MacPCWiz expands its gadget love today by including Digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras into our realm. From phone cams (built-in cameras in phones), camera phones (phones with more than passable cameras), point-and-shoots, and the high end DSLRs, cameras and photography have embedded itself in our modern way of life. With the expansion of the Internet, these gadgets have fed our innate love for good pictures, or maybe just that insatiable thirst to document everything in your life.
No matter the motivation, a lot of people have taken to photography, and seriously at that. MacPCWiz now brings you the top 10 Digital SLR cameras, for the serious photographer, or those planning to become one.
#10 – Nikon D700
Stats – Megapixels: 12.1 megapixels; Battery life: 273.5; LCD screen size: 3 inches; Weight: 59 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: A very nice camera to use, pleasurable experience for most camera lovers. The Nikon D700 offers versatility via its full-frame sensor, which allows true wide angles, and built-in flash.
Pricing: $2500 body only; $3600 with a 24mm-to-120mm VR lens
#9 – Nikon D5000
Stats – Megapixels: 12.3 megapixels; Optical zoom: 3X; LCD screen size: 2.7 inches; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: Strikes a nice balance between price and features, which will please entry level users. The Nikon D5000 will stand up to competing entry-level SLRs and crossover cameras. This well-rounded model has lots of features, and a handy tilt-and swivel screen. Auto-mode image quality were a little below satisfactory, but a lot better in manual mode.
Pricing: $850 with an 18mm-to-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR lens
#8 – Pentax K2000
Stats – Megapixels: 10.2 megapixels; Optical zoom: 3X; LCD screen size: 2.7 inches; Weight: 28.3 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: The Pentax K2000 is a beginner-friendly DSLR with body-based stabilization, and compatibility with previously issued lenses by Pentax. The K2000 outperformed much of the recent DSLR pack in many critical areas, particuarly in color accuracy, exposure quality, and overall image quality.
Pricing: $450 including an 18-55mm kit lens, $600 with 18-55mm and 50-200mm kit lenses, or $680 in a limited-edition white body with an 18-55mm kit lens
#7 – Sony DSLR-A700
Stats – Megapixels: 12.24 megapixels; Battery life: 273.5; Memory type: CompactFlash,Memory Stick Duo,Memory Stick PRO Duo; LCD screen size: 3 inches; Weight: 45.1 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: A complex, well-made camera with tons of controls, the Sony A700 takes exceptionally sharp, well-exposed shots. With its sharp, 12-megapixel imaging and a LOT of exposure controls than most photographers will likely use, the beefy and finely designed A700 rises to nearly pro-level photography. The downside is the relatively narrow range of available lenses and accessories.
Pricing: $1900
#6 – Olympus E-30
Stats – Megapixels: 12.3 megapixels; Optical zoom: 3.8X; LCD screen size: 2.7 inches; Weight: 43 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: The new features and added megapixels of the Olympus E-30 may draw some people wishing to graduate from a more entry-level model. The Olympus E-30 has a well-rounded feature set that should appeal both to consumers upgrading from lower-end DSLR cameras and to buyers looking for something of a more semipro caliber. This model packs a lot of features and impressed in daylight photography, but its indoor and high-ISO shots were unimpressive.
Pricing: $1350, including a 14mm-to-54mm lens; $950, body only
#5 – Canon EOS Rebel XSi
Stats – Megapixels: 12.2 megapixels; Battery life: 273.5; Memory type: SD Memory Card,SDHC Memory Card; LCD screen size: 3 inches; Weight: 25.8 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: The Canon Digital Rebel XSi, which targets entry-level digital SLR shooters, has all the features that novices expect–as well as an alluring array of advanced options that will appeal to more seasoned photographers. The Rebel Xsi provides a strong range of capabilities, but it may cost more money than entry-level buyers want to spend.
Pricing: $800, with kit lens
#4 – Nikon D300
Stats – Megapixels: 12.3 megapixels; Battery life: 273.5; LCD screen size: 3 inches; Weight: 47.2 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: The Nikon D300 is not for the casual photographer. It’s a complex camera that offers high megapixel imaging and straddles the line between professional and consumer. It’s not a camera that you can simply pick up and run with. Its high resolution, exceptional flexibility, excellent exposure accuracy, and useful Live View function make it worth the effort of working through a longish learning stage.
Pricing: $1800, body only
#3 – Sony Alpha A900
Stats - Megapixels: 24.6 megapixels; Battery life: 273.5; LCD screen size: 3 inches; Weight: 88.4 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: The Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 is a powerful digital SLR camera aimed at professionals and enthusiasts who covet a full-frame sensor–and who can afford the investment. This model packs a whopping 24.6-megapixel, full-frame CMOS sensor. Overall most photographers will be very happy with its image quality. A full-frame 35mm sensor maybe exciting, but we’ve seen equal or superior results from cheaper priced 12-megapixel DSLRs.
Pricing: $3000 for the body only, and $5250 with a 24mm-to-70mm f/2.8 lens and the HVL-F58am flash
#2 – Canon EOS 50D
Stats – Megapixels: 15.1 megapixels; Battery life: 273.5; LCD screen size: 3 inches; Weight: 50.6 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: Ultimately, the Canon EOS 50D is very much like its 40D sibling. Its greatest assets are its wide-ranging controls and its ability to output great image quality. Together, those positives make this versatile model a great step-up choice from the Digital Rebel series, or a solid option for advanced users.
Pricing: $1600, including an EF 18-to-200mm, f/3.5-to-5.6 IS USM lens; body only, the price is $1200
#1 – Nikon D90
Stats – Megapixels: 12.3 megapixels; Battery life: 273.5; LCD screen size: 3 inches; Weight: 40.5 ounces; Sensor type: CCD
Bottom Line: Nikon rocked the DSLR world when it announced that the Nikon D90 would be the first digital SLR camera to incorporate video recording. Nikon scores high for offering great image quality and terrific design–including rudimentary video recording, a DSLR first. With its improved LCD, slightly larger frame of view, dust-cleaning sensor, enhanced 3D 11-point autofocus, an optional GPS attachment, and the ability to make a video here and there, the D90 definitely has an array of interesting features. And simply as a camera, the D90 turns out some of the best results you can buy.
Pricing: $1250 with its AF-S ED 18mm-to-105mm kit lens
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These are some of the best DSLR cameras out there in the market, and you budding photographers — as well as the serious ones — will have chosen one of these to be your weapon of choice. Whatever that may be, you should be sure to keep your data secure, make sure that your photos are saved and archived in secure data storage.
Laptops and netbooks are the usual partners for wedding photographers, landscape and even nature photographers. But even those netbooks malfunction at times. We recomend that you save your data onto portable hard drives, even as you go mobile with your photography. Even at home, photo archiving should be on a secure “off-system” device such as an external hard drive. Over the years, DVD-RAM – bare disc or cartridge – has also proven to be good archive media, and so there are external DVD-RAM burners that offer you more flexibility. Lastly, the current high capacity media of choice is still Blu-ray discs — they come in single-layer 25GB or dual-layer for 50GB. MacPCWiz‘s favorite external blu-ray burner is the DIGISTOR Self-powered Blu-ray Burner.
We will be tackling more photography gadgets and issues in the next few artcles, so enjoy MacPCWiz on its photography binge.
