The K50 has an ISO range of 100 to 51600, and can shoot at a frame rate of 6 frames per second. It can of course shoot full HD video (1920 x 1080) at up to 30 frames per second. The K50 is weather resistant and dustproof, and weighs 650g, making it great for outdoor activities.

Another notable feature for an entry level SLR is the K50’s 100% coverage viewfinder. You can also get an optional battery holder, that allows you to power the K50 from four AA batteries instead of the normal rechargeable battery – giving you extra power when away from civilisation.

The Pentax K-50 is available with their colour to order system, allowing you to choose from 120 colour combinations in addition to three standard models.

The built in flash has a guide number of 12. GPS is possible with the optional O-GPS1 GPS Unit, and wifi with the use of an Eye-Fi SD card. The K50 has an Automatic Horizon Correction function, and an electronic level (horizontal level displayed in the viewfinder, and both horizontal and vertical on the LCD).

Pentax K500
The Pentax K500 is essentially the same camera as the K50, but without the weather resistance.

Just like the K50, the K500 can take the optional AA battery holder. See the K500 above for matching features, the only notable differences apart from the weather sealing are the absence of the electronic level and horizon correction.

The X Vario’s large 16 megapixel cmos sensor promises excellent image quality for a compact camera – APS-C format sensors are typically found in SLRs, such as the low to mid range Canons, and the DX format Nikons. The 18-46mm zoom lens offers a full frame equivalent zoom of 28-70mm, giving a decent wide angle up to a reasonable zoom and encompassing the classic 35 and 50mm focal lengths.

The styling of the Leica Vario X is similar to the Leica X2, but obviously with a more bulky lens compared to the fixed 35mm full frame equivalent lens of the X2. There is a cluster of controls on the top, allowing you to set the shutter speed and aperture.

Full HD video (1920 ×1080) can be shot with the Vario X and the videos can be saved directly in mp4 format. ISO range is 100 to 12500, and the X Vario promises a “fast, extremely precise, and virtually silent” autofocus. Manual focussing is achieved by simply turning the focussing ring on the lens, a manual override that is similar to many SLR lenses.

The X Vario is compatible with the Leica EVF 2 external viewfinder. The built in pop up flash has a guide number of 5.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6
The 16 megapixel Panasonic G6 is the latest in the long line of G system cameras, and introduces built in Wi-Fi and NFC (near field communication) as does the new GF6 model (see below). Apart from just transferring files wirelessly, the G6 can be remotely controlled from your smartphone or tablet, allowing control of a variety of camera functions and settings. The G6 has an OLED live viewfinder, and a rotating tilting touch screen LCD panel.

You can shoot images at a frame rate of up to 7 frames per ssecond, and full HD 1920×1080 video. When shooting video you can use Touch AF to control the focussing. The Panasonic G6 also has an improved ISO range from 160 ISO up to 25,600 ISO (extended).

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 is available to pre-order now and is due in June – see the latest G6 prices here.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6
The new Panasonic GF6 boasts a new 16 megapixel Live MOS Sensor and a new processing engine. It is the first G system camera to include built in Wi-Fi and NFC (near field communication) – a feature that is also available in the forthcoming G6 (see above) – allowing you to remotely control the camera from a smartphone or tablet and transfer files wirelessly.

The tiltable touch panel LCD screen means that you can control focus using Full-area Touch AF, allowing you to select any part of the picture to focus on. The tiltable LCD also allows you to take pictures of yourself should you feel the need in “self shot” mode.

You can shoot full HD video via a dedicated video record button, The GF6 has an expanded creative control function that allows you to apply 19 different filter effects, with several new ones. The Panasonic GF6 also has an improved ISO range from 160 ISO up to 25,600 ISO (extended), and allows shooting at 4 frames per second.

You can preorder the GF6 now – check the latest Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6 prices here.

There is not a huge difference in price, about £15 at the time of writing, but the current cashback deals mean you can save an extra £10 on the 700D. Which makes me wonder why you would choose the 100D over the more advanced 700D? – unless the size difference is really important to you (116.8 x 90.7 x 69.4mm for the 100D against 133.1 x 99.8 x 78.8mm for the 700D).

If you compare the two cameras, and ignore the size, then it is quite hard to spot the difference – in many ways they are the same camera inside. The main advantages of the Canon 700D over the Canon 100D are:

• More advanced autofocus system (9 point cross type AF system)
• More powerful built in flash (guide number 13 compared to 9.4)
• Integrated Speedlite Transmitter
• Max frames per second shooting of 5fps, compares to 4fps for the 100D.
• Battery grip available for the 700D, but not the 100D.

Although the differences are fairly subtle, when put together it is clear that the 700D is a better featured camera, but a bit bigger than the 100D. I would certainly go for the 700D, even if it wasn’t cheaper at the moment.

Canon EOS 700D Details

The latest in a long line of Canon entry level SLRs, the EOS 700D has an 18 megapixel APS-C sensor. It can capture images at a frame rate of 5 frames per second, and has an ISO range of 100-12,800 (expandable to 25600). It features a vari-angle (swivelly) LCD touch screen, and a 9 point cross type AF system. Full HD video is of course possible.

In common with its predecessors, the Canon 700D can be used with the EF-S range of canon lenses, as well as the full standard EF range. The view finder coverage is only 95%, and the built in flash has a guide number of 13. The Canon EOS 700D uses SD cards (including SDHC and SDXC). Sadly there is no built in wi-fi or GPS (but you can use Eye-Fi cards). It is compatible with the BG-E8 battery grip.

The RRP for the 700D is expected to be £849, and is expected some time in April. It will be offered bundled with various lenses as normal.

Canon EOS 100D Details

The Canon EOS 100D becomes the base level SLR in the Canon range. It too features an 18 megapixel APS-C sensor, and a less advanced 9 point AF system. The Canon 100D has a touch screen LCD and a viewfinder with 95% coverage. Canon claim it is the “smallest and lightest APS-C DSLR in its class”, and it weighs in at 407g (without a lens attached).

The EOS 100D can shoot at a frame rate of 4 frames per second, for up to at least 28 frames if shooting jpeg. The ISO range is 100-12,800 (expandable to 25600), and the built in flash has a guide number of 9.4.

You can shoot full HD movies with the 100D. There is no battery grip available for the 100D.

The Canon EOS 100D should be available in April, and I’ve not seen the RRP confirmed yet, but expect it to be around £600-£650.

As there are now around 2500 products on the site, the price drops list is normally quite long. With the new feature you can choose to see price drops only from specified manufacturers.

To use the new feature, login and you will see the option in your user settings box on the home page.

Registered users can also set up their own watch list for the home page, and write product and shop reviews. Further features will be added over the next few months.

The original 80-400mm VR was the first Nikon lens to feature vibration reduction, and in the intervening years the technology has improved. The new version of the lens therefore has an updated VR system, capable of a four stop compensation – this means that hand held with VR on you can, for example, capture a sharp image at a shutter speed that is four stops slower than the shutter speed you would need to capture a sharp image without the VR (assuming the subject is keeping still of course). There are two VR modes, Normal and Active VR, and also automatic tripod detection that reduces vibration from the shutter release when the camera is mounted on a tripod.

The new lens also features an “improved optical construction that easily meets the demands of today’s D-SLRs” -with 20 elements in 12 groups, Nano Crystal Coat and four ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and one Super ED glass element. The ED elements are are designed to reduce chromatic aberration and the coating to reduce ghosting and flare.

Now, although I have what I believe is the most extensive listing of UK photography shops, I cannot list all of the shops that sell UK stock. Sometimes this is for technical reasons, for example when I cannot automatically pick up the latest prices a shop’s website. One shop simply refused to have anything to do with me (and were rather rude about it too – they will not be mentioned on this page!). But there are several more shops that I would like to include, but simply have never responded to my requests for thier permission to add them. I was recently asked to provide a list of shops that I know of, but which are not listed, so I’m starting that here. If you have contacts at any of these shops, then please ask them to get themselves listed – all they have to do is contact me and I can sort it out.

So, here is the list of the shops I know of who I cannot technically list, or who have not replied to my requests:

London Camera Exchange
Ffordes Photographic
Pennine Online
Just Canon
Harpers Photographic
Pantiles – Chas Norman
Chris Goodhead
Charles Eagles
Comley Cameras
J & A Cameras

I do not necessarily know whether the above shops sell UK stock as I’ve not been able to get a response from them. It is not normally a good sign when shops ignore attempts to contact them, but sometimes things just get lost in the general spam. I suggest you check them out if you are looking to buy something in addition to using my listings here on the site, and be sure to ask if they are selling UK stock items. I will keep adding to this list as I come across shops.

Some of the shops that are included in the Camera Price Buster listings may not be listed for every product. I am constantly adding new products, as are the shops, and so it is common to find things that have not made it to the listing for a particular shop (but please let me know if you spot some as I may have simply missed them). If a normally included shop is not listed for a particular product then you may like to check them out as well in case they do sell the product you are looking for. There are also some products that I cannot list at certain shops due to the way they combine different products onto one page – such as 3rd party lenses where different mounts at grouped onto one page, which makes it difficult to pick up the correct price.

Update 21/2/13: added three more shops that I’ve tried to contact but had no response from.
Update 5/3/13: added J & A Cameras – no response to my email.

It features a 24 megapixel sensor, a 51-point AF system and an ISO range of 100-6400, extendable to 25600. The D7100 can shoot at a speed of 6 frames per second (and 7 fps in its 1.3X crop mode). The 1.3X crop mode essentially seems to ignore some of the sensor, giving the aforementioned higher frame rate but presumably at a therefore reduced resultion, and full HD movie recording up to 50i/60i.

The D7100 weighs 675g, and has magnesium alloy top and rear covers. Nikon claim this gives it “superior dust, drop and weather resistance”. As already mentioned above, full HD movie recording is possible in a full range of HD flavours.

The Nikon D7100 does not have built in wi-fi, but you can fit the WU-1a Mobile Adapter to get this.

The Nikon press release is here.

It features a 16 megapixel APS CMOS sensor and an ISO range up 16000. The 7.5cm LCD screen can be flipped through 180 degrees, to make it easy to take self portraits. The camera body has a zoom lever, which can be used to zoom on compatible power zoom lenses.

The NEX-3N weighs just 210g, making it the “world’s smallest, lightest interchangeable-lens camera with a large APS-C sized sensor” – with a built in flash. The Sony NEX-3N is of course compatible with all the Sony E mount lenses.

The NEX-3N should be available in March 2013. The press release can be found here.