Nikon D3100(18-55mm, 55-200mm lenses)
The good: excellent photo quality; well-laid-out controls; interesting, user-friendly Guide mode; full manual controls in video capture.
The bad: Smallish viewfinder; slower than the competition; no bracketing.
The cost: $699.95 to $949
The bottom line: A very good entry-level dSLR, the Nikon D3100 delivers excellent photo quality in a body that’s streamlined for experienced photographers, but relatively unintimidating for the less advanced. its only weakness is performance; though solid, it nevertheless lags behind the competition.
CNET rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very Good)
Nikon D3000(with 18mm-55mm, 55mm-200mm VR lenses)
The good: Beginner-friendly Guide mode; nicely laid out interactive control panel; solid photo quality up through ISO 1,600.
The bad: Extremely basic feature set; annoying multiselector switch.
The cost: $629 to $939.99
The bottom line: its feature set is basic even by entry-level standards, but the Nikon D3000 delivers the photo quality and performance you expect when stepping up to a dSLR, with an optional interface that’s very beginner-friendly.
CNET rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very Good)
Pentax K-x(black, with 18-55mm, 50-200mm DA lenses)
The good: very good noise profile; nice-size viewfinder for its class; relatively speedy.
The bad: Doesn’t display AF points in viewfinder; no HDMI connector; slow Live View autofocus; mediocre LCD; unreliable image stabilization.
The cost: $703.60 to $756.94
The bottom line: A fast, inexpensive dSLR with better-than-average low-light quality, the Pentax K-x nevertheless has some flaws, such as unreliable image stabilization, to watch out for.
CNET rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very Good)
Pentax K-x (black, with 18-55mm and 50-300mm DA lenses)
The good: very good noise profile; nice-size viewfinder for its class; relatively speedy.
The bad: Doesn’t display AF points in viewfinder; no HDMI connector; slow Live View autofocus; mediocre LCD; unreliable image stabilization.
The cost: $699 to $863.94
The bottom line: A fast, inexpensive dSLR with better-than-average low-light quality, the Pentax K-x nevertheless has some flaws, such as unreliable image stabilization, to watch out for.
CNET rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very Good)
CNET.com
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