THE DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) price war is turning savage, as rival brands try to outdo one another.
Now, even new models are going for under $1,000.
Not that these budget models are inferior. On the contrary, they offer solid construction, brisk response and great picture quality.
Thanks to market rivalry and slowing compact sales, prices have taken a tumble.
When the first budget DSLR - the Canon EOS 300D - hit these shores in 2003, its price tag was a lofty $1,999. Mind you, this was for a plastic 6.3-megapixel camera with dumbed-down features.
This year, Sony's A200 came out at $1,088 in January. Now it's just $888.
Nikon's D60 was launched at $1,188 and is now $988.
'This is an explosive market and we believe it will continue as more and more Singaporean consumers embrace the DSLR experience,' said Lee Risk, director of research firm GfK Asia.
Certainly, buyers are biting. GfK's numbers show that 25,893 DSLRs were sold in Singapore in the first half of this year - a 26 per cent rise over the same period last year. A whopping 52 per cent increase compared to the same months in 2006.
Consumers take a shine to DSLRs
Two reasons could account for the consumer uptake: The gap in prices between DSLRs and compacts has closed and DSLRs are easier to use.
Take two top compacts: Sony's Cyber-shot W300 and Panasonic's Lumix LX3. Fine cameras both, retailing at $799 each. Just about $100 more will get you a DSLR.
The sticky perception - that DSLRs are complicated to use - no longer holds, especially with budget models.
Set the camera to automatic mode dial, just like on a compact camera, and everything - from aperture to shutter speed to the flash setting - will all be expertly calibrated for you. No more guesswork.
Andrew Koh, director and general manager of the Consumer Imaging and Information Division of Canon Singapore, said: 'We have removed a great deal of DSLR-related complexity, while preserving the flexibility and power that DSLR photography affords.'
While compacts offer convenience, DSLRs focus and snap much faster. Aperture, shutter speed and focus can all be effortlessly adjusted with a twist of a ring or dial.
On a compact, this calls for frenzied button pressing - if such controls were even available.
Plus, DSLRs simply produce better photos. Colours are richer and picture noise is much better controlled.
DSLRs are a godsend for those who love to tweak. Senior dental associate Karen Cheng, 32, upgraded to a Nikon D40 three months ago to 'have more lens options and to play around with more camera features'.
This article was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life on September 17, 2008.
