3. Which DSLR is Easiest to Use?

The cameras we tested all fall into their respective makers’ entry-level category, and share certain general principles common to that category. All four have a dial on the top (to the left or right of the viewfinder) for selecting the shooting mode. Another point in common is that they have only a single command dial, meaning that it has to be used jointly with another button (generally Exposure Correction) to adjust the aperture in manual mode.

Certain buttons (e.g. Menu, Exposure Correction and Info/Display) are also present on all the models. All four have a four-way controller to the side of the display for accessing and changing the settings for the main shooting functions (on the Sony and Pentax, you need to press the "Fn" button first). Only the D60 is different in this respect – the most important functions are on the rear display, and you have to press the setting (“i”) button, then select the function you want to change with the cursor. It’s a longer and less intuitive path, but it lets you access more settings.

The organization of the menus, on the other hand, differs greatly from one camera to next. The 450D’s are clear. They’re organized in tabs, with an easily identifiable color for each type of function, as on Canon’s EOS 40D. The Sony α350’s menu pages, organized according to the same principle but without the color code, are also clear and make it easy to find what you want. The Nikon D60’s and the Pentax K200D’s menus – which are particularly austere on the latter camera – are less well thought out. In certain cases you have to scroll through 20 functions on the same page before you get to the end.

Another notable difference is that Pentax has decided to stick to a black-and-white upper display instead of showing the information on the rear display. This was probably done in the interest of energy savings (the K200D is powered by LR6/AA rechargeable batteries), and it proves to be a good choice – the top LCD display is much more legible than the rear display in strong light.

The K200D also has some very intelligent functions inherited from the K10D. For example, all you need to do is press the green button to jump back to an aperture/shutter speed combination suited to the lighting conditions of the scene when working in manual mode. Another very interesting idea: A “RAW” button located to the left of the lens lets you change the file format for saving a shot with one press (and without taking your eye off the viewfinder).

These buttons are well-placed and fall easily under the fingers. For example, the vertical switch for the K200D’s stabilizer is easier to operate than the 350’s, which is in the same location, but horizontal.

The Canon 450D’s looks are more restrained, but it’s a model of good design. Everything is clear and simple, and the logic of the previous models has been followed perfectly. One criticism, however, is that the “ISO” button (for adjusting the sensor’s sensitivity to light) is too close to the mode dial. The dial hampers access. But that’s about the only fault we can find with this camera’s ergonomics. Each basic function is easily accessible (even live view), and the ease of navigation in the menus is increased even more by the large size of the display.

The Nikon D60 is less complete, but is fairly easily to use, and we liked the programmable “Fn” button – you can assign whatever function that best suits your style of shooting.

Finally, the live view, “ISO” and burst-mode buttons are poorly positioned on the Sony α350. Since they’re on top of the camera, they require you to use your thumb in an uncomfortable, unnatural position. This may be the result of Sony’s producing three different models on a common base (including the α200 and α300). But Sony did better than this with the α700.