DSLR Prices - March 2013

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 US$715

For the first time, a compact system camera has hit the pinnacle of this Top 10. The Lumix GX1 is the spiritual successor to the GF1, offering a Micro Four Thirds camera that’s as satisfying for the photo enthusiast as it is for those stepping straight up from a compact. Plenty of controls and a touchscreen give access to a plethora of settings, the autofocus locks on at ridiculous speed, and the 16MP sensor delivers punchy, detailed images that take the GX1 a notch above its main rival, the Olympus E-P3. The compact system cam has truly come of age

Canon EOS 650D US$1,000 (body only)

Our new favourite DSLR has a new hybrid CMOS sensor which enables continuous autofocus during video recording, a responsive touchscreen and 5fps burst shooting. Image quality from the 18MP sensor is excellent and focusing is super-quick. Brilliant.

Nikon D600 US$2,215 (body only)

Pro power has never come at such a reasonable price. A full-frame 24.3MP sensor combines with accurate 39-point autofocus for stunning results. Dual SD card slots, built-in flash and 5.5fps shooting speed complete a seriously powerful proposition.

Olympus PEN E-P3 US$1,300 (w/ 14-42mm lens)

You could get a great DSLR for this money, but while it would often do a better job, the E-P3 will always feel more special. Quality build and styling, lightning-fast focus and razor-sharp pics with a built-in flash and swappable Micro Four Thirds lenses.

Canon EOS 6D US$2,680 (body only)

Canon’s cheapest ever full-framer is an awesome little SLR with a few clever tricks up its lens. As well as an all-new 20.2MP sensor, it packs a GPS receiver for geotagging and Wi-Fi for direct uploading or remote control from an iPhone or Android device.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 US$710 (w/ 14-42mm lens)

This electronic viewfinder-sporting Micro Four Thirds camera has a 16MP sensor that takes better snaps and video than the Olympus E-P3, although the autofocus isn’t as quick and it’s bulkier. The Sony NEX-7 should soon give it stiff competition, though.

Canon 60D US$1,175 (body only)

The Canon 60D is a DSLR camera aimed at the serious amateur: a ruggedly built, featurestuffed snapper that counts full 1080p video among its charms. Pricey, yes, but the perfect camera for the Canon user looking to step up from the entry level.

Sony NEX-7 US$1,575 (with 18-55mm lens)

A host of manual photo and video controls are available via its gorgeously minimalist unmarked knobs, but it’s the exceptional quality of its 24.3MP images that really impresses. A pop-up flash and handy mic input top off the (admittedly pricey) package.

Panasonic DMC-G5 US$1,065 (w/14-42mm lens)


The G5 is the only snapper with the pace to keep up with the Olympus E-M5’s autofocus. Beginner-friendly controls, decent 16MP pics, touchscreen control and superb full HD 60fps AVCHD video recording all add up to a compelling package.

Nikon D3200 US$785 (body only)


Like its D3100 predecessor, the D3200 has an excellent photography-course-in-acamera Guide mode, but that’s no longer the star attraction. This entry-level DSLR has a very non-entry-level 24MP sensor that’s capable of truly professional results.

Sony NEX-VG20

The Sony NEX-VG10 has been knocked off the top spot to make way for its successor, the VG20. But this is no mere title bump: you also get a vastly improved experience. Not only is this the best looking camcorder on the market, it also adds a higher bitrate for glitch-free footage, incredible 5.1 sound, and 1080p at 60fps video shot on a 16.1MP APS HD Exmor sensor – the same found in Sony’s NEX-5N and NEX-C3 mirrorless cameras. Chuck in superb stills, comprehensive manual controls, great RAW skills and refinements such as enhanced grips and a second record button, and you’ve got the best camcorder around.

Recording
Still Image Size 3:2 : L (16.0M): 4912 x 3264 M (7.1M): 3568 x 2000 S (4.0M): 2448 x 1624
Video Mode : AVCHD: 1920 x 1080/ 60p/24p 60i (FX/FH); FX- 24Mbps, FH - 17Mbps; 1440x1080/60i HQ -9 Mbps
Color Space : sRGB, AdobeRGB
Media Type : Memory Stick PRO Duo™/Pro-HG Duo™/PRO-HG HX Duo™ media SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card (both sold separately)
Photo Capture from Movie : 2.1 megapixels 16:9 (1920x1080), 307K pixels 4:3 (640x480), 230K pixels 16:9 (640x360)
Recording and Playback Times (in Internal Media) (2ch) : HD:60p/24p, Progressive recording
Still Image File Format : DCF Ver.2.0 compatible, Exif Ver.2.3 compatible, MPF Baseline compatible
Still Image Max Effective Resolution : 16.0 megapixel
Still Image Mode : JPEG/JPEG+RAW/RAW
Still Image Size (Photo Mode) : L (16.0M): 4912 x 3264 M (7.1M): 3568 x 2000 S (4.0M): 2448 x 1624
Video Format : HD: AVCHD 2.0 (MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)), STD:MPEG2-PS
Video Resolution : 1920 x 1080 captured @ 30p (29.97p), recorded in AVCHD 60i (59.95i)
Video Signal : NTSC color, EIA standards
Wind Noise Reduction : Yes(Off/On)
Wind Position : Yes(Auto)

Optics/Lens
Focal Length (35mm equivalent) : Photo Mode: 27mm-300mm; Video Mode: 32.4mm-360mm (35mm equivalent) (included SEL18200 lens)
Aperture (Max.) : F3.5 (wide end) - F6.3 (tele end) (included SEL18200 lens)
Aperture (Min.) : F22 (wide end) - F40 (tele end) (included SEL18200 lens)
Aperture Blade : 7 blades (Circular aperture)
Aspheric Elements : 4 (5 surface)
Dimensions (Max. Diameter x Length) : 3in x 4 in
Direct Manual Focus : Yes
Distance Encoder : Yes
Maximum Magnification : 0.35x (APS-C)

Weights and Measurements
Dimensions (Approx.) : Approx. 3 5/8inch × 5 1/8inch × 8 3/4inch (91mm x130mm x223mm)
Weight (Approx) (Main unit only) : Approx. 1 lb 6 oz (645g)

Blackberry Z10

The Z10’s solid creak-free build and pleasing textured back immediately banish memories of toy-like QWERTY phones. It’s a nice weight and size too, though we can’t help feeling that those bezels could do with a trim and the big BlackBerry logo is a little in-yer-face. Apart from the odd freeze playing Angry Birds or streaming video, the 1.5 GHz dual-core engine and 2GB of RAM keep the Z10 zipping along nicely when

multi-tasking. Shame battery life isn’t so great: we got a decent 9hrs in a video run-down test, but in regular daily use with notifications switched on it ran out of juice far too quickly.


BlackBerry seems to be focusing on the basics with the Z10: the camera isn’t as feature-packed as those on most flagships and BB 10’s Maps omit public transport and satellite views. But perhaps more usefully you do get a swappable battery and microSD slot to add up to 64GB of storage.


BlackBerry 10 is the all-new OS for its latest handsets. It has elements of iOS, Android and WinPho, although its gesture-heavy navigation can be tricky to pick up at first. BB’s music and video stores aren’t fully fledged just yet but there’s enough decent albums and movies to satisfy most.


With a 4.2in 356ppi LCD display, the Z10 keeps things sharp: bags of detail, natural colours and with an easy to handle screen size, only the relatively dim display, compared to the Xperia Z and S3, lets it down.


The 8MP camera on the back of the Z10 is speedy, takes photos with impressive levels of detail and shoots largely clear and smooth 1080p video, with some softness creeping in. Time Shift is the party trick though: mix and match your mates faces to get the best group shot.

Tech Spec:

Display 4.2in, 1280 x 768 (356ppi)

OS BlackBerry 10 OS

cPU Dual-core 1.5GHz (unspecified)

Storage 16GB (+ microSD up to 64GB)

raM 2GB

camera 8MP, 1080p (rear);

2MP, 720p (front)

connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0,

microUSB, microHDMI, NFC, LTE, 3.5mm

Battery 1800mAH, 9 hours 20 mins

Blackberry Q10

BlackBerry hasn’t crafted a quadcore monster here. Sensible, as people who buy the Q10 won’t want to play games on it. But it is decently powered anyway –a dual-core 1.5GHz processor and 2GB RAM should handle the new BB10 OS like a well-oiled croupier.

You’re unlikely to watch a load of movies on the square, 3.1in display, but it’s not to be squinted at. A 720x720 res gives a pixel density of 328ppi, a shade higher than the iPhone 5. As with the last Bold it’s also a touchscreen, so you can use BB10’s gestures to swish by apps.

I’ve heard that swipeyscreen phones are all the rage these days, but if you’re a great typer then the Bold-style QWERTY keyboard will come as a relief to your cramped, touch-unfriendly fingers. It’s BlackBerry’s biggest ever keyboard, strengthened by stainless steel ‘frets’.

Tech Spec:

Display 3.1in, 720x720 Super AMOLED (328ppi)

Storage 16GB (+ up to 64GB microSD)

cPU Dual-core A9 @ 1.5GHz

camera 8MP (rear); 2MP (front)

connectivity 4G, Bluetooth 4.0,

microUSB, Wi-Fi, NFC