Digital SLR Camera Review

Finding the best digital SLR cameras -- whether you're a novice or a pro

Even if you're a novice photographer, experts say you can quickly learn to capture better photos with a digital SLR (single-lens reflex) camera than with a point-and-shooter. Digital SLRs start up swiftly, shutter lag is imperceptible and they can shoot as many as 10 frames per second -- useful not only for fast-action sports, but also for grabbing the perfect blow-out-the-candles moment or painlessly achieving one family photo where everyone has his eyes open.

Even entry-level DSLRs now take sharp photos in low light, with no need for a flash -- ideal for sunsets, venues where flash photos aren't allowed and simply shooting discreetly indoors. Interchangeable lenses make it possible to photograph faraway action, or zoom in for a close-up. DSLR cameras also make it easy to put the subject in sharp focus while artistically blurring the background. Smaller Micro Four Thirds and other compact interchangeable lens cameras offer some, but not all, of these advantages. See our blog posts about Micro Four Thirds and compact interchangeable lens cameras, as well as our report on digital cameras for more information.

A great DSLR can cost less than $700 for a basic model, or more than $5,000 for a top-of-the-line pro camera. Actually, you can spend a little less or a lot more, but experts don't usually advise going to these price extremes.

The cheapest digital SLRs from Canon and Nikon -- the aging Canon EOS Rebel XS (Discontinued) and Nikon D3000 (Discontinued) -- rarely show up on experts' recommended lists anymore, simply because newer models are so much more capable. Critics' favorite beginner digital SLR, the Nikon D3100 (*Est. $500 with kit lens), shoots noticeably better photos in tests and (unlike the bare-bones models) can capture video.

Neither do experts usually recommend the very priciest DSLRs -- the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III (*Est. $7,000 body only) and Nikon D3X (*Est. $8,000 body only). Testers scrutinize these costly cameras' images with magnifying glasses and rhapsodize over the spectacular level of detail, but in the end, they say even most hard-core pros will probably be happy to spend thousands less for the faster-shooting Nikon D3S (*Est. $5,200 body only) or HD video-capable Canon EOS 5D Mark II (*Est. $2,090 body only).

To find the best digital SLRs for every budget, we first scour reviews by top experts. Both PopPhoto.com and its U.K. equivalent, Amateur Photographer, scrutinize DSLRs in lab tests as well as shooting with them in real-life situations, before comparing them with rival cameras. For even more detail, several sites publish well-illustrated reviews that are so vivid it's almost like visiting a camera shop in person -- with the added bonus of expert testing and sample photos. These sources include Imaging-Resource.com, DPReview.com and more. DxOMark.com compares camera sensors based on rigorous lab tests, often with surprising results.

Sources that aren't camera-centric -- including ConsumerReports.org, CNET and PC World -- conduct rigorous lab tests, too, although these sources don't always cover the latest cameras. Ken Rockwell, a blunt-spoken camera critic, doesn't cover every camera on the market, either (he says he won't accept freebies from the camera companies, so he has to buy or borrow the cameras he tests), but his buying advice is easy to understand and entertaining to read. In all, we consult two dozen sources -- including reviews at Amazon.com written by everyday camera users -- to winnow out the top cameras for this report.