Best Digital SLR Camera for Interior Photos Under $1000: Nikon D90 (Body Only), by picturemaker

Expert Recommendation

Best Digital SLR Camera for Interior Photos Under $1000

By picturemaker

Expert (53 Recommendations and 31 Compliments)

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November 23, 2009 Updated: November 24, 2009

Overview

When the goal is to get good, clear interior shots, dealing with tricky light and shadows can be a nightmare. So can composition, Live View aids this problem tremendously. That’s why the Nikon D90 is my Best in Class pick. Add a wide angle lens and you can be sure to capture every nook and cranny with ease.

My Best In Class Pick

Nikon D90 (Body Only)

The Nikon D90, with Live View, a 12.3mp imaging sensor and Expeed processor, has all the tools you need for capturing difficult, low light situations indoors. Add a Nikkor wide angle lens to make sure you get all the angles.

Setting up a shot with Live View makes getting the composition right an easy task, and when the exposure gets tricky, simply use the D-Lighting or Picture Control mode for help managing contrast and tone. When working with really difficult lighting, the D90 offers an ISO that can go as high as Hi 1 (ISO 6400 equivalent) or as low as Lo 1 (ISO 100 equivalent). For group shots, use Face Priority mode to recognize up to 5 faces

Viewing your still images or HD video is simple too because of the 3”, 920,000 dot LCD screen, allowing you to make quick decisions and adjustments.

If you plan on projecting your still images right away on your HD TV using an HDMI connector, you can first perform in-camera editing using Distortion Control to adjust lens aberrations or the Straightening function to get the right angles right.

Comparison with Canon EOS 50D (Body Only)

If saving a little money and getting HD video is important to you, then losing a little on the imaging sensor and ISO capability shouldn’t make you stray from Nikon when choosing a camera for your interior shots.

Comparison with Pentax K-7 (Body Only)

Solidly built but a bit pricier than the D90, the K-7 is a good choice too, especially if you already have Pentax lenses.

Pros

+
Bright LCD
+
D-Lighting
+
Wide ISO choices

Where to buy

Nikon D90 (Body Only)

Best Price: $899
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Recommended with

Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

$899.95 @ Amazon.com

Specifications

Resolution: 12.3MP

Want More Opinions? See:

Fotoguy's Recommendation

Customer Reviews

Website Reviews (3 reviews)

Highly Recommended at DPReview.com
Dave's Pick at Imaging-Resource.com
Rated Excellent by CNET.com

Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices

Product	Nikon D90 (Body Only)	2 Canon EOS 50D (Body Only)	3 Pentax K-7 (Body Only)
Customer Rating
Price	$899.95	$1249.00	$1099.99
Body Material	Plastic	Magnesium Alloy	Magnesium Alloy
? Close Sensor Type The image sensor converts the captured light into electrical signals. There are two main types of image sensors, CCD (charge-coupled device) and CMOS (complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor). Neither technology has a clear advantage in image quality. CMOS can potentially be implemented with fewer components, use less power and provide data faster than CCDs. CCD is a more mature technology and is in most respects the equal of CMOS. Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS
? Close Effective Sensor Resolution The Effective Sensor Resolution tells you the total number of pixels that are recorded when you take a picture. The units are MP, which stands for megapixels or millions of pixels. For outstanding fine compression prints, 3MP is required for 5x7's, 7.1MP for 8x10's, and 10.9MP for 11x14's. The effective sensor resolution is only one of many important factors that will determine the quality of the photograph when displayed or printed at different sizes. Effective Sensor Resolution	12.3 megapixels	15.1 megapixels	14.6 megapixels
Anti-Dust Available	Yes	Yes	Yes
Max Shooting Speed (continuous)	4.5 frames/sec	6.3 frames/sec	1.6 frames/sec
Video Available	Yes	No	Yes
HD Video Available	Yes	No	Yes
Max ISO Setting	6400	12800	3200
? Close LCD Screen Size The LCD Screen Size is the length of the miniature LCD monitor measured diagonally. LCD Screen Size	3.0 in.	3.0 in.	3.0 in.
LCD Screen Resolution	921600 pixels	920000 pixels	921000 pixels
Storage Media	SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card	CompactFlash Card	SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card
Battery Type	Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable	Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable	Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable
Weight (with batteries)	24.8 oz	29.0 oz	26.5 oz
Weatherproof	No	No	Yes
Anti-Dust Technology	Low-pass Filter Vibration	Low-pass Filter Vibration	Low-pass Filter Vibration, Anti-stick Coating, Dust Alert
? Close Image Stabilization Available Image stabilization features are designed to reduce the blur that results from normal, minute shaking of a lens due to hand-held shooting. However, image stabilization does not prevent motion blur caused by the movement of the subject or by extreme movements of the camera. Image Stabilization Available	Yes	Yes	Yes
? Close Face Detection Available Face detection technology will try to set the focus, exposure, and color balance so that faces appear sharp, well-exposed, and with the proper color. Face Detection Available	Yes	Yes	Yes

Canon EOS 50D (Body Only)

Offering enhanced speed and image quality, the Canon 50D is a robust DSLR that will capture your interior shots at a whopping 15 Mega Pixels. Strap on the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens and take in the whole scene while letting the Digic 4 processer figure out the correct exposures.

Set up your shots using the Live View mode and compose with ease using the 3.0” Clear View VGA LCD and three different Auto Focus settings. Choose from any of the Picture Style pre-set modes to make sure you get the exposure just the way you want it. If natural light is what you’re shooting for, crank the ISO sensitivity up to 12800 without breaking the bank on specialized lenses.

Built around a sturdy Magnesium alloy body, the 50D uses an intuitive design to make operating the controls right at hand so you don’t have to spend valuable time scrolling through menus. And every time you fire up the 50D, the EOS Integrated Cleaning System shakes the dust off the sensor so your images are ready to go with a minimum of editing.

And if you have a need for speed, the 50D shoots a rapid 6.3fps, in bursts of up to 90 JPEGs with a UDMA card.

Comparison with Pentax K-7 (Body Only)

Since these two cameras are so closely matched, I would only consider one over the other due to accesories you may have from each manufacturer. If you’re not yet true to either, you might be able to decide based on whether or not you prefer video in your DSLR.

Pros

+
Digic 4
+
High ISO
+
Ease of use
+
Very fast fps

Cons

-
No video