Don's Home > Products > DSLRs > Consumer DSLR - Ratings
These are rankings of Consumer (<$1,000) and semi-pro/prosumer (<$2,000) DSLRs. 20+ MP DSLRs for professional photographers run from $8,000 to $32,000 for the Hasselblad HD3-39 with 39 MP.

See DSLR Information for general considerations in selecting a camera.

Looking at the Canon EOS 30D, Canon Digital Rebel XTi, and Nikon D80 cameras at philip.greenspun.com
Canon is the strongest competitor in the digital SLR market.
If you have a substantial investment in Nikon-mount lenses you might wish to stick with the Nikon system.
In virtually every photographic situation you'd end up taking the same picture with either the Canon or Nikon big lenses/small sensor body.

Comparison: Nikon D200, D80, D70, D50, D40, Canon 5D and XTi at KenRockwell.com
Get the Nikon D200 if you don't mind the weight.
Get a Nikon D40 for everything else.
Get the Canon 5D if you work on a tripod.

Magazine Ratings (very subjective) as of Feb. 2008
WhatDigitalCamera.com | Consumer Reports | C|net | Popular Photography
Camera Price * Mp LCD
(in)		 fps ISO oz. Rating
c|net ZD CR WDC PP
Canon EOS Rebel Xti (400D) $510-610 10.1 2.5 3 1600 20 7.8 70 89 9.42
Canon EOS Rebel XSi $900 12.2 3 3.5 1600 17 7.8      
Canon EOS 30D $650 8.2 3 3.1 3200 28 8.0      
Canon EOS 40D $1,150 10.1 3 6.5 3200 28 8.1 74 90 9.59
Nikon D40 $470 6.1 2.5 2.5 1600 18 7.5 70 87 9.51
Nikon D40X $525-680 10 2.5 3.1 1600 19 7.2 71 87 9.54
Nikon D60 $750 10 2.5 3.1 1600 20 7.2      
Nikon D80 $750-900 10.2 2.5 3.3 1600 24 8.0 74 91 9.39
Nikon D300 $1,800 12.3 3 6 3200 29 8.4     
Pentax K10D $750 10.2 2.5 3 1600 28 7.7 70 909.31
Olympus Evolt E-410 $750 10 2.5 3 1600 16 7.1 70 89
Sony Alpha A700 $1,400 12 3 5 5000 24 8.3    
Nikon D200 $1,200 10.2 2.5 5     7.8      
Canon 5D $1,900 12.8 2.5 3     7.9      
* Price for body only, Prices with kit lenses (e.g. 18-55 mm) are about $100 more.
MP - Mega Pixels, LCD size in., burst mode - frames per sec., top ISO setting, weight oz., Ratings (CR- Consumer Reports, WDC - What Digital Camera, PP - Popular Photography

Consistency in Ranking -The rankings are fairly consistent except for Popular Photography rating the D40X higher than the D80 and "What Digital Camera's" high rating of the Pentax. Some of the differences may be from the weighting factor they used for different attributes.
You can also see the leapfrog effect. The latest Nikon D300 and Sony Alpha A700 would have come out ahead of those below, but had not been rated by several of the sources yet.
Camera Average c|net ZD CR WDC PP
scr rnk scr rnk scr rnk scr rnk scr rnk
Canon EOS 40D $1,150 85.2 1 8.1 1 74 1 90 2 9.59 1
Nikon D80 $800 84.7 2 8 2 74 1 91 1 9.39 4
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi 82.8 3 7.8 3 70 4 89 4 9.42 3
Nikon D40X $560 82.6 4 7.7 4 71 3 87 5 9.54 2
Pentax K10D 82.5 5 7.7 4 70 4 90 2 9.31 5

Ratings at Popular Photography (PopPhoto.com)

Nikon D40X $560
RATINGS
Overall quality
9.67
Ease of use
9.5
Fit and finish
9.5
Click-to-click speed
9.67
Display quality
9.67
Flash quality
7.67
Image quality
10
Total
9.54
Overall value
9.67
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi $530
RATINGS
Overall quality
9.38
Ease of use
9.62
Fit and finish
9.27
Click-to-click speed
9.44
Display quality
9.6
Flash quality
8.54
Image quality
9.62
Total
9.42
Overall value
9.67
Nikon D80 $780
Note: Most other ratings have it higher than the D40X
RATINGS
Overall quality
9.56
Ease of use
8.76
Fit and finish
9.52
Click-to-click speed
9.52
Display quality
9.56
Flash quality
8.64
Image quality
9.6
Total
9.39
Overall value
9.48
Canon EOS 40D $1,150
RATINGS
Overall quality
9.88
Ease of use
9.5
Fit and finish
9.62
Click-to-click speed
9.75
Display quality
9.5
Flash quality
8.62
Image quality
9.75
Total
9.59
Overall value
9.75
Speed is weighted double and Image quality triple in computing total.

Other Ratings:
Canon EOS XTi not a good point and shoot in doors at amazon.
DSLR discussion on cfsilence.com/blog
- You can't go wrong with Canon or Nikon
- Nikon d200 smoked Canon 30D
- I bought a Canon XTi this year and couldn't be happier.

Flash units:
Find the Best Camera Flashes - Reviews, TestFreaks.com
Model Price Guide
# (mm)		 Angle of
converage		 Test-
Freaks		 B&H
Sunpak PZ42X best in PhotoPlus Mar. 2009 $136 112' @ 50 mm 84° - 23° 9.2 4.4
Canon Speedlite 430EX II $254 141' @ 105 mm 84° - 23.3° 10 4.7
Canon Speedlite 270EX II $154 89' @ 50 mm 28 mm, 50 mm 9.5 4.5
Guide Number - The product of the maximum flash-to-subject distance.

Reviews:
The Latest Gear | Popular Photography
Recommended Cameras | Ken Rockwell
Magazines:
Camera & Gear Tests | PhotoPlus (Canon only)
Consumer Reports - Interchangeable & SLR lenses Ratings

Links:
Comparison: Nikon D200, D80, D70, D50, D40, Canon 5D and XTi at KenRockwell.com
Looking at the Canon EOS 30D, Canon Digital Rebel XTi, and Nikon D80 cameras at philip.greenspun.com
Digital Photography Review

Other Ratings at
BestInClass.com: Sports | Children | Travel | Low Light

Dealer Ratings

Return to DSLRs

last updated 24 May 2008