2006 Holiday Digital SLR Buyer Guide

Help for the Shopping-Challenged

Let me start with a quick summary of what you can find in this 2006 Holiday Digital SLR Buyer Guide.

I know that you're probably skimming for information right now, so this summary should help you decide if the rest of the information in this buyer's guide will be useful.

This 2006 Holiday SLR Buyer Guide should answer the following questions for you:

1. What's the difference between an SLR and a compact digital camera?
2. What are some of the advantages of owning a digital SLR?
3. I know that I want an SLR - how can I narrow down my search?
4. What's the most useful digital SLR feature?
5. What are the latest camera models and how do they compare?

That's the quick overview. Let's get right into it with a quick introduction to the digital SLR camera and how it differs from a compact model.

Are you already sure an SLR is what you want? Just skip ahead to get started narrowing down your choices.

SLR vs. Compact

There are five big differences between digital SLR cameras and compact models:

1. You can change the lens of an SLR
2. The viewfinder of an SLR shows you exactly the photo you're going to take
3. All but two SLRs won't let you compose photos by using the LCD
4. Digital SLRs are larger and heavier than any compact camera
5. Digital SLR camera don't take movies - they just take still photos

That's the 10-second overview. Find out more by reading my complete analysis of the difference between SLR and digital compact cameras.

The Digital SLR Advantage

In this previous section, you might have noticed that there are some disadvantages to owning a digital SLR: they are big, heavy, don't let you take photos by using the LCD and don't take movies.

So what's the big deal then? Why are so many consumers jumping feet first into the digital SLR market and why are camera manufacturers cranking out new models as fast as they can?

There are several key advantages to owning a digital SLR:

1. Digital SLR camera are fast - you rarely miss a photo opportunity with one of these in your hands
2. They are versatile - the ability to change lenses means the camera can adapt as your photography interests change
3. They are better in low light - without going into great detail, digital SLR cameras produce higher quality images in low-light conditions

Again, this is just the quick summary. If you'd really like more in-depth information you can read about all of the advantages of digital SLR cameras.

So how are you doing? So far so good?

Before you continue on, I'd like you to be 100% certain that an SLR camera is what you need. Many advanced compact models mimic the features and settings of SLRs without the ability to change lenses. One of these might be a good alternative option.

Here's one more key point that you should consider before moving on to the next section:

If you want to leave your camera in AUTO mode, an SLR is not the right choice.

SLR cameras are capable of taking much better photos than point-and-shoot compacts (which is why they are the first choice of professional photographers) but this is true ONLY if you learn how to use those features.

If you're not willing to invest the time to learn some of the manual settings, then save some money and go with a compact model.

If you're willing to learn some new photography skills and want a camera that can grow with you, then keep reading.

Reducing Your Options

A year ago buying a digital SLR wasn't so hard.

The techology was still fairly new, and the demand for these cameras existed primarily in the professional photography industry.

With the shift toward more consumer-friendly models, you now have a lot of cameras to choose from.

Choice is usually good, unless you're trying to weed through the complicated technology of a digital SLR camera manual.

With that in mind, here are two easy steps you can take to instantly narrow down the number of cameras you have to compare:

1. Set a maximum budget
2. Decide how big you want to print your digital photos

This first one is key: if you're not willing to spend over $600 (or £400) on a digital camera, then you've just narrowed your options down to about 4 cameras. That was easy wasn't it?

The second approach is a bit trickier, but it's an important decision to make.

Here's the question you have to answer: what's the LARGEST size I will ever want to print one of my digital photos?

• If your answer to this question is 8x10 then you only need 6 megapixels.
• If your answer to this question is "sky's the limit" then consider a 10 megapixel digital SLR camera.

More megapixels are useful for making larger prints.

I'm back to budget again - you can save quite a chunk of change if you're able to decide that making giant prints is not your cup of tea. 6 megapixel cameras cost anywhere from $200 to $300 less than the 10 megapixel models.

Still a little fuzzy on this whole megapixel thing? I've got an entire page where I define megapixels which should help you out.

For those who are not fuzzy, let's carry on. Do you have your budget or number of megapixels firmly in mind? It's going to help immensly once we start comparing the different camera models.

But before we get there, I'd like to introduce you to a very special feature.

The Joy of Anti-Shake

This is - without a doubt - my favorite digital SLR camera feature.

When you hold a camera in your hands - an unstable surface - it jitters around all over the place. What does the jittering lead to? Blurry photos.

The blur is typically caused when there's not enough ambient light for the camera to take a properly exposed photo. In order to capture enough light, the camera automatically slows down the shutter speed.

As the shutter speed slows down further and further, the slight camera shake from your hands becomes magnified. If you slow down the shutter speed enough and continue to hold the camera in your hands your photos will come out looking like one big blurry mess.

Anti-shake to the rescue!

Digital SLR cameras with anti-shake have a non-stable sensor that counteracts the hand-held camera shaking problem. You can use cameras with this feature at slow shutter speeds AND still get crystal-clear photos.

While anti-shake is particularily useful for photographers who take photos in dim lighting conditions, it will also improve the clarity of photos you take with mega-zoom lenses (300mm or more), since telephoto lenses magnify the effect of digital SLR camera shake.

Simply put: if you're trying to compare two fairly similar cameras and one has anti-shake, I'd opt for that one even if it costs a little more money.

Budget Digital SLR Cameras

Phew! You still with me?

This is the part of this 2006 Holiday Digital SLR Buyer's Guide where I start lobbing camera models in your direction.

Don't worry! My goal here is not to intimidate or overwhelm you.

We're just going to build on the foundation of knowledge that you've gained from reading this far, and just take it a step further by associating camera models with some of the pricing issues I've just mentioned.

Let's begin with those folks who chose to set a budget for themselves.

You're the sort of person who would like to own a digital SLR camera, but really don't feel like selling your car or taking out a second mortage on the home to get it.

The camera models that follow are the least expensive ones you can get:

MAKER	CAMERA	RELEASED	MEGAPIXELS	U.S. PRICE	UK PRICE
Pentax	K110D	Aug. 2006	6.1	$ 476.00	£ 400.00
Samsung	GX-1L	April 2006	6.3	$ 518.00	£ 475.00
Olympus	E-500	Oct. 2005	8.0	$ 600.00	£ 500.00
Samsung	GX-1S	April 2006	6.3	$ 600.00	£ 400.00

If price is your bottom line, then these are the cameras to consider. However, I'm about to throw one more camera into this pool, even though it's going to cost you a bit more.

Any guesses why? Yep, it's got anti-shake.

The digital SLR that I would recommend you take a look at is the Pentax K100D. Priced at around $ 625.00 (£ 500.00) it features all of the benefits of anti-shake that I mentioned above, without being priced through the roof.

Put another way: I definitely feel that anti-shake is worth the extra $100 that you have to pay over the truly budget digital SLR cameras like the Pentax K110D and the Samsung GX-1L.

6 Megapixel Digital SLRs

Now that I've covered the needs of the budget folks, let's talk megapixels.

I mentioned above that if you only want to make 8x10 prints of your digital photos or share them online with friends, 6 megapixels is PLENTY.

If you've been able to firmly make up your mind that you only need 6 megapixels, then here are the two cameras that I would recommend.

Nikon D50

The D50 is an exceptional entry-level digital SLR camera that captures bold, vibrant colors (great for landscapes) and is quite easy to use. The D50 works with all of the latest Nikon lenses, which are renowned for their solid construction and sharpness.

	Released: April 2005 Avg. U.S. Price: $680 Avg. UK Price: $400 User Rating: 4.53	Read Camera Guide Check U.S. Price Check UK Price

Pentax K100D

Built-in anti-shake makes this a great choice for low-light photographers and works with every lens you attach to the camera. The K100D uses standard AA batteries, which is more convenient for travellers who are not always in a position to recharge batteries.

	Released: July 2006 Avg. U.S. Price: $625 Avg. UK Price: $500 User Rating: 4.53	Check U.S. Price

Curious about that rating score? The number is an average calculated with data that I gathered from 5 different web sites where users can review and rate digital SLR cameras.

The number is out of a total of 5, and in this case you can see that the K100D is evenly matched with the D50.

However, the D50 has this high rating score with well over 300 independent ratings, while the K100D only has about 50 ratings. This is because the D50 was released in 2005 while the K100D is still fairly new.

You can see all the individual ratings for these two 6 megapixel digital SLRs on my digital SLR camera ratings page.

10 Megapixel Digital SLRs

Let's continue this 2006 holiday digital SLR buyer's guide with a review of the latest 10 megapixel digital SLRs.

These cameras are designed for two types of people:

• Those who want to make large prints (up to 16x20)
• Those who want a top-of-the-line camera

While I always recommend that people make up their minds about how many megapixels they really need, that argument is getting harder these days.

The camera manufacturers have moved on from 6 megapixels and are now pushing their 10 megapixel cameras. Finding a good 6 megapixel camera is getting harder as the months go by.

Virtually every one of these 10 megapixel cameras was released this year, so it's clearly the direction the industry is headed.

Unfortunately, upping the number of megapixels means that the camera makers can also increase the price, whether or not you really need all those megapixels. Hopefully as time goes on the price on these will come down closer to where the 6 megapixel cameras are today.

Since I'm talking about price here, let's start with the two "budget" 10 megapixel digital SLR cameras.

Canon EOS 400D Digital Rebel xTi

The xTi is the successor to the immensly popular Rebel XT, and comes in a small compact package. The biggest addition to this camera is an anti-dust system which helps prevent and eliminate digital SLR sensor dust. The xTi is aggressively priced, and is the least expensive 10 megapixel digital SLR.

	Released: October 2006 Avg. U.S. Price: $840 Avg. UK Price: $530 User Rating: 4.65	Read Camera Preview Check U.S. Price Check UK Price

Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

The first digital SLR from the Sony corporation boasts a huge number of features in addition to its 10 megapixels: dust prevention, built-in anti-shake and an eye-start autofocus system. While many professional reviews have praised the camera as a worthy challenger to Canon and Nikon, many user reviews talk about problems with the camera, which is not surprising since this is Sony's first crack at a digital SLR.

	Released: July 2006 Avg. U.S. Price: $845 Avg. UK Price: $600 User Rating: 4.27	Read Camera Guide Check U.S. Price Check UK Price

These two cameras are a great starting point if the latest and greatest 10 megapixels is really what you'r after.

For all the rest of the cameras in this category, you're going to have to break the $1,000 mark (and in some cases go well above it).

With the exception of the Nikon D200, you don't get too many more features with these other cameras than what's included with the Rebel xTi and Sony A100.

For example, the Nikon D80 does not have a self-cleaning sensor nor does it have built-in anti-shake (unlike most of the other competing 10 megapixel models). While it is an exceptional digital SLR in the traditional sense, if you're looking for extra features it's probably not the best choice.

Camera	Analysis	Rating	Price
Nikon D80	With an 11-point autofocus system and the ability to take 23 continuous shots at 3 photos per second, this is a great camera for action enthusiasts who aren't willing to pay the premium for the D200. A large bright viewfinder (borrowed from the D200) makes it easy to see the subject of every photo you take.	4.5	$ 1,100 £ 600
Nikon D200	The D200 is the fastest of the 10 megapixel cameras, which makes it the best digital SLR for action photography. This camera is more for the semi-pros than beginners and its high speed is paired with intuitive controls and the ability to manually configure virtually every single camera setting. Due to incredible performance, the D200 is also the top rated digital SLR camera.	4.67	$ 1,600 £ 980
Pentax K10D	This is the first 10 megapixel camera from the Pentax company and - like the Sony A100 - features a dust-resistant sensor and built-in anti-shake.	Not available	$ 1,000
Samsung GX-10	Pentax and Samsung are partners when it comes to digital SLR cameras, so the GX-10 bears a great resemblance to the K10D. The Samsung camera will work with the same Pentax lenses that you can use on the K10D.	Not available	$ 1,000

You've Found a Camera...Now Where Do You Get It?

Well, we've reached the end of this 2006 Holiday Digital SLR Buyer's Guide.

I hope that you've found the information on this page helpful and that you've been able to (somewhat) narrow down your digital SLR options.

If you have been able to limit your choices, now the only thing that remains is to find the best price.

I get all of my digital SLR camera gear from either Amazon or Adorama. Adorama is my favorite place to shop for hard-to-find items, since their inventory is substantial and it's a rare day that something is out of stock.

Adorama's prices are extremely competitive, shipping is fast and returns are easy - all things that I like to know when it comes to purchasing an expensive piece of photographic equipment.

I use Amazon to compare prices and to read user reviews of the different cameras. Since Amazon is partnered with so many different digital SLR camera dealers (Adorama included) this makes it a nice one-stop-shopping location for many of my digital SLR needs.

While Amazon doesn't have quite all the items you can find at Adorama, they definitely have all of the cameras and many of the lenses, batteries, memory cards and digital SLR cases that you'll need to get started.

I wish you the best of luck with your camera shopping and hope that you're able to find the best digital SLR camera for you!

--Chris Roberts, Your Digital SLR Guide

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