Finding Just the Right Digital SLR Camera

by: BobDale
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The market for the digital SLR camera is growing rapidly. The IDC report titled 2007 Worldwide Digital Camera Market Share Review pointed out that digital SLR cameras accounted for 7.5 million of the 131 million digital cameras sold. It is no surprise that such big brands as Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Sony led the way in total digital SLR camera sales. Canon and Nikon alone account for about 80% of the digital SLR market. Sony and Olympus account for another 12% of the market.

The IDC report showed that Canon had been running alone atop the digital SLR camera market, but Nikon closed the gap, thanks to such popular models as the Nikon D300 and the Nikon D40x. In Japan, Nikon surpassed Canon in total digital SLR camera sales. "Nikon has always been the strong leader among professional photographers" says Minneapolis photographer Bob Dale.

Digital SLR, also known as dSLR, describes a camera with a digital single lens reflex. Single lens reflex describes the path light that travels through the lens to a mirror, which forwards the light to a viewfinder.

In other words, there is light coming in through the lens, which is then sent by a mirror placed at a 90 degree angle to the pentaprism. When you take a picture, it is as simple as the mirror being lifted to allow the shutter to open. The light then is captured by the image sensor behind the shutter instead of being reflected by the mirror.

If you're looking to buy a digital SLR camera, you'll have plenty of choices. The most popular brands today are Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Pentax. It's not a coincidence that these manufacturers are also the top manufacturers of 35mm film SLR cameras.

Canon is known for producing cameras of the highest quality. One of the best lines of Canon digital SLR cameras is the Canon EOS. The Canon EOS digital SLR camera gets good reviews for picture quality, options, and ease of use.

The digital SLR cameras in the Canon EOS digital series boast of the 10.1 megapixel CMOS technology that produces digital pictures of outstanding quality. Other Canon digital SLR cameras that have this technology are the Canon 30D, Canon Rebel XTi, and all the other Canon Digital Rebel cameras.

You will generally find Canons at the top of digital SLR camera review lists. Whether these reviews are compiled by Canon owners or by product testers, the results tend to favor Canon digital SLR cameras.

Nikon is another respected manufacturer of digital SLR cameras. The recent Nikon D series of digital SLR cameras has carried on the strong reputation for Nikon cameras as being among the best in the world.

At the top of the Nikon D series is the Nikon D300 digital SLR. It features a large LCD screen to show you what your picture will look like before you take it and what your picture looks like after you take it. But the price of the Nikon D300 is currently running at about $1,700. If you are looking for professional quality digital photography, this digital SLR camera is a good choice.

If you're a novice digital photographer or you want a less expensive Nikon digital camera, there's the Nikon D40, which has a 6.1 megapixel that is just perfect for most users. It has a compact design too, making it ideal for those who don't want to carry a clunky camera around. You can get this digital SLR anywhere from $450 to $650. "It's a great choice for doing travel photography" says professional digital photographer Bob Dale.

Nikon also makes the Nikon Coolpix P5100 for those who are looking for an inexpensive digital SLR that can take good pictures. This camera can often be found at less than $300, which is simply astonishing for a digital SLR that takes good pictures. Its main features are those that make it simple to use, such as automatic zooming, automatic focusing, and automatic exposure adjustment. It has a big LCD screen for framing and reviewing pictures.

If you want an affordable digital zoom camera, go with any of the Panasonic Lumix DMC cameras. Panasonic introduced the first in its Lumix DMC series in 2001 and since then has come out with over 60 models with 1.9 to 10.1 megapixels and zoom capabilities between 10x to 12.5x.

Panasonic digital cameras in general tend to be portable and reliable for taking pictures on the go. With most new models being in the $400 range, the Panasonic Lumix DMC cameras provide good pictures without requiring a big photography budget.

Mention SLR cameras and the name Pentax quickly comes to mind. How many of us had a Pentax as our first 35mm SLR camera? Pentax, just like the rest of the camera manufacturers, has entered into the digital camera arena.

Pentax digital cameras are of high quality and come in a variety of models that range from the entry level SLR to professional models. Some of the better models are the K series and the Optio series. Both of these Pentax digital SLR series of cameras offer users great photographs and a variety of options commonly found on the most popular digital SLR cameras.

You have far more options in digital SLR cameras than can be discussed here. Whatever your price range, if you do a little research, you can find a digital SLR camera that will take quality pictures for you. Price and features are the main variables when you compare your digital SLR options.

Among the additional considerations you'll have for your digital SLR camera decision are flash media types, warranties, battery replacement costs, and battery capacity. The only firm recommendation would be that your flash memory unit should be able to hold at least 1,000 photographs at your camera's top resolution. If you're going to spend a lot for a camera, you ought to be able to take all of the photographs you want and rest assured that they'll be of the highest quality.

About the Author

Professional digital photographer Bob Dale reveals digital photo ideas and camera ideas on finding the best digial slr camera. You can see more of his photo ideas at http://photo.dalestudios.com/  

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