Photography is an art form, and one which we’ve arguably started to take a tad for granted.
Everyone has a camera in their pockets nowadays, and many of those cameras are halfway decent at taking pictures – but none are a patch on the industry standard. If you’re looking to take your picture-taking more seriously, you’ll want a DSLR. But where to start?
What does DSLR stand for?
DSLR stands for ‘Digital Single-Lens Reflex’, in reference to the camera’s form and operation.
DSLRs borrow their form and core aspects of their function from SLRs before them, film cameras which used a mirror to reflect the lens’ view upwards into a separate viewfinder pentaprism. The ‘D’ addition represents the replacement of analogue film with a light sensor – the type and fidelity of which can have dramatic impacts on the ‘feel’ of the pictures produced.
What should you look for in a DSLR?
Within the DSLR format, there are many variables to consider, like sensor type and size. But professional photographers have considerations beyond raw specs. “With regards to a DSLR, I always compare price, image quality and adaptability with lenses”, says Natasha Koziarska, a music and events photographer who has worked at gigs for the likes of Feeder, The Darkness and Shame.
“I find that I often stick with a brand that I know well, as the image tones and camera interface are familiar to me. Also, it means I can use my old lenses in a new camera!” This is because DSLRs are camera bodies, which receive different lenses for different styles of shooting; brands have their own proprietary lens mount designs, which can make using lenses from other brands less than ideal - even with an appropriate adapter.
“A bonus for me too is its weight,” adds Koziarska, “and how easy it is to handle over time.” Gigging photographers will become intimately aware of the weight of their gear, and extensive shoots with heavier equipment can work to the detriment of both shoot and shooter.
End of an era
The DSLR camera is an indispensable tool, but is one that faces stiff competition from an ever-evolving medium. Some say it is nearing the end of its life cycle all of which link back to technological evolution. Newer mirrorless cameras are lighter, higher-fidelity and quicker to shoot with, while smartphone manufacturers have gotten better at squeezing high-fidelity sensors into minuscule dimensions.
But none of these make the DSLR any less practical than it is as a format – and certain models of DSLR remain the gold standard for professional digital photography.
What it does mean is that new DSLR releases are fewer and farther between, as manufacturers turn their attention to the possibilities of new formats and technologies.
Best DSLR cameras to buy at a glance
- Best overall: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera - £1836.97, Currys
- Best for graduating from smartphone photography: Canon EOS 4000D DSLR Camera and EF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 III Lens - £379.90, Amazon
- Best for professional sports photography: Nikon D6 Digital SLR - £6,799, Camera World
- Best for a stepping-stone DSLR: Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera with 18-55mm DC Lens - £439.99, Argos
- Best for street photography: Nikon D780 Digital SLR - £1499, Amazon
- Best for quick snaps as a daily-driver DSLR: Pentax KF Digital SLR with DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR Lens - £700, Amazon
- Best for black and white photography: Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome - £1949, Park Cameras
- Best for starting out vlogging: Canon EOS 250D + Canon EF-s 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens - Black - £562, Amazon
- Best for ultra-modern features in a vintage-chic format: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV - £749, Amazon
- Best for wildlife photography: Nikon D850 Camera and 24-120mm VR Lens - £2,754, Amazon
As such, many of the products on this round-up have spent a fair bit of time on the market, some having been in production for nearly a decade. That they remain competitive and sought-after cameras in today’s landscape speaks volumes about their quality and performance. But of this large and storied crop, which should you consider for your own photographic pursuits?
We’ve rounded up the best below to check out.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera
Best: overall
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is an industry-standard professional DSLR, and amongst the longest-standing models in our list. For price and functionality it is difficult to beat.
A whopping 30.4MP CMOS sensor provides huge fidelity for the price, and its lightweight body makes it very easy to wield in any environment. The Mark IV has a vastly improved autofocus (AF) system, offers 4K video shooting and includes every physical connection you could ever want on the side of the chassis. The 5D, as with the majority of professional DSLRs, tends to ship body-only. As such, you’ll be expected to buy from a range of Canon lenses if you don’t already have a collection of compatible lenses to use.
However, the total cost of a working 5D rig still comes in well under the cost of some other top-of-range DSLR bodies alone – and the differences in the result are negligible for most use cases.
If you’re after a professional rig without fully breaking the bank, this will serve you for years to come.
Buy now £1836.97, Currys
Canon EOS 4000D DSLR Camera and EF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 III Lens
Best for: graduating from smartphone photography
The EOS 4000D is amongst Canon’s entry-level DSLR offerings, bringing a familiar form factor and versatile practicality to a crowded field.
With the swift advancement of sensor tech, entry-level products have enjoyed major leaps in resolution – the 4000D’s 18MP being plenty resolute for amateur and learner purposes, though still on the low side against more expensive models.
The budget price point means making some key concessions, one being the somewhat-limited ISO range, and another being the HD video quality (against 4K as contemporary standard elsewhere). If you’re not shooting film, though, the relative constraints of the 4000D won’t matter much – and the DSLR stands as an excellent step up from point-and-shoot or smartphone photography.
Buy now £379.90, Amazon
Nikon D6 Digital SLR
Best for: professional sports photography
The Nikon D6 is a true break-the-bank DSLR body, and an industry-standard camera for professional photographers accordingly.
Why? For starters, the D6’s auto-focus is lightning-quick and stunningly accurate, both necessities for high-stakes shooting environments like wildlife or sporting events.
Indeed, Nikon has exceeded itself in AF performance with the D6, defeating competitors and reducing barriers between shooter and money-shot. One-hundred-and-five focus points form a wide array, which can be used in a variety of different configurations and patterns to capture the shot you’re aiming for.
More generally, the D6’s deep feature set is impossible to condense into a matter of paragraphs, and altogether makes this camera a formidable piece of professional kit. The average or beginner photographer, however, may not necessarily notice the improvements that result from such features (outside of the keenest birdwatchers amongst us).
With this in mind, the D6 is best considered as a top-flight professional tool, as opposed to an everyday shooter.
Buy now £6799.00, Camera World
Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera with 18-55mm DC Lens
Best for: a stepping-stone DSLR
The Canon EOS 2000D is a relatively significant upgrade on its less-expensive, consumer-friendly 4000D. The auto-focus is the same basic system as the 4000D, with a nine-point array that targets subjects with austere effectiveness; the 2000D also still uses an APS-C sensor, but this time with a higher resolution of 24.1MP.
This DSLR remains hamstrung at HD video output, but is a considerable improvement in other ways. On the hardware front, it boasts a larger 3-inch LCD screen, making target acquisition and hip-shooting far easier to accomplish.
The 2000D is also more tactile and comfortable in the hand, with better-feeling rotary encoders on top and additional physical controls for the flash and viewfinder amongst others. The feature additions and improvements here are more than enough to justify the 2000D’s existence, and make it a great stepping-stone DSLR for new amateur photographers.
Buy now £439.99, Argos
Nikon D780 Digital SLR
Best for: street photography
Nikon’s D780 is a mid-weight professional DSLR, that brings trademark and top-flight capabilities into a lightweight and accessible body. The D780 is a development on the prior D750 model, bringing better video performance and a new, improved sensor.
The D780’s autofocus capabilities are particularly remarkable, with a 51-point Phase-Detection viewfinder AF system and a 273-point Hybrid AF system in the unit’s live view function – each of which works well in low-light conditions, and brings some of Nikon’s famed subject-tracking prowess to the table.
The D780’s full-frame sensor offers 24.5MP in resolution, which – in tandem with an advanced image processor, gives you a wide remit in terms of framing, exposure and lighting. This is a camera with tons going for it, but is especially suited to street photography or videography (and all the changeability the settings can bring!).
Buy now £1499.00, Amazon
Pentax KF Digital SLR with DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR Lens
Best for: quick snaps as a daily-driver DSLR
Against DSLR camera heavyweights Nikon and Canon, Pentax does not have a comparatively wide roster of DSLRs from which to choose. However, the few that Pentax do are choice – and the KF is arguably the most accessible of the bunch.
The Pentax KF is a ‘prosumer’ level DSLR, with an attractive sub-£800 price point, an array of user-friendly features and photographic results that trump immediate competitor models in the same price point. It is also one of the newer designs to come from the world of DSLRs, but retains a reassuring connection to the physical features of the old school.
The KF is a fresh iteration of an older Pentax DSLR, and one with a revamped autofocus – which shines the most when paired with Pentax’s newer motor-outfitted lenses. There’s also a nifty new articulable screen and some fun filtering options, though its video recording capabilities are a little behind its immediate competitors’. Buy the KF for an easy-to-use, quick-snapping daily driver.
Buy now £700.00, Amazon
Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome
Best for: black and white photography
Another option from the Pentax fold, this time staking a unique claim in a key niche in the photographic arts: black-and-white photography.
The Pentax K-3 Mark III is a dependable DSLR in its own right, and Pentax’s flagship with regard to APS-C sensor cameras. The standard edition is capable of taking some stunning colour photos, but the Monochrome edition swaps the CMOS sensor for a black-and-white one – a daring USP, but one which pays off.
The monochrome sensor provides extremely detailed brightness information for each pixel, producing a much sharper and more focused finished image than a converted colour image. Monochrome sensors do not require white balancing like colour ones do, so some features are removed entirely in favour of hardware buttons for accessing different functions.
The K3 Mark III Monochrome is well-outfitted and can be used as a quick shooter or an involved piece of kit. This adaptability earns it its value, and makes it well worth the purchase for advanced or enthusiast photographers.
Buy now £1949.00, Wex Photo Video
Canon EOS 250D + Canon EF-s 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens - Black
Best for: starting out vlogging
Canon’s EOS 250D is a step up from its four-digit-prefixed beginner range, with a small hike in price producing a significant difference in functionality.
The 250D shares a 24.1MP APS-C sensor with its little sibling, the 2000D, but professes enhanced DIPIC-8 image processing and improved 4K video resolution – and comes with a raft of physical benefits.
One such benefit is the articulable screen, which makes hip-fire shooting or self-shooting extremely easy. Between the adjustable screen, high video resolution and sub-£600 price, the EOS 250D has an edge over other budget DSLRs for those wanting to upgrade their content creation game. In short, this is the ideal starter camera for the budding vlogger.
Buy now £562.00, Amazon
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV
Best for: ultra-modern features in a vintage-chic format
Olympus is a camera brand better known for its quality compact and point-and-click designs, having cornered the digital market on chic, upmarket iterations of consumer-grade products (and building on a rich history of quality SLR camera manufacture too).
Towards the upper end of Olympus’ product range, things get even chic-er with the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. Breaking from the brief, this isn’t quite a DSLR camera; it’s a mirrorless camera, but one which mirrors the form and function of the DSLR camera in some useful and beautiful ways.
Where other DSLRs retain remaindered versions of the SLR’s traditional form, the E-M10 is a full-on SLR skeuomorph – with brushed metal and faux-leather finishes, knurled selector knobs and a stylish lens-remover switch that reminds of old-school SLR brands like Minolta, Praktica or, of course, Olympus. Ultimately, the E-M10 Mark IV combines vintage chic with extremely modern features. It looks iconic, and its pictures can make you feel iconic too.
Buy now £749.00, Amazon
Nikon D850 Camera and 24-120mm VR Lens
Best for: wildlife photography
The Nikon D850 is an industry-standard DSLR for good reason.
The D850 is exceedingly well-featured, stacked with a humongous 45.7MP CMOS sensor and 30fps 4K video recording. A large 3.2” tilting touchscreen makes hip-shooting a breeze, and navigating the D850’s more obscure preset functions easier than most.
The Brucie bonus here is that this body comes with a highly adaptable and expressive 24-120mm zoom lens, which can be used in a wide variety of different settings and makes it incredibly easy for you to hit the ground running. The detail this camera provides makes it an ideal piece of kit for nature and wildlife.
Buy now £2754.00, Amazon
Verdict
As far as price-accessible all-rounders are concerned, it is difficult to do much better than the Canon EOS 250D. It is a complete piece of kit, with a perfectly viable sensor and some impressive video-recording capabilities to boot.However, the best of the bunch is the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. The 5D inarguably delivers the best for its money, being a lightweight DSLR with a smorgasbord of smart features, and inarguably brilliant hard- and software at its core.
