You have made the decision to buy your first digital SLR camera. What are the available options?
You are really spoilt for choice, because there are many ooptions available in the marketplace today.
An SLR camera is considered to be a more serious photographic tool than a compact camera. With an SLR, you have a greater degree of flexibility to use your creative skills and you also have more control. Lenses can be alternated and flashguns and remote controls can be used for different effects.
The following four cameras are known as entry-level and are therefore ideally suited to a beginner.
The entry level SLRs are small and light, thereby ideal for people who have previously only used compacts. An experienced photographer may be skeptical about such a lightweight camera, but they are a satisfactory compromise between serious and happy snaps.
The Olympus E-420 is both the smallest and the lightest of the four cameras discussed here.
The most significant adaptation in digital SLR cameras recently has been the use of live view. This is the ability to create a photograph on screen.
Whereas compact cameras have included this feature as standard for some years, it is a relatively new feature for SLRs and has increased the capabilities of the more serious camera.
A few digital SLRs, including those made by Panasonic have improved the use of live view by adding a flip-out LCD, similar to those used in camcorders. The Alpha range, made by Sony, includes a screen that tilts and folds. Both the Sony A350 and the Olympus E-420 come with an LCD screen size of 69mm or 2.7 inch, whereas the screen on the Canon EOS 450D is a massive 76mm or 3 inch.
The only camera within the cheaper SLR grouping to have as standard a second LCD status screen as well as the standard back screen is the Pentax K100D. This camera uses easily obtainable AA batteries as its power source and has the flexibility to record to both SD and SDHC cards. The other cameras only use the more costly CompactFlash as a recording device.
When you purchase an SLR, you should view it as only the first step towards building a complete system for your photographic needs. The standard lens kit supplied with the camera body may be good enough for a lilttle while, but you will most likely be on the lookout for other lenses, accessories and gadgets to complete your system. Because some of the lenses are interchangeable there are some great deals to be had within the second hand market.
As a point of reference, Olympus uses a generic Four Thirds standard and Canon has the ability to use older lenses. Sony dSLRs can use some old Konica Minolta lenses.
Remember that if you are looking towards the purchase of additional lenses in the future, such as a telephoto lens for candid or wildlife photography it would be wise to choose the Canon EOS 450D as this camera is compatible with the widest range of lenses, flash guns, remotes and so forth.
For photography in low light, it is a good idea to choose a camera that has image stabilization as a built in feature. The Sony A350 includes this feature and Canon has a similar feature through the use of particular lenses. The Olympus E-520, which is one step above the 420, has built in image stabilization as a standard feature.
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