Body type

DSLRs

A DSLR bounces the light from the lens off a mirror and up through a pentaprism, or a lighter pentamirror on entry-level bodies, so you see the scene through glass. The mirror swings out of the way when you press the shutter. Nikon's D1 of 1999 took the same lenses as Nikon's film SLRs, and that's still the big draw: decades of lenses fit. The optical finder needs no power, so DSLRs tend to run longer on a charge than mirrorless bodies. The mirror cycles with every shot too, so a high shutter count means a well-used mirror box as well.

16 cameras we cover.