How to buy: DSLR cameras Page 2 of 6

Digital single-lens reflex cameras aren’t just for professional photographers anymore

by Ben Long, Macworld.com

More-advanced features

The other obvious difference between a DSLR and a point-and-shoot is that a DSLR usually provides removable lenses. The ability to swap lenses means that you can select a focal length or quality that’s appropriate to your needs.

Also, a DSLR often has more-advanced features than you’d find on a point-and-shoot: faster burst rates for shooting images in sequence; speedier playback and navigation; the ability to shoot images in the camera’s Raw format; manual modes that afford you a high degree of creative control; and interfaces and control layouts that let you quickly and easily configure parameters while shooting.

How it feels

You shouldn’t buy a DSLR without handling it first. The weight, fit, and feel of different DSLRs vary considerably, and what feels great to one user (or reviewer) might seem bulky and awkward to another. Fortunately, all the cameras in this review are readily available in most camera or electronics stores. When test-driving a DSLR, try to assess how easy and intuitive it is to use the following (you might need to ask a salesperson how to access these features):

• Exposure Compensation This feature, which lets you adjust the exposure measured by a camera’s light meter, is the most common exposure tool that you’ll use, so make sure that it’s easy to access. Ideally, you want an exposure-compensation control that you can use without taking your eye away from the viewfinder.

• White Balance For optimal color representation, you’ll want speedy access to the camera’s white-balance control, which lets you set the kind of light—for example, outdoor or indoor—you’re shooting in. You’ll also want a camera that provides a manual white-balance option.

• ISO These days, even point-and-shoot cameras have adjustable ISOs, which let you make the camera’s sensor more sensitive to light. This ability gives you different creative options, but it does so at the cost of noisier images. However, because DSLRs have larger sensors, you can push the ISO higher on a DSLR than you can on a point-and-shoot. And as the ISO goes higher, you’ll see less noise. Make sure that your camera has a fast and easy way to adjust ISO.

• Shooting Mode Most cameras provide a program (fully automatic) mode, shutter and aperture priority, a manual mode, and scene modes (sports, sand, and snow, for example). Determine how easy it is to select these modes.

• Flash Mode All the cameras in this review have built-in pop-up flashes, as well as hot shoes for adding an external flash. Make sure the camera provides an easy system for changing the flash mode (from fill to automatic to red-eye reduction, for example) and deactivating the flash altogether.

• Autofocus Try to assess how quickly the camera focuses and how well it can focus on subjects in very low-contrast environments. This capability is usually lens-dependent, so make sure that you test this feature with the lens you’re considering buying.

• Viewfinder Status Display Take note of which camera settings are shown inside the camera’s viewfinder. Ideally, you want to know shutter speed, aperture, and exposure compensation. If you can get ISO, bracketing, and shots remaining, that’s even better.

Advanced options

As your photography skills improve, you’ll want to start using more-sophisticated shooting and exposure options. Fortunately, even low-priced DSLRs will include plenty of features that you can grow into. Look for these, specifically the following:

• Autobracketing An autobracketing feature will adjust the exposure as you shoot multiple frames, so you can shoot a sequence of images with different exposures. For difficult lighting situations, this can mean the difference between getting and missing the shot.

• Multiple Light Meters Most cameras meter by analyzing lots of points in the scene and then averaging them to come up with an overall recommended exposure. Ideally, you want a camera that provides this type of matrix metering (sometimes called segment metering), as well as center-weight metering (which puts more focus on the center of the frame) and possibly a spot meter. These last two options make handling backlit shots easier.

• Drive Mode Like the automatic winder on a film SLR, drive mode lets you shoot a series of frames in quick succession—especially useful when you use autobracketing or shoot dynamic, fast-moving subjects. You’ll want to assess how easy it is to activate this feature, and how speedy the burst rate is.

• Histogram Display The histogram shows you a graph of the distribution of tonal values in your scene, and it’s an essential feature for serious exposure work. These days, even point-and-shoot cameras offer histogram displays. When evaluating a DSLR, take note of how easy it is to activate the display, how big a graph it shows, whether it includes highlight-clipping indicators, and whether it offers a three-channel (red, green, and blue) display as an option.

• Depth-of-Field Preview When you look through the viewfinder of a DSLR, the camera’s iris is open all the way to provide as much light as possible. When you choose an aperture smaller than full wide (which is usually the case) and then take a picture, the camera closes down the iris to the size you’ve specified. This often has the result of increasing the depth of field (the distance at which your subject appears in focus) in your scene. A depth-of-field preview button closes the iris while you look through the viewfinder, allowing you a preview of the scene’s depth of field. As you begin to think creatively about depth of field, this feature can be very helpful.

• Raw Mode Shooting in Raw mode (the camera’s digital negative format) offers better image quality and far more editing flexibility than the default JPEG modes on many cameras. (For more information about shooting in Raw mode, see Weighing the Pros of Raw.)

In addition to assessing a camera’s features, you’ll want to consider its build quality and overall feel. Some cameras simply feel better and make more sense than other cameras. No matter how high its image quality, a camera doesn’t do you any good if you don’t have it with you, so make sure that you select a camera you want to use.

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