Digital SLR Holiday Gift Guide

Gift Guide

With more selection out there than ever before, choosing the right digital SLR (DSLR) camera as a gift this holiday season can also be more confusing than ever before. The good news is that all this choice gives digital SLR shoppers more options in terms of features and price.

But will all that expanded camera functionality really make your loved one a better photographer? And is it really worth it to pay a little extra for a more advanced camera, or can you get all he or she wants with a wallet-friendly entry-level DSLR?

To help you pick out the right digital SLR as a present this winter, we took a look at some of the latest cameras in a variety of categories to help you find the ideal digital SLR gift for your favorite budding photographer.

Entry-Level Budget Models

Nikon D40
Though it’s a couple of years old now, the Nikon D40 is still a great digital SLR for anyone who wants to get their feet wet with a DSLR but doesn’t want to spend a fortune. And since it’s an older model, you can get this 6.1MP camera for a song. We’ve seen the D40 listed for as low as $400 and that includes an 18-55mm kit lens. Though resolution is a little less than on more recent models, image quality is excellent with punchy color and pleasing sharpness. Best of all for beginners, the D40 is incredibly easy to use with intuitive controls and a helpful menu with an “assist image” function which let you see an example of the results before you take a picture. We also like the D40′s compact size – just over 16 ounces – and its good speed with virtually no shutter lag and the ability to shoot 2.5 frames per second (fps).
$450 with 18-55mm lens; www.nikonusa.com

Canon EOS Rebel XS
The little brother of the pricier Canon EOS Rebel XSi, the 10.1MP Rebel XS might not have quite as many features as its older sibling but image quality is still excellent. Using the lighting fast Digic III image processor, the Rebel XS is a solid all-around performer that captures clean, low-noise images even when shooting in low light at high ISOs.  Canon’s lightest and most compact DSLR, the XS weighs just over a pound but doesn’t skimp on functionality. Its three fps shooting speed is faster than you’re going to need for most situations – but handy for capturing youth sports – while its integrated cleaning system will help keep your photos spot free. Meanwhile, Auto Lighting Optimizers and Picture Styles controls will help even out highlights and shadows while maintaining nice color and contrast to make your shots look beautiful.
$500 with 18-55mm IS lens; www.usa.canon.com

Small is Beautiful

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
The biggest trend in digital SLRs this year is that they’ve gotten smaller than ever before. Leading the pack in the “small is beautiful” category is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 which is being touted as “the world’s smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens camera.” Weighing just over 15 ounces, the G1 uses the new Micro Four Thirds System which eliminates the standard internal mirror set-up of a Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera. While this concept is ingenious for keeping the G1′s size down, in some ways it’s not a DSLR at all. But that’s really a technical quibble because the G1 still takes great pictures on par with most traditional DSLRs. Along with being lightweight, the mirrorless system allows the G1 to have a more compact build with the distance between the lens mount and the image sensor reduced by fifty percent which allows for a smaller body and smaller lenses. With the new 14-45mm O.I.S. kit lens, the 12.1MP G1 weighs just 1.28 pounds. It also comes in three colors – red, blue, and black.
$799 with 14-45mm lens; www.panasonic.com

Pentax K2000
Pentax has also jumped on the mini bandwagon with the K2000, a 10.2MP digital SLR which weighs just over 20 ounces. Unlike the G1, the K2000 uses a traditional mirror box system which allows for a real through-the-lens optical viewfinder. (The G1 uses a Live View function which lets you compose your shot on the LCD screen or an electronic viewfinder.) It may just be us, but we prefer an optical viewfinder and the sound of the mirror snapping up when taking a picture to a simulated electronic response. Other features on the K2000 include fast, 3.5 fps shooting speed, built-in Shake Reduction, and a dust prevention, detection and removal system. We also like the 2.7-inch high-resolution LCD screen and the K2000′s ability to shoot up to ISO 3200.
$699 with 18-55mm lens; www.pentaximaging.com

Olympus E-420
When it was introduced last spring, the Olympus E-420 pretty much created the micro DSLR category, especially when it’s paired with the ultra-thin Zuiko 25mm f/2.8 “Pancake lens, which is so slender it barely looks like a lens at all. Weighing just 13.4 ounces and with dimensions of 5.1 inches by 3.6 inches by 2.1 inches, the 10.1MP E-420 is small enough to stash in coat, backpack or a small bag and hit the road. Some great features were introduced in this camera too including the ability to autofocus in Live View mode; an easier to hold handgrip; a very nice 2.7-inch LCD; Face Detection and shadows adjustment technology; and a fast overall shooting speed at 3.5fps. The E-420 proves that good things do come in small packages.
$599 with 25mm lens; www.olympusamerica.com

Good Value

Canon EOS Rebel XSi
Long the king of the entry-level digital SLRs, the Canon Rebel got even better with the Canon EOS Rebel XSi, a great digital camera for making the jump from just taking snapshots to becoming a real photographer. Though it’s still easy to use and lightweight, the Canon Rebel XSi has some serious “pro” features including a 12.2 megapixel imaging sensor, better autofocus, improved color, enhanced Live View, and a fast DIGIC III processor which makes the Rebel quicker than ever. You’ll love shooting with the new 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS — now included in the EOS Rebel XSi kit – which stabilizes your shots to decrease image blur. You’ll also like reviewing your pictures on the gorgeous, 3-inch, high-resolution LCD screen on back.
$899 with 18-55mm IS lens; www.usa.canon.com

Sony A350
The Sony Alpha A350 digital SLR does a lot of things well all for a reasonable price, making it the ideal “all-rounder.” With 14.2 MP of resolution, this digital SLR camera gives you the most resolution in its class. Also, it’s the only digital SLR camera in its class to allow you to autofocus in the Live Preview mode while providing you with two frames per second continuous shooting speed. (In regular shooting mode, you get 2.4fps from the A350.) The tiltable 2.7-inch LCD screen means you can easily frame your pictures when you’re shooting over the head or down low, while the Super SteadyShot in-camera stabilization means your photos will stay sharp.
$799 with 18-70mm lens; www.sony.com

Nikon D60
Another great all-around camera is the 10.2MP Nikon D60, a snazzy-looking DSLR that’s also almost petite enough to qualify for our “Small is Beautiful” category. Some standout features on this camera include a lightning fast start-up time (0.18 seconds); a quick 3 fps burst rate; and an in-camera retouch menu that lets you add a range of creative tweaks to your images such as adjustable cross-screen star effects, color-intensifying filters, red-eye correction, and cropping. The Nikon D60 also has a cool Stop-Motion video capture feature for creating short “animated” films from up to 100 images.
$699 with 18-55mm VR (vibration reduction) lens; www.nikonusa.com