The Canon EOS 10D ($1,500 street) is the company's third-generation consumer digital SLR, and it shows, offering an unbeatable combination of image quality, ergonomics, and value. Canon has addressed the few complaints we had with previous models (sluggish auto-focus, erratic flash exposure, and the lack of a focus indicator in the viewfinder). The result is a smooth, elegant camera that isn't much more difficult to use than a point-and-shoot model.

The EOS 10D's magnesium alloy exterior has nonslip rubber on the handgrip. The control layout is logical, and frequently changed settings like ISO speed, auto-focus mode, and white balance are controlled by dedicated buttons on the top. The rear of the camera has a bright 1.8-inch LCD for image playback and menu display. A smaller LCD on the top of the camera shows exposure information, shooting mode, and frames remaining. The included lithium ion battery pack provides enough power for several hundred images and takes about 90 minutes to recharge with the included external charger.

As with other consumer digital SLRs, the EOS 10D uses an image sensor that's about two-thirds the size of a 35-mm film frame, so the effective focal length of the lens is multiplied by a factor of 1.6. This means that a 50-mm lens, when used with the EOS 10D, performs like an 80-mm lens on a 35-mm film camera. Canon supplied its pricey 16- to 35-mm f-2.8 lens ($1,400) with our test camera, but many EOS 10D buyers opt for the 24- to 85-mm ($310) or the 28- to 135-mm ($400) version as a starter lens.

You can select from a variety of exposure modes, from fully automatic to completely manual. As on many Canon cameras, the EOS 10D's shutter-mode dial has six preset modes, including portrait, action, night shot, and scenery. These modes are handy for newcomers to SLR cameras, but more experienced photographers will appreciate the manual-control option.

The Canon EOS 10D is a pleasure to use, producing terrific images with excellent clarity, color, and sharpness. We are especially impressed by its lack of image noise, even at very high (400 and 800) ISO speeds. The EOS 10D also turned in eye-catching results on our performance tests, with very high scores for color accuracy and image resolution.