The Search for the Best Digital SLR Camera
Digital SLR cameras is an ever expanding market. According to an IDC report titled 2007 Worldwide Digital Camera Market Share Review, of the 131 million units of digital still cameras sold worldwide, 7.5 million of those units were digital SLR cameras. Canon, Nikon, Sony and Olympus emerged as the top digital SLR manufacturers in terms of sales, with Canon leading the pack with a 43% share. Nikon, Sony and Olympus have 40%, 6% and 6% share, respectively.
Further in the IDC report, Nikon emerged as a strong competition to Canon, thanks to Nikon introducing digital SLR cameras like the Nikon D40x and the Nikon D300. In fact, the IDC report states that Nikon replaced Canon as the number one digital SLR camera brand in Japan in 2007. “Nikon has always been a strong preference among professional photographers” says Minneapolis photographer Bob Dale.
Digital SLR, often abbreviated dSLR, stands for digital single lens reflex. The terminology single lens reflex refers to the fact that the camera lens has a mirror behind it that sends the captured light to the viewfinder.
In more complex terms, the light gets to a pentaprism by coming through the lens and bouncing off a mirror that is at a 90-degree angle. As complex as it sounds, there is simply a mirror in front of the shutter. When you take a picture, the mirror lifts up so that the same light can then go through the shutter as it opens.
You may recognize the companies that manufacture digital SLR cameras. Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, and Sony are all popular brands in photography. Before they entered the digital SLR market, they were once the big brands in the old 35mm film SLR camera market.
Canon digital cameras are high quality cameras. In fact, the digital SLR cameras in the Canon EOS digital camera series are some of the best around. These Canon digital SLRs get high reviews in terms of picture quality, ease of use and a variety of other features.
The Canon EOS digital SLR cameras take high resolution pictures of up to 10.1 megapixels. In fact, the Canon 30D and Canon Digital Rebel camera series also provide you with 10.1 megapixels.
If you take a look at digital SLR camera reviews, you’ll see that the Canon cameras are typically at or near the top of the ratings charts. Product tester reviews and user reviews alike give Canon digital SLR cameras high marks.
When it comes to SLR cameras, Nikon has become a household word. Nikon has been making SLR cameras for many years and with the introduction of the Nikon D-series SLR cameras, the company is proving to be a strong player in the digital camera market.
The Nikon D300 heads the impressive lineup of quality digital SLRs by Nikon. This digital SLR supports live viewing, which means you can preview your shots on the LCD screen instead of having to look through the viewfinder. If you’re planning to get into professional or high end digital photography, this digital SLR is a good investment. Price starts at around $1,700.
If you just want good photographs and you aren’t really worried about having all of the options for making the photographs look professional, the Nikon D40 is a great camera that can be had for less than $650. It has an adequate resolution of 6.1 megapixels. The compact design of the Nikon D40 makes it a great travel camera. “It’s a great selection for doing travel photography” says professional digital photographer Bob Dale.
For the casual digital photography enthusiast, the Nikon Coolpix P5100 consistently gets high reviews among simple digital SLR cameras. While it has manual control, its automatic zoom, focus, and exposure options make it easy for anyone to use. It also features a large LCD screen to help you see what you’ll get before you shoot the picture. The Nikon Coolpix P5100 is surprisingly affordable for a digital SLR, with prices ranging from $200 to $300.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC line of digital SLR cameras is one of the best values on the market. From 2001 to 2007, Panasonic produced over 60 Lumix DMC digital SLR camera models, with the last of that era coming with 10.1 megapixels and a 12.5x zoom standard on each camera.
Most experts agree that Panasonic digital cameras are easy to transport and take great digital photos. For the camera buff who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a good quality camera, set your sights on any of the Panasonic Lumix DMC cameras. These cameras cost $400 and below.
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.
There isn’t any shortage of digital SLR cameras to date. In fact, you can find a quality digital SLR camera in any price range. It all depends on the features you need and how much you’re willing to pay for a camera.
When you’re shopping for a digital SLR camera, make sure that you look into battery life, replacement cost and storage media. It’s a good idea to buy the largest memory card you can afford. After all, there’s no point in you spending all that money for large megapixel technology if you have no place to store all those digital photos. Finding the Best Digital SLR Cameras in the Market
Last 5 posts by Bob Dale
- The Movement of Photography from Film to Digital - June 20th, 2008
- Finding the Best Digital SLR Cameras in the Market - June 17th, 2008
- Digital Photography: Point, Click and Print Quickly and Easily - June 16th, 2008
- Portrait Photography Studio, Minneapolis Minnesota - June 14th, 2008
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