Digital SLR Cameras Test

Reviews on Digital SLR Cameras

"Nikon D60"

Issue: Spring/2008

On test: Nikon D60

Last issue we took our first look at Nikon's new D60 D-SLR. now that we've been using it for the last few weeks - in order to give you a fair and full test - we're ready to share our findings. So, from the PP jury, here are our results...

"Sony Alpha a700 Digital SLR"

Published on: 11/2007

On test: Sony Alpha A700

The digital SLR market is dominated by Canon, with a share of around 47 percent for its eight-model range. In second place is Nikon, who's seven models have around 33 percent of the market. In third place is Sony, with a market share of roughly 6.2 percent. That may not sound like much in numbers, but it has achieved this in just a year and a half and with only one model, the amazingly successful Alpha A100 digital SLR. At the launch event for that camera, a Sony representative stated the company's intention to shoulder its way into the market and challenge the long-established leaders, and like most of the other journalists present I was somewhat sceptical, however I will gladly admit that I was wrong to doubt. Sony has succeeded in leapfrogging industry veterans Pentax, Olympus, Kodak and Sigma, and Nikon must be glancing nervously into the rear-view mirror, because Sony has just launched a new model aimed at the hobbyist and semi-professional photographer, the Alpha A700.

"Fujifilm FinePix S5700"

Issue: 12/2007

On test: Fuji FinePix S5700

Fujifilm's S5700 impressed us enough to give it a Budget Buy award when we reviewed it in February 2006. Its successor is only subtly different. Once again, there's a 10x zoom lens, a top ISO speed of 1600 and manual control over exposure and focus. There are the usual increases to resolution (from 5 to 7 megapixels) and screen size (from 1.8in to 2 1/2in). However, the really remarkable difference is the price. The S5600 was a bargain at £230, but the S5700 costs just over half that.

"Pentax K100D Super"

Issue: 11/2007

On test: Pentax K100D Super

So many of the queries we get from people looking to buy their first digital SLR contain the sentence 'I can't decide between Nikon or Canon' that a casual observer my conclude that there's no other choice. In reality they make up only about 20% of the DSLR brands available, though they account for 90% of the sales. Of the others, Pentax is one of the oldest and most respected names in photography - its Spotmatic was one of the best-selling SLRs of the 1960s - but in the digital era the company has been rather quiet - its current range consists of just two models (if you exclude the K110D variant). But quantity shouldn't be confused with quality, and in March we gave Pentax's flagship K10D a 90% rating and a Gold Award. So what of its entry-level offering, the K100D? Since it launched a year ago it has been quietly selling by the bucket-load despite its low profile. Age catches up with us all eventually, though, and with no sign of a replacement yet, Pentax clearly felt that it needed to do something to freshen the k100D up a bit. The list of additions and improvements is somewhat short: the inclusion of a dust-reduction system, and the addition of the required contacts to make it compatible with Pentax's new range of high performance, motor-driven SDM lenses. Oh, and the addition of the word 'Super' on the body. But is this superlative deserved? we'll see.

Digital SLR Cameras

A normal camera would usually be made up of two lenses, one for the viewfinder and one for recording the image. This leads to parallax errors in macro photography and bad framing in landscape and portrait modes. These problems do not occur when using a Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera.

SLR cameras use a mirror or prism to redirect light entering the lens directly to the viewfinder. When the shutter is released the mirror will flip up or the prism rotate to allow the light to pass onto the sensor.

Digital SLR cameras, or DSLRs, occupy the upper price bracket for digital cameras but as prices are constantly dropping, a good DSLR can now be picked up for less than £500.

Many D-SLRs now also include an LCD screen to review photos and a separate screen where the current picture settings will be displayed.

SLR cameras have an advantage over normal compact cameras in that their lenses are interchangeable. This offers a big choice of focal lengths meaning that DSLRs can cope with everything from extreme close up photography to long range shots. There are also more manual controls to allow the experienced photographer to achieve the best possible results.

Another benefit of a DSLR is that its size allows for a larger CCD chip to be used, making the pictures taken on such a camera much sharper and cleaner than those taken on a compact.

The market for digital SLR cameras is not as hotly fought as for compacts, as many manufacturers build proprietary lenses for their cameras, meaning once a camera and all the necessary accessories have been bought, the investment is so much that it would not be worth it to change models. With some cameras however there still exists the possibility of using lenses and accessories from analogue SLR cameras, a fact that makes the transition to digital an interesting prospect for anyone who has already built up a collection of accessories.

This category contains tests on DSLR, D-SLR, digital single lens reflex camera, DSLRs, D-SLRs, digital single lens reflex cameras.