High-End DSLRs Reviews: Best High-End DSLRs

Best full-frame digital SLR with movie mode

*Est. $2,700, body only Compare Prices

Reviews say the HD video capability of this digital SLR camera is excellent, allowing effects not possible with a camcorder. Still image quality is superb in all lighting, and the full-frame sensor plus 21.1-megapixel… resolution make huge prints and cropped detail shots possible. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II's big self-cleaning sensor makes full use of any Canon autofocus lens, and the camera also features a live-view LCD. The main drawback is that maximum shooting speed for bursts of still pictures is only 3.9 frames per second (fps), so it's not a great choice for sports or news photography.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amateur Photographer: This detailed review of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II praises it as improving all aspects of the earlier Canon EOS 5D. The ...

Ken Rockwell: Experienced photographer and camera reviewer Ken Rockwell calls the Canon 5D Mark II "Canon's best digital camera ever," ...

Photography BLOG.com: This full hands-on review of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II covers both the still and movie modes. Despite a few criticisms, such as ...

DXOMark.com: DxOMark.com bases its ratings on very technical lab tests of camera sensors -- only one factor in comparing cameras. The Canon 5D ...

Luminous- Landscape.com: This review focuses on the movie mode of the Canon 5D Mark II (aka the Canon 5D MKII in Europe), criticizing some inconveniences ...

VincentLaForet.com: This two-part article demonstrates the movie capabilities of the Canon 5D Mark II with a sample video. LaForet includes lots of ...

The Digital Journalist: This review focuses on the video capabilities of the Canon 5D Mark II, but Halstead is less enthusiastic than other reviewers. He ...

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Fast full-frame digital SLR for action shots

Nikon D3

*Est. $4,350, body only Compare Prices

Reviews praise the Nikon D3 for its 9 fps shooting rate -- ideal for news, sports and wildlife photography. The 12.1-megapixel sensor isn't as good for huge prints as the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and the sensor isn't… self-cleaning. However, the shutter is rated for twice as many cycles (a standard measure of camera durability). The Nikon D3 also earns praise for its 100 percent viewfinder, sharp LCD and choice of image formats to minimize cropping. You can use any Nikon lens, including old manual-focus lenses. The camera features a live-view LCD so you can preview images on the LCD before shooting.

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DXOMark.com: Lab tests here rank the sensor on the Nikon D3 above that of the more expensive Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, especially for ...

ProPhotoHome.com: Objective tests comparing action shots (of a runner) show that the Nikon D3 autofocus provides sharp results on only slightly ...

What Digital Camera: Editors at this U.K. photography publication give the Nikon D3 their "highest ever score" with special praise for the high image ...

CNET: The Nikon D3 earns a rating of 9.3 on a 10-point scale here, with the relatively low 12.1-megapixel resolution the main drawback. ...

American Photo: From this photography magazine aimed at enthusiasts and professionals, the Nikon D3 wins the Editor's Choice award for best ...

DPReview.com: Quite a few DSLR cameras are highly recommended at this review site, but the Nikon D3 earns the highest ratings of all. The main ...

Ken Rockwell: Experienced photographer and camera reviewer Ken Rockwell calls the Nikon D3 the best camera Nikon has made, with only a few ...

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Best professional digital SLR

Canon 1Ds Mark III

*Est. $7,000, body only Compare Prices

This 21.9-megapixel flagship digital SLR camera from Canon has earned many recommendations for image quality. Tests rate the shutter for 300,000 cycles, twice as many as the shutter rating on the less expensive Canon EOS… 5D. It's also faster at 5 fps. Based on comparison tests, the Canon 1Ds Mark III also produces more action shots in sharp focus than the Nikon D3 (even though the Nikon has a faster speed rating), and its self-cleaning sensor boasts twice the resolution. The main drawbacks are heavy weight, an LCD screen with only 230,000 pixels and a live view that works only in manual mode.

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PopPhoto.com: This detailed review, based on lab tests and hands-on usage, finds that the Canon EOS 1Ds provides "image quality and fine detail ...

DXOMark.com: Lab tests of camera sensors rank the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III below the Nikon D3 and D3X, primarily because the Canon 1Ds produces ...

ProPhotoHome.com: ProPhotoHome.com's objective tests comparing action shots of a runner show that the Canon 1D Mark III outperforms the Nikon D3 in ...

DPReview.com: This lengthy review covers all aspects of the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III camera in detail, concluding with lists of pros and cons. ...

Luminous- Landscape.com: Comparing the Canon 1Ds Mark III with the Nikon D3 and D300, landscape photographer Reichmann provides comparison photos of ...

Photo Business Forum: This detailed hands-on comparison review favors the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III over the Nikon D3 for large prints, but judges its ...

The Digital Picture: This review compares the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III with a host of other Canon DSLR cameras, but not with Nikon models. The reviewer ...

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