It's not surprising that the DSLR is taking center stage and shooters of all stripes are demanding more from their cameras. Today, almost any digital SLR can give you great results right out of the box, plus the headroom to grow by adding more lenses to your camera bag.
The pace of DSLR sales and their advancing technology are great news for consumers, because you can now get terrific deals on DSLRs that combine incredible performance, exciting new features, and easier operation and convenience than ever before.
For starters, this may be the Year of Live View, with many DSLRs offering upgraded versions of the feature that allows users to view the image on the LCD screen as they capture it. Face Detection continues to improve, enabling the camera to lock on faces in the frame and automatically select the right focus and exposure. And more DSLRs are offering in-camera image editing, better user interfaces, and better performance at high ISO light sensitivity settings. Most even have built-in systems that stop dust from gathering on the imaging sensor, which can create spots on your pictures.
To help you decide which DSLR is for you, we're giving you the unvarnished facts on eight top contenders.
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
If you liked the top-selling 10-megapixel Canon EOS Rebel XTi (available at a $100 price reduction), you'll love the 12.2MP XSi. Its comfortably contoured body houses a host of upgrades, including an enhanced live-view function that lets you focus via its 3-inch LCD screen and Canon's DIGIC III image processor for speedier operation.
Other improvements: 3.5-frames-per-second (fps) burst rate for continuous shooting; 9-point wide-area autofocus (AF); Digital Photo Professional software with a delete dust data option that aids the dust-cleaning system; and a higher capacity Li-Ion battery. $899 with an 18-55mm IS (image stabilization) lens. usa.canon.com
Nikon D60
The smallest Nikon DSLR ever, the D60 has a 10.2MP DX-format CCD sensor, a faster start-up time (0.18 sec), improved AF, 3-fps burst rate, a 2.5-inch LCD, dust reduction, a help menu, and automatic exposure with eight digital vari-program scene modes. Its signature feature is an in-camera retouch menu that accesses editing capabilities: adjustable cross-screen star effects, color-intensifying filters, red-eye correction, cropping, and more.
The D60's stop-motion movie mode lets you create animated clips from a sequence of images. The D60 supports Eye-Fi memory cards (for wireless transfer) as well as SD/SDHC cards. $749 with 18-55mm VR (vibration reduction) lens. nikonusa.com
Olympus EVOLT E-420
Lighter than its competitors, the E-420 is designed to be held away from the face so you can focus using the LCD just like with your point-and-shoot camera. A built-in handgrip provides a secure, one-handed grip, and its live-view LCD with on-screen autofocus is 2.7 inches. The E-420 provides 10MP capture and adds face detection, perfect shot preview (it displays thumbnails of exposure effects and lets you choose), shadow adjustment (to increase shadow detail without blowing out the highlights), and custom functions. Olympus also offers a tiny ultra-thin 25mm f/2.8 Zuiko lens to complement its standard short zoom. $599 with ED 14-42mm lens. $100 more with 25mm f/2.8 lens. olympusamerica.com
Pentax K20D
Pentax gave the K20D a 14.6-megapixel CMOS image sensor—tops in its class—and a 2.7-inch live-view LCD. Its custom image function provides six modes (natural, bright, portrait, landscape, vibrant and B&W) and lets you fine-tune the tone, saturation, contrast, and sharpness for each—then view the effects on the radar-type LCD.
Its shake reduction is compatible with every Pentax lens, and there's a dust-removal/prevention system with a dust alert locator. The K-mount K20D has 16-segment metering, 11-point AF, 3-fps shooting, 72 weather seals, and a PC outlet in addition to its hot shoe. $1,399 with 18-55mm AL II lens. pentaximaging.com
Samsung GX-20
Its body contours are edgier than its cousin, the Pentax K20D, but its feature set is nearly identical. The top-of-the-line 14.6MP CMOS image sensor in both cameras is made by Samsung and can capture 14-bit images. The GX-20 offers ISO 6400, improved sensor-based shake reduction, and a double dust-removal system.
The range of Samsung optics includes two Schneider D-Xenon zooms, an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 and a 50-200mm. Other features: 3-fps burst rate; glass pentaprism viewfinder; 72 body seals for weatherproofing; optical picture stabilization to aid in capturing blur-free pix; a 2.7-inch live-view LCD; and six custom functions. $1,299 with Schneider D-Xenon 18-55mm lens. samsungcamerausa.com
Nikon D80
Nikon's sturdy mid-level DSLR, the D80, has a feature set that places it among the top-selling contenders, including a 10.2MP DX-format CCD sensor, 0.18-sec start-up with a shorter shutter lag time of 80 milliseconds, 11-area AF with individually settable zones, auto ISO that adjusts the sensitivity automatically when needed, seven automated digital vari-program scene modes, and 3-fps burst rate.
Other features: A 2.5-inch LCD; D-lighting, which rescues dark or backlit images by improving brightness and detail; auto red-eye correction; built-in color effects filters; plus the Pictmotion multimedia function. $889 with 18-55mm VR (vibration reduction) lens. nikonusa.com
Sony Alpha A350
Sony's attractive A350 has plenty of tech, including a 14.2MP sensor and a unique live-view system: Instead of using the big image-capture CCD to provide the live-view image on the tiltable 2.7-inch LCD, a small secondary mirror reflects the image back to a smaller sensor to provide live view. Claimed advantages: less capture lag, more accurate TTL focusing, and lower battery consumption.
Sony says you can focus-track the subject and view live on the LCD during bursts to 2 fps. Other features: image stabilization; ISO 3200; a built-in 2x zoom teleconverter; a creative style function that lets you choose finishing color, saturation, and sharpness; an anti-dust system; and eye-start autofocus. $899 with 18-70mm lens. sony.com
Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10
This 10.1-megapixel beauty has features for everyone from enthusiasts to first-time DSLR users. The DMC-L10's face detection focuses on 15 faces for better people pictures, and its advanced scene mode system gives you selections in each mode and tells you what the camera is doing on the LCD—a great way to learn photography.
Other key features: Four Thirds-system lens mount compatible with other manufacturers' lenses; a live-view 2.5-inch LCD; intelligent ISO control that prevents blur by detecting subject movement and adjusting ISO and shutter speed accordingly; optical image stabilization, which fights blur caused by shaky hands; dust reduction; and a choice of autofocus modes. $1,299 with Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-50mm lens. panasonic.com