What Digicam

Best Digital Cameras & Digital SLR Cameras for Enthusiasts

Best Digital Cameras & Digital SLR Cameras for Enthusiasts & Semi Professional Photographers

 
Panasonic-DMC-LX3K
Panasonic DMC-LX3K
For: 10.1 megapixels. Large 1/1.63 CCD. Superb Leica 24-60mm f2.0 to F2.8 (35mm equiv.) zoom lens. 3" 460,000 pixels LCD. Full manual controls. RAW & Jpeg formats. SD/SDHC/MMC cards. Hotshoe. Compact.
Against: Limited telephoto range.
Buy from Amazon
Panasonic-Lumix-FX500k
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500K
For: 10 megapixels. 25 to 125mm (35mm equiv.) Leica wideangle zoom lens. Optical image stabilization. HD movies at 1280 x 720. Full manual controls. Fast operation. Compact & light. TIPA Digital Compact Camera of the Year 2008..
Against: Noise at higher ISOs.
Buy from Amazon
Canon-Powershot-G10
Canon Powershot G10
For: 14.7 mega pixels. 28-140mm (35mm equiv) optically stabilised zoom. Hot shoe. RAW & Jpeg formats. Digic 4 processor. 3" LCD. Full manual controls. Canon Powershot G11 with 10 megapixels has better low light capability.
Against: Noise at higher ISOs. More expensive than some entry level digital SLRs.
Buy from Amazon
nikon-d40x-tn
Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera
For: 12.3 megapixel CCD. World's first DSLR with HD movies at 1280 x 720 at 24 fps. Live view. Large optical viewfinder with .94 magnificaiton. 920k 3" LCD. Supports all Nikkor F mount lenses. Fast operation at 4.5 fps. Dust reduction.
Against: 5 minutes HD movie limit.
Buy from Amazon
canon-eos-40d-tn
Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
For: 10 mega pixel CMOS sensor. Digic III for fast operation. Hotshoe. Big bright viewfinder. High resolution 3" TFT with live view. RAW & sRAW (small RAW). Self cleaning sensor. Full manual controls.
Against: None
Buy from Amazon
Pentax-K20D-DSLR
Pentax K7 Digital SLR Camera
For: 14.6 megapixel sensor. 3" 920k pixels LCD. Pentax K mount lenses. Weather sealed. Compact body. RAW & jpeg. 100% viewfinder. Shoots at 5.2 fps. High dynamic range function. HD movies. Superb enthusiast camera.
Against: Large video files. No AF during movie recording.
Buy from Amazon
sony-alpha-a700
Sony Alpha A700 Digital SLR
For:
12 mega pixel CMOS sensor. CCD-Shift Super Steadyshot system. Full manual controls. Hotshoe. Bright 3" 920,000 pixels TFT. Sealed against dust & moisture. HDMI terminal. Bionz Image Processor for fast operation.
Against: None.
Buy from Amazon
Nikon-D300
Nikon D300 Digital SLR
For: 12 mega pixel CMOS sensor. Nikon EXPEED processor for fast operation. Self cleaning sensor. Bright 3" 922,000 pixels TFT. HDMI terminal. Live view. Full manual controls. Hotshoe. Backwards compatibility with most Nikon lenses.
Against: None
Buy from Amazon
Enthusiast Digital Camera & Digital SLR Archives 2007/2009
Enthusiast Digital Camera & Digital SLR Archives for 2006
Digital camera reviews edited from many varied sources.


For enthusiasts. advanced amateurs and semi professional photographers, there is a wide choice of high end digital cameras available. Semi-professional and professional photographers tend to predominantly use Canon and Nikon digital cameras and SLRs. High end digital SLRs can be very expensive once you total the cost of the camera body, lenses, accessories and flash equipment. Fortunately for the enthusiast, there are many mid-range digital cameras and SLRs which offer some high end features and are attractively priced. Some of the features to look out for when choosing an enthusiast digital camera include:

Speed - the digital camera must have minimal shutter lag for fast picture taking.

Zoom lens - the zoom lens must be 3x or longer and must be capable of producing sharp high quality photos.

Manual controls - aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual control can be useful in achieving creative results, controlling depth of field, action shots and for macro photography.

Battery Life - the digital camera battery must be able to last for a reasonable time before recharging is required.

Large LCD - the LCD viewfinder must be 2" or larger to accurately view and compose the picture.

Except where otherwise stated, all the digital cameras recommended for the enthusiast have the above features.

Other features/additions which can be useful include:

Raw format - Unlike jpegs, raw images are not compressed and processed in any way by the camera and have to be adjusted on a PC using the appropriate raw conversion program. Large memory cards or external storage devices will be required if the raw format is used frequently.

Powerful zoom - A wide angle zoom for landscapes and interiors can be useful. Also a long telephoto zoom lens is also desirable for distant shots.

Optical image stabilizer - for shooting in low light conditions without flash or using a digital camera with a large telephoto lens.

A hotshoe - for adding an external flashgun or for attaching studio flash via an adapter.

An SLR camera is the idea camera in terms of image quality, range of accessories and speed of operation but some of the compacts listed below come very close to matching SLR quality.


Storage Devices
Architecture
Landscape Photography
Macro Photography
Travel Photography


Contact About Donate Advertise
Home | Shop | Camera Features | Choosing a Camera | Beginner | Family | Enthusiast | Nature | Travel | Sport | Digital Photography
Digital Photography Tips
| Digital Photography Glossary | Links | Feedback | Disclaimer | Terms of Use | Sitemap | Link to Us
Copyright © 2005 - 2010 Lalit Rastogi Ltd, All rights reserved.
No portions of What Digicam Digital Photography Guide may be used without expressed, written permission.