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How to choose a digital SLR

Posted on 6 Aug 2009 at 16:38

There was a time when single-lens reflex cameras were the preserve of enthusiasts and professionals. Not any more. The arrival of digital SLRs and attainable prices means that now top-quality photos are within anyone's reach.

If you don’t mind carrying a larger, heavier camera around with you, a Digital SLR (digital single-lens reflex – also known simply as a DSLR) is the best tool for taking great pictures. Stunning sunsets, lightning or fireworks can all be captured easily with a DSLR.

A major difference of DSLRs is that they have interchangeable lenses. Usually, the lens bundled with an entry-level model such as the Nikon D60 is good quality but not brilliant, and is limited in its zoom range.

For each manufacturer’s lens-fitting standard (they vary according to brand), there are dozens of third-party lenses offering higher image quality, better build, different focal lengths or a combination of all three, compared to the kit lens.

That means a DSLR is hugely upgradable. The starkest example of this is the enormous telephoto lenses you see attached to sports photographers’ cameras. Specialist lenses such as these cost several thousand pounds, but upgrading to a better-than-kit lens can easily be achieved for less than £200.

There are more advantages to DSLRs. They turn on in a fraction of a second and can immediately start shooting several frames per second. Their superior autofocus systems can also keep a moving subject in sharp focus where a compact would struggle.

Large batteries allow them to take hundreds of shots before needing a recharge, and most allow you to attach extra battery packs for extended shooting. All DSLRs have a hot-shoe for attaching a better flash.

Last, but by no means least, DSLRs have larger, higher-quality digital image sensors than either compacts or superzooms. They produce more detailed pictures, with fewer digital artefacts like noise or chromatic aberrations (for example, the purple fringe you might see on leaves if you take a photo of a tree against a bright sky).

They also have a higher dynamic range, meaning they can capture more subtle tonal variation in the light – this can have a huge impact on the resulting photo. If you’re frustrated by the quality of your pictures, a DSLR is for you.

How to choose a digital camera

How to choose a digital compact

How to choose a superzoom