Find Your excellent Camera
I did some thorough explore to find the best camera to buy in five different categories:
Best allocation Point-and-Shoot
Best Enthusiast Point-and-Shoot
Best Entry-Level Dslr
Best Semi-Pro Dslr
Best pro Full Frame Dslr
Nikon D3100 Price
To pick out what I think the best cameras are in each of these categories, I spent countless hours researching different websites convention as much data as inherent to find the best camera in each category. My explore includes seeing at buyer reviews on Amazon, Adorama and Bh Photo Video, reading pro reviews from Dpreview, Imaging-Resource and Steve's Digicams, and reading numerous online web forums and argument boards. Of policy I'll add my Own personal belief in the mix, also. Oh, a quick note... If there's one thing to remember when shopping for new a camera, it's that megapixels Do Not Matter. These big camera clubs boast about having the most megapixels, trying to use it as a selling point, when they beyond doubt don't matter. Many resources on the web will say the same. Let's start, shall we?
Best contract allocation Point-and-Shoot
Canon Sd1400Is
Staying under the 0 mark, and from the explore I did, this itsybitsy gem can take one heck of a picture, along with Hd video, too! That's right, this tiny guy has 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) High Definition video. Something that is rarely seen in a camera this cheap. From what I read while researching, this camera takes good potential photos for the price. The only drawback on it I found online is a slightly more grainy photo due to the 14Mp censor. Other than that, citizen love it for the ease of use, pocket-able size and good price-to-feature value. Other features consist of a large 2.7-inch Lcd screen, optic image stabilization, a wide 28mm equivalent lens (I love wide angle lenses), Hdmi output, and Smart Auto. I head a lot of good things about smart Auto. From what Canon says, it will "intelligently agree between 22 different predefined settings." Oh, and it comes in Hot Pink! Not that I care... After researching this class of camera for hours, the normal consensus is that Canon makes awesome contract allocation point-and-shoots. You will be satisfied with any of their allocation models, including the Sd1400Is. I have yet to find an awful one.
Best contract Enthusiast Point-and-Shoot
Canon S95
Okay, now in my honest opinion, this is a no-brainer. The former version, the Canon S90, was a heavy hit. And the Canon S95 improves upon it. I mean come on! For a camera under 0, it has 720p Hd video (with stereo sound!), a super keen f/2.0 lens, Raw mode (my favorite), a wide 28mm equivalent lens and Hdmi output. Those are just a few features. The best part, and the part that makes the S95 the best enthusiast point-and-shoot camera, is the operate ring. This thing makes it a zephyr to adjust focus, exposure, Iso, white balance, and pretty much all the manual controls. It seriously has all a camera enthusiast would want in a point-and-shoot, and more! Let's see... Auto Iso, Color yRgb histograms, bracketing, a metal body, and crap tons of gimmicks and useless modes. It also has an Hdr mode. I'd never use it, but I guess it works pretty good. It takes three consecutive shots and merges them together for you. You can then edit them later on your computer. I, however, find it rather lame because all the leading features are locked out, such as exposure and white balance. And Hdr on a point-and-shoot? What has this world come to. Just buy this camera. Seriously. In all honesty I didn't beyond doubt do much explore on other cameras in its class, because once I knew Canon was making the S95, it was going be a hit. Sure there are other good enthusiast cameras out there, but none that are nearly as awesome as the Canon S95 for the same price and size!
Canon G12? Big and bulky at a price of around 0.
Panasonic Lumix Lx5? Still bigger, and still more expensive. Price? around 0.
I think I proved my point. Of policy this is just my opinion. I'm sure others will disagree with me.
Best Entry-Level Dslr
Nikon D3100
The Nikon D3100 is another confident buy if you're seeing to get a Digital Slr. At around, or under, 0, you get one heck of a camera (with lens!) that is jam-packed full of features for the price. It's also Nikon's first Dslr to feature full 1080p Hd video. Let me elaborate why I picked it as the best entry-level Dslr. First off, it comes with a very good kit lens, the 18-55mm Af-S Vr, which is known to be a very good all-around kit lens. It's sharp, has Vr (Vibration Reduction) can focus very close - roughly macro like - and has Nikon's Silent Wave Motor which gives it fast, quiet autofocus. all I read was positive, except for the occasional "bad copy." The images the D3100 pumps out are so close the pro Nikon D3 and D700 in good light, that you could never tell the divergence in a side-by-side comparison! High Iso on the D3100 is excellent, considering it's not a full-frame camera. I would say it's just as good Nikon D300s I own in terms of high Iso. In other words, don't be afraid to shoot at Iso 1600. In-fact, make it your friend! The viewfinder in the D3100 is clear and distraction free. What I mean by that is it doesn't have as much clutter going on in the viewfinder. This will make it easier to make shots. Also, it's a small, ultra-lightweight Dslr weighing in at 505 g (1lb 1.8 oz.) This is a plus to some, a negative to others. For me personally, I could go whether way. Other features consist of a large rear 3-inch Lcd, 11 Autofocus Points, Auto Distortion Correction, and Nikon's new Expeed 2 image processing engine. There are few (very few) things that the D3100 is missing, though, compared to higher end cameras; You can only use lenses that have a built in motor such as Nikon's Af-S lenses (other lens makers have similar lenses) since the D3100 has no motor drive, there's only one manual preset Wb memory position, you don't get any depth-of-field preview, and there is no Kelvin White equilibrium setting. If you're in the store for an entry-level Digital Slr, now is the time to buy. And I propose the Nikon D3100. And so do thousands of others.
Best Semi-Pro Dslr
Nikon D7000
Nikon's newest Dslr, the D7000, is also one of the best in its class. Featuring a brand new and marvelous User Definable Settings (U1, U2) right on the mode selector dial, these handy shortcuts allow you to set, store and convert your cameras setting without having to go deep into the menu system! I'm envious. I want my D300S to have this. Actually, I'm considering getting the D7000 for this feature alone. There are other features I, and others (from what I saw numerous times) love about this camera, too, such as:
Full 1080p High Definition video
Light in weight, yet still ergonomically comfortable
Best-in-class high Iso photos
Quiet... Very quiet operation...Shhh...
Ground-breaking 2,016-Segment Rgb Meter
Superior weather and dust sealing
Six frames per second continuous shooting up to 100 shots
New Expeed 2 image processing
39 autofocus points with nine cross-type sensors
So as you can see, this camera is a bargain for its price, which is around 00 (body only.) My explore on the D7000 wasn't as thorough as others in it's class, due to the fact it just got released. And citizen are having a hard time seeing it; it's always sold out! I have yet to read whatever bad on the camera. All I could find is that it can only bracket three exposures instead of the 5-9 that some other cameras can do. citizen are raving about the fast autofocus, and marvelous metering due to the new 2,016-Segment Rgb Meter. The Nikon D7000 is already a smash hit at the time of this article. It's all sold out. Not surprising to me, since it's just as good, if not good than the Nikon D300s which is 0-0 more. Now if you excuse me, I have to go buy this camera.
Best Full Frame Dslr - Tie
Canon 5D Mark Ii and Nikon D700
After hours of research, I was determined to pick whether the 5D Mark Ii or the D700 as the best pro full frame Dslr. One or the other. Not both. Well, after those hours of explore I did, I failed. My final verdict is that you can't go wrong with whether of these stunning full frame Dslrs. They both provide marvelous photos, even at high Isos. And they both have excellent build potential that will last you years upon years. But what are the differences?
Let me explain:
Canon 5D Mark Ii Advantages
Good for: Travel, Portrait, Fine Art, house and landscape Photography Why:
High Resolution for more detailed landscapes and fine art prints
Lighter weight for traveling
Fully loaded 1080p Hd video good for house vacations and traveling
Very handy Total Recall memories with C1, C2 and C3 positions on the command dial to speedily swap between different camera setting on the fly without pushing tons of buttons
Nikon D700 Advantages
Good for: Low-light, Action, Sports, News Why:
Superior autofocus with 51 Af points with great low-light performance
Tough body building for the very active news journalists
Fast 5 frames per second and up to 8 Fps with optional Mb-D10 grip, excellent for activity and sports
The explore done on these two cameras came up with mixed results. Thus the reckon of my outcome. The one reoccurring question I read was on the 5D Mark Ii, which was a faulty On/Off switch. Few reported it though. Price is negotiable; the D700 is 0-0 cheaper. But to me, that shouldn't be a choosing factor. If you want an excellent landscape camera (without going to medium or large format) than spending 0 more over the D700 to gain extra resolution is fine, and in that case you should buy the 5D Mark Ii. Personally, I would pick the D700 since I take plentifulness of low-light activity shots of bikes.
Conclusion
I spent a good two days researching all kinds of cameras, and these six cameras were the ones that consistently came up as being the best in their class. This is just a guide I did for fun in my spare time, so please take it as a grain of salt. I like to think my belief matters, but it doesn't... In my opinion, of course. There are others out there whose job is to impart cameras and test them to the point of failure. I simply go online and read reviews and opinions for hours upon hours seeing out what citizen say. So until next time, Keep on shooting!
The Best Cameras From Point-And-Shoots To Digital Slrs
