Ask the expert: Digital SLR cameras

Q. I’m really getting into digital photography and want to upgrade to a digital SLR, but don’t want to spend a lot. What’s my best bet for under £300 with a good lens included?

A. Congratulations! You’re about to learn how to take proper photos, with a full-blown professional standard camera. Luckily, you won’t have to pay a fortune to make the leap to an SLR, there are plenty within your budget. We’ve picked three of the best below.

Solution 1: Nikon D40 Black + 18-55mm Lens Kit
This neat SLR is reasonably light, looks very professional and comes with a good zoom lens that’s great for getting started. Sure, its 6 megapixel sensor is smaller than some, but unless you plan to blow images up beyond A4, then you won’t notice a difference. What’s more, it’ll mean you can cram more images onto a memory card, and since it’s a Nikon, there are tons of lenses to choose from when you decide to expand it.

Solution 2: Sony DSLR-A200 Black + 18-70mm Lens Kit
Sony’s relatively new to the SLR game, but its Alpha range is nothing short of spectacular. As well as producing gorgeous images, the A200 comes with incredibly effective anti-dust and shake-reduction technology, that means less blurring, even at slow shutter speeds, and increased reliability. It also packs in 10 megapixels, and comes with a generous zoom lens included. It’s compatible with Sony lenses, and the huge range of Konica Minolta lenses too.

Solution 3: Canon 300D + EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Canon’s budget SLR doesn’t look quite as professional as its rivals, thanks to the plastic silver shell it’s housed in, but underneath the surface are some neat features. It uses Canon’s EF-S mount, specifically designed for digital cameras, to produce a longer focal length than with normal lenses. It’s also remarkably cheap, with the trade-off being its relatvely low 6.3 megapixel resolution. However, stick to prints sized A4 and below, and you won’t notice it.

Get chatting about digital photography over at the PriceRunner forum

Related Articles:

1. Digital SLRs group testDigital SLRs used to require the brains of an astrophysicist to use, the wallet of a playboy to afford and the muscles of a weightlifter to carry around. Not anymore. You can now pick up a light, easy to use digital SLR for under £400 – and the image quality will still blow you away. All [...]...
2. Pentax K-m gets a white wash Introducing the limited-edition Pentax K-m (also known as the Pentax K2000). It’s exactly the same as the original K-m, but with one tiny difference. It’s white! That’s right, like a footballer running onto a pitch in white boots, the Pentax K2000 has strutted into the all-black DSLR market in its new white casing. Luckily [...]...
3. Panasonic unveils new compact digital camerasPanasonic was all quiet on the digital camera front at CES, but it’s made up for the lack of serious snappers today as it’s revealed no fewer than four new compact digital cameras, the FS6, FS7, FS15 and LS85. See what specs they’re all sporting, after the jump! First up, we’ve got the FS6 and FS7 [...]...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Rate this article