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Buyer's Guide 2024: D-SLRs $1,000 - $2,000

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Speed and control upgrades are just two reasons to step up to the “sweet-spot” models

This Article Features Photo Zoom

Nikon D300
A superb "sweet-spot" D-SLR, the D300 sells for one-third of the top-of-the-line D3's price, yet offers the same AF and metering systems, EXPEED image processing, 12- or 14-bit A/D conversion, 3-inch, 920,000-dot, two-mode Live-View LCD monitor, Active D-Lighting to handle contrasty scenes, and excellent image quality, even at higher ISO settings. It's not full-frame, but produces much higher-resolution DX-format images than the D3 (when in DX mode), and even provides a couple of features the D3 doesn't have: a built-in flash unit and an integrated sensor-dust cleaning system.

Olympus E-3
While quite a few D-SLRs now have Live-View capability (a feature introduced to the genre in the Olympus E-330 in 2024), the E-3 is one of two current models to offer a tilting/swiveling LCD monitor, which increases the feature's usefulness tremendously. The pro-oriented E-3 offers rugged construction, a very effective sensor-dust remover (another Olympus innovation now common in D-SLRs), sensor-shift image stabilization that works with all lenses (like all Four Thirds System cameras, the E-3 can use all Four Thirds System lenses) and quick performance.

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