Budget Digital SLR shopping tips from Cnet

Older models are frequently good enough. Just make sure you're not paying last year's list price.

Buying a dSLR is more like buying a computer than a TV or an MP3 player; you're not shopping for the cheapest model you can find, you're looking for the cheapest one that can do what you need. That's why it's critical to know exactly what you expect to be shooting before you narrow down your choices. If you want to shoot your kid playing sports, saving a couple hundred dollars by opting for a too-slow model will just leave you with a "budget" doorstop. On the other hand, video support is new enough that it adds cost to the camera that you may not feel is absolutely worth it.

Buy a Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Read the guide at news.cnet.com

Step-by-step guide to taking the perfect image by PCAdvisor

From the article:

Until recently, the prohibitive cost of digital SLR (dSLR) cameras meant that many amateur photographers settled for budget-friendly point-and-click compacts. This is a shame, since dSLRs offer a great deal of manual control over settings such as aperture, shutter speed and white balance, helping you get the best picture in a wide range of conditions.

Today's dSLRs can be divided into two groups: entry-level cameras, and more advanced pro and semi-pro models. The visual similarities hide a huge disparity in features, which is reflected in their pricing. The entry-level Canon EOS 1000D costs around £400, for example, while the professional EOS-1Ds Mark III costs up to £7,000. But the latter offers far more than merely improved build quality and a higher pixel count.

Read the full article here.