Digital Camera Buyers' Guide - Year of the SLR

Entry-Level SLRs

Last year entry-level barely managed to get some models under the $1000 limit, but this year the entry range is comfortably $400 to $750. However, only a few new models have appeared in "entry-level" this year. Nikon updated their aging 6MP 40D model to 10MP, and they call the new model the D40X.

Olympus, which seemed to be struggling with the 4/3 format in a market dominated by APS-C sensors, came back to life. First, they introduced the smallest DSLR yet in the 10MP Olympus 410, which features "Live View" and the Olympus dust-busting standard called Supersonic Wave Filter (first introduced with the E-1 in 2003).

Live View is the ability to see through the lens on the camera's LCD - something point-and-shoot users take for granted, but a feature that was absent from SLRs until Olympus pioneered it. It's not a hot feature appearing on other makers prosumer cameras like the new Canon 40D and Nikon D300. Olympus also delivered on the promise of 4/3 with tiny kit lenses with the 410 and later 510 that many experts consider the best quality kit lenses available today.

Recently Olympus upped the ante even higher with the Olympus 510. In addition to Live View and auto dust cleaning, the 510 adds in-body image stabilization that will work with any lens mounted on the Olympus 510. In terms of checklist features the 510 looks like a strong player for Olympus this holiday season.

Pentax also discontinued their low-end K110D and refreshed their K100D with a "Super" added to the name. It's still 6MP and still features body-integral shake reduction, but it now supposedly does all of this faster.

Price Reductions

You may want to look back at the Digital SLR Buyer's Guide for details of the rest of the entry-level cameras. That's because many of the models are the same as last year - they are just much cheaper now.

The 10MP Sony A100 comes in a kit with the Sony 18-70mm lens for $600 to $700. The body only is now about $550. Canon's best-selling Rebel XTi, which is also 10MP, is available in the same price range - $600 to $700 for the kit with the 18-55mm lens. The updated 10MP D40x is also available this holiday season in the same price range.

Nikon has always asked and gotten a premium for their cameras, so we find the D80 still selling for around $750 for the body alone and $850 and up for a D80 kit. One of the amazing price drops of this season is the Pentax K10D, which can be found with the kit lens for around $750, or as a body alone for as little as $650. The Pentax K10D is the only camera in this group that has full dust and moisture sealing. It also features body-integral image stabilization, auto sensor cleaning, and an 11-point focusing system.