Digital SLR cameras are becoming very popular. According to a 2007 IDC report, there were about 7.5 million digital cameras sold. Canon and Nikon cameras dominated the digital SLR market, with Olympus and Sony taking up a large portion of the leftover market-share. In fact, Canon and Nikon accounted for approximately 80% of the total digital SLR camera sales, Sony and Olympus accounted for about 12%, with Panasonic and Pentax also having significant digital SLR camera sales.
For a long time, Canon had been dominant in the digital SLR market, but Nikon nearly caught up to Canon because of its popularity in Japan and because of the popularity of its new D series cameras. In particular the Nikon D300 and the Nikon D40x have been top sellers. "Nikon has usually been the strong preference among professional photographers" says Minneapolis photographer Bob Dale.
Digital SLR, or dSLR, is short for digital single lens reflex. Digital SLR cameras are named as such because they are cameras that have a mirror behind the camera lens that directs light through the viewfinder eyepiece during photo composition.
Basically, the light coming through the lens is reflected by a mirror, which is at a 90-degree angle, and it is then reflected by the pentaprism. When a picture is being taken, the mirror swings in an upward motion and the shutter opens. This action causes the light to be projected from the lens onto the image sensor.
You may recognize the companies that manufacture digital SLR cameras. Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, and Sony are all popular brands in photography. Before they entered the digital SLR market, they were once the big brands in the old 35mm film SLR camera market.
Canon is known for producing cameras of the highest quality. One of the best lines of Canon digital SLR cameras is the Canon EOS. The Canon EOS digital SLR camera gets good reviews for picture quality, options, and ease of use.
With the Canon EOS line of digital SLR cameras, you will typically get about 10.1 megapixels of resolution. This is true of the Canon Digital Rebel series as well.
If you take a look at digital SLR camera reviews, you'll see that the Canon cameras are typically at or near the top of the ratings charts. Product tester reviews and user reviews alike give Canon digital SLR cameras high marks.
Nikon is another respected manufacturer of digital SLR cameras. The recent Nikon D series of digital SLR cameras has carried on the strong reputation for Nikon cameras as being among the best in the world.
The Nikon D300 is the top of the Nikon D series line. With the Nikon D300 you get a large LCD screen to look at in place of the viewfinder. With a price at about $1,700, this is a good entry-level professional digital SLR camera. It is a good investment for those who need to take high quality digital photos.
If you're a novice digital photographer or you want a less expensive Nikon digital camera, there's the Nikon D40, which has a 6.1 megapixel that is just perfect for most users. It has a compact design too, making it ideal for those who don't want to carry a clunky camera around. You can get this digital SLR anywhere from $450 to $650. "It's a great choice for doing travel photography" says professional digital photographer Bob Dale.
For the casual digital photography enthusiast, the Nikon Coolpix P5100 consistently gets high reviews among simple digital SLR cameras. While it has manual control, its automatic zoom, focus, and exposure options make it easy for anyone to use. It also features a large LCD screen to help you see what you'll get before you shoot the picture. The Nikon Coolpix P5100 is surprisingly affordable for a digital SLR, with prices ranging from $200 to $300.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC line of digital SLR cameras is one of the best values on the market. From 2001 to 2007, Panasonic produced over 60 Lumix DMC digital SLR camera models, with the last of that era coming with 10.1 megapixels and a 12.5x zoom standard on each camera.
Panasonic digital cameras in general tend to be portable and reliable for taking pictures on the go. With most new models being in the $400 range, the Panasonic Lumix DMC cameras provide good pictures without requiring a big photography budget.
Pentax digital SLR cameras are well-regarded in the photography community. Pentax has been a respected name in SLR photography since the 35mm camera. Pentax continues its tradition of earning respect in the digital SLR community.
Pentax makes lines of digital SLR cameras for both professional photographers and amateur photographers. Two of the most popular Pentax digital SLR product lines are the Pentax K series and the Pentax optio series. These digital SLR camera consistently get good reviews for both photo quality and camera features.
You have far more options in digital SLR cameras than can be discussed here. Whatever your price range, if you do a little research, you can find a digital SLR camera that will take quality pictures for you. Price and features are the main variables when you compare your digital SLR options.
Among the additional considerations you'll have for your digital SLR camera decision are flash media types, warranties, battery replacement costs, and battery capacity. The only firm recommendation would be that your flash memory unit should be able to hold at least 1,000 photographs at your camera's top resolution. If you're going to spend a lot for a camera, you ought to be able to take all of the photographs you want and rest assured that they'll be of the highest quality.
About the Author:
Professional digital photographer Bob Dale shows digital photo tips and camera tips on finding the best digial slr camera. You can read more of his photo tips at http://photo.dalestudios.com/
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