The Best Digital SLR For You

What Digital SLR for Konica Minolta Lenses?

I've received this question a lot lately, so I decided to post the answer here to share the answer with others.

Here's the thing: Konica Minolta no longer makes digital SLR cameras.

They stopped producing digital SLRs in early 2006, when they sold their entire SLR operation to Sony. The last camera that they produced was the Minolta Maxxum 5D.

The good news for anyone who owns old Konica Minolta lenses is that they are compatible with the new Sony Digital SLR cameras.

As of January 2008, there are two Sony digital SLR cameras available: the entry-level DSLR-A100 and the semi-professional DSLR-A700.

PopPhoto's Camera of the Year 2007

I recently announced by pick for the best digital SLR of 2007, and claimed that - for me - the Olympus E-510 represented the best value for the money that you spend on it.

Well, if you're willing to spend a LOT more, then you can pick up PopPhoto's 2007 Camera of the year: the Nikon D300 (price without lens: $1,800).

There's no denying that the Nikon D300 has an impressive feature list, and from a performance standpoint, the camera out-did all of its competition including the Canon 40D, Olympus E-3 and the Sony DSLR-A700.

With its lightning-fast autofocus system and impressive continuous capture speed (6 photos per second up to 100 consecutive images) the D300 is an exceptional choice for any die-hard action photographer who can afford it.

Read more: PopPhoto's Camera of the Year 2007

Canon 40D Guide

After a lot of button pressing, menu navigating and picture taking, I've finally managed to put the finishing touches on my Canon 40D Guide.

For those not in the know, the Canon 40D is the follow up to the semi-professional Canon 30D, and the 40D improves upon its predecessor in many ways:

1. 6.5 photos per second up to 75 consecutive photos
2. Live view 3 inch LCD screen
3. Dust control system

Who is the 40D for? Anyone who NEVER wants to miss a shot.

While I think that this camera is a bit of overkill for the average armchair photographer - and more suited for die-hard action photogs - there's no question that it can capture photos when you only have a few seconds to take them.

It's also quite versatile and gives you complete control over the color, contrast and clarity of your images. At $1,250 for the camera body alone it's no bargain, but it is cheaper than many other similar cameras with similar features.

Read the complete Canon 40D Guide

November Newsletter

Just in the nick of time!

The November issue of the Digital SLR Guide newsletter has just been published.

Featured in this month's issue:

• A special offer on the Canon EOS 40D
• The difference between SLR and SLR-like digital cameras
• The SLR Triad: Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO
• Learn about Adobe Elements
• How To: Night Photography
• A roundup of all the digital SLR cameras released in 2007
• My pick: the best digital SLR of 2007

Read the latest issue online
Subscribe to the newsletter

Canon 40D High ISO Image Samples

High ISO settings and image grain or "noise" have long gone hand in hand.

With many digital SLR cameras, the minute you get above ISO 400, the speckling in the image becomes readily apparent, especially in areas of shadow or continuous color (like the sky).

The latest breed of digital SLRs is eliminating the relationship between high ISO and noise.

Here's an image taken with the new Canon EOS 40D at ISO 1600 (well above the usual grainy threshold):

It's hard to see ANY noise at all here, but the image is not at its full size - the reduction in size makes the entire thing look pretty smooth.

Let's solve this problem by selecting a portion of the image and blowing it up to 100% size:

Can you see the grain now?

At 100% size the grain does become visible, but this is exceptionally low for an ISO as high as 1600. This means that you have a lot of leeway with the Canon 40D to boost the ISO any time you feel like it without having to compromise your image quality.

More high ISO samples are available from the link.

Canon's Baby Photo Contest

Now this is the type of photo contest that I can get behind.

Canon has recently announced their baby photo contest. Participants may upload six photos of their loveable newborn and the public will ultimately vote for their favorites amongst the finalists.

The Grand Prize is $10,000 that can be applied toward the young one's future education (The Brooks Institute of Photography perhaps?)

Other prizes include a Canon EOS 40D digital SLR (sounds good to me), a Canon PowerShot digital ELPH and a Canon PIXMA printer.

So dig through those bazillion photos you have of your newborn babe and find six that are upload-worthy.

The contest runs from December 1, 2007 to May 31, 2008.

Baby Photo Contest Press Release
Contest Web Site

The Best Digital SLR of 2007

Well, the camera manufacturers still have the chance to sneak in a few more models next month, but I've already made up my mind about this.

To select the best digital SLR of 2007 I was focused on one thing: value for money.

There were plenty of superb cameras released this year, but some of them will also cost you a month's income to own, and I have yet to hear of any lease programs for digital SLR cameras.

The camera that meets my annual selection criteria is:

• High-quality (produces exceptional images)
• Feature-rich
• Low cost

So which camera has got it all? Find out.

The Best Budget Digital SLR

A recent question by a visitor to the Digital SLR Guide prompted me to do some research on budget SLR camera prices - boy was I happy that I did.

Turns out that Pentax is currently offering a variety of rebates on their digital SLR cameras, lenses and external flash units.

Even at full price, I had selected the Pentax K100D Super as the best budget digital SLR, based upon its low price (right around $550 with a lens) and also its features: dust control, 11-point autofocus and built-in image stabilization (it's the least expensive camera to include this incredibly useful feature).

But now, with the $100 price cut available with the rebate, the price of the Pentax K100 Super is actually LESS than the price of the older K100D.

So what you get here is more features for less dough - an especially rare occurrence in the world of digital SLR cameras.

Friday Updates - The Best SLR Cameras

In preparation for the upcoming holiday season, I've been quite busy re-working pages at the guide that talk about the best digital SLR cameras.

After all, who doesn't want the best?

I've got a pretty broad idea of what's best, and I'm sure you do too. Since that's the case, there are plenty of different ways to look at the best digital SLRs, and I'm not calling out any one camera above the rest.

Put simply, the best Nikon digital SLR does not also happen to be the best BUDGET digital SLR (not by a long shot).

For all of you just getting started on your holiday shopping and need some helpful suggestions (at least when it comes to digital SLR cameras) here are some pages at the guide that have been recently updated for you to take a look at:

• The Best Canon Digital SLR
• The Best Nikon Digital SLR
• The Best Olympus Digital SLR
• The Best Sony Digital SLR
• The Best Budget Digital SLR
• The Best Digital SLR For Closeups (Macro)
  

October Digital SLR Newsletter

The October issue of the Digital SLR Newsletter has just been published.

Featured in this issue are a variety of tips and tools for the holiday shopping season, as well as some advice about how to create complimentary colors in your photos.

Here's a quick overview of what you'll find in the newsletter:

• A roundup of all of the latest 10 megapixel digital SLR cameras
• Question answered: which lenses are compatible with which SLRs?
• How to create color complements in your photos
• Links to learning resources from past newsletters
• An introduction to the new pro-level Olympus E-3
• Great digital SLR gift ideas (for those who already have the camera)

Read the October digital SLR newsletter
Subscribe to the e-mail newsletter