Five DSLRs for beginner amateur photographers

The current representative of the three thousandth series of simple and affordable Nikon DSLRs does not differ much in terms of photo capabilities from its predecessor, the Nikon D3300 camera. However, there is still a visible difference between the two generations of a SLR camera.

New to the D3400 is the introduction of SnapBridge, making the camera less dependent on a computer. The meaning of this technology is to maintain a constant connection with a smartphone or tablet via a Bluetooth Low Energy connection to transfer footage directly to mobile gadgets. After adding a couple of strokes in the photo editor, the pictures can be immediately published on social networks, which is very important today.

Having retained its former dimensions, the camera dropped 40 g of excess weight (up to 395 g) and acquired a more capacious battery, one charge of which is enough for 1200 shots. But the 24.2 MP matrix without an anti-moire filter and the EXPEED 4 image processor went to the DSLR from its ancestor. Accordingly, the rate of fire of the camera (5 fps) and work at high ISOs remained at the same level (you can count on getting a high-quality result when shooting at ISO up to 3200 units).

The standard Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G VR lens with a built-in optical stub is designed to help solve most photographic tasks. It is optimized for video shooting and equipped with a fast autofocus drive. In turn, the automatic focus system on board the Nikon D3400 is built on the basis of 11 points, which clearly traces the budgetary roots of the DSLR. The autofocus catches the subject fairly accurately, but in LiveView mode it tends to be slow.

In addition to the traditional auto mode, there are Guide (training mode for beginners) and Effects (imposing art filters on a photograph) items on the scene programme selector. “They didn’t give a ride” to the camera except perhaps a modern display — a 3-inch screen in its equipment does not support touch input and cannot rotate. However, from the standpoint of an instrument for amateur photography, these “goodies” can be completely neglected, because the camera is best suited for learning the basics of photography without them.

For a long time, the laurels of the most compact SLR belonged to the Canon EOS 100D camera. But 4 years after its announcement (in 2017), the successor of the camera saw the light — the 200D model improved on all fronts, keeping pace with the times.

Inside the “baby” with modest dimensions of 122x93x70 mm, a very worthy “hardware” is hidden: a 24.2 MP matrix and an advanced proprietary Dual Pixel CMOS AF autofocus system that provides fast and smooth targeting when shooting video, as well as when used as a viewfinder display . The swivel hinge allows the screen to rotate in all planes, opening up new perspectives on familiar shooting angles. In addition, an optical viewfinder with 95% coverage of the future image can be used to compose a shot.

The light sensitivity of the camera sensor is measured in the range from 100 to 25600 ISO in normal mode (expandable to 51200 units). However, it is not recommended to raise the ISO over 1600-3200 units in order to avoid the appearance of a large amount of noise in the picture. When “shooting” in series, the camera is capable of capturing up to 5 frames per second, and with tracking autofocus, its rate of fire will be about 3.5 fps. However the Canon EOS 200D's automatic focus system is not the very first freshness — it contains only 9 points, which do not allow covering a large area of the frame.

With the video capabilities of the camera, everything is quite standard — it writes videos in FullHD format (1920x1080 pixels) with a frame rate of up to 60 fps. Both in photo and video shooting, you can control the DSLR remotely from a smartphone tied up wirelessly. The Canon EOS 200D's own graphical interface is friendly to the user — it will help you master the shooting parameters literally on your fingers, which is what is required of a good entry-level DSLR.

The camera, designed in the best traditions of amateur DSLRs, has replaced the Canon EOS 750D and Canon EOS 760D tandem. Of the innovations in equipping the 800, the autofocus technology Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which is entrusted with the mission of high-quality and smooth focus in LiveView mode and when shooting video, is getting the closest attention.

The autofocus system as a whole has 45 cross-type points covering most of the field of the future frame. The required focus point is set by tapping on the touch screen, which is also rotary and has several degrees of freedom for sighting during shooting from atypical angles.

The APS-C format sensor was inherited from previous generations of Canon DSLRs. However , paired with an updated DIGIC 7 image processor, the camera learned to shoot in a wider ISO range — from 100 to 25600 units in standard mode. In fact, pictures of acceptable quality with low noise are given to the DSLR at ISO values up to 3200-6400 units. The new processor also added to the camera's rate of fire — in burst photography, it is capable of snapping up to 6 frames per second with a buffer capacity of 27 shots in RAW or an unlimited number of JPEG files.

Newcomers to the world of photography will be interested not so much in the technical characteristics of the Canon EOS 800D, but in the user-friendly menu interface for beginners. The camera displays interactive tips and icons on its screen that give an idea of how changes in shutter speed, aperture, and other shooting settings affect the picture. For those who are familiar with photography firsthand, it is enough to switch to the classic version of the menu display, drawn to match the entire family of Canon cameras.

A lot of "sharks" of the photo industry have gone through the modernization of existing lines of cameras, as a result of which many models of DSLRs can be called an update just for the sake of updating. A striking example of this is the Nikon D5600 camera, which it would be fair to assign the D5500 index with an additional letter character in the name.

With its predecessor in the face of the Nikon D5500, the DSLR has a 24.2 MP image sensor without an anti-moire filter, which has a positive effect on the sharpness of the resulting images, an EXPEED 4 chip and a 39-point automatic focus system with 9 cross-type points. The focus system aims quickly and accurately in almost any shooting conditions, and the autofocus assist lamp comes to its aid in the dark.

So what's new in the D5600? First of all, this is SnapBridge technology for organizing constant communication with mobile gadgets using the Bluetooth low energy protocol. Using the technology, it becomes possible to transfer images from the camera directly to a smartphone without compromising the battery life of both connected devices. The DSLR also added the function of shooting time-lapses — a series of photographs taken by the camera is combined programmatically into a single video sequence.

The shortcomings of the model are attributed to slow focus in LiveView mode, i.e. when used for sighting during the shooting of a 3.2-inch display. Nikon still fails to get rid of this shortcoming in Nikon's entry-level DSLRs. At the same time, the screen is strong in another way — it is touch-sensitive and can rotate on all axes, allowing you to look at the situation from a different angle, changing the usual angle. There is no point in updating to the D5600 model for owners of the two previous versions of the “5,000th” series, and for enthusiastic amateur photographers, a DSLR will fit into the role of the main working tool as well as possible.

The Canon EOS 77D DSLR is an intermediate link between interchangeable lens cameras for beginners in the world of photography and serious working or creative tools. Directly in the model range of the Japanese manufacturer, the DSLR occupies a position between the simpleton Canon EOS 800D and the camera for enthusiasts Canon EOS 80D.

From entry-level cameras, the specimen in question borrowed compact dimensions, ease of use and automatic functions. And from the family of advanced DSLRs, the model got advanced ergonomics, in particular, an additional monochrome information display on the upper edge (allows you to change parameters without being distracted by the main screen), as well as a second scroll wheel for easy adjustment of shutter speed and aperture.

The camera is based on a 24.2 MP image sensor with support for Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. She is responsible for fast and accurate focus in LiveView mode and when shooting video. In the latter case, the technology also helps to achieve a “cine-like” effect of smooth focus shifting. When sighting through the optical viewfinder, the subject is reliably caught and held by 45 phase-type focus points.

Controls borrowed from a troop of pros, combined with a swivel touch display, make the DSLR a great option for learning and tackling serious creative tasks. With the camera, there is room to grow further, for which in the future you will need to replace the 18-55 mm whale lens with something more versatile or fast. About five options for replacing standard optics are described in the article "To replace the "whale": 5 zoom lenses for Canon cropped SLR cameras".