New this year, we’ve added lens recommendations to our range of buying guides. Take a look through this guide for our advice on the best lenses to pair with Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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DPReview recommends: Best digital cameras and lenses
24
Nov
We test and try a lot of digital cameras and lenses here at DPReview, and with holiday season finally here, we’ve been updating our range of buying guides. Click through for our recommendations.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DPReview Buying Guide: Best DSLRs
21
Nov
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Last updated: November 20, 2018
It’s not easy to answer the question ‘what’s the best DSLR’ because the question often means ‘what’s the best DSLR for me?’ And the correct answer to that question will depend on your budget and what you want to use the camera for.
It’s also complicated by the fact that, while DSLRs are renowned for their flexibility and image quality, there are now a series of cameras that offer similar (and potentially greater) capabilities that are also worth considering.
So, while this roundup will focus on DSLRs (cameras with a mirror that redirects the image from the lens through into an optical viewfinder), we’ll also recommend some mirrorless cameras that may be a better fit for you. These also have interchangeable lenses and comparable image quality but tend to be a bit smaller and are often better adapted to shooting video.
This guide breaks down your options roughly by price and focuses on all-round capability. For more precise recommendations, tailored to the photography you want to do, we’d recommend looking at our buying guides based around specific types of photography.
Jump to:
- Best DSLR around $ 600
- Best DSLR around $ 1000
- Best DSLR around $ 1500
- Best DSLR over $ 2000
Best DSLR around $ 600: Canon EOS Rebel SL2
($ 650 with 18-55mm lens)
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The EOS Rebel SL2 (EOS 200D) features a 24 Megapixel sensor, fast Dual Pixel autofocus when using live view or taking video, a fully articulating touchscreen LCD and a ‘Feature Assistant’ that makes adjust complex settings easy. It can capture 1080p video and has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easily sharing photos. Read review | Check prices | More info |
Mirrorless alternative:
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Olympus E-M10 Mark III The E-M10 III has a retro-styled body and its electronic viewfinder is larger than the optical viewfinder on the SL2. It has a smaller, lower resolution sensor compared to the SL2 and a tilting (rather than fully articulating) touchscreen display, and it includes 4K video capture. Read review | Check prices | More info |
Best DSLR around $ 1000: Canon EOS 77D
($ 949 with 18-55mm lens)
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The EOS 77D is two notches above the SL2 in Canon’s lineup, offering more controls, a faster processor and a sturdier body. It too has a fully articulating touchscreen though, oddly, its optical viewfinder is smaller than what’s on the SL2. Video can be captured at 1080p and connectivity features include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Read review | Check prices | More info |
Mirrorless alternative:
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Fujifilm X-T20 The X-T20 has a classic design and produces great-looking photos. It offers Film Simulation modes to bring out your creative side and also has a tilting touchscreen display, 4K video capture and Wi-Fi. Read review | Check prices | More info |
Best DSLR around $ 1500: Nikon D7500
($ 1450 with 18-140mm lens)
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The Nikon D7500 inherits some features from the more expensive D500, including its 20 Megapixel sensor, improved metering system, tilting touchscreen LCD, weather-sealing and 4K video capture. While the live view experience isn’t nearly as robust as on Canon models, the D7500 is a clear winner when shooting through the viewfinder. Read review | Check prices | More info |
Mirrorless alternatives:
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Sony a6300 The a6300 is a comparatively inexpensive alternative, and has a top-notch 24MP sensor, gorgeous 4K video, excellent AF and fast burst shooting. It’s also pretty compact, though its user experience isn’t for everyone. |
Fujifilm X-T3 The X-T3 excels at both still photography and video. Photos look great and video features (including 4K/60p) and quality are top-notch. The weather-sealed body has an ultra-high-res viewfinder along with a clever 3-axis tilting LCD. |
| Read review | Check prices | More info | Read review | Check prices | More info |
Best DSLR over $ 2000: Nikon D850
($ 3300 body only)
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The D850 is a high-end DSLR that sits just below the flagship D5 in Nikon’s lineup. It has a 46 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, top-of-the-line autofocus system, a huge optical viewfinder, a tilting touchscreen LCD and dual memory card slots. Image quality is as good as you’ll find and the D850’s 4K video isn’t bad, though controls are a bit limited. As you’d expect the D850 is built like a tank and weather-sealed. Its large battery can take thousands of photos on a single charge. Read review | Check prices | Read more |
Mirrorless alternatives:
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Sony a7 III The a7 III is a heck of a camera for the price. It has built-in image stabilization along with an excellent 24MP full-frame sensor, stellar autofocus system, great 4K video quality and battery life that’s well above average. |
Sony a7R III The a7R III has a superb 42MP full-frame sensor plus in-body IS, excellent 4K video quality, dual card slots and above average battery life. It’s autofocus system isn’t as robust as the D850’s but it’s still solid in most situations. |
| Read review | Check prices | More info | Read review | Check prices | More info |
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DPReview TV: Nikon Z7 review
17
Nov
The Nikon Z7 is the company’s first full frame mirrorless camera, and one that presented Nikon with a stiff challenge: how to build a mirrorless camera that could measure up to its own DSLRs and deliver a familiar experience to Nikon users. Chris and Jordan have used the camera for the past couple of months and tell us whether they think Nikon succeeded.
Editor’s note: In order to fully cover the Z7’s new video capabilities, we will be publishing a separate video focused entirely on the camera’s video features and performance.
Also, make sure to read our in-depth review of the Nikon Z7.
Click links below to jump to a specific topic:
- Intro
- Handling
- Z-Mount
- Battery Life
- Dynamic Range
- Stabilization
- Nathan Elson Introduction
- Studio Performance
- Continuous AF Performance
- Nathan Elson's Impressions
- Chris' Conclusions
Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DPReview TV: Time-lapse photography
10
Nov
Digital cameras have made it incredibly easy to do time-lapse photography, thanks to the ability to take hundreds—or even thousands—of photos without interruption. However, creating a time-lapse sequence that achieves your artistic intent may require a bit of planning or even some camera accessories. This week, Chris and Jordan walk us through the process of planning and shooting compelling time-lapse videos.
Also, make sure to read our article Behind the scenes: Shooting a motion time-lapse in the Canadian wilderness.
Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DPReview picks the best lenses for Canon, Nikon and Sony
09
Nov
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We’ve published the first three of our new Lens Buying Guides, covering Canon and Nikon DSLRs, as well as Sony mirrorless cameras. We’ve started with these three as they’re the most sought-after, and we hope to expand it to other systems soon.
In each guide we’ve chosen the best standard zoom, prime, macro, telephoto, wide-angle and travel zoom lenses – there’s a quick primer on these lens types at the bottom of this page if you’re not familiar with them. The winner is what we consider the best overall value and, in most cases, we’ve provided ‘bargain’ and ‘money is no object’ options as well.
Don’t agree with our picks? Please leave comments in the guides and we’ll take your suggestions into account.
Best lenses for Canon DSLRs
Best lenses for Nikon DSLRs
Best lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras
Lens primer:
Standard zooms are just what they sound like – versatile, general-purpose lenses that start with a fairly wide angle of view and allow you to zoom in to a focal length traditionally used for portraits.
Prime lenses are just a single focal length; removing the complexity of a zoom often allows for these lenses to be smaller, lighter and sharper, while letting more light through and being more useful in dimly lit situations.
Macro lenses allow you to focus very close to small subjects, which is very handy for photographing flowers or bugs.
Telephoto lenses start out being fairly zoomed-in, and allow you to zoom in further so you can fill your frame with more distant subjects.
Wide-angle lenses are often useful for taking photos of interiors, landscapes and architecture.
Lastly, travel zooms are like your kit zoom lens but taken to the extreme. You still start out with a fairly wide field of view, but you can zoom in almost as much as many telephoto lenses. This is convenient, but these lenses tend to let less light through them, so aren’t as useful in dimly lit situations, and they may not always give you the sharpest results.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DPReview TV: Crop sensor, pro body cameras
04
Nov
Not everybody wants or needs a full frame sensor, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up pro-level performance on your camera. In this episode, Chris and Jordan compare four of the top performing APS-C and Micro Four Thirds models currently on the market: the Fujifilm X-T3, Nikon D500, Panasonic G9, and Olympus E-M1 Mark II.
Whether your priority is landscapes, portraits, sports and wildlife, or street photography, we’ll help you figure out which of these models is right for you. Want more information? Check out our in-depth reviews and sample galleries for each of these cameras.
Also, make sure to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!
Fujifilm X-T3 review
Nikon D500 review
Panasonic G9 review
Olympus E-M1 II review
Fujifilm X-T3 sample gallery
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Nikon D500 sample gallery
$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_4137508448″,”galleryId”:”4137508448″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Panasonic G9 sample gallery
$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_0107841691″,”galleryId”:”0107841691″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Olympus E-M1 II sample gallery
$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_8542947609″,”galleryId”:”8542947609″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DPReview TV: Panasonic LX100 II review
27
Oct
The LX100 II is the newest model in Panasonic’s LX line of compact cameras, historically designed to appeal to photography enthusiasts. This week, Chris and Jordan take it for a spin and explain why photographers will really enjoy shooting this camera.
For more detail, read our First Impressions Review of the Panasonic LX100 II.
Panasonic LX100 II First Impressions Review
Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)