The New Digital SLR Cameras of 2010
2010 was an interesting year for new digital SLR cameras.
For the first six months of the year, there was relatively little news. Only one new camera was released in that time (the Canon T2i) and there was NO news of upcoming cameras.
This DSLR "slump" continued into the summer: Sony announced two new SLRs, but they weren't radically different from previous Sony models.
And then, the end of the year came around.
Suddenly, there were no less than 8 new digital SLR cameras to get a handle on.
Many of them are upgrades to previous models: the new SLRs of 2010 include improved video modes, faster performance and more ways to customize the "look" of your images.
Two cameras — the Sony SLT-A55 and SLT-A33 — are more revolutionary. They introduce a brand new concept: the semi-transparent mirror. This special design means the camera performs equally well as a video camera as it does as a still camera.
Whether Sony is the only company that produces such cameras in the future or the other manufacturers take note remains to be seen.
With the high-level introduction out of the way, let's look in more detail at the new digital SLR cameras of 2010.
|
2010 Digital SLR Timeline
Here are the release dates for the new digital SLRs of 2010:
| CAMERA MODEL | RELEASE DATE |
|---|---|
| Canon T2i 550D | April |
| Sony A290 | July |
| Sony A390 | |
| Canon 60D | September |
| Nikon D3100 | |
| Olympus E-5 | |
| Sony SLT-A33 | |
| Nikon D7000 | October |
| Pentax K-r | |
| Pentax K-5 | |
| Sony SLT-A55 |
Main Features
Now for a quick introduction to the high-level features available on each new digital SLR of 2010 (cameras are listed in release order).
| CAMERA | OVERVIEW | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Canon T2i 550D
 |
A new wider LCD screen is paired with the ability to control video exposure manually, use autofocus during video capture and capture better audio through the use of an external microphone input. |
|
$700 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Sony A290
 |
This ultra-basic camera leaves off features - like a movie mode - to keep the price down and make it a more affordable DSLR option. |
|
$450 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Sony A390
 |
A slight move up from the A290, this camera has live view (the A290 does not) and a flexible LCD screen for high and low-angle shots. |
|
$500 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Canon 60D
 |
This is the first Canon DSLR to include a flexible LCD that flips out from the camera body and rotates. The 60D also lets you control exposure manually during movie capture. |
|
$1,400 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Nikon D3100
 |
The D3100 includes some big features that were missing from the D3000: namely, a live view LCD screen and the ability to capture Full High Definition 1080p movies. |
|
$700 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Olympus E-5
 |
The E-5 features fast continuous shooting, a flexible LCD screen and a weather and water-sealed body. |
|
$1,700 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Sony SLT-A33
 |
Not a "true" DSLR,the A33 uses a semi-transparent mirror and an electronic viewfinder to achieve fast autofocus in movie mode and a high consecutive shot speed. |
|
$750 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Nikon D7000
 |
Rugged and built for speed, the D7000 borrows features from Nikon's professional SLRs and it enhances the movie mode that was pioneered by the Nikon D90. |
|
$1,500 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Pentax K-r
 |
The K-r is a relatively inexpensive SLR that still packs in a lot of features: fast speed, HD movie mode and built-in image stabilization that works with all Pentax lenses. |
|
$730 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Pentax K-5
 |
A step up from the K-r, the K-5 has a Full HD movie mode, in-camera stabilization, weather and temperature sealing, and the widest ISO range of any DSLR of 2010. |
|
$1,600 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
|
Sony SLT-A55
 |
The SLT-A55 is identical to the A33 in all but a few areas: megapixel count (the A55 has more) and continuous speed (the A55 is faster). |
|
$850 USD
COMPARE AT:
|
Movie Mode
In 2010 the big news in terms of new camera features was the addition of a video mode to just about every camera released.
If you'd new to the world of DSLR video, take a quick look at the HDSLR jargon page to come up to speed. Then you can come back to this page to see how the new digital SLRs of 2010 compare.
While I've listed the highest quality video each camera can capture in the table above, I also thought it would be helpful to show a chart that JUST compares ALL of the different video options.
| CAMERA | 1080p24 | 1080p30 | 1080i60 | 720p30 | 720p24 | 720p60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon T2i 550D | ||||||
| Canon 60D | ||||||
| Nikon D3100 | ||||||
| Nikon D7000 | ||||||
| Olympus E-5 | ||||||
| Pentax K-r | ||||||
| Pentax K-5 | ||||||
| Sony SLT-A33 | ||||||
| Sony SLT-A55 |
Related Links
|
