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Digital SLR (short for single lens reflex) cameras are getting more and more sophisticated than ever. Luckily, there are many online reviews that we can read first in order to come up with the wisest decision which camera best suit our needs and our wallets.

Usually, camera manufacturers unveil their hottest digital-SLR cameras towards the end of the year. So, lets have a look at the most sophisticated, the hottest and the most high-end DSLRs in the market today from the two major manufacturers–Nikon and Canon.

Canon vs Nikon: Nikon D3X

Released on December 1st 2008 the D3X is the latest flagship digital SLR from Nikon. Featuring a massive 24.5MP CMOS sensor the camera creates 138MB 14bit RAW images. With the latest in Nikon camera technology, images aren’t just big, but beautiful. Arguably the best camera Nikon has ever produced, most reviewers are quite positive about the camera, however those such as Ken Rockwell point out the shortfalls of the camera and the fact that it offers very little over the original D3 for a much higher price. The selling price of the D3X is $7,999.99 at cameraworld.com (From wikiproduct.com)

Canon vs Nikon:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Announced on September 16th 2008, the EOS 5D Mark II is Canon’s successor to the EOS 5D, the world’s first ‘compact’ full frame digital SLR. The EOS 5D Mark II boasts a new 21MP CMOS sensor, an expanded ISO range of 50-25,600 and a wealth of improvements and new features including full 1080p HD movie recording, live view, 3.0″ 920k dot LCD, DIGIC IV processor, increased battery capacity and sensor dust reduction. The selling price of the Canon MK II  is at $3,499.99 at cameraworld.com ( (From wikiproduct.com)

Want to know more about these DSLRs? I think the most credible and scientific test review on how these cameras perform against each other, was the one written by Ken Rockwell where he compared the sharpness of the images taken from the Nikon D3x and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Sadly though, the winner in this test is the much more expensive Nikon D3x .

Here’s an exceprt from Ken Rockwell’s review:

It’s obvious: even though the specifications are the same, Canon 5D Mark II looks crappy by comparison.

Why? Simple: Too much noise reduction attempting to smooth over textures that need to be left alone. The 5D Mark II is smudging over softer textures left alone by the D3X.

Canon tends to do this: files from its cameras are more heavily processed. They usually look sharper than Nikon files, but they also more often have sharpening haloes around edges and differential texture smoothing, meaning that fine textures are screwed with.

Big prints from the Canon 5D and 5D Mark II look great, but still have these digital processing artifacts which are visible to skilled eyes.

The files from Nikon cameras may not be as sharp, but have few if any of these digital defects which scream “DIGITAL CAPTURE” to trained eyes in big prints.

In this case, the D3X has plenty of resolution for a change and it is sharper than the 5D Mark II, so it’s purer (less screwed with) image completely trounces the image from the 5D Mark II.

Unlike where the old Canon 5D was sharper than the Nikon D3, the Nikon D3X is clearly superior to the Canon 5D Mark II.

You may read the entire review article by Ken Rockwell at kenrockwell.com.