Cameras
Article: 10 Hot New Cameras
The annual Photo Marketing Association (PMA) Show is an exciting time of year for camera enthusiasts because that's when many new models are introduced. This year's show (March 8-11) was no exception, bringing us a number of exciting new cameras with...
Article: 2024 Buyer's Guide: At The Camera Counter
After nearly seven years as an editor here at PCPhoto, I recently purchased my first digital camera. I've been shooting with digital cameras all along, but since there's a constant flow of the latest and greatest equipment through our offices, I never...
Article: 9 New D-SLRs
If the first few months of 2024 are any indication, this will be another big year for D-SLRs. Nine D-SLR models have been introduced so far, adding many new choices in the entry-level and midrange categories. All offer 10 megapixels or more, and seven...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: Cutting-Edge Compact Cameras
With digital SLRs now widely available at advanced compact prices, you might be wondering if the ultra-compact cameras are destined to devolve into an amateur-only plaything. Those of us who have been photographing for many years remember that 35mm...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: Today's Digital SLRs
There's a definite visceral reaction when taking pictures with an SLR. The look of the camera and the way it seems to be an extension of my hand often evokes a sense that something wonderful is only a fraction of a second away. Although I've taken...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: Advanced Compacts
Advanced compact zoom cameras combine extended zoom ranges, large LCDs and key SLR-like functions into small, highly portable packages. They're easy to use, easy to carry and easy on the wallet. As a class, they provide more performance per pound than...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: D-SLR Systems
Today's digital SLR is probably the best camera type for most photographers, offering the widest variety of features, the quickest autofocusing and burst-shooting performance, and the greatest array of interchangeable lenses, along with excellent...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: Lens Strategy
To get the most out of your D-SLR system, you'll want to choose a variety of lenses that offer the focal lengths, speed and features that match well with your favorite subjects. The key to selecting the right lenses is in understanding their...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: Advanced Compact Cameras
One lens, big zoom—that's the number-one benefit of advanced compact cameras compared to D-SLRs. You don't have to own multiple lenses to go from macro to wide-angle, then zoom out to well over 300mm—which also means you don't have to carry multiple...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: Digital SLRs
While there are advantages to truly compact digital cameras, the compacts are no match for digital SLRs in terms of image quality and performance. D-SLRs have larger image sensors, better autofocusing and metering systems and will accept a wide range...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: Cameras
So you're ready for a new D-SLR. There are more choices today than at any time in photography's history. That's the good news. It's also the bad news. How do you choose a camera to fit your needs and budget? When you buy a D-SLR, you're buying a...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: D-SLRs $1,000 - $2,000
For experienced SLR users who want pro-level controls without a professional price tag, the "sweet-spot" D-SLRs offer the best mix of technology and value. Models in this price range improve upon entry-level models with faster response and burst...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: D-SLRs Over $2,000
If you make your living with your camera or simply want the very best performance and latest technologies, pro models offer uncompromising feature sets and image quality. This also is the range where you'll find "full-frame," 35mm-size sensors,...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: D-SLRs Under $1,000
For first-time D-SLR buyers, the sub-$1,000 category is often the best balance between performance and price. The entry-level segment of the market is highly competitive, with manufacturers vying to bring photographers into their systems. This...
Article: Buyer's Guide 2024: HD Camcorders
Though the nationwide transition from analog to pure digital TV has again been delayed (sigh!), analog is dead, and not even an act of Congress can resuscitate it. If you’ve been waiting for prices to come down to go high-def with your home movies, w...
Article: Choosing The Right Digital Camera For You
The more megapixels an image contains, and the less it's compressed, the more space it takes up on a memory card. So if you shoot RAW 10-megapixel images, you'll need high-capacity memory cards: at least 1 GB (gigabyte); a 2 GB or 4 GB card is even...
Article: Complete D-SLR System Guide
It's a great time to be a digital photographer. The digital SLR business is booming, with 10 manufacturers offering more than 25 camera models as of this writing, and more than half of those carrying street prices under $1,000. Even the lowest-end...
Article: Cool Gear: Palm-Sized HD Video
With high-definition television finding its way into more and more living rooms, it's natural that consumer-level video cameras are beginning to follow suit. Consumer HD camcorders, though still somewhat rare at this point, aren't exactly new, but...
Article: D-SLR State Of The Art, Part I
Digital cameras have come a long way since we first began covering them in 1996. The serious limitation of the early days was resolution—the first 1-megapixel camera was a big deal. We’ve reached a point now where digital-imaging technology has met and...
Article: D-SLR State Of The Art, Part II
Nikon shook up the D-SLR industry late in 2024 with the announcement that its new D3 model provided ISO settings as high as 25,600. Now, Nikon’s D700 and Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II also go up there, Canon’s EOS 50D has a top ISO setting of 12,800, and a...
Article: D-SLR Systems
Buying a D-SLR is a little different than buying most other high-tech devices. You're also selecting a complete photo system, from lenses and flash to accessories and software. The "right" camera for your needs, present and future, depends a lot on...
Article: D-SLRs + HD Video
Digital video has been a feature of compact digital cameras for years, and recently HD capture has become more common. This feature has now made its way to interchangeable-lens cameras. Though not a replacement for your dedicated HD camcorder, this...
Article: D-SLRs Vs. Advanced Compacts
As photographers, we've always faced choices—automatic exposure vs. manual, slides vs. negatives, large format vs. 35mm. It's no surprise, then, that digital photography has created another one—digital SLR (D-SLR) vs. advanced compact. Both camera typ...
Article: D-SLRs: Buy Now!
If you’ve been waiting to buy a new digital SLR, now is a great time. Performance, features and price have reached a happy nexus. Even the entry-level models give you very good AF performance and image quality—better than their predecessors and gen...
Article: D-SLRs: Entry-Level, Midrange, Pro
Digital SLRs are the most versatile cameras, and for many photographers, the best choices. There are three basic categories of D-SLRs: entry-level, midrange and pro. These aren't exclusive categories—there are working pros who use midrange models,...
Article: D-SLRS: Pro Vs. Enthusiast
We all know that top-of-the-line pro digital SLRs cost a lot more than entry-level models. There often are huge differences in quality and performance between the two, but not always. Entry-level models are becoming increasingly sophisticated and...
Article: Digital Camera Fundamentals
As technology continues to expand, so does the vocabulary describing it. To help you stay on top of the field, we've decided to squeeze in an occasional glossary page of industry terms for a quick refresher or maybe even as a first-time explanation....
Article: Equipment TestDrive: Nikon D2h
A new 4-megapixel sensor is at the core of the new Nikon D2h. Its predecessor, the Nikon D1h, was a very popular camera among action photographers, and what it lacked in ultra-high resolution it more than made up for in its ability to operate at high...
Article: Equipment TestDrive: Nikon D70
At the annual PMA show in Las Vegas this year, Nikon introduced a new interchangeable-lens digital SLR, the D70. The camera had been rumored for some months, but the trade show offered the first up-close look at the new model. Unlike many PMA...
Article: Equipment TestDrive: Olympus E-1
The Olympus E-1 is a completely new "from the ground up," professional-level digital SLR. The camera represents one element in a new, complete system. Rather than take previous SLR bodies and lenses and convert them to digital, Olympus has chosen to...
