• Five SLRs, Five Makers, Five Reasons to Stop EatingPosted August 31st, 2009 At 11:53 am By MTV ASIA

    … and start saving up. It’s the last quarter of the year and consumer electronics companies are vying against each other to get you (yes, you) to take your pick of any one of their new offerings during the Christmas spending spree.

    We’ve got five digital SLRs so new you can tell which factory line they came off just by sniffing them. Personally — I’d love one or two or five, but I don’t want to end up in the poor house so I’ll have to settle for pining over these lovelies.

    NIKON

    NIKON D3000

    Nikon D3000

    Okay — so the D300s is so much fancier, but the USD 1800 price tag is a little steep for a hobbyist like me. The cheap and cheerful D3000 is more my style, with its 10.2 megapixel sensor, autofocus system, and 18-55 Nikkor VR lens. A rock solid body coupled with easy-to-use controls will make it a great starting camera for people who want to take the first step beyond MYSPACE webcam photos and towards serious photography.

    Canon EOS 7D

    Still in the realm of rumour — but with product photos and spec sheets leaked out to major photography and gadget blogs worldwide, it’s only a matter of time till Canon confirms the release of the 7D. The 7D boasts of an 18 megapixel sensor under the hood, and can shoot with an ISO range from 100 to 6400. No word yet on the sticker price but the current price of the 5D could hint at an SRP for the 7D.

    Sony Alpha A500

    While they do have a huge cache in the compact camera market, Sony has yet to make a dent on the dominance of Nikon and Canon in the digital SLR market. It could, however, change with the release of the new Alpha series, with their entry level model the 12.3 megapixel A500 clocking in at just under USD 900. A small caveat exists for the Alpha, though — it cannot shoot video (why?!).

    Samsung WB5000

    And once again in the land of “No Official Comment.”, Samsung looks poised to release their own contender in the DSLR Olympics. Rumoured to possess a 12.5 megapixel sensor and full HD video shooting mode, the WB5000 will also have of the smallest bodies in the market. ETA on this small wonder is the end of the year, with no hints as to the possible SRP.

    Pentax K-7

    The USD 1300 SRP might scare away some people at first, but after glowing reviews from online photography blogs including WIRED Magazine’s, Pentax’ K-7 looks to be a good contender in the value-for-money market. Equipped with a 14.6 megapixel sensor and HD video capability, the K-7 packs in as many features as its higher-priced competition does in a surprisingly well-built shell. Hey, if it was good enough for WIRED, it’s good enough for me!

    • This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 11:53 am and is filed under Gadgets & Gaming. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


    10 Responses to “Five SLRs, Five Makers, Five Reasons to Stop Eating”

    1. ksolaris posted on August 31, 2009 at 12:20 pm

      I will happily starve for a DSLR of my own! Hehe. I’m partial to Canon products, though, so I wish they’d announce the SRP soon. ^_^

      Reply
      • rochelle posted on August 31, 2009 at 12:52 pm

        oh lol as hobbyist on her first SLR i have to give you a teensy warning: buying the kit is only the beginning! you also have to spring for additional lenses, a hot-shoe flash, padded camera bags, cleaning supplies, etc.

        i’m not trying to scare you off buying one — as a matter of fact i totally encourage you to get one (i’ll even help you pick out which model to purchase) as it is lots of fun and very satisfying to own and use. i just thought i’d mention something other camera owners seem to take for granted and forget to warn the newbies about :D

        Reply
    2. 3GmBrain posted on August 31, 2009 at 3:00 pm

      hmmmmm. Camera Diet! You get nearer to owning a SLR while getting thinner! (LOL) neat… :D .

      Reply
    3. dementedchris posted on August 31, 2009 at 4:15 pm

      Would you still consider the Canon 7D a mid-range camera?

      Reply
    4. Luna posted on September 6, 2009 at 8:11 am

      I’m partial to Canon cameras, with Nikon coming in a close second. I’ve tried using a Nikon D90, Canon 1000D and one of their earlier models of the D series. Still can’t decide but the Nikon here looks pretty sweet.

      Reply
      • rochelle posted on September 6, 2009 at 3:26 pm

        lol i prefer NIKON myself :) IMO it has more flexible options, and i also like the fact that NIKKOR lenses have been proven to be superior in batteries of tests.

        Reply

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