Digital SLR cameras: the choice for advanced photographers.(up front: News / Trends / Advice)(single-lens reflex cameras)

Tests of seven digital single-lens reflex cameras confirm why they're the best option for professionals and serious hobbyists: They provide top-notch performance in even the most challenging picture-taking conditions.

SLRs differ from point-and-shoot digital cameras in two ways: They accept interchangeable lenses, from wide-angle to extreme telephoto. And they have mirrors, prisms, or both that let you frame photos by looking through the lens.

Their large photo sensor handles lighting conditions from deep shadows to very bright highlights, and there's almost no delay from one shot to the next.

Most digital SLRs have image sensors of 6 megapixels and up, similar to that of advanced point-and-shoot digital cameras. The lightest, at about 1 1/2 pounds including the supplied lens, weigh about as much as the bulkiest point-and-shoot digitals.

HOW THEY PERFORM

Image quality. Tested with supplied lenses for fairly undemanding photography the SLRs produced images as good as those from the best point-and-shoot cameras we've tested. Under challenging conditions, such as sunsets, the SLRs produced sharper, less-grainy images than their point-and-shoot cousins.

When we tested the SLRs with pricier lenses, the results were sharper still, but you'd likely notice the improvement only if the image were enlarged.