If you already have lenses with a Pentax K, KA, KAF, or KAF2 mount and are looking to go digital, then the Pentax ist DL is an obvious choice.

Compact size ; simple controls ; good feature set

Images looked soft ; artifacts show up when shooting JPEGs

The ist DL is a very well designed camera. Offering a compact, yet comfortable body, the camera is small without feeling cramped. The build quality is excellent, with no creaking or flexing parts. A simple top-mounted LCD status display provides basic ...

The Canon EOS 30D is a welcome upgrade to an already great camera. The larger LCD screen and new features will directly affect everyday shooting, while the lower price tag will give you an extra $100 to spend on lenses.

Excellent interface ; large LCD screen ; new spot meter ; excellent image quality ; lower price than its predecessor

Auto-bracketing limited to three stops ; no external bracketing control

At first glance, the 30D looks exactly like its predecessor. The camera has the same control layout as the 20D, but a glance at the back of the camera reveals a 2.5-inch LCD screen--a marked improvement over the 20D's 1.8-inch screen

The Olympus Evolt E-330 is a good camera, but its standout feature-the LCD viewfinder-is not that useful. The biggest drawback to the E-330 is its price.

Includes LCD viewfinder ; small body ; good optics ; good image quality

Limited lens selection ; no LCD status display ; LCD screen is annoying when looking through the viewfinder ; no electronic image stabilization

With a 7.5-megapixel sensor (as opposed to the E-300's 8-megapixel sensor), the E-330 boasts an improved, slightly smaller body design, enhancements to a number of features, and an LCD screen that, in addition to functioning as a viewfinder, can be ...

Until now, the Canon 20D was the leading candidate to become my next digital SLR. But the D200's higher scores for color quality and exposure accuracy make it a tempting proposition as well.

GPS connectivity ; ability to shoot multiple exposures to the same image file ; intuitive controls ; very little image distortion ; good color quality ; accurate exposures

Huge selection of focusing options can be confusing ; color saturation was mixed and varied for some colors ; images somewhat underexposed in auto exposure settings

Nikon built the D200 with a beefy magnesium body that feels like something you could pound nails with. Nikon also loaded it with dedicated buttons and dials. The D200 is clearly a descendent of the D2X, though not quite as bulky. Even so, it still ...

If you're trying to choose between Nikon and Canon D-SLR cameras, the D50 might not be such an obvious winner. But if you have been wanting to go digital but haven't liked the high prices, the D50's sub-$1,000 sticker should make it a slam-dunk.

Sturdy design ; excellent image quality ; convenient size

Interlocked controls make changing parameters a hassle ; no depth-of-field preview button ; no backlight on the status LCD

Nikon offers the D50 body only for $819, the body and an 18-55mm lens for $900, or the body and both the 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses for $1,304, though street prices vary

The D70s is a very good camera, but it's not a very good value. If you already own Nikon lenses, then the D70s is an obvious choice. And if you don't, you'll want to handle it yourself to see if you like its feel better than the competition.

Good build quality ; excellent image quality ; full feature set ; quiet shutter

Operation requires two hands ; large body ; mediocre buffering ; high price for 6-megapixel resolution

When it comes to usability, the D70s differs from the Canon Digital Rebel XT, its main competitor, in one predominant way: all of its controls are interlocked. In other words, you can't change any camera setting without using at least two controls. ...

The ist DS is a well-made, attractive digital SLR camera that's comfortable to shoot with and offers a competitive feature list and interface.

Good build quality ; speedy buffering and file writing ; good feature set ; very good image quality when shooting in Raw mode ; well-designed control layout

Detail problems and over-saturation issues when shooting in JPEG mode ; lowest ISO speed is 200

The ist DS is very small and extremely light for an SLR. Though the ist has a plastic enclosure, it has a very sturdy feel with no creaking or squishing

The camera's feature set-combined with the vast assortment of available Canon mount lenses-make the Rebel XT the best choice so far in the sub-$1,000 digital-SLR market.

Excellent image quality ; full feature set ; speedy performance and good buffer size

No control interlocks ; body slightly too small

Just as the original Rebel was a scaled-down version of Canon's midrange camera at the time, the EOS 10D, the Rebel XT is a slightly lesser version of Canon's current midrange offering, the EOS 20D. Because the Rebel XT uses the same 8-megapixel image ...

Pros: Very good image quality; well-designed controls; unique dust-proofing mechanism; sturdy build. Cons: No reciprocity control; camera stops ...

The Nikon D70 is extremely easy to use for pro and amateur alike, with a versatile set of features that fit most all shooting conditions.

Great value, fine optical performance, great light meter, good auto focus performance ; fast power up

Noisy low-light performance ; not compatible with older, manual focus Nikon lenses

The D70 has a 6.1-megapixel CCD, and the supplied zoom lens has an equivalent focal length of about 28mm-120mm (on a 35mm film camera). From moderate wide angle to telephoto, you should be able to handle most photographic situations from landscapes to ...