Lab

Enthusiasts' cameras

If you want to get serious with your digital photography, forget about fancy gimmicks and go for a camera that puts you in the driving seat. This month we round up the best digital SLR cameras that sensible money can buy, plus the ultra-zoom models that are snapping at the SLRs' heels. With knockout cameras ranging from £161 to £660, we have something for photography enthusiasts of all persuasions.

The cameras in this month's labs test fall into two categories: digital SLR and ultra-zoom. Digital SLR cameras are named after their single-lens reflex design, which uses the lens both for capturing photos and for the optical viewfinder. The image you see through the viewfinder is exactly what the sensor will capture, complete with any zoom and focus adjustments, and it's much more detailed than an LCD screen preview. A digital SLR's sensor is much larger in size than those used in compact cameras, too. This means the camera is larger overall (and so less portable, but more comfortable to hold), and it also boosts image quality significantly.

Zoom, zoom, zoom

Ultra-zoom cameras can't compete with the through-the-lens (TTL) optical viewfinders on SLRs, but the best ones come close for image quality in favourable conditions. Their key selling point is a zoom range that goes way beyond those of compact cameras and entry-level digital SLRs. Big zooms aren't useful only for birdwatchers and paparazzi, though - pretty much every type of photographic opportunity can benefit from the ability to zoom into a particular detail for a more interesting composition.

Telephoto zoom settings increase the likelihood of taking blurred photos due to camera shake, so we're pleased to see that optical image stabilisation is built into all the ultra-zoom cameras on test. Two of the SLRs offer it too, which is a major bonus if you decide to attach a telephoto lens, but it also comes in handy for shooting in low light. Two of the ultra-zoom cameras and all the SLRs also provide an extended wide-angle zoom compared with those on most compact cameras, which is great for exaggerating perspective or capturing sweeping vistas.

A zoom lens's magnification is measured by its focal length range, which is quoted as values equivalent to those of a 35mm film camera for easy comparison. The average 3x compact camera has a 35-105mm lens, so anything below or above these values will give an extended wide-angle and telephoto view respectively.

Choosing between an SLR and an ultra-zoom model may simply come down to budgetary constraints, but there are good reasons for choosing an ultra-zoom model other than price. Their stabilised telephoto lenses make them better for wildlife or sports photography. You can buy stabilised telephoto lenses for SLR cameras, but these cost from around £400 on top of the price of the camera. Meanwhile, most ultra-zoom cameras are much more compact than SLRs, and are able to shoot video clips, which the single-lens reflex mechanism prohibits. However, we won't pretend that it's a level playing field: overall, SLRs are superior cameras and are well worth spending more money on.

Raw photography

The trait that draws these two types of camera together is their target audience. Both appeal to photography enthusiasts who want something more than a point-and-shoot camera that merely records a scene with sterile objectivity. All the cameras on test offer manual exposure controls, and all but one include manual focus and white balance, priority exposure modes and numerous other parameters for customising image quality. Beginner-friendly features such as scene presets or face detection are often included, but these are secondary to the ability to adjust the sharpness and saturation of photos, or to fine-tune the white balance. Automatic bracketing for exposure, white balance and focus enables you to take groups of three or five shots in quick succession at a variety of settings, so you can choose the best one after the event.

For photographers that don't want to take chances, a RAW mode records the unprocessed data from the camera's sensor. This can then be processed on a PC with the supplied software or third-party applications such as Adobe Camera Raw (included with Photoshop CS and Elements) or Lightroom. Doing so avoids any loss in quality due to JPEG compression, and postpones white balance, noise reduction and even some exposure decisions until you have time to consider them carefully, comparing different settings to find the best possible results.

Comprehensive manual control is important, but so is having an effective means of harnessing it. Most compact cameras require you to wade through menus to access their settings, but enthusiasts' cameras should keep key settings close to hand. On digital SLRs - and Panasonic's FZ50 - focus and zoom are adjusted using lens rings, while dials are provided for other settings. These are far quicker than buttons, both for large adjustments and precise fine-tuning, and you can often use them without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. The other cameras have less immediate controls, but some models make clever use of simpler controls for efficient manual adjustment.

Demanding photographers should expect their cameras to keep up with them. For the first time in Shopper's history, performance hasn't been a big concern. The slowest cameras on test are pretty fast, capturing a full-resolution shot every 1.6 seconds. Battery life is also vital, but no camera fared badly in this respect.

Top of the list of priorities for any keen photographer is image quality. None of the cameras reviewed this month embarrasses itself, and most produce photos that range from excellent to stunning. In the past we have described each camera's ability to capture pleasing, accurate colours, but this month all 12 models passed this test. Detail was consistently high, too, and the worst offenders here are only a few per cent behind the leaders.

As usual, noise levels are more variable, along with the detrimental side effects of noise-reduction processing. There's a gulf between the SLR and non-SLR cameras, which is a result of the difference in their sensor dimensions.

Closed range

While there are dozens of camera manufacturers in the budget market, fewer companies venture into the more challenging ultra-zoom and SLR markets. That's why the 12 models on test come from just seven manufacturers, but it also explains why there are no turkeys in the line-up. No camera is rated lower than three stars, and four of them have scooped awards.

Rest assured, though, that we haven't lowered our standards. On the contrary: the worst fault of one of the lowest-ranking cameras is that it's a good all-rounder but with no exceptional features. The four awards reflect the quality of the cameras available to enthusiasts, so no matter what your budget or priorities are, there's bound to be something to win you over.