Digital SLR cameras: what the pros use.(Up front: news / trends / advice)(Buyers Guide)

Digital single-lens reflex cameras are well suited for serious hobbyists and professionals. Two major reasons, judging from out tests of seven leading models: Outstanding image quality and a range of picture-taking options that compact digitals can't match.

SLR DIFFERENCES

SLRs differ from compact cameras in two significant respects. One, they accept a range of interchangeable lenses, from wide-angle to extreme telephoto. Most digital SLRs accept lenses designed for film cameras. Two, SLRs contain a system of mirrors, prisms, or both that allow you to frame photos by looking directly through the lens.

The digital SLRs we tested differ from their compact counterparts in other significant ways. They are much bulkier and heavier, at 1 1/2 to more than 2 pounds--and that does not include the lens. They have a large photo sensor that's capable of handling a wider range of lighting conditions, from subtle differences in deep shadows to very bright high lights. They have almost no delay from one shot to the next. And they have 5- or 6-megapixel resolution or the equivalent, ample for large prints or enlargements of just part of an image. All use rechargeable batteries.

Curiously, none of the tested cameras comes with a memory card, so expect to fork over $75 to $100 for a 512-megabyte card.

SLR PERFORMANCE

Image quality. Because the SLRs are so different from the digital cameras we regularly test, we compared them only to one another, using their automatic setting. All produced sharp, high-quality images. Overall image quality was comparable with what 5-megapixel compact cameras deliver; the SLRs were better at rendering fine detail. The Nikon D100 couldn't render colors as accurately as the others. But as with all digital cameras, colors can easily be corrected with software.