Olympus E-420

8.5 Rating

An affordable, ultra-compact camera that is ideal for newcomers to DSLR photography and provides above-average picture quality.Announced early in March, the Olympus E420 replaces the E-410 model at the entry level in the Olympus DSLR line-up, providing several worthwhile updates and a lower price tag. Like its predecessor, it’s claimed as the world’s smallest and thinnest interchangeable-lens DSLR camera and sports a 10-megapixel Live MOS sensor. As such, it will appeal to photographers who wish to upgrade from a compact digicam.

Canon EOS 500D

8.5 Rating

A capable DSLR for photographers who require a broad range of adjustable functions plus Full HD video recording.Announced in late March, Canon’s EOS 500D is another ‘in-betweener’ model, like the Nikon D5000 and Olympus E-620 we reviewed recently. Positioned between the 450D and the 50D, the EOS 500D offers the same effective resolution of 15.1 megapixels as the EOS 50D, the same DiG!C 4 image processor and the same Full High Definition movie recording capabilities as the EOS 5D Mark II.

Nikon D80

8.5 Rating

Many of the assets of Nikon’s D200 model in a lower-priced model with a ‘quality’ look and feel.An interesting mix of point-and-shoot and serious camera, Nikon’s D80 has been touted as a ‘little sister’ to the D200 model and offers many of the same features and the ‘quality’ feel users have come to expect from Nikon DSLRs. Like most recently-released competitors it sports a 10.2 megapixel sensor (CCD type) and a 2.5-inch LCD. Although closer in size to the D50 than the D70s, which it replaces, the D80 comes with the D200’s powerful EN-ELe battery, 11-point AF system and support for wireless flashes.