Digital SLRs have never offered better value and if you’re in the market for a new one, chances are you’re carefully weighing up the latest crop of 10 Megapixel models. And while there’s at least five to now choose from, it’s fair to say the greatest attention is currently focused on the Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi, Nikon D80 and Sony A100. These are the big three, all available right now and all generating more excitement than any others.

The big question though is which one’s best for you? We’ve already reviewed all three at Cameralabs, but to answer the burning questions of potential buyers we’re pitching them directly against each other in this group test. Each model has many pros and cons and over the following pages we’ll detail their differences and point out where one takes the lead over the others.