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If you’re looking for a new DSLR, we’ve got you covered. This guide includes all the best DSLR cameras we’ve reviewed, so you can find a great camera whether you’re searching for the perfect first DSLR or upgrading an older camera.
A DSLR – or digital single-lens reflex camera – is a type of camera that takes the mirroring mechanism used in film-based SLR cameras and pairs it with a modern digital imaging sensor.
DSLR cameras were the professional standard for a good number of years before mirrorless cameras came along and stole the spotlight with their smaller designs and generally higher video resolutions.
Despite the industry shift to mirrorless in recent years, there are still countless great DSLRs on the market for photographers that prefer peering through optical viewfinders over EVFs.
DSLR cameras also tend to benefit from longer battery lives than mirrorless cameras and photographers who have been around the block might be reluctant to sell off their entire lens collections and start again from scratch – that is, if they can’t find an appropriate lens adapter.
When it comes to reviewing a camera we look at every aspect, including the design, display and viewfinder, features, image quality and video resolution. We also attach sample photos to all of our reviews so you can get an accurate look at the colours and detail each model is capable of producing.
For the best DSLRs we’ve reviewed in recent years, stay on this page. If you’re still stuck between DSLR and mirrorless, make sure to check out our guide to mirrorless vs DSLR cameras, along with our look at the best mirrorless models.
We also recommend taking a look at our guides to the best vlogging cameras, best action cameras, best instant cameras and, of course, the best cameras overall if you’re still exploring your options.
Best DSLRs at a glance
- Best DSLR overall: Nikon D850 – check price
- The best choice for beginners: Nikon D3500 – check price
- The most capable DSLR below £2000: Pentax K-1 II – check price
- A fantastic full-frame Canon DSLR: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV – check price
How we test
We test every camera we review thoroughly. We use set tests to compare features properly and we use it as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
- 45.7-megapixel sensor captures exceptionally fine detail
- Fast viewfinder autofocus with silent shooting option in Live View
- Rear thumb-operated sub-selector for fast AF point positioning
- Extremely good 1840-shot battery life
- No phase detection AF in Live View
- Touchscreen operation doesn’t include key exposure settings
- Wireless SnapBridge connectivity needs improvement
- Good quality kit lens
- Very good image quality
- Fast and silent autofocus
- Unexpectedly snappy live view
- Great for keen learners
- Value for money
- Fixed rear screen
- Video is HD rather than 4K
- Chunky compared to a mirrorless camera
- Huge degree of external control
- Excellent rugged, weather-sealed build quality
- Superb image quality, with high resolution and dynamic range
- In-body stabilisation gives sharper images with almost any lens
- Compatible with vast range of new and used K-mount lenses
- Heavy and bulky body
- Slow wake-up from auto power-off
- Screen isn’t touch-sensitive
- Sluggish live view autofocus
- Full-frame sensor
- Touchscreen is useful
- Solid 4K video recording
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Heavy
- Expensive
- Frame rate isn’t particularly high
Nikon D850
Best DSLR overall
Pros
- 45.7-megapixel sensor captures exceptionally fine detail
- Fast viewfinder autofocus with silent shooting option in Live View
- Rear thumb-operated sub-selector for fast AF point positioning
- Extremely good 1840-shot battery life
Cons
- No phase detection AF in Live View
- Touchscreen operation doesn’t include key exposure settings
- Wireless SnapBridge connectivity needs improvement
The Nikon D850 is a full-frame DSLR aimed at professional photographers and the successor to 2014’s D810.
The camera features a 45.7-megapixel sensor – an upgrade from the D810’s 36.3-megapixel one – that brought the camera line with the 50.6-megapixel Canon 5DS and the 42-megapixel Sony A7R II when it was released.
The D850 is powered by the EXPEED 5 processor found in the D500 and the D5, which along with the sensor, helps keep noise to a minimum when using higher sensitivity settings.
The camera also takes advantage of the same 153-point Multi-CAM 20K autofocus system found on these cameras, which we found to be fast and accurate when we tested it.
Continuous shooting is limited to 7fps, but you can connect the optional battery grip to increase this to 9fps (though this will, of course, cost extra).
The camera features a weather-sealed magnesium alloy design with plenty of buttons, controls and customisation options. There’s a 3.2-inch, 2.36m-dot tiltable touchscreen and a large 100% viewfinder for lining up shots.
When it comes to video, the D850 includes separate microphone and headphone inputs and was the first Nikon DSLR to support 4K video at up to 30fps.
Reviewer: Michael Topham
Full review: Nikon D850
Nikon D3500
The best choice for beginners
Pros
- Good quality kit lens
- Very good image quality
- Fast and silent autofocus
- Unexpectedly snappy live view
- Great for keen learners
- Value for money
Cons
- Fixed rear screen
- Video is HD rather than 4K
- Chunky compared to a mirrorless camera
The Nikon D3500 is the best DSLR we’ve tested for anyone new to photography, though it has fierce competition with the Canon 250D.
The D3500 is small for a DSLR (though not as compact as a mirrorless camera) and offers the advantage of the extra grip and balance of a DSLR. The screen is limited to a fixed 921K-dot display, but the camera comes with a fantastic 18-55mm AF-P kit lens that we found to be sharp and consistent across its focal range.
The D3500 packs a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor and, though this camera is beginner-friendly, it isn’t simplistic. The D3500 features all the features you’d expect from a more serious DSLR, including the full set of program AE, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual modes.
It has an ISO range of 100-25,600 for decent low-light performance and can capture 5fps in its burst mode, making it easier to snap photos of energetic kids and pets.
Video capture is limited to HD (all of our best mirrorless cameras right now support 4K shooting) but image quality is good, offering realistic colours both indoors and outdoors.
Perhaps the biggest benefit to the D3500 over its mirrorless rivals is the camera’s excellent 1,550-shot battery life, which will keep you shooting for significantly longer without having to stop and recharge.
Reviewer: Rod Lawton
Full review: Nikon D3500
Pentax K-1 II
The most capable DSLR below £2000
Pros
- Huge degree of external control
- Excellent rugged, weather-sealed build quality
- Superb image quality, with high resolution and dynamic range
- In-body stabilisation gives sharper images with almost any lens
- Compatible with vast range of new and used K-mount lenses
Cons
- Heavy and bulky body
- Slow wake-up from auto power-off
- Screen isn’t touch-sensitive
- Sluggish live view autofocus
The Pentax K-1 II is the update to 2016’s Pentax K-1, the camera company’s first full-frame DSLR, and is the best value DSLR we’ve tested if you’ve got less than £2000 to spend on your next camera.
The K-1 II boasts a durable, weatherproof magnesium alloy body that’s slightly heavier than even the D850. The large grip is coated with textured rubber for a secure hold and there are a large number of buttons, dials and switches, including customisable dials on the front and rear.
There’s a 3.2-inch tilting LCD display that we found to be sharp and accurately colour calibrated, as well as an optical viewfinder with a magnification of 0.7x and almost 100% coverage of the scene.
Inside, the camera packs a 36-megapixel full-frame sensor, fast autofocus and built-in image stabilisation.
Image quality is excellent – we found the camera to be especially well suited to photographers looking to shoot static subjects like landscapes – and the ISO can go as high as 12,800 with acceptable results (we would avoid the ISO 409, 600 and ISO 819,200 settings).
As far as video goes, the K-1 II can capture Full HD resolution at 30fps and the camera offers both microphone and headphone inputs. However, if video is your priority, we would recommend opting for a camera that supports 4K instead.
Reviewer: Andy Westlake
Full review: Pentax K-1 II
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
A fantastic full-frame Canon DSLR
Pros
- Full-frame sensor
- Touchscreen is useful
- Solid 4K video recording
- Built-in Wi-Fi
Cons
- Heavy
- Expensive
- Frame rate isn’t particularly high
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is the fourth iteration of the 5D and an excellent DSLR if you’re looking for a full-frame Canon model.
The design will be familiar for 5D Mark III users, though the hump where the viewfinder lives is larger to make room for the Wi-Fi and GPS unit and the grip is deeper for added security.
The camera also replaces the Mark III’s 22.3-megapixel sensor with a 30.4-megapixel one and brings the native ISO up to 50-102,400 for improved low-light performance.
There’s an optical viewfinder with Intelligent Viewfinder II to show information like shooting modes, a level and a grid to help with composition. There’s also a 3.2-inch, 1.62m-dot touch-sensitive display but isn’t an articulating one, meaning you can’t tilt it.
The camera features two image processors: a DIGIC 6 chip for metering and a DIGIC 6+ for high-speed image processing. There’s also support for Canon’s Dual-Pixel AF technology and Dual-Pixel RAW and the AF points cover a greater area of the viewfinder than that on their predecessor and are sensitive down to -3EV.
Images captured with this camera are sharp and colours are well-saturated and relatively noise-free up to around 25,600.
There’s also support for 4K video capture, putting this camera in line with many of our best mirrorless cameras when it comes to videography. That said, those interested in a mirrorless equivalent will want to check out the Canon EOS R.
Reviewer: Amy Davies
Full review: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
We also considered…
FAQs
Right now, our favourite DSLR is by Nikon. However, there are plenty of great DSLRs by camera makers like Canon, Pentax and more.
You can buy DSLRs as body-only, but many manufacturers will offer them bundled with a kit lens but a bit more.
A full-frame DSLR is any DSLR with a full-frame sensor. This means the image isn’t cropped and full-frame sensors offer additional benefits, like better low-light performance.
