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Call them the Step-Up Generation. After the slew of introductions of enthusiast-level DSLRs (Canon EOS 40D, Nikon D300, and Sony Alpha 700 among them), it looked like camera makers would coast for a while. Wrong. Nearly every DSLR maker has recently added one or more models to this year's lineup, all of them aimed at the mid-level.
This makes perfect sense. Over the past few years, entry-level DSLRs have sold in the millions. Many of those buyers are ready to step up from their 6MP and 8MP cameras -- but aren't quite ready to drop up to $1,800 for one of those "enthusiast" camera bodies.
That's where these new models come in. For street prices of $630 to $1,400, they provide a nice boost in megapixels, with two models coming in at more than 14MP. But they aren't about sheer firepower -- don't look for the fastest burst rates or stratospheric ISOs. Instead, you'll find such conveniences as bigger LCD screens, live view, more battery power, extended in-camera image controls, and improved image stabilization.
Details on the latest models from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Samsung, and Sony are in the pages that follow.
Stable Environment
Image stabilization is now as mainstream as you can get, with all five newcomers offering it right out of the box. Wait a minute, you're saying -- Canon and Nikon don't have stabilization built into their cameras, but require individual stabilized lenses. Well, that's exactly what you get with the Canon EOS Rebel XSi and the Nikon D60: The 18--55mm standard kit lenses for these cameras are, respectively, Image Stabilizer (IS) and Vibration Reduction (VR) optics.
Moreover, the manufacturers have priced these kits low enough that there is no short-term price advantage for the other three cameras that have sensor-based image stabilization built into the camera bodies.
But those three cameras -- the Pentax K200D, Samsung GX-20, and Sony Alpha 350 -- can stabilize any lenses you already have in your bag or may obtain down the line, which can save a fair stack of cash compared with putting together an outfit of Canon or Nikon image-stabilized lenses. In response, their rivals have been developing lower-cost stabilized lenses, such as the 55-250mm f/4-5.6 Canon EF IS ($300, street) and the 55-200mm f/4-5.6G AF-S DX Nikkor VR ($170, street).
It's going to be an interesting year.
Live Performance
Whether or not you're sold on live view, DSLR makers are embracing it on their new cameras -- and refining it. The Rebel allows two methods of autofocusing in live view: a quick method using a momentary flip down of the mirror (with face detection used to engage appropriate AF points), and a live method that can be enabled at any spot in the frame. This actually improves on the Reb's pricey stablemates such the EOS-1Ds Mark III (see camera test), which focus only manually in live view. The Samsung GX-20 can also autofocus with a mirror flip.
But the best live view system so far comes on the Sony, which uses a separate imaging sensor in the pentamirror housing to allow autofocusing with live view -- and nearly zero lag when you press the shutter to take the shot. You can even do burst shooting in live mode at a creditable 2 fps. Combined with the LCD that tilts up or down, it gives you a perfect setup for low-angle or over-the-crowd shots.
Viewing has also been improved with bigger LCD screens -- four of the five cameras have a modest increase in screen size from previous models.
More Megapixels
The big news on the sensor front is the Samsung 14.6MP CMOS chip, the first DSLR sensor made by the electronics giant. This gives the GX-20 (and its near-twin, the Pentax K20D) the highest-resolution imaging in this class. The Pentax K200D, meanwhile, inherits the Sony-made 10.2MP CCD from the now-discontinued K10D. The Sony uses its own 14.2MP CCD in the Alpha 350, and Canon its own 12.2MP CMOS chip in the Rebel XSi. (Canon once again makes a Rebel that leapfrogs its enthusiast model in resolution -- the EOS 40D is 10.1MP.) Nikon coasts along with the same 10.2MP chip from the D40x. All five cameras maintain the APS-C sensor size for a 1.6X 35mm lens factor for the Canon and 1.5X for all the others.
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