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Five affordable DSLRs vie for honors in the "step-up" class. If you're a serious shooter looking to move on up to a better DSLR -- with more resolution, faster firing, advanced features like in-camera image fixes and live view -- but have been scared off by the $1,000 price barrier, fear no more. An entire class of DSLRs has appeared at this intermediate level, none of them more than $900, street -- with a kit lens. And every one of these five comes with image stabilization right out of the box, through either a shifting image sensor or moving elements in the included lens.
These models, whose resolution ranges from 10MP to 14.2MP, are also ideal for the first-time DSLR buyer who wants more camera than you get in entry-level 6MP or 8MP cameras. And, for those weaned on digital compacts, three models have live view.
They're not perfect, to be sure: All have plastic bodies, not designed for really heavy-duty use, and they rely on menus for many controls. Still, on balance they are excellent values.
Here are the factors we used to rank these cameras.
• Image Quality: We measure this by objective Pop Photo Lab tests of resolution, noise control, and color accuracy. We look at highest-quality JPEGs, as well as RAW files converted with the respective manufacturers' software. To provide a real-world analog of these measurements, we photographed a model and a bouquet of flowers in our studio under the same conditions for each camera, with a neutral gray in the background, using automatic white balance. The only adjustment we made on the JPEGs was a small tweak of levels in Adobe Photoshop CS3. So these images are an accurate gauge of the kind of picture you could take with the cameras right out of the box. We also made RAW-to-TIFF conversions of the same shots, with more extensive adjustments, to show the level of image quality you can get.
To provide a real-world analog of image-quality measurements, we photographed a model and a bouquet of flowers in our studio, lighting the scene with flicker-free, daylight-balanced HMI lamps. We positioned the model sufficiently far from a white seamless background that it would fall away to neutral gray. We kept the cameras at the same distance but varied the focal length of the kit zoom lenses to maintain approximately the same perspective and image magnification for all five. (Notice marker tape in the uncropped photos.) We set all the cameras to ISO 100, and to Adobe RGB color space. Each of these RAW-to-TIFF conversions was made with the respective manufacturer's RAW converter, with no compression. We made only modest adjustments during conversions. These are a good gauge of the maximum image quality you can get.
• Ease of Use: We consider how the camera handles, placement of controls, click-to-click speed, logic and readability of menus, and viewfinder quality, among other factors. Live view (and its performance) counts here.
• Control: Camera controls for making the shot, as well as the fixes you can perform in-camera after the shot, are evaluated. We tested the image stabilization of the cameras with individual zoom lenses set to the same 35mm equivalent focal length, about 82mm.
• System Flexibility: Simply put, this means how much stuff is available for the camera -- lenses, flash units, and other accessories -- and how well those items integrate with these specific models.
CANON EOS REBEL XSi
THE MOST POWERFUL REBEL YET KEEPS THE COMPETITION AT FULL BOIL WITH LIVE VIEW AND STABILIZED KIT LENS.
EASE OF USE: While not greatly changed from the XTi, the control layout seems to work better, and the grip is more hand-friendly. The bright, high-magnification finder makes for great optical viewing; the big 3-inch LCD affords a superb live view, though with too much menu-hopping for the setup and AF selection, and some delay for AF. The menus are among the most readable and best organized we've seen. We just wish the XSi had the "nose wheel" (second command dial on the back) of other Canon EOS cameras. Rank: 2
CONTROL: Scads of it during shooting. The AF's 9-point diamond pattern now has a high-precision central cross sensor for better accuracy in focusing high-speed lenses. The burst rate, 3.5 fps, ties the Olympus for leader. The XSi is also the first Rebel with a true spotmeter, and the first with a DIGIC III processor and 14-bit A/D conversion. It has both a self-cleaning sensor and software dust deletion. The Picture Styles menu gives you wide leeway in adjusting and customizing JPEG profiles, and you can shoot any of them combined with RAW. But you can't adjust RAW files in-camera and convert to JPEG. We were underwhelmed by both the nonadjustable Highlight Tone Priority and Auto Lighting Optimizer, whose effects we found minimal. Rank: 2
SYSTEM FLEXIBILITY: Vast and always expanding. But the EOS system remains alone in not providing wireless TTL control of accessory units via the pop-up flash. All the other DSLR makers here know how to do it (though Nikon didn't put it on the D60). Rank: 1 (tie)
WHAT'S MISSING: We've mentioned the nose wheel and remote wireless flash control via the pop-up. It could also use more weathersealing.
NICE SURPRISES: All the software that comes in the box, such as the RAW converter/editor, remote operation, browser, and panorama stitcher.
TEST RESULTS
IMAGE QUALITY: Excellent image quality throughout its ISO 100-1600 range. Resolution of 2265 lines (highest in this group) takes an almost insignificant drop to 2160 lines at ISO 800-1600. Noise went from Very Low to Moderately Low throughout the range. Color accuracy was excellent. Rank: 1
IMAGE STABILIZATION: We got an average handholding gain of 2.5-3 stops, which places it first in this group.
AUTOFOCUS: Fastest of this group. While the Nikon and Sony are very close in speed, neither has the sensitivity of the Rebel, down to -2 EV.
CIPA BATTERY RATING: 500 shots, 50% with flash. SIZE/WEIGHT: 5.1x3.8x2.4 in., 1.16 lb, body only, with card and battery. CARD: SD/SDHC. PRICE: $800, street, body only; $900 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Canon EF-S IS lens. INFO:www.usa.canon.com.
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