Nikon D40 (with 18-55mm lens)

Pros: Small, lightweight, easy to understand menus

Cons: No autofocus with older, non-AF-S lenses

Summary: As usual, CNET makes factual errors in their DSLR reviews.

If I understand the review correctly, according to the reviewer, certain settings are only accessible by going through the menus and using the four-way button set. This is certainly true enough, BUT in the next sentence, she gives an example:

"For instance, in aperture-priority mode, you can change the aperture only via the command dial; to change the shutter speed, you must go through the aforementioned process."

I take the "aforementioned process" to mean going through the menus.

Alright. There are several things wrong with the example:

1) The point of aperture-priority mode is to allow the user to change only the aperture and leave the camera to choose the shutter speed for you. No camera on the market (not even professional DSLRs) allows you to change shutter speeds in Aperture Priority mode. If you want to change shutter speeds, then you will need to go into Shutter priority mode, or Manual mode. There is an EXCEPTION, however:

2) If the user nevertheless wants to change shutter speeds in Aperture Priority mode (for example to second guess the camera's metering) then there is an Exposure Compensation button (labelled "+/-") just behind the shutter button which allows you to do so. Holding down this button and rotating the command dial in A.Priority mode will indeed vary the shutter speeds. There is no need to go into the menus to do so. In fact, when in Shutter Priority mode, the same Exposure Compensation button will allow the user to vary aperture settings.

3) In fact, the points above are the same for any camera, even a Canon 400D (Rebel XTi) or a Nikon D200.