Short & sweet overview of the popular DSLRS and which might be best for you . Some of these recommendations are based on prices that fluctuate daily, check in with me @camerarec to get my absolute latest recommendations. All prices in US dollars.
The very short & sweet guide-
My Recs [Budget = Canon XS, $700-$1000 = Canon T2i, $1000-$1500 = D90, Above $1500 = 7D] Updated 2/10/09
Slightly longer short & sweet guide-
Budget (< $500)
Best of the bunch: Canon XS (1000D)
Buy a D40 – Solid camera but the tech is getting outdated and does not perform as well as the next two in low-light situations (~$460) D60 has been discontinued, replaced with the D3000 below. Go for a used model.
Buy an XS – few more megapixels & features for few more dollars, live view is one (~$450)
A benefit to buying the XS- you can autofocus with a cheap but good lens like the 50mm f/1.8 (~$90)which gives you nice lower light performance and depth of field control. If you buy the D3000 the cheapest lens that will give you the same ability/control is several hundred dollars more. It might not ever matter to you, you may be happy using the lens that camera comes with, and there are plenty of other lenses that will work with the D3000, but you should be aware. Feel free to ask me follow up questions on this, it is confusing and intimidating trying to figure out what lens will do what for you.
Buy a D3000 – Most user friendly DSLR to date, no live view but has a guide mode that teaches as you use and decent low-light performance, very similar in image quality to the XS (~$450)
NOTE: if you buy a D40/D60/D3000/D5000 you need to look at my list of compatible(will auto-focus) lenses Some of the cheaper lenses will not autofocus on this camera and for some that is a reason to buy the XS.
$700 – $1000
Best of the bunch: On paper Canon’s T2i Reviews are very good, noise levels are low and the video quality is excellent, on par with the significantly more expensive 7D.
Canon T1i – Solid 15MP camera with nice HD Video, Hi-res LCD screen, excellent button placement and control scheme (~$720)
Canon T2i, shipping in March will offer excellent HD video, high resolution screen, 18MP (more about its features) (~$899)
Alternate choice the Nikon D5000 – Better in low-light, HD video not as smooth as T1i but does have articulating LCD screen, I just wish it was higher resolution, the LCD is a 1/3 of the resolution of the T1i. (~$650) See my note above about compatible autofocusing lenses.
$1000 – $1500
Best of the bunch: If interested in Video step back to the T2i | If you plan to only shoot stills or primarily stills the D90 is still an excellent value.
Buy a D90 excellent low-light performance, HD video(limited to 5 min clips), gorgeous LCD & viewfinder along with built in wireless flash capabilities at just about $1000 – This is best camera you can buy under $1500. More about why I love the D90 The D90 body only is now $779, this is an excellent price and up until the announcement of the T2i was the best value DSLR under $1500. Now the T2i shoots MUCH better video, Better LCD, 18MP vs 12MP in the D90. D90 advantages are in build, viewfinder is bigger/brighter, built-in wireless flash control and a kit lens with more range 18-105 vs 18-55 with T2i.
50D Solid 15MP gives you access to all of Canon’s lenses but no HDvideo and no built in wireless flash (~$1130) I see very little reason to buy the 50D at this point. The T2i beats it in almost all features except build and and possibly ergonomics but that depends on how it feels to you. There are rumors of a 60D but at this point it is hard to figure out how that will sit between the T2i and the 7D.
> $1500
Canon’s 7D 18MP, 100% viewfinder, Dual DIGIC 4 and new AutoFocus are great. Stellar HDvideo. Reviews have been very positive. Not Full Frame but not everyone needs that. More here (~$1899)
Buy a D300s12MP w/ 18-200mm VR II Lens – Not full frame but excellent quality, low-light performance and video in a much more affordable package (~$2500 w/ very nice 18-200 lens) (~$1800 body only)
Alternate Buy a 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens – Gorgeous giant images and jaw dropping HD video (~$3000)
If you buy a Canon take a moment to look at my recommended lens list and if you have any questions please find me on twitter @camerarec
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