Photo Review Reviews section

Samsung GX10

9 Rating

A solidly-built, high-resolution DSLR camera with an above-average feature set and some innovative and useful functions.Samsung continues to re-badge Pentax DSLR cameras with its latest GX10 model, this time selecting the excellent Pentax K10D as its base. The strategy has helped both companies to spread the distribution of the camera as the Samsung model will sell well in countries where its brand is more familiar and the Pentax, likewise. Some subtle differences can be found in the menu displays but just about every feature that made the K10D so good is duplicated in the GX10. That’s not a bad thing – and it’s helped Samsung to produce its best DSLR camera yet.

Pentax K-r

9 Rating

A keenly-priced DSLR camera with plenty of advanced functions and support for 720p HD video capture.Like the entry-level K-x (which we reviewed in November 2009), the mid-range Pentax K-r is offered in black, white and bright red. It sits below the K-5 (which, like the K-r, was announced in the lead-in to Photokina 2010) in Pentax’s line-up. Combining the same 12.4-megapixel sensor as the K-x with a high-resolution monitor, the K-r supports the fastest burst speed of the three cameras and is the only one that can use either a rechargeable battery or four AA cells.

Pentax K-5

9 Rating

A sophisticated and keenly-priced DSLR camera with controls and functions for knowledgeable and creative photo enthusiasts.The K-5 replaces the K-7 (from which it has evolved) at the top of Pentax’s DLSR range. Little has changed as far as the camera’s body is concerned but beneath the surface lie some significant improvements. The most notable being a new 16.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, which supports a top burst speed of seven frames/second and the widest sensitivity range among current DSLRs.

Pentax K200D

9 Rating

An affordable, well-built DLSR camera with some worthwhile features for photo enthusiasts.The new Pentax K200D replaces the K100D and is targeted at family users and digital SLR beginners. Although its 10.2-megapixel CCD image sensor has lower resolution than the 14.2-megapixel CMOS chip in the K20D, the entry-level K200D has similar dust- and moisture-proof sealing, the same built-in anti-shake and dust removal and many of the same functions, but a significantly lower price tag.

Pentax K100D

9 Rating

A capable 6-megapixel DSLR that delivers excellent performance at a very competitive price.Pentax has forsaken its unpronounceable “*istD” branding with the K100D model, which was announced at the end of May. It’s a pity we had to wait so long for a review unit because a DSLR with a 6-megapixel imager is disadvantaged when compared with the current 10-megapixel crop. However, the K100D is keenly priced and has some significant advantages – and you can make decent-looking A3 prints from 6-megapixel DSLRs.

Olympus E-500

The new Olympus E-500 camera represents an excellent choice for keen photographers who want better performance, functionality and flexibility than a high-end digicam can provide. The E-500 is the lightest interchangeable-lens DSLR available and, with the supplied 14-45mm lens attached, one of the most comfortable to hold and operate. With its 8-megapixel, Four Thirds System CCD sensor it can also capture 8-megapixel images in RAW, TIFF or JPEG format.

Olympus E-450

9 Rating

The latest entry-level DSLR camera from Olympus boasts an affordable price tag and provides above-average image quality.Announced at the end of March, the Olympus E-450 follows hot on the heels of the E-620 and replaces the E-420 at the entry level of the company’s DSLR line-up. Its specifications are almost identical to the E-420, but the E-450 adds three of the Art Filters that were introduced last year with the E-30 and boasts an upgraded image processor. Sensibly, sensor resolution has been kept at 10-megapixels and the top sensitivity setting is ISO 1600.

Nikon D90

8.8 Rating

The first enthusiast-level DSLR camera to support high-definition video recording.It was only a matter of time before one of the camera manufacturers figured out the Live View mode on a DSLR required a video image and then came up with some way to record it. Olympus was hinting at this potential back in January 2006, when the E-330 (the first camera with live viewing) was announced. But Nikon was first to the post with the D90 and Canon is following with the just-announced EOD 5D Mark II.

Nikon D5100

8.5 Rating

An update to the popular D5000 with an improved monitor plus Full HD video support and seven built-in special effects.Nikon’s D5100 DSLR arrives just a year after the release of the D5000 it replaces, offering higher resolution, improved video performance and a more adjustable LCD monitor. Slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor, it’s the first Nikon DSLR with built-in special effects. Full HD (1080p) movie recording is also supported.

Nikon D50

Designed and priced to attract ‘family’ photographers, Nikon’s D50 is the second DSLR on the market to use an SD card for image storage, rather than the CF card type used by other DSLRs. The saving in space has produced a slightly smaller and lighter camera than the D70 model, which remains on the market in the form of the D70s. The D50 is cheaper than the D70s, which will make it attractive to newcomers to DSLR photography. But it has many similar features, although some functions have been eliminated and others made simpler to use.