Single-lens reflex cameras

Little silver pocket cameras are small and cheap, they take movies, and they don't turn you into a tourist clich� by dangling from your neck.

But those big, black digital single-lens reflex cameras take much better photos, thanks to a much larger light sensor and vastly superior light sensitivity. They also offer gorgeous, soft-focus backgrounds, zero startup time, no shutter lag, impressive burst modes of several shots per second, twice the battery life and interchangeable lenses.

Last year was a big year for SLRs. New players like Sony and Panasonic entered the market. Prices dropped to new lows - you can get an excellent starter model for under $475. And as the year ended, four new semi-pro models debuted, defining a new midrange category ($1,300 to $1,800) almost overnight: the Nikon D300, Canon 40D, Sony A700 and Olympus E3. Thanks to the technology trickle-down effect, they offer many features from $5,000 professional SLR models at a fraction of the price.

These cameras make you understand why people get hooked on photography. It starts with the feel of the huge, rugged body in your hands, a shape that's been refined over the decades. It continues with the satisfying, instantaneous click of the shutter - not the chirpy audio recording from a pocket camera's speaker, but the actual clack of the SLR's mirror snapping out of the way. (The Nikon D300's snap is especially satisfying.)

At these prices, you also get burst-mode speeds of five or six shots per second. It's not just for sports and wildlife; that speed is also great for portraits, because you can choose from multiple gradations of smile and expression.

By David Pogue

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