The Digital SLR Cameras of 2006

The Innovative, Interesting and Inexpensive

Yes, I'm afraid it's yet another end-of-year list: this time for the digital SLR cameras of 2006.

I've put together this page partially as a reference for those seeking a new digital SLR and who want to find out which ones were released in 2006, and also for a small form of historical record.

Digital SLR technology grows and changes faster than my 2 year-old son, and it always amazes me to look back and see just what's been introduced over the course of a year.

While I'm sure that 2007 will over up it's own variety of interesting cameras, for now let's focus on the digital SLR cameras of 2006.

SLR Cameras Released In 2006

Before I talk about the individual cameras and what made them note-worthy, I'd like to give you a list of all of them so you can see just how many new digital SLRs were released in 2006.

MAKER	CAMERA	RELEASED	MEGAPIXELS
Olympus	E-330	January 2006	7.2
Canon	EOS 30D	February 2006	8.2
Samsung	GX-1L	April 2006	6.3
Samsung	GX-1S	April 2006	6.3
Pentax	K100D	July 2006	6.1
Sony	DSLR-A100	July 2006	10.2
Pentax	K110D	August 2006	6.1
Nikon	D80	August 2006	10.2
Panasonic	DMC-L1	September 2006	7.5
Canon	EOS 400D	October 2006	10.1
Nikon	D40	December 2006	6.1
Pentax	K10D	December 2006	10.2

Wow - that's quite a few isn't it?

If you don't feel like counting them all, 12 new digital SLR cameras were introduced in 2006 from 7 different camera companies (including 3 that released their first cameras to the market).

Overall this was a very impressive year for digital SLRs, making it clear that the popularity of these cameras is increasing in the consumer market.

It's all well and good for the manufacturers to just push more products into the market, but 2006 saw the introduction of many new innovative features as camera makers jostled to make their products stand out.

What makes some of the digital SLR cameras of 2006 so special? Let's find out.

Innovations

Live View LCD

Olympus started January with a bang with their release of the Olympus E-330.

The E-330 was the first digital SLR camera to feature a live-view LCD - meaning that you could use the LCD to compose your photos.

With every other digital SLR at that time, the only way to see the image you were about to capture was by looking through the viewfinder.

Anyone transitioning from a film SLR was completely used to this - it's how they'd been taking photos for years - but for all those compact digital camera users, not having a live preview on the LCD of an SLR came as a real shock.

Olympus took this concept one step further and made the LCD so that it can flip up and down for low and high-angle shots.

This makes the E-330 an incredibly versatile digital SLR, able to capture photos that would be quite difficult with any other SLR model.

Later in the year Panasonic would release the DMC-L1, another digital SLR with a live view LCD. At the end of 2006, these are still the only two digital SLR cameras with this new technology.

Built-in Anti-Shake

The hot new feature in digital SLR cameras is built-in functionality that lets you take clear photos in low-light conditions using slow shutter speeds (conditions which typically result in blurry photos).

The best part about built-in anti-shake? It works with every lens you attach to the camera.

While Canon and Nikon have made the choice to only provide anti-shake in their lenses, other camera manufacturers like Pentax, Samsung and Sony are clearly on the built-in anti-shake bandwagon as a way to set themselves apart.

The Rise of 10 Megapixels

Back in 2005, you could count the number of digital SLR cameras with more than 8 megapixels on one hand.

That sure isn't the case anymore.

A key trend of the digital SLR cameras of 2006 is the move toward more 10 megapixel cameras: the Sony A100, Nikon D80, Canon Rebel xTi and the Pentax K10D.

As the buzz about these cameras grew and consumers began seeking the latest and greatest, I urged restraint.

The reason? 10 megapixel cameras are not for everyone - they're the by-product of an industry that has to keep upping the ante in order to maintain customer interest and compete.

If you want to make huge, poster-sized prints and hang them on your walls then by all means go out and get a 10 megapixel camera - you'll be happy you did.

But unless there is some other feature of the camera that really speaks to you, stick with one of the many popular 6 megapixel digital SLR cameras and save yourself a ton of cash on the purchase price.

If you're not goint to use those extra megapixels, there's no point in paying for them.

The Newcomers

2006 saw the arrival of 3 new players onto the digital SLR scene: Sony, Samsung and Panasonic.

While you might think that all three of these companies had been secretly developing their SLR technology on their own...well, they weren't.

In January of 2006, Sony acquired the entire SLR division of the Konica Minolta company. They had already agreed to a joint partnership prior to this, but when Konica Minolta closed their doors, Sony was ready to step in.

Just 5 months later Sony announced the August release of their very first digital SLR camera - the ALPHA DSLR-A100. It's not surprising that this camera bears a strong resemblance to the old Konica Minolta digital SLR cameras (the 5D and 7D).

But what about the other two companies?

Given that Sony was jumping into the SLR market, Samsung partnered with Pentax to develop their digital SLR cameras and Panasonic joined forces with Olympus.

This is the reason why so many of the digital SLR cameras of 2006 seem similar to each other.

For example, the Panasonic DMC-L1 uses the same live view LCD that's available on the Olympus E-330, while the Samsung GX-10 (to be released in January 2007) has built-in anti-shake just like...any guesses?...the Pentax K10D.

The Prices Are a Fallin'

And now for some good news: the digital SLR cameras of 2006 all retail for substantially less than similar cameras did last year.

2006 saw the introduction of several inexpensive digital SLR cameras that retail for less than $600 - including the Samsung GX-1L and the Pentax K100D.

Two of the 10 megapixel cameras also come in well under $1,000 (the Sony A100 and Rebel xTi) which is a real feat considering that 8 megapixel cameras in 2005 retailed for about $1,500.

All in all it was a good year for falling digital SLR camera prices, and it looks like the donward trend is here to stay.

Digital SLR Bridge Cameras

Nikon managed to sneak in one last camera before the end of the year, and it looks like it might be a sign of things to come.

The D40 features an LCD that helps you take photos with your SLR.

Since many people making the jump from compacts to SLRs are not all that savvy about f-stops, aperture, shutter speed and ISO, the D40 is set up to provide helpful hints and visual cues about what each camera setting is good for.

Two things are clear for 2007:

1. Many new compact digital camera owners will make the move to an SLR
2. These new SLR owners will need help understanding the advanced features of an SLR

While I am perfectly happy to tout my own digital SLR lessons as a way to learn how to use your new SLR, I think that a camera that also teaches you what the features mean is a brilliant idea.

I like it so much that I came up with a name for it: a digital SLR bridge camera.

The idea is that even though this camera has all the functionality of an SLR, it is specifically designed to help bridge the knowledge gap between the compact point-and-shoot photographer and the advanced amateur digital SLR user.

In Conclusion

I hope that you've enjoyed this review of the digital SLR cameras of 2006 and have learned a bit about what new technologies and cameras were introduced this year.

The presences of digital SLR cameras in the marketplace is clearly on the rise, and it looks like 2007 will be a year of innovations, lowered prices and a whole slew of new camera models for you to choose from!

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