If you are thinking of making the move up from a point-and-shoot to a "real" camera—one you can focus manually if you want, or attach different lenses to—then congratulations! Using an SLR (single lens reflex) camera opens up a whole new, exciting (and fun!) world of photography that point-and-shoot cameras have kept from you. You'll also find yourself taking better photos from an SLR camera because the physics of capturing light is much kinder to a larger lens than it is to the dinky lenses of a point-and-shoot.

Some people find the prospect of buying and then using an SLR to be intimidating. Don't worry. This article will help you with the first of those tasks. There are many books and courses to help with the second. (Using an SLR can be easier than you perhaps imagine).

Let's start with a brief overview . . .

What you should look for in your first digital SLR camera:

• Ease of use. SLR cameras have many more features than your standard point-and-shoot model. You want an SLR with a computer menu and setting buttons that are as intuitive as possible.
• Full automatic mode. It can be fun having all sorts of manual photography options but you also probably want a camera that has a good full automatic mode for those times you just want to point and shoot.
  
• Build quality. The ruggedness and weather-resistance varies much more between SLR cameras than it does between point-and-shoot models.
  
• Price. If you are reading this you probably aren't looking to spend $8,000+ on a digital SLR camera. Fortunately, there are fantastic values to be found .
  

What's less important in your first digital SLR camera:

• The number of megapixels. The biggest mistake first time buyers of SLR cameras make is directly equating megapixels with photo quality. In fact, megapixels are a measure only of how large a photograph you can print. All things being equal, an 8x10 photograph taken with a 6 megapixel camera will look identical to one taken with a 60 megapixel camera.

With that, here are the best models for your first SLR digital camera:

In terms of quality, the Nikon D300 is the best camera on this list. It takes the largest photographs, has the highest quality image processor and the most professional settings.

So why do we have it in the #4 spot? Because the Nikon D300 is also the most expensive of the cameras on this list. It also has the steepest learning curve for photographers who have never used an SLR before. But if you are keen to break into photography don't let that scare you off. Get a good manual, or sign up for a digital photography course, and buy the professional-quality Nikon D300 with confidence. This excellent, well-built camera is one that will last you for a decade or more.

_{Suggested for: Novice SLR photographers who are serious about taking on photography as a hobby.}

The photos produced by the Nikon D90 are very nearly of the same high quality as those produced by the more expensive Nikon D300 (our #4 choice, above). Compared to the D300, the Nikon D90 also weighs less and is a little more straight-forward to use. It has another advantage too: The D90 is currently the only SLR on the market you can use to shoot live video. The catch—and isn't there always a catch—is that the D90 isn't as quiet solidly built as the D300.

_{Suggested for: Photographers who also want a digital SLR camera that shoots video}

If you've read our reviews of the Nikon D300 and D90 (above) and Olympus Evolt 420 (below) and think that all three cameras sound good to you then that's probably a sign that the SLR you should really buy is the Rebel XSi. This Canon model splits the difference bewteen the other cameras on this list. It takes slightly better photos than the 420, though not quite as good as the Nikon models. It costs less and weighs less and is easier to use than the D300 and D90 but not the Olympus model.

The one aspect of the XSi that is superlative is the choice of lenses. The lenses for the Canon SLR digital cameras are the best on the market. Click here to read our reviews.

_{Suggested for: Occasional photographers, people who can't decide between the other three cameras on this list.}

If you are leery about getting an SLR because you don't want to spend a lot of money on it . . . or spend a lot of time learning how to use it . . . or expend a lot of effort carrying it around . . . then the Olympus Evolt 420 is your camera.

The Evolt 420 is the smallest SLR on the market—smaller, in fact, than many point-and-shoot cameras. It is also the easiest to use of any other SLR; even if you've only used point-and-shoot cameras before you'll be able to pick up an Evolt 420 and start taking photos without reading the camera's instruction manual. And it takes very good pictures.

Best of all? The Evolt 420 is the least expensive camera on this list and an outstanding bargain through Amazon.com (click here to check local prices in the UK and Germany).

_{Suggested for: Travelers, bargain shoppers, those who want an SLR that's as easy to use as possible.}

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