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Photography Equipment/DSLR Bodies
Reference material by Wikibooks contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
The body of a DSLR is the heart of the system, in the sense that it is the primary interface and that one generally has a single body (sometimes two), but many lenses. This is not to say that the body (or the sensor) is more important than the lens (indeed, the opposite in the case), but simply less variable.
Canon and Nikon
Both brands segment their line by price/target audience, and replace models on an approximately 2 year cycle. The entry-level DSLRs are the biggest sellers by a large margin.
The current ranges are:This table should not be read to mean that the corresponding cameras are directly comparable or even the closest competitors, but rather that this is how the manufacturers segment their lines.
Canon Nikon Entry-level 1100D/Rebel T3 / 600D/Rebel T3i D40 / D60 / D5000 Prosumer/Enthusiast 60D / 7D D90 / D300 Semi-professional (Full-frame) 5D Mark II D700 Professional : High-speed 1D Mark IV D3 Professional 1Dx D3X
Notice that Canon model numbers are of the form "40D", while Nikon model numbers are of the form "D40".At first Canon also used a D- prefix, in the D30 and D60, but switched to a -D suffix with the 1D, presumably to reduce confusion with Nikon models.
For history, see table of Canon DSLRs and table of Nikon DSLRs, and glosses at Canon EOS DSLRs, Canon EOS model naming scheme and list of Nikon DSLRs.
References