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August 28, 2008
[ MORE FOR LESS ]
In 1991 Kodak fitted a 1.3 megapixel sensor into a Nikon F3 film SLR, called it the Kodak DSC-100, and sold it for around $25,000. Miniature file storage was not invented at that time so you had to carry a big digital recording device to store the pictures.
Today we are reviewing a Canon DSLR that weighs 450 grams, has a 10 megapixel sensor and costs $999. Aren’t you glad you waited?
The Canon 1000D completes the line-up of sub $1000 cameras from major manufacturers. From advertisements in these pages we see that Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Pentax all have cameras under $1000. It’s worth having a look at what you get and what you miss in entry level DSLRs.
We spotted the OLYMPUS E-420 at $780. This is a well made, small, lightweight camera. The kit lens is one of the best. It has the Four Thirds image sensor which is smaller than other DSLRS, so images are a little noisier. On the other hand lenses are smaller and lighter. There is no in-camera image stabilisation and Olympus does not make an IS lens.
The PENTAX K200D ($900) is the successor to the camera that broke the $1000 barrier, the K100D. This has in-camera image stabilisation. And it is the only camera in this group to have a body-top LCD. It is special because it is not a cut-down version of a dearer camera. The Pentax kit lens is a good one. Image quality is excellent. And it runs on rechargeable AA batteries which seem to last forever. The only downside is a slight crudeness in finish and feel. The K100D Super, a terrific camera, is still advertised in some places for $500 with a good Sigma lens.
The NIKON D60 ($850) has the brand’s virtues of excellent ergonomics and a good kit lens. Finish and feel are just about the best in this group and it is delightfully responsive. Sadly, it lacks an in-body auto focus drive and that means that the range of auto focus lenses available is restricted to those that have focus motors in the lens itself. Nikon is slowly remaking its lens range, but genuine Nikkor lenses are not cheap. There are some good third party lenses with motors, particularly from Sigma. There is no exposure auto bracketing – cheap!
The SONY A200 ($890 with two lenses) is a well made camera that has the build quality we expect from the company. The basic design is carried over from the Konica Minolta, which Sony acquired. That means there are plenty of Minolta lenses around second hand. Which is just as well, because the Sony kit lenses are not great. However, Sony has a partnership with Carl Zeiss and they make fabulous lenses for this camera. You buy into a good system.
We have even seen a Canon 450D advertised here for $999 with an 18-55mm lens. That is an astonishing bargain. When you buy Canon you get superb picture quality, and you also buy into a great system of lenses and accessories.
What don’t you get? Entry level DSLRs lack true pentaprism viewfinders and they have a less luxurious build and feel, with more plastic. And which would we recommend? There’s not a dud amongst them, but if you can track down a Pentax K100D Super for $500 you will have done well.
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Posted by terry at August 28, 2008 12:23 AM
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