How to buy: DSLR cameras Page 4 of 6

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

10-megapixel DSLRs

The $899 Canon Digital Rebel XTi, the $1,300 Nikon D80, and the $900 Sony Alpha DSLR-A100K (all prices include an equivalent kit lens) are similar in size, offer 10-megapixel sensors, have 2.5-inch LCD screens, and have similar approaches to interface design. Also, each company that makes these cameras provides a good lens selection. Each camera is unique in many ways and has its own strengths and weaknesses. (See Plenty of Room to Grow for a review of the Nikon D40 and the Pentax K100D cameras.)

These cameras pack full feature sets, including program, priority, and manual modes, as well as an ISO range of 100 to 3200. Raw mode, full white-balance control, and bracketing and burst features are all present as well.

While these cameras provide built-in pop-up flashes with similar modes and features, they also allow you to add external flashes. Advanced amateur shooters will find that each camera’s external-flash system is sufficient, though the Nikon D80 and Canon systems have extra features for people who want high-end multiflash setups.

Each camera also offers a choice of focus and metering modes, so any of these cameras will give you professional features.

All of these cameras are well made and sturdy. Of the three, the Nikon D80 is the most comfortable, thanks to the shape of its handgrip and its professional, textured finish. The Sony and the Canon both have cut-rate plastic finishes but are every bit as sturdy as the Nikon D80.

In my hand, the Canon feels the least comfortable, but my hands are a little too big to fit well in the camera’s handgrip. Also, with a long lens attached, the camera feels off balance.

While the Sony is slightly more comfortable than the Canon, it’s a very noisy camera to operate. The continuous autofocus makes a lot of racket, so you might want to turn it off. Even the regular autofocus and shutter sounds are very loud and tend to clunk. If quiet shooting is critical (such as with distractible children or sensitive wildlife), you’ll want to go with the Canon or the Nikon D80—the latter is the quietest of the three.

Interface

The Sony and the Canon have similar interfaces. Both cameras’ rear LCDs have status and menu readouts, and you set most parameters and options through the menu. While this method can be a little slower than dedicated external controls, both companies have done a good job of creating simple navigation and menu layouts that help you easily and quickly configure the features you want.

Oftentimes, using the LCD screen as a status display can get in the way of your shooting because you have to turn it off and on. Both the Sony and the Canon have proximity detectors beneath the viewfinder. The detector allows the camera to automatically deactivate the LCD screen when you bring the camera up to your eye, and then reactivate it when you take the camera away. This smart feature greatly streamlines the use of both cameras.

The Nikon D80 has a more professional interface, which features a separate status screen on top of the camera, and dedicated buttons or dials for all the major shooting functions. Obviously, these dedicated controls come at a cost, but there’s no comparison when it comes to the ability to quickly change the parameters of a camera: you can work much quicker with the Nikon D80 than with the other two cameras. And with practice, you may find that you can make many adjustments without even looking at the camera.

Focusing and stabilizing

The Sony provides a continuous auto-focus mode that adjusts the focus as you move the camera around. Because the Sony camera is usually one step ahead of you, there’s a good chance that it’ll already have the correct focus once you’ve zeroed in on your shot. One nice thing about Sony’s implementation of this feature is that the camera doesn’t bother hunting for a focus if you’re not looking through the viewfinder. This preserves the battery life and keeps the camera quieter.

The Sony is unique among these three cameras for its use of sensor-based stabilization. To counter the slight vibrations and hand movements that can occur while you hold the camera, the Sony uses motion sensors to detect camera shake, and then counters those motions by shifting its image sensor in the opposite direction. The result is an effective stabilization that smooths out jitters and makes framing a shot through a long telephoto lens easier.

Stabilization technology also lets you shoot in low-light situations that would normally be too dark to get a sharp image. Sony says that the camera provides 3.5 stops of stabilization; therefore, you can take sharp handheld shots in situations that would normally require 3.5 more stops of light. In Macworld Lab tests, the stabilization was closer to 1.5 to 2 stops.

Still, this is a nice feature to have, and it works with any lens that you put on the camera. Canon and Nikon don’t offer in-camera stabilization, opting instead to build it in to certain lenses. Canon calls its technology Image Stabilization, and lenses with IS in the name have the feature. Nikon brands its technology Vibration Reduction and uses a VR moniker on its stabilized lenses. Both Canon’s and Nikon’s technologies are much more effective, offering 4 stops of stabilization. While you could argue that lens-based stabilization is inherently inferior because you have to buy specific lenses, you don’t need stabilization on wide-angle lenses, and the superior performance of Canon’s and Nikon’s lens-based mechanisms makes the Sony stabilization less enticing.

Sony released a broad assortment of lenses with its A100K camera, an impressive feat. However, Sony’s lens selection pales in comparison to the offerings available for Nikon and Canon cameras. In addition to the lenses made by the camera makers themselves, there are vast assortments of third-party lenses. What’s more, Sony’s lenses are kind of pricey. You’ll have a much greater choice in price and performance with either Canon or Nikon.