DSLR cameras are best known for their good picture quality. The best DSLR camera for beginners are listed in this article.
Off late photography has become a burgeoning talent among various age groups. And it is not very difficult to spot a group of hobbyists, walking around the city at all major attractions with some high end camera strapped around their necks.
The whole fraternity of photography seems to be bifurcated into the fan club of popular brands available in the market. There are several aspects which you need to judge before you zero down to your choice of the DSLR you plan to buy.
Now for initial purpose of learning photography you need a basic DSLR with all the functionaries and a decent enough lens. As it is not advisable that you spend a fortune on a high end camera when you don’t even know the complete functions of DSLR.
So I am going to tell you about some of the leading DSLRs, which have been certified as the best DSLR for entry level usage. I am going to explain all the features of both these DSLRs so that you can decide well about your choice of the camera.
Price
The price of a DSLR is the first criteria of consideration for any beginner photographer. As the DSLRs are laced with the latest technology in the field of photography, they can cost you a whooping fortune and leave you sans your savings. So for beginners it is always right to pick up a cheaper DSLR. Now by cheap I do not mean that it has to be tacky, nasty or rubbish.
By cheap I mean that it will be less tormenting on your pocket. The Nikon D3100, Canon 1000D, Olympus E 620 and Sony Alpha 200 are the DSLRs in the cheapest price range. Their prices vary very minutely, different but in the same category.
Sensor, Processor and Mega Pixels
Then the major feature to look forward to any DSLR is the megapixels, sensor and processor i.e., image processor. Now the Nikon D3100 claims to have 14.2 million effective pixels which give you vibrancy in the colors and necessary resolution to the picture along with the 23.1 x 15.4 mm CMOS DXI sensor. This combination is pretty much good for amateurs or beginners. The D3100 also has a new age Expeed 2 image processor, which means literally no shutter lag.
The Canon 1000D on the other hand has a little lesser count of megapixels and has 10.1 million pixels in a CMOS sensor. The Olympus E 620 has a high speed Live MOS sensor and 12.3 effective megapixels with the ability to capture at the speed of 5 fps in the RAW mode.
The Sony alpha 200 has a CCD sensor, with 10.2 effective megapixels and a bionz image processor which is found in the higher end DSLRs on the brand.
Since all these cameras are amateur level DSLRs, their sensors are cropped sensor; they all have the standard aspect ratio of 3:2. The aspect ratio determines the ratio of the size of the frame in actual to the size of the frame seen by the viewfinder.
ISO performance
The ISO performance of a DSLR is one of the primary factors which make them different from the regular digital cameras. This function determines the capability of the camera sensor to reduce noise in the pictures taken in difficult lighting conditions. By noise here I do not mean sound, but the grain which appears in the image, if taken in low light.
All the brands discussed above; Nikon, Canon, Sony and Olympus have the ISO range from 100 to 3200, however the level of grain differs, due to the technology appointed in the sensor and image processor. The Nikon D3100 has a decent ISO performance till 2400, beyond that the grains will really destroy the image; however the Sony alpha 200 has a better ISO performance even at 3200, Canon 1000D and Olympus E 620 have better ISO performance till 2400.
Other Essential Features
Then you need to have a thorough knowledge about all the essential additional features of the camera. The Nikon D3100 has TTL phase detection and up to 11 autofocus points which means sharper pictures even when clicked in a hurry.
The D3100 in movie mode can shoot up to 24 fps, which is a great speed for an amateurish camera. However the video quality is not up to the mark. However in case of the 1000D the number of auto focus points is limited to a mere of 7. However in burst mode this camera can shoot at a speed of 30 fps.
The ISO sensitivity of Nikon D3100 is also appreciable for a beginner’s level DSLR. Nikon’s cam also has this unique proprietary feature known as active D lighting. This feature helps the photographer to bring out the details of his subject in excess light conditions.
It reduces the flattening of the image. So in layman’s language, this feature reduces extreme contrasts in the picture. Canon and Olympus have done a good job with it 7 autofocus points TTL phase detection, however this technology is a 1cross type in Canon, it is 5 cross type in Olympus.
Since the cameras discussed above are all beginners’ level cameras, they do not have any revolutionary technology in them, however they have significantly improved qualitatively from their previous models, they can be considered to be contemporaries. So it completely depends on the person who is buying the DSLR, that which camera he/she would like to zero down upon.