Digital SLR Camera Prices

Page updated: April 2008

Cameras By Price

Less Than $600 $600 to $1,000 $1,000 to $2,000 $2,000 or More

Find the Best Digital SLR Step:

Let's me say this: there is a LOT of variation when it comes to digital SLR camera prices.

A great deal of the price difference is related to the number of megapixels a camera has, so it's important to figure out beforehand just how many you really need.

Other "special features" can drive up the price of a camera, and anything that was recently released is going to cost far more than a camera available last year.

In this sense, digital SLR cameras are quite similar to computers and cars: the minute you buy a camera, the value starts to decrease.

But if you've found the best digital SLR that will last you for years to come that won't matter, right?

Four Pricing Levels

There are four distinct levels when it comes to digital SLR camera prices.

Budget: cameras that retail for less than $600 don't have all the features of the higher-end SLRs but still take great photos
Consumer: these digital SLR cameras are priced under $1,000 and are aimed at casual and amateur photographers who want more megapixels and features
Pro-Sumer (advanced amateur): the price on these digital SLRs is between $1,000 and $3,000, and the cameras are notably faster than other SLRs
Professional: cameras in this category cost more than $3,000 and are almost exclusively used by professional working photographers

The majority of the Digital SLR Guide is devoted to budget and consumer level cameras, since there are plenty of models in this category to choose from.

These cameras are also more reasonable for the general public since many won't be willing to spend $1,500 on a piece of photographic hardware.

More Affordable By The Month

Digital SLR camera prices drop continuously.

In 2002, you couldn't find a digital SLR for anything less than $2,000. Then, in 2003, Canon broke the $1,000 barrier with the introduction of the 300D Digital Rebel.

This caused a bit of a frenzy between the camera manufacturers to introduce new cameras to the sub-1000 market. Today, there are many different cameras all competetively priced under $1,000 (and even a few under HALF that amount).

The good news is that prices are still dropping.

I imagine that within a couple of years you'll be able to go out and buy a new digital SLR camera for the price of a film SLR today (about $200 to $300).

How The Prices Are Organized

The digital SLR camera prices in the following tables are all sorted from low to high for each price level.

If two cameras list for the exact same price, they are listed in alphabetical order (by name of manufacturer).

All prices listed are approximate and do not reflect sales or special discounts.

Level 1 - Budget Digital SLRs (less than $600)

The cameras in this price range used to have limited features - that's certainly not the case anymore.

Digital SLR camera prices have dropped dramatically toward the end of 2007 and now you can get a full-featured 10 megapixel SLR for almost HALF of what they cost when first released.

So now you get the best of two worlds: advanced features and exceptional image quality without an inflated price tag to match.

MAKER	CAMERA	RELEASED	MEGAPIXELS	U.S. PRICE
Olympus	E-410	May 2007	10	$ 400.00
Canon	Rebel XT (350D)	March 2005	8.0	$ 450.00
Nikon	D40	December 2006	6.1	$ 474.00
Olympus	E-510	July 2007	10	$ 560.00
Olympus	E-420	April 2008	10	$ 560.00
Sony	DSLR-A200	February 2008	10.2	$ 600.00

Level 2 - Consumer Digital SLRs ($600 to $1,000)

The second level of digital SLR camera prices is aimed at mass-market consumers.

There are plenty of cameras to choose from at this price range, and each year the manufacturers introduce new models (notice that all of these are 10 megapixel digital SLR cameras).

There is plenty of competition, which is good for you and me since it drives down the prices and makes it easier to find better bargains.

MAKER	CAMERA	RELEASED	MEGAPIXELS	U.S. PRICE
Canon	Rebel xTi (400D)	October 2006	10.1	$ 650.00
Sony	DSLR-A100	July 2006	10.2	$ 680.00
Pentax	K200D	April 2008	10.2	$ 690.00
Sony	DSLR-A300	May 2008	10.2	$ 700.00
Nikon	D60	March 2008	10.2	$ 722.00
Nikon	D40x	April 2007	10.2	$ 800.00
Nikon	D80	August 2006	10.2	$ 858.00
Canon	Rebel XSi (450D)	April 2008	12.2	$ 900.00
Canon	EOS 30D	February 2006	8.2	$ 900.00
Sony	DSLR-A350	April 2008	14.2	$ 900.00

What distinguishes the cameras in this category?

They are light and compact, designed to be carried with you wherever you go
They feature excellent autofocus systems (but not the best) and are fairly fast when it comes to action photography (but not the fastest)
They are designed with the casual photographer in mind, and don't have the same build quality and attention to detail as the more expensive SLRs

Level 3 - Pro-Sumer Digital SLRs ($1,000 to $2,000)

If you're willing to break the $1,000 barrier for your digital SLR, you get a camera with more of the speed and advanced features that professional photographers look for.

MAKER	CAMERA	RELEASED	MEGAPIXELS	U.S. PRICE
Panasonic	DMC-L10	November 2007	10.1	$ 1,055.00
Canon	EOS 40D	September 2007	10.1	$ 1,150.00
Pentax	K20D	March 2008	14.6	$ 1,100.00
Sony	DSLR-A700	December 2007	12.2	$ 1,200.00
Nikon	D200	November 2005	10.2	$ 1,300.00
Olympus	E-3	November 2007	10.2	$ 1,650.00
Nikon	D300	December 2007	12.3	$ 1,755.00

What justifies these digital SLR camera prices?

Cameras in this price range are built with metal frames which makes them heavier but more durable.
Many of them are completely weather-sealed so you can use them in wet conditions without worry.
They have fast sophisticated autofocus systems and take continuous photos at high speed.
They have many special custom settings and features required by pros but typically not used by amateur photographers.

Level 4 - Professional Digital SLRs ($2,000 or more)

If you thought the previous digital SLR camera prices were extreme, you haven't seen anything yet!

The cameras in this last category are strictly for professionals (or amateurs with an awful lot of money to burn).

MAKER	CAMERA	RELEASED	MEGAPIXELS	U.S. PRICE
Canon	EOS 5D	2005	12.8	$ 2,086.00
Nikon	D3	2007	12.1	$ 2,570.00
Nikon	D2Hs	2005	4.1	$ 3,450.00
Nikon	D2Xs	2004	12.4	$ 5,878.00
Canon	EOS 1D Mark III	2007	10.1	$ 4,500.00
Canon	EOS 1Ds Mark II	2004	16.7	$ 7,000.00
Canon	EOS 1Ds Mark III	2007	21.1	$ 8,000.00

Here's what makes these digital SLR camera prices so high:

Speed: pro cameras focus and take photos at an incredibly fast pace - they are designed to keep up with the action at professional sporting events.
Durability: these cameras are built for photojournalists who spend their time in rugged conditions.
Options: on these high-end digital SLR cameras, every camera setting can be manipulated for the desired effect.
Quality: professional digital SLRs use the best sensors the camera manufacturer can produce, resulting in exceptionally clear, vibrant images.