{"id":12146,"date":"2019-05-06T12:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apogeephoto.com\/?p=12146"},"modified":"2019-04-26T16:39:40","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T16:39:40","slug":"best-dslr-camera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apogeephoto.com\/best-dslr-camera\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Choosing the Best DSLR Camera"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"best<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re making the first move up from a smartphone or wanting to trade in a consumer-level camera for a professional warhorse, our guide to purchasing the best DSLR camera will equip you with all the necessary knowledge to choose the right model for your exact needs and budget.
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As Mirrorless cameras have increased in both potency and popularity in recent years, DSLR manufacturers have been forced to make their products more appealing and accessible to new photographers. This means that it\u2019s now possible to pick up a good quality DSLR for less than $500.
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Meanwhile, sub-$1K DSLRs often come with the same high-quality image sensors as their cheaper brethren, plus a whole bunch of luxury extras to boot. Similar changes have taken place in higher price brackets too, with a full-frame DSLR now more accessible than ever. At the same time, more expensive flagship models now pack incredible speed and resolution in a single slick machine.
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Our guide to choosing the best DSLR camera will help you to work out which are the most important functions and features for the style of photography you want to shoot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Look for When Choosing a DSLR: Photographic Consideration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Image Quality<\/strong>
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This guide is written on the assumption that if you are, say, considering moving up to a DSLR from either a point-and-shoot camera or a smartphone, then it\u2019s because you want to take better photos. Meanwhile, if you already have an entry-level DSLR but are looking to trade it in for something more powerful, it\u2019s likely for the same reason: better photos.
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Although \u201cbetter photos\u201d can mean a whole variety of different things, considerations such as better composition, better exposure, or better content depend entirely upon you, the photographer. Consequently, a change of camera will make no difference to your photography in these areas.
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Instead, the primary way in which your photography will benefit from purchasing a new DSLR is simply in terms of the quality of the files that the camera is capable of producing. For this reason, our number one criteria when evaluating which is the best DSLR camera to buy – at any price level – has to be image quality. Several factors are contributing to image quality. Let\u2019s take a look at each of these in turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensor Format<\/strong>
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In general, the bigger a camera\u2019s sensor, the better the quality of files it will produce. A DSLR camera with a \u201cfull frame\u201d sensor (i.e., one equivalent to the size of a 35mm film negative) will make better quality images than one with a \u201ccropped\u201d sensor. Sadly though, it will probably be a few more years before any DSLR with a full frame sensor falls into the \u201cunder $500\u201d price bracket. This means that anyone looking to produce files of a maximum possible resolution will need to put aside a considerably higher budget.
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Having said this, there are various degrees of sensor cropping, and even an entry-level DSLR with a cropped sensor will probably have a much bigger sensor than the one in your smartphone or compact camera. Ultimately then, you will need to find a balance between sensor-size and cost that you are happy to live with.
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Sensor size doesn\u2019t only make a difference to image quality though: it also influences the look of your photos in terms of depth-of-field. More precisely, the larger the sensor, the shallower a depth-of-field the camera will be capable of producing.
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A camera with a large sensor will of course also permit you to shoot using a deep depth-of-field if you wish (by shutting down the lens aperture). But the reverse is not true for cameras with smaller sensors: a photo shot on a full-frame DSLR using a standard lens at f\/1.8 will display a much shallower depth-of-field than one shot on a cropped-frame camera at the same settings and with an equivalent lens. And if f\/1.8 is the maximum aperture for that lens, there\u2019s nowhere else for your small-sensor camera to go in order to narrow the depth-of-field further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Megapixels<\/strong>
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Another major contributor to the quality of digital files is the number of megapixels a camera\u2019s sensor is capable of capturing. To put things very simply: the higher the number of megapixels, the better quality the image.
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In reality, things aren\u2019t quite as straightforward as this though. Indeed pixel-count taken in total isolation is almost meaningless. Instead, we first need to know the size of the sensor (see above), as a bigger sensor trumps pixel-count. So, for example, a lower pixel-count on a full-frame sensor may well produce better quality images than a higher pixel-count on a cropped-frame sensor.
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Nonetheless, the fact is that most entry-level DSLRs use the same APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)  sensors. So despite the above caveat about pixel-count generally not being a foolproof way of judging image quality, in the case of entry-level DSLRs<\/em> the number of megapixels a camera produces is <\/em>going to be the primary indicator regarding differences in quality between one camera and another.
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In short, entry-level DSLRs usually have the same size sensors, so in this case, we can largely ignore that issue and look solely at the pixel-count instead.
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Once we move up to more expensive cameras though – where full-frame becomes perhaps not the norm, but certainly fairly common – increased pixel counts will start to make a difference in terms of quality. Indeed, the absolute top-end of the DSLR format, with pixel counts edging close to 3 digits, can actually compete with some medium format cameras in terms of resolution. This despite a full-frame 35mm image sensor being relatively tiny when compared to even the smallest medium format camera sensor.
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Finally, it\u2019s worth bearing in mind that although a higher number of megapixels will translate into improved image resolution, it will often also mean a greater risk of digital noise. Particularly at higher ISOs. So, depending on the specific camera we\u2019re talking about, and your own shooting needs (long-exposure night photography? Or only in the studio using a flash?) sometimes an overly high pixel-count can even be something to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AA Filters and Sharpness<\/strong>
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Moir\u00e9 patterning is a kind of visual interference that can occur when photographing certain types of geometric grids or patterns, especially when two or more instances of the same pattern are overlaid (for example, when photographing a chain link fence). In order to combat this, many cameras come with an anti-aliasing filter. Unfortunately, AA filters not only reduce the risk of moir\u00e9 but also tend to reduce the sharpness of the image as well.
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While far from rare, moir\u00e9 patterning is not such a common occurrence either, and it\u2019s likelihood decreases as image resolution increases. It can also be removed using skillful retouching in Photoshop if necessary. Consequently, most professional photographers prefer to risk moir\u00e9 in order to gain the extra image sharpness provided by a camera without an AA-filter. For novices, though, the extra work involved in fixing moir\u00e9 in post production may be more than they are willing or able to do.
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When it comes to AA-filters, there is a considerable amount of variation between DSLRs at all price levels. Some have them, and some do not. And a few cameras even allow the user to turn the filter off and on for themselves.
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It\u2019s of course up to you which kind of camera you go for. But as your primary reason for purchasing a DSLR is in the first place is likely to be image quality, we would encourage you to live dangerously and go for the greater degree of sharpness provided by a camera without an AA-filter. Occasionally losing a shot to moir\u00e9 is a small price to pay for improved image sharpness overall. Otherwise, hedge your bets, and go for a camera providing both options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ISO and Noise<\/strong>
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A camera capable of shooting at a higher ISO will permit you to take photos handheld in low lighting situations where a lower-specced camera would not be able to produce an image at all without a tripod. Clearly a camera capable of high-ISO shooting offers a real advantage.
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However, as faster ISOs are usually accompanied by a corresponding increase in digital noise, it\u2019s evident that these two issues must be considered in relation to one another. Let\u2019s put it this way: it\u2019s all very well that a certain camera\u2019s high ISO range may permit shooting well-exposed images in extremely low-light situations, but if this increased light sensitivity has been achieved by comprising on digital noise, then the files the camera produces might be so pixelated as to be virtually unusable.
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Effectively, then, there comes the point where, yes, you might be able to take the photo, but the compromise in image quality would be just too great for it to be worth bothering. At precisely which ISO this point occurs will vary considerably from one model of DSLR to another, so research this area thoroughly if you plan on doing a lot of handheld low-light photography. High ISOs with low noise: good. High ISOs with a lot of noise: of little practical use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dynamic Range<\/strong>
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Dynamic range refers to a sensor\u2019s ability to capture information at the extremes of lightness and darkness. If a camera\u2019s dynamic range is limited, high contrast scenes (i.e., ones in which there is a considerable difference in exposure between the lightest and darkest areas) will be poorly rendered, with shadow areas entirely black and lacking in detail, while highlight areas will \u201cburn out\u201d to white. Carefully check a camera\u2019s reported dynamic range before purchasing as this can make an enormous difference to the quality of your images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RAW<\/strong>
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RAW files are uncompressed digital images containing all the information captured by the camera at the moment of pressing the shutter. If you care about image quality, you should always shoot in RAW format, as this way you preserve the maximum amount of information possible. Conversely, if you shoot your photos as JPEGs, a file format that has by definition been compressed, a degree of data will be lost. In any case, RAW files can be converted into JPEGs later for ease of use (but conversely, JPEGs can never become high-resolution RAW files).
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Thankfully, almost every DSLR on the market now supports shooting in RAW format, so this is not the issue it was just a few years ago when some cameras still didn\u2019t offer this feature. Nonetheless, you should be aware that if you were to go to the expense of purchasing a DSLR only to then shoot in a format other than high-resolution RAW files, you would be significantly compromising the quality of your photos. In which case, it might have been almost the same if you\u2019d just continued using the camera on your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Look for When Choosing a DSLR: Speed and Ease of Use<\/strong>
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Of course, beyond the quality and resolution of the image files themselves, it\u2019s also important to consider your ability to capture the kind of images you want to shoot and your user experience as a photographer. Several factors might make one model of a camera a real joy to work with while using another leads to little but frustration and missed shots. Here are a few of the more important points to take into account when choosing the best DSLR for your needs: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autofocus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Autofocus has improved massively in speed and accuracy in recent years, to the point that most modern cameras do a great job of this – at least in good lighting conditions. Sure, some cameras are clearly better at focusing than others, but very few will hold you back because of poor AF performance.
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In any case, I\u2019ve seen photographers with state-of-the-art professional cameras who can\u2019t seem to get more than about 20% of their images in focus, and then others using very basic old cameras who somehow manage to get nearly everything they shoot completely sharp in all the right places. More AF points and greater speed can certainly help to improve accuracy, but don\u2019t feel like you won\u2019t be able to take good pictures just because you don\u2019t have a camera with 3 billion AF points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burst Shooting Rate<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with autofocus, when it comes to a moving subject, a faster continuous shooting rate will increase the likelihood of you getting the shot. But plenty of amazingly-timed photos were captured with just a single click: Cartier Bresson didn\u2019t have anything more than his thumb to advance the film, and yet that didn\u2019t stop him from shooting some of the most memorable \u201cdecisive moments\u201d in history.
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Of course, this is not an argument for refusing to make use of technological advances. But to say that, although a camera with a fast burst rate can be handy, you can still take good photos without one.
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RAW Buffer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Got lighting fast AF and near-video-speed burst rates? Great. But it won\u2019t do you a whole lot of good if the camera can\u2019t process all that data quickly enough to keep up. The speed of the camera\u2019s processor will become particularly critical when shooting high-resolution RAW files (which should be nearly all the time), as the relatively large memory footprint of these files can be a significant drain on processing resources.
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This means that, even if your camera is capable of shooting many frames in sequence at a high speed, if the camera has a slow processor it will eventually \u201cjam\u201d while all that data is being digested. And if this occurs right when the real action begins, you\u2019ve missed the shot.
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For a photographer who will primarily be shooting just landscapes, still-life, or slow and considered portraits, buffer speed isn\u2019t a major concern. But for sports, action, wildlife, and indeed any situation where speed is of the essence, a slow buffer can be a real drag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Look for When Choosing a DSLR: Other Considerations<\/strong>
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The features we look at in this section are ones that will make precisely zero difference to the quality of the images a camera is capable of producing. However, depending on your needs and shooting style, such considerations may make a considerable amount of difference to your experience as a user, so they are certainly not to be ignored. Decide for yourself which – if any – you really need, and which you can happily live without.
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First, though, let\u2019s talk money!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When choosing a camera, the first non-photographic point to consider is price. We\u2019ve divided this guide into three price brackets:
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– Best DSLR Under $500<\/strong>
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– Best DSLR Under $1,000<\/strong>
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– Best DSLR $1,000 and Upwards<\/strong>
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You might already have a clear idea of your budget, in which case you can skip ahead to the relevant section and ignore the rest. Others may be more concerned about finding the camera that best meets their needs, and willing to pay out whatever amount of money it takes to get it. Here you\u2019ll probably want to read through all sections, as in fact \u201cthe best DSLR\u201d can vary widely depending on each photographer\u2019s requirements and doesn\u2019t always mean the most expensive camera available.
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Whatever your budget though, it\u2019s essential to be clued up about what your money can potentially buy, and the kind of features you can realistically expect to find on a camera within this price range.
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For example, while we have several great recommendations for DSLRs under $500, this is already quite a restricted budget, and so the features on offer tend not to vary too widely within this category. What\u2019s more, given that prices here have already been pushed down to the minimum, there\u2019s not an enormous degree of saving to be made by shopping around between different models and manufacturers within this category either.
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Sure, you might be able to save up to $100 between one model and another or get some extra items thrown in as part of a kit deal, which certainly isn\u2019t to be sniffed at. But given that we\u2019ve already confined our Best DSLR Under $500 shortlist to quite narrow parameters as it is, you should probably choose a camera more because it offers the features you need than because it will save you a few extra dollars.
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In the $500 to $1,000 range, you, of course, have much more choice. And there can be a lot of variation in the features offered here. However, within this price bracket, the differences tend to be more in the area of convenience and user experience than in terms of image quality.
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We would go as far as to say that if you already own a DSLR costing under $500, and are primarily looking to move up to a camera that will allow you to produce better quality images, then you\u2019ll probably need to skip the $500 to $1,000 range altogether. This is because cameras in the $500 to $1,000 price bracket tend to come with the same sensors as those costing less than $500, but with the increased retail price instead justified by the addition of \u201cluxuries\u201d such as WiFi, Bluetooth, better LCDs, faster autofocus, and perhaps a degree of weatherproofing. Again, all useful additions, and certainly legitimate reasons to choose a camera in this price range, but just not factors that will make the blindest bit of difference to image quality.
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Once you move over $1,000 though, the sky\u2019s the limit. Here you can find everything from relatively basic cameras with full frame sensors for maximum image quality on a budget, through to the top of the range models combining both image quality and speed with durability and the latest video technologies. Naturally, there can be a massive jump in price between the former and latter types of camera. However, we group these models because anyone thinking to spend more than $1,000 on a camera will likely already be quite serious about photography and therefore probably more willing to invest and to purchase exactly the tool they need, regardless of cost.
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If you\u2019re lucky, your needs can be met by moving only a short way into this category: say $1,500. For those with more exacting demands, however, be prepared to pay out several times more than this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connectivity<\/strong>
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Despite everything we\u2019ve just said about pricing being somewhat similar between entry-level DSLRs, if there\u2019s one way you can<\/em> save a bit of money in this price bracket it\u2019s by sacrificing on connectivity. And, as this is an area that really will make no difference to the quality of the photos you can shoot, if you\u2019re on a shoestring budget, then connectivity is probably the first thing to sacrifice.
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Mind you, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth can be pretty useful to have, so no doubt a lot of people will consider the extra expense involved in getting a camera with these features to be fully justified. Just remember that lack of Bluetooth and WiFi will not stop you from using any features of your DSLR (aside from perhaps remote triggering of the shutter), but instead makes it a slower process to download your files from the camera once you have shot them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video<\/strong>
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For those only interested in stills photography, the video quality will be largely irrelevant. For others, video performance may be the primary reason they are considering buying a DSLR in the first place. If video is important to you, be sure to look for a camera capable of shooting full HD 1080p video, and preferably at higher frame rates of 60 fps or more. Also, check that the camera has a stereo mic socket and a mini-jack output for monitoring audio as you record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LCD<\/strong>
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Another area where some slight savings can be made when purchasing an entry-level DSLR – and without compromising image quality – is in regards to the LCD screen.
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Articulating touch screens are pretty handy, especially if you\u2019ll ever want to film yourself (i.e., for vlogging), as they allow you to monitor and control focus as you shoot. For those only interested in stills photography, touch-focus and the ability to fold out the LCD offer no great advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flash<\/strong>
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If you want to shoot with flash, then clearly a camera that comes with a good built-in flash could make a huge difference to your photography. Arguably, then, flash should go in the Photographic Considerations section rather than here.
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However, the reason we\u2019ve put flash in the \u201cOther Considerations\u201d section is that flashes that are built directly into cameras tend not to be all that powerful. So if flash photography really is important to you, then you\u2019ll probably want to invest in an external flash anyway.
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Nonetheless, a built-in flash can be very handy. Mainly if flash is something you\u2019ll use very occasionally and therefore can\u2019t justify carrying an external one around with you on the off chance that it will be useful once in a blue moon.
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It\u2019s worth noting that the more a camera is geared towards the professional market, the less likely it is to come with a built-in flash. Unusually then, this is a feature you\u2019re more likely to find on a camera the less<\/em> money you spend. The reason for this is because manufacturers assume that a pro photographer who needs flash will purchase a more powerful external model, in which case there\u2019s little point in adding a built in flash to the camera itself. Meanwhile, more casual users may not want to use flash all that often, and will likely be less concerned with the quality of results when they do, so a small pop-up flash can be of use on consumer models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Batteries<\/strong>
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Some camera batteries seem to keep on going, while others barely last a whole day. Your photos won\u2019t be any the worse for purchasing a camera with poor battery life, but if the battery goes dead before you even get a chance to take the photo then clearly this will not be at all good for your photography.
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In any case, you\u2019ll likely want to invest in a spare battery. But if you shoot a lot, and frequently travel to more remote locations, the difference between one battery and another can mean several hundred extra shots in the bag before the camera shuts down on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best DSLR Cameras Under $500<\/strong>
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For those making their first step up from either smartphone photography or shooting on a compact camera, the leap to a DSLR will move your photography ahead light-years. Here\u2019s our recommendations of some of the best DSLR cameras currently available for less than $500<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1. Nikon D3300<\/strong>
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\"Nikon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

+ Amazing price
+ High quality 24.2-megapixel image sensor
+ Small and Lightweight
+ Full HD 1080p video at 60 frames per second
+ 5 fps burst rate<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– No internal WiFi (optional extra)
– 3″ screen is non-touch, non-articulating
– Only 95% viewfinder coverage
– Only 11 AF points
– Slow RAW buffer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll find that the Nikon D3300<\/a> has consistently topped polls of the best entry-level DSLRs. Not only that, but the D3300 often comes out pretty high even on lists of the best DSLRs at any<\/em> price point. What\u2019s all the fuss about?
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Well, firstly, we should make it clear that this isn\u2019t because the D3300 is so incredibly feature-packed that it can compete with an all-the-bells-and-whistles DSLR costing twice the price. And nor is it because the D3300 produces such amazingly high-resolution images that it makes a viable alternative to a full-frame DSLR.
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Instead, the reason people like this camera so much is that it provides pretty much everything a photographer really needs<\/em> in order to be able to take decent quality photos. And it does so at a very accessible price point.
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So what does the D3300 offer in the way of features? Well, beyond a very respectable 24.2-megapixel sensor, what really got people excited about this camera when it was released was the removal of the anti-aliasing filter.
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Prior to the D3300, all entry-level DSLRs used AA-filters to reduce the risk of moir\u00e9 patterning. Because the likelihood of moir\u00e9 drops as pixel-count rises, some pro-level cameras had already done away with the AA-filter. But on entry-level cameras, the AA-filter had always been considered essential. However, as the D3300 was offering a remarkably high-resolution sensor for its time, Nikon decided that the AA-filter could be removed here too.
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Why is this so important to us? Well, as mentioned above, AA-filters have an unfortunate side effect: they render photos less-sharp. So the result of removing the AA-filter was an entry-level camera that produces photos as sharp as professional models. Nice!
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Of course, with its cropped-sensor, photos taken using the D3300 are never going to be of the absolute highest quality and resolution. For most people\u2019s purposes, they\u2019ll be plenty good enough.
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No, you don\u2019t get anything in the way of convenient features such as WiFi or GPS; but lack of connectivity won\u2019t stop you from taking good photos. Sure, the D3300\u2019s burst shooting rates are positively pathetic when compared with modern pro-level DSLRs; but this just means you\u2019ll need to learn to choose the moment you press the shutter more carefully. Not a bad thing.
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Also, being so stripped back and simple in its functions, there\u2019s little to distract and confuse the novice photographer. Not only that, but the lack of whiz-bang features means that users have to do most of the hard work themselves, instead of leaving the camera to do everything for them on autopilot. These two points go a long way towards explaining why you so often see the D3300 (and its successor, the D3400) in school photography departments worldwide: it\u2019s just a fantastic learning tool.
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If this is your first foray into DSLR photography, you could do a lot worse than the Nikon D3300<\/a>. If your budget is also tight, or you\u2019re not yet sure whether DSLR photography is really for you, this is the only<\/em> DSLR camera to go for. In fact, even after several years on the market, we\u2019d argue that the D3300 fully retains its crown as the best DSLR camera under $500.
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\n \n \"Nikon\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n Nikon D3300 w\/ AF-P DX 18-55mm VR Digital SLR - Black <\/a>\n
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