I've used both on my 'cross bikes - starting with the V-brakes and moving to the cantis. I, personally, prefer the stopping power of the cantis, and they aren't quite as finicky as the V-brakes. I do feel that they are still pretty "mushy" feeling, but better than what the others felt.
My personal preference. I bet you will laso hear back from some others who like their V-brakes better.
Velogirl will likley chime in here - she's a great resource for this stuff!
SheFly