Recommended Digital SLR Cameras

Article Source: Best Digital Camera Discounts. Copyright 2008
Date: September 3, 2010

Choosing a digital SLR camera, especially if it is your first, can be challenging. You may very well be investing a decent sum of money, so you want to make a good choice. The problem is, there are so many really great cameras to choose from! I have briefly summarized below seven extremely good digital SLR cameras. Three from Canon. Four from Nikon. I am biased, but I think these two brands outshine all others. Regardless of your budget and photographic aspirations, I think you will find something here to suit.

In addition to my brief review of each model you will find the cameras compared at the bottom of the page, along with what is currently the lowest pricing found for that camera.

Nikon D40

For around $450, which is the amount that you would pay for a high-end point-and-shoot camera, like the Canon Powershot G9, the Nikon D40 allows you to enter the realm of digital SLR photography. This is Nikon's entry-level digital SLR. You could do a lot worse than to start your digital SLR journey with this camera. In fact you could buy this camera, stop there, and still be able to create fantastic photographs. Many professionals use the D40 for all but the most demanding jobs. It's just a damn good camera.

THE GOOD: When you buy into the Nikon brand you are getting over seven decades of design and engineering wisdom, and it shows in the body of this camera. Though compact, the D40 is a pleasure to hold, and sports a decent handgrip which assists greatly with handling. Combined with the practically weightless 18-55mm Nikkor kit zoom lens, the D40 won't weigh you down. You'll happily reach for it anytime there might be an image to capture, which makes it great for casual family photography. Another nice feature is the 2.5 inch LCD, which is bright and easy to view at any angle. Shutter speeds range from 30 seconds to 1/4,000 of a second.

THE BAD: The Nikon D40 offers only 6.1 megapixels of image resolution, and many amateurs will bemoan this low figure. They will be quick to point out that you can find slightly higher-end models with up to 10 megapixels. But the fact is that 6 megapixels is more than enough for non-professionals, and unless you plan on blowing your photos up to poster size it is a complete non-issue. The image quality of a D40 is more than sufficient - something true of all the SLRs recommended here. Auto-focusing, while present, keys off only three metered points in the image, so if you are into photographing rapidly moving subjects, go for a higher end camera like the Nikon D80 which has an 11-point auto-focusing system, or the Nikon D300 with its astonishing 51-point auto-focusing.

Canon Digital Rebel XT

Also for around $450 is the Canon Digital Rebel XT, which is Canon's entry-level model for digital SLR photographers.

THE GOOD: The Rebel XT offers 8.0 megapixels of image resolution, which is more than enough for non-professionals. Response times are very good: if shooting in continous mode is important to you (for example at sporting events), the Rebel XT can take about fourteen shots in a row at just under 3 frames/second. Low light photography is also handled particularly well by this camera, and there is no red-eye problem at all to deal with when employing flash. Shutter speeds range from 30 seconds to 1/4,000 of a second.

THE BAD: Something has to give with budget models and with the XT it is the camera body casing which is a durable plastic, rather than the metallic casing of more expensive models. The body is also smaller than the higher-end Canon models, so the handgrip may feel overly small if you have large hands. The Rebel XT's 1.8 inch LCD display is kind of small and could definitely be brighter, but it is worth remembering that the LCD on most SLRs is not used to compose images (that's what the viewfinder is for), but to view them after capture, as is the case here. Unfortunately the Rebel XT viewfinder is also kind of small and dim in comparison to the Nikon models on this page.

Canon Digital Rebel XTi

If it appears that the image of the Canon Digital Rebel XTi looks almost identical to that of the Canon Digital Rebel XT, you're right. As the name suggests, it's essentially the same camera, but with some improvements. The Rebel XTi costs around $600+. So what do you get for the extra money?

THE GOOD: Compared to the Rebel XT, the Rebel XTi has increased its image resolution -- up to 10.2 megapixels from 8.0 megapixels. The auto-focusing system has been upgraded too, and the puny LCD display of the Rebel XT has increased to a respectable 2.5 inches. Another nice feature is the introduction of a self-cleaning image sensor, so that dust is automatically cleared from the light sensitive surface. While this reduces the incidence of annoying blurred spots in the final image that otherwise would need to be removed with software, dust is not really a big issue in SLRs. The maximum number of frames in a continous burst sequence is also up, from 14 to 27.

THE BAD: The Canon Rebel XTi inherits the remaining faults of the Rebel XT: the plastic construction of the body and the fact that the housing may be just a bit small and awkward to hold for those with large hands.

Nikon D60

One step up from Nikon's entry-level D40 digital SLR model, at about the $650 level, is the Nikon D60, which offers 10.2 megapixels in comparison to the 6.1 megapixels of the D40. The D60 also includes image stabilization, which is why it gets recommended over the D40.

THE GOOD: The body casing is a lightweight polycarbonate shell built over a metal alloy frame, so the D60 feels good in your hands. The optical viewfinder is fairly large at 2.5 inches, and bright, which helps a great deal with image composition. If you wear eyeglasses the D60 provides a diopter correction. An airflow-mediated self-cleaning image sensor takes care of unwanted image-degrading dust and dirt which can accumulate over time. Like all SLR models, the hot shoe on the top of the camera allows a flash unit to be mounted. In this case D60 owners can leverage Nikon's very flexible range of flash lighting options, which can be advantageous if you intend to do lots of indoor shooting. Another great feature is image stabilization, which is built into the kit zoom lens, an AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR (the VR standing for vibration reduction, as Nikon calls it). This means sharper images at longer exposure settings where blurring would otherwise almost certainly ruin the shot. D60 images obtained with the kit lens show remarkably good optical performance, so unless you require macro or telephoto capability you will find the kit lens really proves its worth.

THE BAD: Unlike the more expensive models on this page, the LCD display on the D60 cannot be used to compose images, but this is not unexpected in an entry-level digital SLR.

Nikon D90  NEW!

The most recent addition to the Nikon line, at around $1300, is the mid-range Nikon D90. At 12.3 megapixels this remarkable camera matches the image quality of the far more expensive D300 and D3 models and is the first Nikon to shoot high-definition video.

THE GOOD: This is another home run for Nikon. Users who had their eye on the superb Nikon D300 can now get the same fantastic image quality for about a grand less in cost. The rear LCD display is the same high quality 3.0 inch screen that appears on the D300. The body, though, is much lighter than the metal-alloy construction of the D300. However, unless you intend to bang your camera around a great deal, that's not an issue. The kit lens is the image stabilizing Nikkor 18-105mm, which is a fantastic all-round lens. Compared with the Nikon D40 and D60, this camera is a huge step up. Auto-focusing keys off 11 metered points in the image, the same as the Nikon D80. This is good, but a far cry from the impressive 51-point auto-focusing of the Nikon D300. On top of this you get high-definition video - though you will be limited to short movies: 5 mins of high-definition 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, or up to 20 mins of low-resolution footage.

THE BAD: The video mode, unfortunately, is not as impressive as the marketing might suggest. The biggest problem is that auto-focusing shuts off the moment filming begins. So you are forced to focus manually if your subjects are moving around a lot. So expect to see some blurred segments in your video. Another disappointment is that the viewfinder cuts out in video mode, forcing one to use the LCD screen for tracking the scene. These inconveniences are probably to be expected for the first instance of a video-shooting digital SLR.

Canon EOS 40D

The Canon EOS 40D, which costs about $1200, is Canon's mid-range digital SLR designed for camera enthusiasts and semi-professional photographers.

THE GOOD: Although the 10.1 megapixel sensor appears to offer no improvement over the lower-end Rexel XT models, the sensor is actually improved, with less noise and more sensitivity. More immediately evident, compared to the puny LCD screen on the Rebel XT model, is the 3.0 inch LCD display on the Canon EOS 40D. This is a real improvement and puts this aspect of the camera on par with the Nikon models mentioned on this page. Another featured coveted by users new to SLR photography is the "live view" capability of the 40D's LCD display. This allows the image to be (optionally) composed with the camera at arms length, rather than through the viewfinder. High speed shooting is improved over the Rebel XT models, with a 6.5 frames-per-second rate that more than doubles the 3 frames-per-second XT rate. Like the Rebel XTi, the D40 incorporates a vibrating filter mechanism to shake dust loose at camera startup. The 9-point auto-focusing system is also improved over that of the Rebel XTi. Another welcome feature over the Rebel XTi is image stabilization in the EF 28-135mm kit zoom lens.

THE BAD: There's not much to complain about with this Canon camera. It even has a decent handgrip. The chief missing element would be a mirror lockup button (useful for long exposure photography), which Canon routinely omits from its cameras.

Nikon D300 DX

If you are ready to break the piggy bank and go for broke with a digital SLR model that's sure to impress your friends, cast you eyes upon the impressive Nikon D300 DX. This 12.3 megapixel system, with an image stabilized Nikkor 18-200mm kit zoom lens will set you back about $2300. But if you must have the best...

THE GOOD: With a body casing constructed of magnesium alloy, with rubber gaskets and seals, the Nikon D300 has that solid long-lasting feel unique to the Nikon brand. And at 12.3 megapixels, this camera is capable of producing images with more resolution than even the professional photographer generally finds necessary. But it's nice to know it's there if you need it. In addition to having a large 3.0 inch LCD with an incredible 922,000 pixels (offering superb LCD image resolution), you can also use the LCD screen on the D300 for "live viewing". That is, you can compose your pictures with the LCD, instead of being forced to use the viewfinder. This is a feature familiar to point-and-shoot users, but absent until recently on most digital SLRs. The D300 sports a useful self-cleaning sensor which shakes off dust and dirt at startup, which might otherwise degrade your images. If continuous mode photography is important to you, the 6 frame per second firing may prove more than useful for recording rapid motion action. On a related note, the 51 point auto-focusing system can track a moving subject at high speed and adjust the focus accordingly to ensure accurately focused and sharp images.

THE BAD: It's hard to find anything really annoying about this camera.