Fastest DSLRs

Nikon D3 recommended by the most reviews

Paying more for a digital SLR camera can get you much faster action shots -- 9 or even 10 frames per second. In the middle price range, reviews give the 9 fps Nikon D3 (*Est. $4,350, body only) a resounding lead over the Canon 1D Mark III (*Est. $3,800), even though the Canon costs less, has a self-cleaning sensor and is faster at 10 fps. Reviews note quite a few superior features on the Nikon D3 -- an Editor's Choice at Popular Photography.

For one thing, the Nikon D3 features a full-frame 35mm sensor that takes full advantage of any manual or autofocus Nikon 35mm lens. The Canon 1D Mark III uses a sensor that's larger than the size most digital cameras use, but smaller than a full-frame. The "crop ratio" is about 1.3 -- compared with 1.6 on less expensive Canon digital SLR cameras -- but can't equal the full-frame sensor on the Nikon, which earns a high ranking in sensor tests at DXO Labs. There's also a small difference in resolution in the Nikon's favor -- 12.1 megapixels versus 10.1 on the Canon 1D Mark III.

The LCD screen on the Nikon D3 has much higher resolution -- 922,000 pixels compared with 230,000 on the Canon. The Nikon D3 also lets you choose among image formats -- switching from the standard 35mm 6:4 ratio (that makes an 8-by-12 print, for example) to a 5:4 ratio so no cropping is needed for an 8-by-10 print. Dual card slots expand the camera's memory capacity.

The Nikon D3 also provides a viewfinder that shows 100 percent of the image that will be in the photograph -- a rarity even among expensive SLR cameras. Getting such an accurate view is more important for shooting slide film than for digital photography, where cropping is easy in any photo-editing software. Still, it's valuable to not have to crop, especially if you want to make big prints.

It's easy to conclude that unless you're committed to Canon lenses, the Nikon D3 is a better buy. It's a bit harder to decide if the Nikon D3 is worth its price difference compared with the newer Nikon D700 (*Est. $2,700). The main factor is probably how fast you need the camera to be. For news and sports photography, the Nikon D3 is almost twice as fast as the D700. For other photography -- even family shots of kids in action -- the D700 should be fast enough.