Nikon D3100

The Nikon D3100 gets two big additions -- live view (so you can frame your shot using the LCD screen) and 1080p HD video -- that were missing on the earlier Nikon D3000 (Discontinued). Experts say this brings Nikon's entry-level offering up to par with other budget digital SLRs, but now it has to compete with a new category of shooters: compact interchangeable lens cameras, which are smaller and cheaper.

Still image-wise, the D3100 has what it takes. "The Nikon D3100 produces image quality that defies its entry-level status," says PhotographyBlog.com. Experts agree that it's a noticeable step up from the D3000, with higher resolution and stronger low-light performance. Experienced shooters may miss some advanced features -- notably the lack of exposure bracketing. Flaws also show up in the D3100's new live view and video mode, experts say. Autofocus is sluggish in both, and testers notice other annoyances such as bugs in the aperture control and no exposure level indicator in live view.

The D3100 is limited to 10-minute video clips, and testers notice rolling shutter effect (which shows up as wavy vertical lines when panning) and autofocus noise in their movies. The D3100 handles live view and movie mode quite well for a digital SLR, experts say, but compact interchangeable lens cameras like the top-rated Olympus PEN E-PL1 (*Est. $400) outshine it on these tasks.