Digital SLR: How to buy the best digital SLR Choosing the best digital SLR
A digital SLR can help you to take superb photos, and there are cheaper entry-level models to consider as well as more expensive advanced DSLRs
Getting started with buying a digital SLR
If you’re keen to have more manual control over your photos and you want the best possible picture quality, there’s no substitute for a digital SLR.
Whether you’re looking for a top-of-the-range consumer model or a more affordable entry-level digital SLR, there are plenty of options to choose from, and it's worth being sure before investing your money.
We have reviews of the best digital SLRs based on our extensive lab testing to help you pick the right camera for your needs.
To find digital SLR reviews of cameras with specific features, try using our handy digital SLRs compare features and prices tool. This lets you select digital SLRs:
- by price
- by manufacturer
- by megapixel count
- by weight
- with HD movie modes
- with Live View screens
The advantages of shooting with a digital SLR
Though compact digital cameras let you take good shots in most situations, a digital SLR can help you get the best out of digital photography.
Versatility
A key difference between a digital SLR and a compact digital camera is that on a digital SLR you can change the lens.
Specialised lenses designed for certain types of photography produce strikingly better results than the standard lenses on compact digital cameras.
You can buy lenses to give you different zoom ranges and higher levels of picture quality than standard cameras. Some lenses are very expensive, but the image quality they can produce is stunning.
Speed and convenience
Digital SLRs are very fast in operation – far quicker than compact cameras. Turn them on, and most are ready to shoot almost instantly.
Shutter delay, that bane of photographers, is shorter (especially if a high-quality lens is fitted), and the time between shots in both burst mode and in single-shot mode is quicker, too – some digital SLRs can take between three and eight shots per second.
Extra manual controls
Digital SLRs have more buttons and dials on the body to help you change settings quickly and easily. This is a key advantage when you have only a short time to take your shot.
With a digital SLR, you can change virtually every setting on the camera before taking a picture – this helps you capture a shot as accurately as possible, or to take highly stylised photos with your own artistic interpretation of a scene.
Though they're heavier than pocketable cameras, many people find DSLRs easier to hold thanks to their ergonomic design and comfortable handgrips.
It's handy to have a compact camera as a backup to a DSLR
Reviews of the best digital cameras
There are times when digital SLR photography may not be ideal, and in these situations it helps to have a quality compact digital camera as well. Our expert camera reviews and advice can help you to take the hassle out of buying a digital camera.
We have reviews of almost 300 digital cameras, with each model put through our rigorous Which? tests to help you buy with confidence.
We test each camera for picture quality, ease of use, battery life and more, so check our Which? reviews of the best digital cameras to help you choose the right model for you.