The first DSLR: five entry-level models

Canon EOS 100D kit 18-55

The camera from Canon holds the title of the smallest DSLR in the world for the third year in a row (since 2013). Moreover, the dimensions in no way affect the functionality, so the camera can offer decent quality footage.

The thickness of the DSLR practically rests on the minimum allowable limit, which is limited by the length of the working segment of Canon EF lenses. Despite this, in its body there was a place for a progressive hardware (Digic 5 processor), and on the sensor — for additional phase autofocus sensors that connect to the focus process when shooting in LiveView mode or when recording video (when the mirror is raised ). Traditional for DSLRs, the contrast focus system has 9 points with one cross in the centre. Autofocus quickly clings to the subject and tenaciously holds it even in tracking mode.

In terms of image quality and video recording, the DSLR does not lag behind older brothers (for example, Canon EOS 700D body ), with which the model shares the same 18-megapixel matrix), yielding them only for performance. So, the maximum speed of continuous shooting is limited to 4 fps, and the memory buffer starts to choke after 7 frames in RAW format. But the camera is still not intended for reportage shooting and will reveal itself in all its glory in landscape or portrait genres of photography.

Controls are evenly distributed throughout the small body. It is also possible to control the settings via touch input — a 3-inch screen on the back of the camera confidently responds to all actions, and the picture on it does not fade even on a bright sunny day. He lacks only the ability to turn, and the DSLR itself — wireless Wi-Fi and NFC modules.

Intuitive and friendly interface with a lot of tips will help any novice photographer to quickly understand all the intricacies of shooting. For more advanced amateur photographers, there are HDR modes (3 frames with different exposures are glued into one to get a picture with a wide dynamic range) and night shooting (4 frames are combined into one to get the picture that is as clean as possible from noise).

Reference. The working length of the lens is the distance from the plane of the lens mount to the plane of the camera matrix (for Canon DSLRs, its value is 44 mm).

Canon EOS 1300D kit 18-55

The entry-level member of Canon's DSLR lineup has a well-established 18-megapixel sensor that provides good image quality in almost any shooting conditions.

The brain of the camera is the DIGIC 4+ image processor. This is not the latest solution (for example, the flagship Canon EOS 1D X Mark II body ) has a DIGIC 6+ processor), but its capabilities are enough for the amateur segment. The continuous shooting speed is 3 fps, which allows you to capture a dynamic scene on the photo, and the ability to record video at a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels with a frame rate of up to 30 fps makes it possible to view it on large screens of FullHD TVs. A high-quality and low-noise picture in low light conditions is provided up to ISO 1600-3200.

For some unknown reason, Canon engineers did not equip the camera with a tilt and touch screen, which in the 2016 model looks a bit strange. But the camera received built-in Wi-Fi and NFC modules, designed to wirelessly transfer footage to a smartphone or tablet, as well as to remotely control the camera using portable gadgets.

To a greater extent , the model is focused on those who first picked up a DSLR. The camera interface is highly intuitive and has a lot of tips for beginners in the world of photography. And while the Canon EOS 1300D may not offer a high rate of fire and a large memory buffer, the main duties of the camera lie in providing access to manual settings and a wide fleet of interchangeable lenses.

Nikon D5500 kit 18-55

The Nikon D5500 camera was released at the very beginning of 2015. It became a systematic successor of the five thousandth series of Nikon DSLRs, inheriting from its predecessor in the face of Nikon D5300 kit 18-55 all the best (except the GPS module).

In terms of weight, the camera is very close to the lightest DSLR — Canon EOS 100D body . The carbon fibre monocoque body of the Nikon D5500 will lift the scale needle to just 420g, so after a day of walking, your neck will definitely thank you for the minimum level of stress. In the hand, the camera also holds like a glove, which is facilitated by a convenient battery grip.

The camera is designed without a smoothing AA filter, which allows you to get more detailed images. The EXPEED 4 processor is responsible for the overall picture quality, providing good results in low light conditions (at high ISO values up to 6400 units), as well as fast merging of HDR images (with a wide dynamic range). For beginners and adherents of automatic shooting parameters, the manufacturer has made as many as 23 scene programs for all occasions. Access to them opens directly through the menu, because. modes are not placed on the selector disk.

The autofocus system with 39 points (with 9 cross points in the centre) deserves special praise. Both in the photo and in the video, she shows herself in the best way, reliably and quickly clinging to the subject of shooting. But not without a “fly in the ointment”: when recording videos and taking pictures in LiveView mode, a typical drawback of Nikon cameras appears — the inability to change the aperture when looking at the screen.

To the owners of the camera Nikon D5300 kit 18-55 It's hardly worth upgrading to the D5500, because the main differences between the older model lie only in a slightly lighter body and a touch screen designed to simplify the focus process and quickly change shooting parameters. But for a start in the world of photography, the camera is the best, providing its owner with high quality footage and long battery life (800-850 shots per battery charge).

Pentax K-S2 kit 18-50

Ricoh Imaging, which owns the Pentax brand, positions its offspring with the K-S2 model index as the most compact dust- and moisture-resistant DSLR — light weight (just over 650 g) and modest dimensions (123x91x73 mm) are another confirmation of this.

Several trump cards are hidden in the sleeve of the camera at once, among which the matrix image stabilization system and the optical-mechanical smoothing filter stand out as a special line. The latter mechanism is essentially unique — it provides image smoothing by performing microvibrations of the matrix at the subpixel level, and the degree of filter effect can be adjusted. For example, a high level of anti-aliasing will get rid of the appearance of the moiré effect (ripples) on small textures, and a low level will raise the overall level of image sharpness.

At the heart of the camera is a 20-megapixel sensor and a powerful image processor. The range of ISO values ranges from 100 to 51200 units, and you can shoot without a significant deterioration in image quality up to ISO 3200. 11 focus points (including 9 cross-shaped ones) will help you focus on the subject. But almost all of them are located in the central zone, so it can be difficult to focus on the edges of the frame.

The matrix stabilization system and the abundance of various settings for video shooting should theoretically play into the hands when recording videos. In fact, everything turns out to be the opposite — the recorded video sequence does not shine with outstanding quality and is subject to the influence of artifacts (the effect of jelly, muddy or soapy images).

The ergonomics of the DSLR deserves high praise — it fits comfortably in the hand, providing access to all the necessary controls. In addition, the swivel screen will help when shooting from high and low angles (although it is non-touch), and wireless Wi-Fi and NFC modules will be useful for quickly transferring footage or remote control of the camera via a smartphone. There are three body colours to choose from: black white and stylish grey-orange.

Reference. The principle of operation of the in-camera stabilization system is based on the movement of the image sensor — it is fixed on a special movable platform that can move in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens. The direction and force of the shear are determined by the microprocessor, which collects information about the displacements from the angular velocity measurement sensor and gyroscopic sensors.

Sony A68 kit

Sony's creation holds a special place in the consumer segment, employing technologies found in higher-end DSLRs.

The first atypical solution is the presence of an additional information display on the top panel of the camera body. It displays the main shooting parameters, and in the dark the screen is highlighted in orange. The second nice feature is the large number of autofocus points — there are as many as 79 of them, and 15 of them are cruciform. The central point, moreover, is sharpened to work with high-aperture optics, due to which autofocus clings to the object when shooting in bright backlight.

The design of the camera also stands out among peers. It uses a translucent mirror typical of Sony DSLRs, which distributes light between the matrix and phase detection autofocus sensors. Because of this feature, the camera has an electronic OLED viewfinder instead of an optical one. It does not have a very high resolution (720x480 pixels), but the picture in it is visible the way the final result will turn out. You can also look at the 2.7-inch screen with a resolution of only 480x320 pixels. The display can move up 135° and down 55°, but, unfortunately, it is not touch sensitive.

The placement of the controls almost completely duplicates the advanced class DSLR Sony A77 II body . The Sony Alpha A68 also uses the SteadyShot matrix image stabilization system, which makes it possible to shoot at slow shutter speeds handheld without blurring the image in poor lighting conditions. You don’t have to worry about the amount of noise — a high-quality result can be obtained even at ISO 6400.

The camera records high-quality videos at a maximum resolution of 1920x1080 pixels at up to 60 fps (in progressive scan — up to 30 fps). Using the XAVC S codec opens up wide possibilities in video post-processing. The maximum recording time for clips is limited to 29 minutes.

The cost of the camera, although it is rather big, nevertheless fully corresponds to the features provided. It is designed "for growth" — after a while you will not run into serious restrictions and will be able to satisfy absolutely all your needs in amateur filming.