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Digital SLRs are the Ferraris of the digital camera world. It is important to select the right one before taking the SLR plunge since they are more costly than your run of the mill point and shoot. If you are considering an entry level or basic SLR then you really only want to consider 2 options according to Consumer Reports. Below are the CR ratings for the best Basic SLR cameras.

Top Rated Basic SLR for 2010: The CR top rated basic SLR for 2010 is the Canon EOS Rebel T1I. The Rebel is one of only a handful of basic SLRs with excellent image quality. It offers HD video shooting capabilities and some of the best low light photographs without a flash. View the Rebel T1I at Amazon.com for best price.

Top 2 CR Best Buy Basic Digital SLR Cameras Sorted by Rating

Canon EOS Rebel T1I

Canon EOS Rebel T1I Shop At Price $719.88 $799.99

The Rebel T1I is one of only a handful of basic SLRs with excellent image quality and excellent dynamic range. It has the ability to capture HD-Resolution video. It is also better than most basic SLRs at taking low light images without the aid of a flash. In addition, the Rebel offers 15 megapixels which was the highest of the cameras that were tested. As with most Canon SLRs, the Rebel is compatible with over 60 EF/EF-S lenses making this unit one of the most flexible out of those tested. Of course SLRs are quite a bit more advanced than regular point and shoots but the Rebel was one of the easier ones to use and operate.

Features:

• 15 Megapixels of resolution
• Includes Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens
• 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution with HDMI output
• 3.0″ LCD screen
• Capture images and video toSD/SDHC memory cards

$719.88 Best Price at Amazon.com

Nikon D5000

Nikon D5000 Shop At Price $700.77

The Nikon D5000 features live-view functionality, swiveling display and HD video shooting capablities just to name a few. This camera is quite intuitive to use when shooting both video and stills. The D5000 offers 12.3 megapixels of resolution with an included 3x optical nicor lens. One of the nicer features are the 19 automatic exposure scene modes for the beginer and 23 custom options for the more advanced users. It is hard to argue for the D5000 when the Rebel is just $20 more but the D5000 is one of the better basic SLRs on the market.

Features:

• 12.3-megapixel
• 3x Zoom AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens included
• Low noise ISO sensitivity from 200 to 3200 for excellent low light images
• Onboard image touchup editing
• Up to 720p movie resolution

$700.99 Best Price at Amazon.com

Puzzled on how to go about picking the best low light digital camera? Well, you aren’t alone. While many people regard low light capabilities as being one of their top priorities, very few actually know what to look for so here is a summary on what you need to look for.

Picking the best low light Point and Shoot

Point and shoots are by far the most popular choice when it comes to digital cameras. They’re easy to use and for the most part inexpensive. However, most of the inexpensive options have terrible low light capabilities. So what do you look for when it comes to a good low light capable point and shoot?

• The highest possible ISO setting- Plain and simple, the ISO setting is the most important factor when it comes to picking a good low light digital. If you are familiar with standard film cameras, the ISO value on a digital camera can be said to be the same as Film Speed on a traditional film camera. The ISO scale is the digital camera’s ability to capture light. The higher the value, the better your low light digital photographs will be without the use of a flash. Think of the value as buckets capturing rain. The more buckets you have in a given area, the closer they are and the more rain they will capture. The same goes for the light capturing sensor on a digital camera. A camera with an ISO value of 6400 will capture a lot more light than one with 800.
• What is a good ISO value?- A good minimum value is about 1600. There are many cameras that fit the bill. Most very affordable and priced in the $100-$200 range.
• Find Cameras with Manual ISO settings- Most inexpensive cameras under $100 suffer from the same flaw. They lack the ability to change ISO settings manually. Many have settings like “Day”, “Night”, “Candle Light”, etc. The problem with these is that you have no way of know what the ISO setting is.  This is done to hide the fact that they are unsuitable for low light images.  Stick to cameras that allow you to select the ISO value directly this way you know exactly what you are getting.
• ISO, no Free Lunch. While higher ISO will allow you to take lower light images, there is no free lunch. Because point and shoots use relatively small image sensors, at higher ISOs noise starts becoming a problem.  While not the worst thing in the world, this means that higher ISO shots should be scaled down in size in order to minimize the noise. If you take a very high ISO shot, it will be nearly impossible to have that image look great at the highest mega pixel setting on the camera. Such shots can also be cleaned up and reduced in size through the use of software. If you absolutely must have low noise, low light images, then the only solution is to step up to more expensive dSLR cameras since they use much larger image sensors.

View Consumer Reports Top Low Light Digital cameras for 2009

It is a rare point and shoot digital camera that can capture high quality low light photographs without a flash. Interestingly enough, it is not so rare that customers demand this feature from their newly purchased cameras. In fact, a recent Consumer Reports poll revealed that nearly 30% of point and shoot digital camera owners often find the need to take low light shots without a flash. Yet over 20% of them were not satisfied with their camera’s capability to capture such shots. Furthermore, nearly 75% of those polled said it was very important that their next camera be able to take good quality low light shots.

Despite such demand, only 4 of the 54 point and shoots Consumer Reports recently tested can be categorized as being able to take good quality low light shots. In an earlier article, we revealed one of Consumer Reports best low light digital cameras (You can read more on it here). Here is a list of additional cameras Consumer Reports found capable of taking a good low light shot.

And the Winners Are :

Best Value - Nikon Coolpix L20. Not only do you get the Nikon name, you get it at a bargain price. Despite the low price, you get a HIGH ISO value (1600),  a good 3.6X optical zoom lens and plenty of mega pixels for stunning prints. If price is your main concern, the Nikon Coolpix L20 makes  for the best low light point and shoot on the market . If you want the lowest price, we suggest Amazon.  Click Here to View Camera at Amazon.

Highest ISO - Nikon Coolpix S620. This camera had the highest ISO value (6400) of the group. With this camera, you will take shots you previously thought were impossible.  In addition to high ISO, you get more 12.2 mega pixels and a 4X optical zoom lens so you can take amaizingly detailed low light shots.  This camera costs $100 more than the CoolPix L20 but you do get 4X the ISO which means 4X the low light capturing capabilities, slighly more zoom and 2.2 more mega pixels. If you want the lowest price on this camera, again we recommend Amazon.  View This Camera At Amazon.

2009 Low Light Point and Shoot Cameras Tested by Consumer Reports. Ordered by Price

Nikon Coolpix L20

Nikon Coolpix L20

Nikon Coolpix L20 Shop At Price $96.99 $99.99 $105.88 $109.99 $119.00

The Coolpix L20 is the lowest priced out of this bunch, yet it adjusts up to ISO 1600 so you can keep on shooting even in lower light. This is by far the best value of the bunch.  It comes with the high quality of Nikon and has the best cost to ISO ratio.

Features:

• 10.0 Megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches
• 3.6x Optical Zoom-NIKKOR Glass Lens
• EXPEED Image Processor ensures high-quality pictures with stunning color and sharpness
• Huge, Bright 3.0-inch High-Resolution LCD
• Motion Detection automatically controls the shutter speed and ISO settings

Kodak Easyshare M1093

Kodak Easyshare 1093

Kodak Easyshare M1093 Shop At Price $129.99 $131.00 $156.00

Despite the low price, the M1093 has a respectable ISO 800 capabilities which will give you good low light shots. Not quite as good as more expensive higher ISO cameras but still better than the majority of point and shoots.  While the price is relatively low, it has a low ISO value. The

Features:

• 10.1Megapixel Effective - 10.3Megapixel Total resolution
• 3x optical, 5x digital zoom
• 3″ lcd screen
• Secure Digital (SD) Card, Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Card

Nikon Coolpix S620

Nikon Coolpix S620

Nikon Coolpix S620 Shop At Price $199.95 $199.99 $265.36 $279.88

High ISO 6400 Capability gives you sharper results when shooting in low light or capturing fast-moving subjects.

Features:

• 12.2 Megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches
• 4x Wide-Angle Zoom-NIKKOR Glass Lens
• EXPEED image processor ensures high-quality pictures with stunning color and sharpness
• Incredible, Bright 2.7-inch High-Resolution LCD
• Nikon’s Optical VR Image Stabilization compensates for the effects of camera shake with elements built into the camera’s lens
• Motion Detection automatically detects moving subjects and adjusts the shutter speed and the ISO setting to compensate for camera shake and subject movement

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX37S

Lumix DMC-FX37S

Panasonic Lumix DMC FX37S Shop At Price $298.00

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX37S has High ISO Sensitivity Mode : Auto(1600 - 6400). This is another camera that will give high quality low light images.

Features:

• 10.1 Megapixels
• Optical Image Stabilizer
• Extra Optical Zoom: 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 5.9x for 7 Mega, 7.1x for 5 Mega, 8.9x for 3 Mega, 2 Mega, 0.3 Mega
  3:2 Aspect Ratio: 7.1x for 4.5 Mega, 8.9x for 2.5 Mega
• Digital Zoom: 4x
• Image Sensor: 1/2.33″”, 10.7 Total Megapixels CCD, Primary Color Filter