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Intermediate Digital SLR Camera

 

Best Intermediate Digital SLR Cameras & Mirrorless Compact System Cameras 2012

 
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The term intermediate photographer can cover a wide range of photographers including some enthusiasts and even some semi-professional photographers. Fortunately there are a wide range of high quality digital slr cameras available with features and accessories to suit the needs of most photographers with new DSLR cameras appearing on a more frequent basis.

Deciding on which digital slr camera to buy depends on a number of factors. Firstly, which area of photography will the camera be used i.e. general photography, nature, fashion, travel, family, sport and so on. This will help to prioritize important features. For instance, travel photography is best suited to small & light digital slr cameras which are preferably sealed against the elements and have some form of CCD-shift image stabilization or optically stabilized lens.

Important features to look our for when selecting a digital slr camera to buy include:

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Digital SLR camera system must have a wide range of lenses and accessories.
The camera body must be tough and rugged with high quality internal components to withstand constant use and harsh environments.
Weatherproof body sealed against dust and moisture.
CCD-shift or optical image stabilization for handheld shooting at lower shutter speeds.
Fast image processor and fast operation of 3 frames per second or higher. Sport photographers would probably need 5 fps or higher.
High quality optical viewfinder to aid composition and focusing with older manual lenses. Some photographers may find live view useful i.e. underwater photography.
Other considerations include body size & weight, price of camera and accessories, wide range of shutter speeds, high flash synchronization speed, warranty, memory cards, sensor type (CCD, CMOS or Foveon), after sales support and general handling of the camera.

All the digital SLR cameras listed below are recommended for intermediate photographers.

Best digital SLR cameras & mirrorless compact system cameras for enthusiasts, intermediate & semi-professional photographers 2012
Sony-NEX-7

Sony NEX-7 Pro Interchangeable Lens Camera

- Due November 2011. $1200 body. $1350 with 18-55mm lens.
- 24 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor. 3" 921k pixels tilting LCD.
- 2.4 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder. 100% coverage.
- Built in flash. Alpha hot shoe. ISO 100 to 16000.
- Full HD 1080p video at 60 fps. AVCHD codec. Stereo mic.
- Shoots at 10 fps. New TRINAVI user interface with 3 dials.
- Built in flash (GN 7). Flash sync. at 1/160 sec. Sony E mount.
- SD / SDHC / SDXC / Memory Stick Pro Duo & Pro-HG Duo.
- Full manual controls. RAW & Jpeg. Sweep panorama.
- NP-FW50 battery. Size 119.9 x 66.9 x 42.6mm.
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Nikon-D7000-Digital-SLR

Nikon D7000 Digital SLR Camera

- Available in October 2010 for $1499 inc. 18-105mm VR lens.
- 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor. Nikon F mount. Expeed 2.
- Body is sealed against moisture and dust.
- 3" LCD with 921,600 pixels. Live view. Shoots at 6 fps.
- Optical viewfinder with 100% coverage. RAW & jpeg.
- HD video at 1920 x 1080 at 24 fps for upto 20 minutes. H.264.
- ISO 100 to 6400 and 25.600. Shutter speeds 30 to 1/8000 sec
- Wireless flash support. X-sync at 1/250 sec. Pop up flash.
- HDMI. SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. EN-EL15 Li-on Battery.
- Size 132 x 105 x 77mm. Weight 780g inc. battery.
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Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

- Available from November 2008. Canon EF mount.
- 21.1 megapixel full frame 36 x 24mm CMOS sensor.
- HD 1920 x 1080 video capture at 30 fps. Digic 4 processor.
- Large 3" 920,000 pixels Clear View LCD with Live View.
- ISO 100 to 6400. Can be expanded from 50 to 25,600.
- EOS integrated dust reduction and cleaning system.
- RAW, Jpeg, sRAW1 and sRAW2 formats. Compactflash I or II.
- Large viewfinder. 98% coverage & 0.71x magnification.
- Shutter speed 30 - 1/8000 sec. Flash X-Sync 1/200. Bulb.
- Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery. 850 shots.
- Size 152 x 114 x 75mm. Weight 810g without battery.
- Priced at $2,699 body only. $3,299 with Canon EF 24-105 kit.
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Nikon-D300s-Digital-SLR-Camera

Nikon D300s Digital SLR Camera

- Available late August 2009 for $1799 body. Nikon F mount.
- 12.3 megapixel Sony CMOS sensor. Dust reduction.
- Weather sealed body. RAW, TIFF & Jpeg files. ISO upto 3200.
- 100% optical viewfinder. 3" LCD (920,000 pixels). Live view.
- Shoot at 7 fps. Shutter speeds 30 secs to 1/8000 sec + bulb.
- Hotshoe. Full manual controls. Flash sync port. Wireless flash.
- 5 minute HD movie mode at 1280 x 720 (24 fps). Stereo microphone, HDMI & USB2. Compactflash & SD/SDHC cards.
- Size 147 x 114 x 74mm. Weight 938g inc. EN-EL3e batteries.
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Canon-EOS-Rebel-T3i

Canon EOS Rebel T3i Digital SLR Camera

- Available in March 2011 for $899 including 18-55mm lens.
- Compatible with EF & EF-S lenses. Also known as EOS 600D.
- 18 megapixel CMOS sensor. Digic 4 image processor.
- HD movies at 1920 x 1080 at 24, 25 & 30 fps. HDMI. USB2.
- 3" rotating LCD with 1.04 million pixels. Live view.
- Hotshoe. Built in flash. Wireless flash control.
- Viewfinder has 95% coverage. 0.85x magnification.
- Full manual controls. RAW & jpeg. Movies in MOV (H.264).
- Shoots at 3.7 fps. Shutter 30 - 1/4000 sec. X-sync 1/200 sec.
- Creative filters. SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. LP-E8 li-on battery.
- Size 133.1 x 99.5 x 79.7mm. Weight 570g inc. battery & card.
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Sony-Alpha-A850-DSLR

Sony Alpha A850 Digital SLR Camera

- Available September 2009. Price $2000 body only.
- Full frame 24.6 megapixel CMOS Exmor sensor. 35.9 x 24mm
- Minolta & Sony Alpha mount lenses. DT lenses can be used but drops sensor size to 11 megapixels. Sensor shift stabilization.
- 3" LCD with 921,600 pixels. No live view or movie mode.
- Optical viewfinder with 98% coverage & 0.74x magnification.
- Full manual controls. RAW & Jpeg. Shoots at 3 fps.
- Hotshoe. Flash sync at 1/250 sec. ISO from 100 to 6400.
- Shutter speeds 30 secs to 1/8000. Dynamic range optimizer.
- Compactflash & Memory Stick Duo. No built in flash.
- HDMI output. NP-FM500H li-on battery for 880 shots.
- Size 156 x 117 x 92mm. Weight 850g body only.
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