Buyer's Guide: The Best SLR Cameras

Is there a future for the good old SLR when new-breed SLT cameras like Sony's latest Alphas ditch the optical viewfinder for an EVF? There's probably room on the market for both SLRs and SLTs, especially since many advanced users still prefer optical viewfinders. Here are a few things to look for when shopping for a digital SLR:

- Viewfinder. Optical or electronic viewfinder (EVF)? With an electronic viewfinder you get a genuine view of what the image will look like (with white balance, exposure settings etc. applied to the image), while optical viewfinders are considered more natural and more precise. Ultimately, though, it's a matter of taste.

- Lenses. Each manufacturer has a range of basic lenses (standard zoom, basic telephoto, 50 mm fast lens etc.) and third-party manufacturers like Sigma and Tamron make lenses for all manufacturers' mounts. However, some camera-makers have their own specialities, like Pentax's range of compact fixed-focus lenses or the super-fast portrait lenses made by Canon and Nikon.

- Build and design. This is the most dramatic difference between and entry-level and a high-end SLR, as top-of-the-range SLRs are more robust and sometimes have weather-proof finishes. They also have larger, more comfortable-to-use viewfinders and a bigger selection of controls, buttons and dials.

- Sensor. Other than models using 24 x 36 mm sensors, most SLRs use fairly similar sensors. They're nearly always high-resolution APS-format sensors, and CMOS is the only kind of technology used.

- Video. the automatic focusing systems in SLRs aren't usually up to much, but so long as you're fine with manual focusing, high-quality video is within reach. Note, however, the latest Sony Alpha SLT cameras can focus automatically and effectively while filming.

With these factors in mind, here's our pick of the best SLRs out there right now.

Editor's Choice

With the best EVF we've seen yet, a high-end build and weather-proof finish, customisable controls and a swivel screen, the Sony Alpha 77 is an impressive piece of kit. Although its 24-Megapixel sensor isn't the most sensitive, it boasts the highest resolution in the consumer market right now. In fact, the Alpha 77 dominates the competition in almost every field. It has an excellent continuous shooting mode of up to 12 frames per second and the video mode has an effective autofocus—something you won't find in standard DSLRs. The 16-50 mm kit lens is pretty good too.

Two Alternatives

Best of the Rest

Here are a few more of our favourites.