examples and we have a very good camera store here in town so I'll head over there this week to see what they suggest as well. I have a running list so far.
The problem with "SLR-like" or "bridge" cameras is that they are just point and shoot cameras with SLR-style bodies. You will be limited to the same problems as any other point and shoot. If you want to shoot anything that moves, you'll become frustrated that you didn't get a real SLR instead.