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Practically since the birth of digital photography, "experts" announced that pixels have gained the upper hand over silver-halide grains in terms of picture quality. But if you analyze the rules of the real or imagined contest between film and digital imaging, you will find weasel words neatly inserted-"when both cameras are loaded with the equivalent of ISO 200 or 400 film" or "in making all but very great enlargements."
Take the two least expensive of four new SLRs (street prices under $250, with very acceptable 35-80mm lenses), load 'em up with ISO 100 film and send them out to do battle in the real picture world. They will still come home on par with, or ahead of, digital SLRs costing over 25 times as much (and that's just the body sans lens).
My advice: Amuse yourself with one of those tiny, cute, digital point-and-shoots, and at the time when a digital SLR makes practical sense for the type of shooting you do, buy it and add it to your film SLRs. Then be surprised how often you'll pick the film SLR when you go out to shoot.
That said, let's take a look at the four new entry-level "giant killers" that Canon, Minolta, Nikon, and Pentax have brought forth. While all four polycarbonate bodies have mirror prisms rather than solid glass pentaprisms, they produce remarkably bright images and have large finder areas. All are powered by two CR2 lithium batteries and have self-timers. Surprisingly, each is the product of very distinctive engineering concepts. Let's discuss them in order of price range and complexity. At first, many may be sold only with normal zoom lenses in kit form. As you'll see, the term "entry level" covers a lot of different feature territory.
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