How complicated are D-SLRs to use?

In Auto or Programme modes, D-SLRs can actually be easier to use than most compact cameras, in real terms.

Optical, through-the-lens viewfinding makes for easier, more natural shot composition, especially in tricky focusing or panning situations.

Most consumer D-SLRs also have a wide range of scene modes, for portraits, night shots and so on, while aperture-priority, shutter-priority and metered manual modes are there if you want them, with controls that are usually more accessible than on compact cameras.

What’s the main differences between sensor types?

The two main types of sensor are CCD and CMOS. Theoretically, CMOS should have the edge for image quality but, in real terms, there’s very little difference if any.

What’s more important is the physical size of the sensor. Cameras such as the Canon EOS 5D have a ‘full-frame’ sensor, which is the same size as a frame of 35mm film, so you can use film camera lenses without any ‘crop factor’.

However, most D-SLRs use a smaller APS-C format sensor, providing a 27-105mm lens.

The smaller image circle needed by APS-C sensors mean that specially designed lenses can be smaller and lighter as well.

How many megapixels do I need?

6 megapixels should be plenty to play with but, with high quality lenses, you can get very good pixel-to-pixel levels of sharpness.

This means that if you choose, for example, a 10 megapixel or 12 megapixel camera, you can creatively crop images quite tightly while still getting very good results.

Unlike when choosing a compact camera, when buying a D-SLR it pays to go for the biggest resolution that you can afford.

What lenses should I consider?

Historically, in SLR photography, lenses have been more important than the camera bodies you put them on.

However, so much image processing goes on inside a D-SLR that bodies and lenses are now equally important. D-SLRs are very susceptible to picking up dust on the sensors, so most photographers only like to change lenses when they have to.

For this reason, it’s often best to go for zoom lenses with fairly large zoom ranges, such as 18-70mm and 70-300mm, although fast, prime lenses are difficult to beat for low light performance and quality.

So-called ‘travel’ or super-zoom lenses are increasing in popularity, offering mighty zoom ranges of around 18-200mm. However, these lenses are usually susceptible to very noticeable distortion at each end of the zoom range.

Some Canon and Nikon lenses also offer excellent image stabilisation or vibration reduction systems built in, while other makes of camera have anti-shake systems built into the camera, which you can use with any lens.