Video Guide to Buying A DSLR: more features to consider

High ISO Performance

If you intend to routinely shoot handheld in low ambient light without flash, you're probably going to get intimately acquainted with the higher ISO settings on your camera. As a rule, image quality deteriorates as the ISO increases, but the degree varies from camera to camera. Read our reviews and choose one that offers good image quality at high ISO settings, with low levels of ‘noise' (granular specks on your photos that destroy the details). Some cameras only go up as high as ISO 1600 or ISO 3200, but cameras that offer higher maximum ISOs are likely to produce superior results even in the ISO 1600-3200 range. If you can afford it, get a full-frame DSLR, which has a larger, 35mm film-sized sensor. Larger sensors tend to perform better in lower light but you'll need to spend the best part of £2,000 on a pro camera to get one.

Beginner-Friendly Interface

If you're new to digital SLRs you might find the many features, modes and buttons intimidating. Which ones should you use, and when? What do they do? Some manufacturers have recognised the steep learning curve involved in stepping up to a DSLR by designing a menu system which explains what each mode does and, in many cases, provides a pictorial example of when you'd use it. Nikon was the first to adopt this graphical approach, with its aperture graphic that opens and closes as you adjust the f.stop, and Sony has since also gone down this route with its entry level DSLRs.

High Speed Shooting

Most DSLRs can shoot at around three frames per second which is fine for capturing most moving subjects, but the faster you can shoot the greater your chances of getting that perfect frame.
Some cameras employ a larger buffer which enables them to shoot at five to eight frames per second (or even more) and for longer periods before the camera has to stop and get its breath back and save your pictures to the card.

HD Video Mode

Some DSLRs can now shoot HD video as well as stills, at either 720p (1280x720 pixels) or in a few cases full 1080p (1920x1080pixels). So if you think you might need a camcorder at some point as well as a stills camera, then this may be the more economical option to go for.
Although DSLRs offer excellent video quality due to the larger sensors, they lack the functionality of a camcorder. The clip lengths will be limited to as little as five minutes (depending on the camera), some models do not autofocus in video mode and you have to spend a fair bit to get features like an external microphone socket. But for short yet high-resolution video clips they're ideal.

 Why Pay More?

 Since even the entry-level models have all the basics that you need, and may mid-range models offer most of the extras too, such as LiveView and Video,why do some DSLRs cost north of £1000? What are you getting when you spend that much? Well, cameras at this price point and above are aimed at professional semi-professional and high volume users, so the build quality is one of the main enhancements you'll get over the cheaper models. Whereas budget and mid-range DSLRs tend to be made from polycarbonate, more expensive models are more likely to be made from magnesium alloy, perhaps on a steel chassis. The dials and buttons wil be better sealed againt the elements and the internal moving parts, such as the shutter, will be more durable so they don't wear out. In addition, many pro-spec DSLRs will have larger or higher resolution sensors and faster processors (perhaps multiple processors), will offer advanced features likewireless off-camera flash and will enable a far greater degree of customisation in the way that the camera is set up.