Enthusiast cameras
01 CANON EOS 7 00D
$770, CANON.COM.AU, TESTED SEPTEMBER 2013
LOVE APS-C CMOS sensor delivers cracking images. Jack-of-all-trades zoom kit lens. Touchscreen LCD HATE Relatively bulky T3 SAYS An excellent beginners DSLR that takes semi-pro shots with reliable quality SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 18.5-megapixel/1080p KIT LENS 18x55mm SCREEN 3-inch touchscreen WEIGHT 580g
02 SONY S LT-A58
$699, SONY.COM.AU, TESTED SEPTEMBER 2013
LOVE Great value for money. Translucent mirror allows you to film video in a flash. Decent lens choice
HATE Smaller LCD screen, but a fairly bulky look T3 SAYS Sony’s not-a-DSLR is feature-packed with great performance and a low price SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 20.1-megapixel/1080p KIT LENS 18x55mm SCREEN 2.7-inch WEIGHT 492g
03 CANON EOS 6 50D
$619, CANON.COM.AU, TESTED OCTOBER 2012
LOVE Superb image quality and great low-light shooting thanks to fine high ISO performance
HATE No longer Canon’s top dog T3 SAYS Still an impressive DSLR with great image quality and swift, touchscreen control SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 18-megapixel/1080p KIT LENS 18x55mm SCREEN 3-inch touchscreen WEIGHT 575g
04 SAMSUNG NX 300
$749, SAMSUNG.COM/AU, TESTED MAY 2013 LOVE DSLR-quality photos. Tiltable AMOLED touchscreen. Manual controls aplenty. Built-in Wi-Fi HATE No viewfinder or built-in flash T3 SAYS Cutting-edge camera features in an attractive, compact package – a winner SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 21.6-megapixel/1080p KIT LENS 18-55mm SCREEN 3.31-inch AMOLED touchscreen WEIGHT 284g
05 SONY A LPHA S LT-A37
$589, SONY.COM.AU, TESTED CHRISTMAS 2012
LOVE Semi-transparent mirror means faster shooting and focusing. Exceptionally good video recording HATE Reduced quality at high ISOs T3 SAYS Consistent performance across stills and video; Sony’s not-a-DSLR is a fine camera SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 16.1-megapixel/1080p KIT LENS 18-55mm SCREEN 2.7-inch WEIGHT 506g (body only)
06 SONY A5000
$699, SONY.COM.AU, TESTED JUNE 2014 LOVE Compact size. Tilting screen. High-resolution APS-C sensor. Wi-Fi connectivity and selfie-ready tilting screen HATE No hotshoe. No touchscreen T3 SAYS A great upgrade if you crave better shots than your smartphone or compact can handle SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 20.1-megapixel/1080p KIT LENS 16-50mm SCREEN 3-inch WEIGHT 269g
07 PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-G5
$600, PANASONIC.COM.AU, TESTED CHRISTMAS 2012
LOVE Takes great photos and adds an electric viewfinder and swivelling LCD to the normal CSC features
HATE Not overly compact T3 SAYS A compact system cam that sacrifices slimline looks for even more DSLR-aping features SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 16-megapixel/1080p KIT LENS 14-42mm Power
Zoom SCREEN 3-inch WEIGHT 396g
08 NIKON D7000
$1,400, NIKON.COM.AU, TESTED JUNE 2012
LOVE Natural-looking shots and 1080p video recording at up to 24fps. The kit lens comes with built-in anti-shake
HATE Barrel distortion and over exposure are issues T3 SAYS Good upgrade for those with reasonably deep pockets who require more from their DSLR SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 16.2-megapixel/1080p KIT LENS 18-105mm SCREEN 3-inch WEIGHT 690g (body only)
09 OLYMPUS S TYLUS 1
$799, OLYMPUS.COM.AU, TESTED MARCH 2014
LOVE Longer lens reach. Constant fast f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range. Classy, DSLR-like design
HATE Largest compact cam on test. High price tag T3 SAYS Not the smallest or cheapest compact around, but it is a proper grown-up option SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 12-megapixel/1080p LENS 28-300mm in 35mm
terms SCREEN 3-inch touchscreen WEIGHT 240g
10 SONY R X100 I I
$800, SONY.COM.AU, TESTED MARCH 2014
LOVE Rock solid construction. Tilting LCD and hotshoe – a rarity on a compact. Carl Zeiss lens
HATE Tiny buttons. No handgrip. Expensive for a compact T3 SAYS An A-grade combination of optics and features crammed cleverly into a pocket snapper SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR 20.2-megapixel/1080p LENS 28-200mm in 35mm
terms SCREEN 3-inch WEIGHT 281g