SLR cameras and camcorder: Best of 2011

Buying an SLR can be pretty tricky and it is important to think long and hard what you want to get out of your camera before shedding out your hard earned cash. Here we give you a array of the finest 2011 cameras and camcorders.

1. Olympus PEN E-P3

Olympus PEN E-P3

The E-P3 from Olympus is a combination of the E-P2 and the E-PL2. This one has a 12.3 MP live MOS sensor. The big improvement in this one is that the auto focus is much faster than the other PENs. So it is going to be one of the fastest cameras in its class. It has a new faster shutter response, full HD movies. The screen is touch sensitive and looks really nice. Pop up flash is still there and it can be triggered from the back. Lastly, the Olympus Pen E-P3 with the body and the 14-42mm lens kit costs for $899 which is pretty reasonable.

2. Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

The Canon EOS 7D redefines the capabilities of the digital SLR. A rounded rubber grip sets nicely in the hand and offers a comfortable amount of flex. There is a slight protrusion into the palm that allows your thumb to fall comfortable into the 11 o' clock position. It provides a natural interface with real quick control dial and the newly developed live view video switch. The 7D boasts about the high quality 1080 HD video recorded at both 24 and 30 fps. In 720p HD, the camera records at 64 fps. So, the video mode is nothing short of incredible. The 7D has also five unique AF modes with a crazy 18 MP sensor.

3. Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

You won't notice a plethora of changes in this one from the last year's T2i but there are some changes which are quite significant. First up the obvious addition being the flip out angle LCD and it is actually smudge proof. The EOS T3i can now also shoot in 30 fps in 1080p video mode and 60 fps in 1280p. We have a new intelligent auto mode which is basically an auto pilot for this camera. We also get that 18 MP CMOS sensor that we got last year with the T2i. Body design and placement of external control is almost identical. The T3i ships with an 18 to 135 mm kit lens that has auto focus and image stabilization.

4. Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

The Nikon D7000 has so many advanced features compared to its competitors. It has a dual SD card slot which allows you to record and have media spill over to the next card or we can designate video and stills independently. It has also the ability to add and external battery pack with vertical shutter to prolong the battery life and that is something which is hard to find in this price range. The D7000 is constructed of a magnesium alloy body which is sturdier than the others. It has a pop up speed light flash along with a front and rear control dial. It has a quick camera when it comes to shooting features. It has an ISO range of 2500. It also has a 2016 RGB sensor for its TTL white balance. The D7000 also has an amazing 16.2 MP sensor.

5. Sony Handycam HDR-CX130

Sony HDRXR160 Handycam Camcorder

It features 1920x1080 full HD with 60 fps recording and a 3.3 MP still image camera. The coolest feature about this camera is the lens. It is actually a wide angle G lens. It has a 42 times extended zoom and it also has this feature called steady. So when you are actually walking or driving, you can record pretty steady even if you close up 42 times. It has a EXMOR R CMOS sensor for superior low light performance. The screen is 3 inch LCD touchscreen. The quality of the images is amazing.

6. Samsung NX200

Samsung's NX200

The most amazing feature about this one is its compactness. It is one of the smallest system camera that we have ever seen. It is certainly light and slim but there have been some sacrifices. It has no built in flash. Instead Samsung are providing a very small, compact flash. It has a 3 inch AMOLED screen. Now one thing that has not been sacrifices is the image sensor inside this camera. You get a full APSC sized image sensor. It is also a 20 MP camera which is incredibly amazing. It has a ifunction lens which is Samsung's new family of lenses. The benefit of this lens is that you get to control the camera functions and change settings on the lens itself without having to use the actual controls on the body itself.

7. Pentax K-5

Pentax K-5

It is a 16.5 MP CMOS sensor camera. In terms of design, the K-5 is very similar to the K-7. One of the key features is that it has a weather shield body that comes in the case of 18 to 55 mm WR lens. It can shoot up to 7 fps in a continuous burst. On the top there is an HD movie mode which is capable of shooting at full 1080p. However there are some restrictions to this. It is only able to shoot motion JPEG files which are not exactly of the highest quality.

8. Panasonic HDC-SD90

Panasonic HDC-SD90

The Panasonic HDC-SD90 uses a single sensor rather than the trio of Panasonic's higher end models. Here you get a healthy 20 times optical zoom. There is also an intelligent zoom to call upon. Another surprising feature for this mid range camcorder is the ability to shoot full 1080/50p. This records an MP4 format. An LED video light is also built in. The headline feature is the SD90's ability to shoot in 3D which is pretty impressive.

9. Sony Alpha A900

Sony Alpha A900

When holding this camera, you will notice its weight as the entire body is made up of a magnesium alloy frame. It features a 24.6 MP camera. With an ISO range of 100 up to 6400, a shutter speed of 30 sec down to 1/8000 of a second, this one is definitely going to entice the professional guys. It can also shoot at a continuous speed of 5fps.

10. Sony Handycam HDR-PJ10

Sony Handycam HDR-PJ10

The PJ10 is a full HD camcorder. It also comes with an HDMI connection that gives you the ability to play back your moments on your HDTV in stunning 1080 quality. The PJ10 also has 3 inch touch panel display, 29.8mm wide angled Sony G lens engineered for superior optical performance. The 42 times extended zoom gets you even closer to action. The PJ10 has EXMOR R CMOS sensor which gives you amazing quality in low light conditions.