Camera technology, jargon and techniques explained • Use the A-Z index or the search box to look up your chosen term
The EOS 1000D is Canon’s entry-level digital SLR. It’s the most basic model in the range and aimed squarely at beginners, but despite the modest specifications it’s still a good camera. The 10-megapixel sensor delivers clear, vibrant pictures and while the [...]
The EOS 1D Mk IV is the latest version of Canon’s professional high-speed sports/action/press camera. It’s designed for speed rather than resolution, with a maximum continuous shooting speed of 10 frames per second. The Mk IV boasts a number of improvements [...]
The EOS 1Ds Mk III is Canon’s flagship professional camera. Until quite recently, the 1Ds series was the only choice for professionals. Canon pioneered the full-frame format for digital SLRs and the 1Ds represented the pinnacle of that technology. But even [...]
When it was first launched, the EOS 450D was Canon’s top ‘amateur’ digital SLR, slotting in just below the semi-pro ‘D’ series (the 30D, 40D and so on). Its 12-megapixel sensor and new (for then) live view placed it a [...]
The EOS 500D was Canon’s top ‘amateur’ camera but was been superseded by the EOS 550D, which had a 15-megapixel sensor, live view and full HD movie mode. The EOS 550D is still on sale at some outlets, but it’s [...]
Until the arrival of the EOS 7D, the 50D was Canon’s top APS-C format digital SLR. It followed on from the EOS 40D, 30D, 20D and 10D, which formed a kind of semi-pro ‘mini-series’ just below Canon’s professional full-frame models. [...]
The EOS 550D is Canon’s top ‘amateur’ digital SLR, taking over from the EOS 500D. It has the same 18-megapixel sensor as the professional EOS 7D and can shoot full HD movies at 30fps, though it’s more restricted in other [...]
The EOS 5D is Canon’s cheapest full-frame digital SLR, though compared to amateur/enthusiasts SLRs, of course, it’s still expensive. But it does boast a 21-megapixel sensor, full HD movie mode, and excellent image quality. In fact to some extent it must [...]
The EOS 60D joins the EOS 7D at the top of Canon’s APS-C digital SLR range. It replaces the EOS 50D and 40D before it. It has the same 18-megapixel sensor as the EOS 7D, the same ISO 100-6400 sensitivity [...]
Canon’s new EOS 7D has an 18-megapixel sensor (not full-frame), 8fps continuous shooting speed and 1920 x 1080 full HD video, plus a new 19-point autofocus system. The video mode has full manual control, and the camera has an external [...]
This is a bit of a departure for the Canon Ixus range because the Ixus 300HS features high-tech high-speed shooting functions not even available in the PowerShot range yet. It can shoot stills at 3.7fps at full-resolution and one-sixth speed [...]
Canon’s one and only waterproof camera to date has an odd, bulbous design, that’s nevertheless both businesslike and attractive. The shape comes about because Canon doesn’t have any super-compact ‘folded’ lenses and has to use a regular 3x zoom. The [...]
Canon’s flagship compact camera offers SLR-style manual controls but has a small 1/1.7-inch sensor, so it’s now at a major disadvantage compared to the latest large-sensor hybrid cameras.
The S90 is a lot smaller than the PowerShot G11, but the sensor is the same and in its own way it’s almost as powerful. It has the advantage of being smaller, cheaper and, thanks to the innovative control ring [...]
This is Canon’s top superzoom camera. It doesn’t have the maximum zoom range of some rivals, but it does offer full HD movies and faster-than-usual continuous shooting at 4fps. It has an articulating rear LCD, too, and can shoot RAW [...]
The SX120 IS is a cheap and chunky superzoom that almost but not quite fits into the ‘compact superzoom’ category. It lacks a wideangle lens and HD movies, but it does have program AE, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual modes, so [...]
The SX20 IS is a lower-cost alternative to the PowerShot SX1 IS. The resolution is notionally higher at 12 megapixels versus 10 megapixels, but that’s with an inferior CCD-type sensor. The SX20 can’t match the SX1’s continuous shooting speeds, it [...]
This camera has now been superseded by the SX210 IS, which has a slightly longer zoom range (14x versus 12x), slightly higher resolution (14 megapixels versus 12) and a redesigned exterior. In reality, though, there’s little to choose between them.
The SX210 is a compact superzoom. The pictures aren’t bad, but the rotary controller on rear is fiddly and the pop-up flash is in an awkward position. It has a very long zoom range for this type of camera, but [...]
The D3 was Nikon’s first full-frame D-SLR. It’s now been superseded, but it’s still listed on Nikon’s UK website. It has 12 million pixels, which isn’t a high resolution for a full-frame camera, but it does mean exceptional high ISO [...]
The D300 was Nikon’s top APS-C format DSLR but it’s since been superseded by the D300s, which brings slightly faster continuous shooting and an HD movie mode. Both uses Nikon’s 12-megapixel APS-C sensor, which delivers excellent image quality and is [...]
This is Nikon’s basic, entry-level digital SLR, and it’s aimed very clearly at beginners with an interface that’s both obvious and logical, but too slow and cumbersome for experts. The D3000 body is very small, with few external controls. The [...]
The D300s is Nikon’s top ASP-C format DSLR and replaces the D300, adding a faster continuous shooting speed (now 7fps, increasing to 8fps with the optional battery pack), and Nikon’s D-Movie HD movie mode. It also has Nikon’s sophisticated 51-point [...]
Nikon’s latest D-SLR for beginners replaces the D3000, but it has new features which also upstage more expensive SLRs in the Nikon range. These include a full 1920 x 1080 HD movie mode, for the first time on a Nikon [...]
The D3s is a second-generation version of Nikon’s original full-frame DSLR, and it’s been optimised for speed, with a 9fps continuous shooting speed (11fps in ‘crop’ mode with a DX-format lens), a maximum ISO raised to 12800 and an HD [...]
The D3x is a high-resolution version of Nikon’s original full-frame D-SLR, the D3. It has twice the resolution, at 24 million pixels, which exceeds that of the Canon EOS 1Ds, for a long time the top full-frame D-SLR on the [...]
The D5000 is perhaps the closest thing yet to a do-it-all digital SLR. It has a live view mode, Nikon’s D-Movie HD movies and an articulating LCD. The 12-megapixel CMOS sensor is the same as the one used in the [...]
The D60 is still listed on the Nikon website, but it’s long obsolete, having been superseded by the D3000. The specs are basic but adequate for beginners, with a 10-megapixel sensor and a clear and straightforward interface. It usually comes [...]
The D700 was Nikon’s second full-frame camera and provided a more compact, lower-cost alternative to the D3. It has the same 12-megapixel sensor and the same excellent image-quality and high-ISO performance. It’s been around for a while now, though, and [...]
The D90 is Nikon’s top ‘amateur’ D-SLR and one of the oldest in the current range, having been launched two years ago. It’s still a very powerful camera, though, despite its age. It was the first digital SLR to have [...]
The E-3 is Olympus’s stab at a professional DSLR. It uses a 10-megapixel Four Thirds sensor, though, which puts it at a disadvantage against today’s DSLRs because it’s smaller than the APS format and the resolution is lower (it doesn’t [...]
The E-30 is the next model down from the Olympus E-3, but while it’s aimed more at advanced amateurs rather than pros, it is in some ways a better (or a least a more recent) camera. It uses Olympus’s better, [...]
The E-410 was an enhanced version of the E-400, but it’s long since been superseded by the E-420 and then the E-450. The E-400 series cameras are very good, combining small size (no larger than today’s hybrid mirrorless DSLRs) with [...]
This is the predecessor to the Olympus E-450 and represents one of a series of minor upgrades to the original E-400 model, designed as an ultra-compact entry-level digital SLR. The E-420 is obsolete now and you’re unlikely to find it [...]
The E-450 is the latest version of Olympus’s cheapest digital SLR. It still uses Olympus’s original 10-megapixel MOS sensor, but on the plus side it is extremely compact. It’s the only digital SLR to use a classic rectangular design and [...]
The E-510 is the predecessor to the E-520, which itself has been largely superseded by the E-620, which is an altogether newer camera with a better sensor. The E-510 has an older 10-megapixel sensor, and was the better of Olympus’s [...]
The E-520 has been around for some time now, and it belongs to an earlier generation of Olympus Four Thirds SLR which used a 10-megapixel MOS sensor rather than the 12-megapixel sensor used now. It’s nice to use with a [...]
The E-620 is pitched just below the Olympus E-30, offering more advanced controls than a basic entry-level digital SLR. It’s small, light, and well-designed, and the controls have a light but precise feel which is typical of Olympus’s DSLRs. The [...]
This was Olympus’s first Micro Four Thirds camera, now been superseded by the E-P2. The classic retro styling is inspired by Olympus’s ‘Pen’ half-frame cameras of 50 years earlier. The metal construction is excellent, and this white finish looks terrific, [...]
The E-P2 is a development of the original Olympus E-P1 ‘Pen’ camera which includes manual movie controls, an accessory socket which lets you connect an electronic viewfinder or stereo microphones, a couple of new Art Filters and a focus-tracking mode. [...]
The E-PL1 is the ‘affordable’ Pen camera from Olympus. Unlike the E-P1 and the E-P2, it has a fairly bland, modern design, a plastic body and much simpler and more cheaply-made controls.
The FT10 is Panasonic’s latest version of its underwater compact. It’s waterproof to a depth of 3m (Olympus’s Mju Tough 8010 goes down to 10m), freezeproof to -10 degrees, shockproof to 1.5m and dust-proof. The new model has a 14-megapixel [...]
Panasonic’s latest superzoom is a stills/movie hybrid which can also shoot full HD movies. It has a 24x optical zoom, 14-megapixel MOS sensor and an articulating 3-inch, 460,000 dot LCD. It can also shoot at 11 frames per second for [...]
The FZ45 is sister camera to the new FZ100 superzoom. It has the same 14-megapixel sensor and 24x zoom, but it only shoots standard HD movies (the FZ100 shoots full HD) and it has a fixed 3-inch, 230,000 dot LCD [...]
This was Panasonic’s first Micro Four Thirds mirrorless hybrid camera, featuring a 12-megapixel sensor and full-time live view with SLR style design and controls and an articulating LCD, but no movie mode. It’s since been replaced by the G10 (cheaper) [...]
This is the cheaper model of the two cameras which replaced Panasonic’s original G1 (the other is the G2). It’s built down to a price, and has a lower-resolution EVF than the G1 and G2, and a fixed rear LCD [...]
The G2 is one of Panasonic’s latest Micro Four Thirds mirrorless hybrid cameras. It’s one of two models (the other is the cheaper G10) which replaces the G1, Panasonic’s first hybrid. The G2 has the same 12-megapixel sensor, but brings [...]
This is Panasonic’s ‘rangefinder’ hybrid camera, in that it’s styled like a conventional compact rather than an SLR, but still takes the same lenses. It’s a direct rival to Olympus’s Pen cameras, and while it doesn’t have the same retro [...]
The GH1 is the ‘movie’ version of the original Panasonic G1, adding a full HD movie mode and an excellent 10x image-stabilised kit lens (which accounts for most of the price tag, according to Panasonic). It’s still one of the [...]
The LX5 is the replacement for the Panasonic LX3, a high-quality enthusiasts compact. The LX5 has a new 3.8x optical zoom (the LX3 had a 2.5x zoom), a 3-inch 460,000 dot LCD and a new jog dial controller. The 10-megapixel sensor has [...]
Panasonic was the first maker to introduce a pocket-sized superzoom, and the TZ10 is the latest version. It has a 12x super-wideangle zoom, automatic and manual control and shoots HD movies.
The K-7 is Pentax’s top digital SLR and is aimed at enthusiasts and professionals. The built-in anti-shake, distortion correction and aberration removal are excellent, but Pentax’s lens range is patchy.
The Ricoh GXR is a groundbreaking camera. It is a compact camera which takes interchangeable lenses… except that they’re not simply lenses. They are, in fact, entire camera units. This diagram below shows how it works. The GXR body (left) contains [...]
The Samsung NX10 is a compact camera that takes interchangeable lenses, a kind of ‘mirror-less’ SLR and the first camera of its type with an APS-C sized sensor.
Sony’s current entry-level DSLR, and the smaller brother to the a390, which adds a live view mechanism and a tilting LCD on the back. Otherwise, the a290 and the a390 are the same. It’s a significant improvement over Sony’s previous [...]
The a330 is one of Sony’s older beginner-level D-SLRs and is surely going to be dropped quite soon. It has the same Quick AF Live View of some of Sony’s other D-SLRs, but only a 10-megapixel sensor. It usually comes [...]
14.2-megapixel APS-C format D-SLR with live view. The a390 is aimed at beginners and is much the same as he cheaper a290, but with the addition of a tilting rear LCD and live view. The live view system does not [...]
The a450 is an interesting intermediate-level D-SLR that appears to pitch in between the low-cost a290/390 and the a500/550, but in fact it beats the a500/550’s specs with 7fps continuous shooting, a high-capacity battery and one of Sony’s new14-megapixel CMOS [...]
The a500 is one of Sony’s top amateur D-SLRs and uses a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor which is probably more desirable than the 14-megapixel CCD used in the cheaper Alphas. It has Sony’s Quick AF Live View system and a titling [...]
This is Sony’s top amateur SLR, though there’s some overlap with the a450, which shares the same 14-megapixel sensor. The a550 has Sony’s Quick AF Live view mode and even incorporates the face-detection and smile shutter features found on Sony [...]
This is the cheaper and newer of Sony’s two full-frame digital SLRs. It shares the same 24-megapixel full-frame sensor but has a reduced maximum shooting speed of 3fps rather than 5fps. It’s much cheaper than the Canon EOS 1Ds Mk [...]
The a900 was Sony’s first full-frame D-SLR and caused quite a stir when it first appeared, matching Canon and Nikon’s pro SLRs for resolution but at a much lower price. Sony doesn’t seem to have developed its full-frame plans much [...]
The NEX-3 is the cheaper of Sony’s two new compact interchangeable lens hybrid cameras. It has a plastic body (the NEX-5 is metal) and shoots standard HD movies only rather than full HD. The 14-megapixel CMOS sensor is the same, [...]
Hybrid camera with APS-C format sensor in a compact camera sized body. The NEX-5 is the most expensive of two similar hybrid models launched by Sony at the same time. It has a metal body, shoots full HD movies and [...]