Digital Camera Buyers' Guide - Year of the SLR
by Wesley Fink on November 23, 2007 6:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Digital Camera
Things to Consider
Consumer Electronics are always on an accelerating roller coaster of better performing products, shorter life spans, and quick changes in the market. Despite this, there are watershed events in the markets for consumer electronics that bring stability and orderly progress to markets that were chaotic. An example of this is when DVD+ and DVD- merged and were supported by all DVD players and recorders. This holiday season we are hot in a war of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray and whoever wins will make the opposing camp very unhappy. There are hints and rumors that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray may go the way of DVD and merge into a standard that supports both, but there is too much at stake in both camps to even hint there is any real interest in that development right now.
You might ask what that has to do with digital SLR cameras. The answer is that DSLRs are on the verge of a format war. Canon has had full-frame DSLR pro models for several years, and their hot-selling full-frame 5D has dropped in price these days to near prosumer territory. Nikon has also announced their first full-frame pro DSLR. Rumor has it that Sony's upcoming pro DSLR will also be full-frame, which makes sense when you consider that Sony is the primary supplier of Nikon sensors.
For those of us who have been using SLRs for many years the compromises of lens factors and APS-C sensors are just too much. It is frustrating to see an incredible and expensive Nikon 20mm wide-angle lens behave like a common 30mm wide angle on a D300 or a D80. It would be nice to see a 20mm ultra wide angle again, and full-size DSLR sensors allow that.
It certainly appears that the DSLR camp is going to be split by manufacturers in the near future to full-frame pro models and APS-C entry to prosumer models. This will require companies to support two lens lines with some overlap, but the pros will win this one and we will still be using mainly 35mm glass for quality results on the APS-C cameras. There will be cheaper "small sensor" lenses, as there now are, but perhaps fewer of these in the future. This is due to the reality that advanced amateurs inevitably want to shoot what the pros shoot. That is why they buy Canon 5Ds today and why they will demand full-frame prosumer DSLRs in the future.
This is where Olympus and the 4/3 system has a crack to pop through, because the only real standards in digital and SLRs in general are full-frame 35mm on the one hand and 4/3 on the digital side. Perhaps another small-size sensor standard will develop, but as long as the big players like Nikon and Canon are mainly interested in making pro glass for the developing full-frame DSLR market there is no incentive for them to develop a new small-sensor standard. Players like Pentax just don't have the influence to forge a new standard on their own.
By this point we hope to have shed some new light on your holiday shopping for a digital SLR. Our recommendations will not be popular with many Canon and Nikon owners, but we have personally spent time with every camera discussed in this guide and we call them as we see them. This is an interesting time in the digital photography market. It is a time of flux that will only increase as this battle plays out, but what develops will probably be interesting and surprising.
Have fun shopping for the best buy in digital SLRs this holiday season. There are many great buys out there and you will likely see lots of superb specials as manufacturers fight for market share. Performance is good enough on most of the entry-level cameras that you would not be wrong to shop for the best price you can find on a 10MP camera for example. Whatever you choose, just be sure to take lots of digital pictures of your family and friends opening their holiday presents.
Happy Holidays from AnandTech!
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andrew007 - Friday, November 23, 2007 - link
Oh yeah, almost forgot. There is one more complaint - focus hunting. I never had a SLR before so I can't compare but it seemed to me that E410 has trouble focusing in some situations (not just low light) more than an DSLR should. It does have the least focus points of any DSLR if I remember correctly so that may be the reason. In the end I often just use the center sensor and manually lock focus, then do the composition.haplo602 - Friday, November 23, 2007 - link
Hey nice to see the new DSLR buyers guide.I'd comment on the missing Pentax K10D, but who cares ? No Live View, only 10MP, 22bit A/D, dust and weather sealed, image stabilisation. AND a VERY long supply of high quality Pentax lenses... sub 1000$ ... but who cares ? It's last year news (tho you cover olympus 410/510 which are also not new).
I see you adapted the computer world obsession for numbers and new models. Get rid of it. Fast.
If I would buy a new DSLR now it would be either Pentax K10D (and I own a few Nikon lenses) or the Nikon D300 (but this is the more expensive decision).
Frumious1 - Friday, November 23, 2007 - link
Yes, I'd comment on the missing Pentax K10D... except it's already on page 5."Alternative: If low-light performance is a major concern, then you would do well to choose the Sony A100 kit with the 18-70mm kit lens. For a bit more money, the Pentax K10D gives you a great 11-point focus module, all the other features, and pro-type dust and moisture sealing."
haplo602 - Monday, November 26, 2007 - link
Ah ... I knew I missed the Pentax section with nice picture of the K10D and a 1/2 page description like all the others got ... NOT !melgross - Friday, November 23, 2007 - link
I don't understand the statement here that only full frame and 4/3 are standard. This seems to be some prejudice on the part of the writer, who seems to be pushing Olympus very strongly.The APS "C" sensor is more standard than is the 4/3. Just take a look at how many companies are producing "C" sensors, and how many are producing 4/3.
That said, my 5D does produce some of the best pictures around (though I'm looking forward to its expected replacement at the PPA in March.
lumpy327 - Friday, November 23, 2007 - link
Glad to see this column back!! Good article overall, but I wish Pentax had been included too, I miss HyperProgram from my film camera.As a photography student, I'd like to add my two pennies worth to deciding on what camera.
First, if you have good lenses from older cameras, consider sticking w/ that brand. Bodies are cheap compared to good lenses, and there are good, in-depth reviews of lenses, like lightrules, on the web.
Second, there are plenty of reviews of cameras on the web, so do your homework. Look for fast autofocus, and just as important, low light auto focus speed, w/ and w/o flash and w/ and w/o image stabilization. Trying to get pictures of your childs face on christmas WILL SUCK if your camera keeps hunting and strobing the flash, then picks a bulb on the tree to focus on. Try to pony up for image stabilization, it really helps to get pictures in low light w/o using the flash, and most pictures w/o on camera flash are much nicer. Just to put autofocus in perspective, I'm a pentax guy that uses a canon, but if the d300's 51 point autofocus works as well as it should, I'd seriously consider switching.
Closely related to this is ISO number. Look for the lowest noise at the highest iso numbers. Many websites include crops of pictures at all iso numbers, check them to to see if its worth going to ISO1600. I'll say this, most sensors do well to ISO800 if exposed properly and to ISO1600 if exposed properly and kept highkey.
(don't worry about daylight, outdoor shots, most DSLR's and their lenses do well in bright light.)
Third, if your coming from a P&S, try get live view or what ever its called. It's very difficult to learn to keep the view finder up to your eye; if you see it thru the view finder, you missed the shot. Thats just the way DSLR's work.
I hope this helps, even if its just one person. These cameras are not cheap, and its way too easy to overbuy, like I did. EOS 30D owner.
JCheng - Friday, November 23, 2007 - link
The D300 shipped on Wednesday--I have one in my hands.Lord 666 - Thursday, November 29, 2007 - link
I got mine last night and ho-hum about it as I upgraded from a D80. The ISO range is a welcome improvement, but need to spend some more time with it this weekend to feel it out. Set the deadline of this Sunday if I am going to return it. Need to do some more comparison shots using the 18-200 VR lens over the next couple days.Heidfirst - Friday, November 23, 2007 - link
It's nice to see someone who isn't totally CaNikon blinkered.The OM E510 looks to be a very good camera & even cheap in the UK too (Olympus rebates) as is the Pentax K10D.
The Sony A700 looks to at least match if not better the EOS 40D although it's a bit dearer.
& Sony A100 apparently is due for replacement Q1 2008 so that could be another interesting camera to watch out for.
It's an extremely competitive market so prices are falling & there are no bad DSLRs so it's a win all round for the consumers.
StephenP - Friday, November 23, 2007 - link
The Sony=Supplier for Nikon sensors so the next pro Sony will be full-frame argument isn't valid for full frame... The D3 uses a Nikon inhouse developed sensor, unless ofcourse Sony borows it from Nikon.