What is the best digital SLR camera between a 800-1200 price range?
I have always liked the look and feel of a canon rebel but I want to know what other people like in the digital camera world because I am finally gonna get a really nice camera. Also, what is the best smaller camera, like 100-300ish price range that people have used that has a good zoom...thanks!!
What is the best digital SLR camera on the market at the moment in this price range?
I'm planning to spend between £450-£600 on a digital SLR camera sometime soon and I was wondering what the best one out there is at the moment.
Preferably I'd like opinions from people who have actually had experience with cameras in general...
I'd be interested to hear about noise handling in particular.
Tags: digital camera, best digital slr camera, digital slr camera
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
You won’t get a more durable, well sealed, dslr that has some of the best features than the Pentax K10D. 10 mp, shake reduction, sensor cleaning, shoots raw, and jpeg. A pretty good camera in that price range. Available lenses span the whole range from both Pentax, and the aftermarket guys too.
canon is a good choice
go for it
D80 nikkon
Which Canon Rebel are we talking about? If you meant the original Digital Rebel, then you might not like the current model the XTI – the grip is too small for some people (including me). But if you have no problem with that, then it’s one of the best camera for its price range.
The other poster mentioned a Nikon D80 – it’s a good camera also. But with the Rebel XTI you can also get another lens or a good flash for 1200 bucks.
Smaller camera… I would recommend a Canon Powershot A570 IS. You can find it for below $200 and it’s pretty good for its price.
The February 2007 issue of Popular Photography has an article where they compared the top 10 MP DSLR’s. I took the scores and ranked the cameras similar to the way Formula 1 gives championship points. I just gave 5 for 1st place down to 1 for last place, splitting the difference when cameras tied in their catagories.
They evaluated Image Quality (giving this twice as much weight as anything else), Ease of Use, Control, and System Flexibility.
The final order and my scores are:
Nikon D80 – 17.5 points
- BEST in Image Quality, Control and System Flexibility
Canon Rebel XTi (400D) – 13.5 points
- Tied for best in System Flexibility
Pentax K10D – 11 points
- Tied for best in Ease of Use
Samsung GX10 – 11 points
- Tied for best in Ease of Use
Sony Alpha 100 – 7 points
- LAST in Image Quality, Ease of Use and System Flexibility.”
Then again, this is the same magazine that put the Sony Alpha 100 dead last in this comparison named it the camera of the year in the previous issue! (In a follow-up to this seeming error, Pop Photo published the explanation that only the D80 and the Sony had been tested by the end-of-year deadline for choosing the Camera of the Year. Sony won on the strength of low price and built-in image stabilization. The other 3 that beat Sony in shoot-out were not tested until after the Camera of the Year was selected, because they were not yet available.)
Go to the original question and read the responses for more opinions.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiG00eHyd0oq5b.X7J.jiULzy6IX?qid=20070113133139AAHWJY0
If you want to get the “best” for the real world, consider the Nikon D200 or Canon 30D if you can afford it. For about $300-500 less, look at the results of the recent PopPhoto test and choose from that list according to your taste.
Personally, I use a Nikon D200 and would recommend it without hesitation to someone who has some knowledge of photography. For someone who wants the “best,” but is starting with somewhat of an “entry level” knowledge base, I’d suggest the Nikon D80.
There are people out there who will state their preference for the Canon cameras and I will not argue with them. The Canon 30D and 400D are excellent cameras as well. You would have to visit a camera store or camera department and pick them up and see what you think.
This article is available online at:
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3569/10mp-dslr-shootout.html
Here’s another reference from outside the photographic press. Consumer Reports compared the Nikon D80, Canon Rebel XTi and Sony Alpha. Personally, I’d say that the Nikon came out on top here, also. It beats the Sony in “noise-free ISO” with an acceptable rating at ISO 1600 (kind of optimistic, I think…) compared to the Sony’s ISO 400. It beats the Canon (in my opinion) by having a spot meter that the Canon does not offer.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/news-electronics-computers/november-2006/shootout-10-megapixel-digital-slr-cameras-11-06/overview/0611_digital-slr-shoot-out.htm
Here’s another comparison of interest:
http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Canon-Rebel-XTi-vs-Nikon-D80-vs-Sony-Alpha-A100-Head-to-Head-to-Head-Digital-Camera-Review-.htm
[Note the navigation menu near the top of the review]
The next thing to consider is what lens to start with and where you go from there. If you are new to this, I’d say to just get the “kit” lens, which seems to be the 18-135 lens for the D80, and get started. Once you know where you really want to go with your photography, Nikon has an almost unlimited family of lenses to choose from.
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The new Canon Powershot A720-IS has a decent zoom (35-210 mm equiv.) and sells for about $250 at B&H, but if you want really small and cute (but just over $300), check out the Canon SD850-IS with a 35-140 mm (equiv.) zoom.
All the major SLR cameras are really good. The Nikon D40 is listed at $560 but prices have come way down, it’s definitely one I would recommend.
In the digital camera category, there are two main types of cameras: compact (basics at a low price, avg 12 oz) and subcompact (fits in a purse or pocket, avg 6 oz). The compact cameras, although bigger, have much better zoom. I put a ** next to the ones with particularly good picture quality.
In the compact category the best cameras in your price range:
Fujifilm FinePix S5200 $250**
Canon PowerShot A710IS $300
Canon PowerShot A630 $230** (shutter lag kind of bad)
Kodak EasyShare Z612 $230
In the subcompact category the best cameras in your price range:
Casio Exilim EX-Z850 $280
Pentax Optio M20 $200 (shutter lag kind of bad)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W50 $180
Keep in mind these are the maximum prices, the prices have been coming down. So just don’t agree to put down more than these prices!
I’m not sure about the exchange rate, but I think you are in the price range for either a Canon EOS 450D (XSi) or Nikon D90. Both do pretty well with noise up to about ISO 3200 or even better.
Go here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos450d%2Cnikon_d90&show=all and click on “Our in-depth review.” You will find comparisons that show noise levels at different ISO’s.
If you want 450-600, you could probably get a Canon Rebel xt or xti.
And if your looking to spend a little more, a canon rebel xs or xsi.
I know by experience, that these cameras are very good and reliable SLRs.
:]
There is no camera that is better than another in the price range. If you stick with brand names that you are familiar with, they will all be equally good.
I would suggest that you look at Pentax, Olympus, Sony, Canon and Nikon and then look for the best “kit” of package deal on the unit you choose. I think you can find an excellent camera for that price and walk off with enough cash to do something else with it.
So your max budget is around nine hundred USD. In the UK, cameras are much more expensive than they are in the US. As a result, you are somewhat limited to the kind of camera you can get. In the United States, you could have gotten the Canon EOS 40d with the kit 28-135mm IS lens for fifty dollars over your budget. In the UK, the 40d with the kit lens would far exceed your budget. I own the 30d, with the 50mm f/1.8 lens, which was just $788. In the UK, It’s much more expensive. Even the Rebel XSI with the 18-55mm IS is out of your Range. You will just have to save up a little more to be able to afford it:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Digital-Camera-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B0012YA85A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1229953113&sr=8-1
It’s only £50 more expensive. Save up your money a little more. I was hoping to suggest a mid-range camera, but it’s out of your range. The Rebel line of cameras are not the best with handling noise, but they aren’t the worst. You can’t afford the Nikon D90. save up, and get the XSI, it’s a great camera. If you want to save up ( a lot ) the D90 would be a good option too.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-D90-18-105-VR-Kit/dp/B001EO6WAI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1229953736&sr=8-1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAD15a_Z7bI&feature=channel_page
That’s a video review of the Rebel XSI, with the 18-55mm IS lens. You will be happy with it. If you got the D90 you would have to wait a lot longer to get the camera.
Nathan
Happy Shooting
Merry X-Mas
If you want a kit, the olympus kits are hard to beat with their two lenses.
However, they are bad in low light because of their sensor size.
I shoot Olympus professionally, but if I needed to shoot low light for a living (I don’t) I may go full frame with nikon d700.
in this price range, all cameras have pluses and minuses.
Canon rebel is popular, but the d90 is really sweet.
A factor may be that Nikon and Canon have their image stabilization in the lens while olympus has it in their bodies.
You really can’t go wrong in the 900 range.
You can do a couple of things based upon your budget.
1) save some more money until you can afford one of the best mid-level DSLR’s on the market,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-D90-18-105-VR-Kit/dp/B001EO6WAI
2) not worry about the camera as much as building a good system (more lenses) and buy the most popular camera/lens combination and invest the remaining money in some additional lenses, like the 55-200 mm VR and maybe either the 60 mm macro lens or briliant 12-24 super wide angle for shooting landscapes..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-D40-Digital-SLR-Camera/dp/B000KIX65S
Just FYI: In case the marking folks and measurebaters (KR) have convinced you that the pixel count is the only way to judge a cameras ability to capture amazing images:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm
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