DSLR or Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras are all the hype these days because of the image quality, the performance, and the features that you can access, all in a less costly offer that can be comparable with modern-day smartphones or laptops. And because these cameras are hot, more and more brands are producing units that differ based on quality, ergonomics, ease of use, and other attributes that both professionals and amateurs will love. Nevertheless, you may ask what the 10 best DSLR cameras are for 2012. In case you wanted to know the lineup, then checking this list would feed your need for more info.
10. Olympus E-5
Pros: Weather resistant, dual card slots, embedded RAW File Conversion, wireless flash control Cons: low sensor pixel count, ISO lacks luster compared on other units
Sensor Size: 17.3mm x 13.0mm Sensor Pixels: 12.3 million Sensor Dust Removal System: Supersonic Wave Filter LCD Screen: 3.0 inches, 920000 dots, HyperCrystal LCD Video: HD 1920×1080 / 30 fps, HD 1920×1080 / 24 fps, HD 1280×720 / 30 fps , HD 1280×720 / 24 fps, VGA 640×424 / 30 fps ISO: Auto, ISO 200 – 6400 White Balance: Lamp, Fluorescent, Daylight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, Underwater, Kelvin Temp (2000K – 14000K) Continuous Shooting Speed: 5 frames per second Shutter Speed: 1/8000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC, CF, UDMA Battery: BLM-5 Li-ion Battery
9. Canon EOS Rebel T3
Pros: Ergonomically convenient, great battery life, solid build, lightweight, compatible with many lenses Cons: Slippery grip, plastic body, weak flash
Sensor Size: 22.0mm x 14.7mm Sensor Pixels: 12.2 million Sensor Dust Removal System: Appending and Acquisition Dust Delete Data, Manual Cleaning LCD Screen: 2.7 inches, 230000 dots, TFT LCD ISO: Auto, ISO 100 – 6400 White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom (Custom WB) Continuous Shooting Speed: 3 frames per second (JPEG), 2 frames per second (RAW), 0.8 frames per second (JPEG+RAW) Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC, Eye-Fi Card, USB 2.0 HDD Battery: Battery Pack LP-E10
8. Nikon D3100
Pros: Image quality, long battery life, ergonomically convenient, easy to navigate and use Cons: Video mode records too much noise
Sensor Size: 23.1mm x 15.4mm Sensor Pixels: 14.2 million Sensor Dust Removal System: Image sensor cleaning, Airflow Control System, Image Dust Off Reference Data LCD Screen: 3.0 inches, 230000 dots, Wide Viewing Angle TFT-LCD Video: HD 1920×1080 / 24 fps, HD 1280×720 / 30 fps, HD 1280×720 / 24 fps, VGA 640×424 / 30 fps, Movie with Sound ISO: ISO 100 – 3200, Hi-1 (ISO 6400), Hi-2 (ISO 12,800) White Balance: Auto, Cloudy, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Fluorescent (7 types), Incandescent, Preset Manual, Shade Continuous Shooting Speed: 3 frames per second Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC Battery: EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
7. Pentax K-5
Pros: Compact, weather resistant, has shake reduction Cons: Expensive, terrible video, autofocus tracking
Sensor Size: 23.7mm x 15.7mm Sensor Pixels: 16.3 million Sensor Dust Removal System: DR II (ultrasonic vibration to low pass filter) with Dust Alert Function LCD Screen: 3.0 inches, 921000 dots, Wide Angle Viewable ISO: ISO 100 – 12800, 80 – 51200 White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent (D, N, W, L), Tungsten, Flash, CTE Manual Mode Continuous Shooting Speed: 7 frames per second Shutter Speed: 1/8000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC Battery: Rechargeable Li-Ion battery D-LI90
6. Sony A580
Pros: Reliable metering and autofocus, good handling, tilt-screen, good dynamic range Cons: unreliable white balance, LCD prone to fingerprint, no program shift
Sensor Size: 23.6mm x 15.6mm Sensor Pixels: 16.2 million LCD Screen: 3.0 inches, 921600 dots, Low Temperature Polycrystalline TFT LCD ISO: Auto, ISO 100 – 12800 White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, Kelvin Temp (2500 – 9900K, 100K steps) Continuous Shooting Speed: 7 frames per second Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC, MemoryStick Pro Duo Battery: NP-FM50H0 Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery
5. Nikon D5100
Pros: Autofocus on video shooting, external microphone jack, HDR embedded, flip-out tilt screen Cons: Focus motor and image stabilization not available
Sensor Size: 23.6mm x 15.6mm Sensor Pixels: 16.2 million Sensor Dust Removal System: Image Sensor Cleaning LCD Screen: 3.0 inches, 921000 dots, Wide Viewing Angle, Vari-angle TFT-LCD Video: HD 1920×1080 / 30 fps, HD 1920×1080 / 24 fps, HD 1280×720 / 30 fps , HD 1280×720 / 24 fps, VGA 640×424 / 30 fps ISO: ISO 100 – 6400, Hi-0.3, Hi-0.7, Hi-1 (ISO 12,800), Hi-2 (ISO 25,600) White Balance: Auto, Cloudy, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Fluorescent (7 types), Incandescent, Preset Manual, Shade Continuous Shooting Speed: 4 frames per second Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC Battery: EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
4. Canon EOS Rebel T2i
Pros: Quick start-up time, lightweight, portable, easy to use, excellent auto settings, good battery life Cons: Video mode records longer, autofocus hit or miss, noisy
Sensor Size: 22.3mm x 14.9mm Sensor Pixels: 18 million Sensor Dust Removal System: Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit, Image Appended Dust Delete Data, Manual Cleaning LCD Screen: 3.0 inches, 1040000 dots, TFT LCD ISO: ISO 100 – 6400, H: 12800 White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom Continuous Shooting Speed: 3.7 frames per second Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC Battery: One Battery Pack LP-E8
3. Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Pros: Image quality, easy to use, bright LCD, simple controls, quick start-up time Cons: Noisy, short battery life, heavy and bulky
Sensor Size: 22.3mm x 14.9mm Sensor Pixels: 18 million Sensor Dust Removal System: Automatic Sensor Cleaning, Image Appended Dust Delete Data, Manual Cleaning LCD Screen: 3.0 inches, 1040000 dots, TFT LCD ISO: Auto, ISO 100 – 6400, H: 12800 White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom Continuous Shooting Speed: 3.7 frames per second Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC, Eye-Fi Card, USB 2.0 HDD Battery: Battery Pack LP-E8
2. Sony SLT-A77
Pros: High resolution, has deep features, ergonomic, utilizes unique imaging technologies, good battery life Cons: Noisy on some settings, menu a bit confusing, laggy menus
Sensor Size: 23.5mm x 15.6 mm Sensor Pixels: 24.3 million Sensor Dust Removal System: Charge Protection Coating Image, Sensor-Shift Mechanism LCD Screen: 3.0 inches, 921600 dots, TFT Xtra Fine LCD Video: 1920 x 1080 (60p/ 28Mbps/ PS, 60i/ 24Mbps/ FX, 60i/ 17Mbps/ FH, 24p/ 24Mbps/ FX, 24p/ 17Mbps/ FH), 1440 x 1080 (30fps/ 12Mbps), 640 x 480 (30fps/ 3Mbps) ISO: ISO 100 – 16000, 50 – 25600 White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent (Warm white /Cool white/ Day white/ Daylight), Flash, Kelvin Temp (2500 – 9900K, 100K steps) Continuous Shooting Speed: 12 frames per second Shutter Speed: 1/8000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC, MemoryStick Pro Duo Battery: NP-FM500H Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery
1. Canon EOS 1Dx
Pros: High-speed image processors, HD video recording at 1080p, RJ45 connectivity, embedded RAW File Converter, 2 CF Card Slots makes it a best DSLR Camera in 2012 Cons: Very heavy, pixels fewer than expected
Sensor Size: 36mm x 24mm Sensor Pixels: 18.1 million Sensor Dust Removal System: Self Cleaning Sensor Unit, Appending and Acquisition Dust Delete Data, Manual Cleaning LCD Screen: 3.2 inches, 1040000 dots, TFT LCD Video: 1920 x 1080: 30 fps / 25 fps / 24 fps, 1280 x 720: 60 fps / 50 fps, 640 x 480: 30 fps / 25 fps ISO: Automatically set: ISO 100-51200, Basic Zone modes: ISO 100-51200 set automatically, Extension settable: ISO 50; 102400 and 204800 White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature setting Continuous Shooting Speed: Super High-speed: 14 fps, High-speed: 12fps, Low-speed: 3fps Shutter Speed: 1/8000 sec. Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC, Eye-Fi Card, USB 2.0 HDD Battery: One Battery Pack LP-E4N or LP-E4
