What Budget DSLR has bracketing modes?

Question

I need recommendations on entry level budget DSLRs with plenty of bracketing modes (exposure, F-stops, etc for HDR and DOF shots). I am in Germany and am willing to spend upto €600. The brand doesn't matter to me. Also want to know if there are programmable bracketing modes available in entry level DSLRs.

Answer

The Pentax K-r is currently at €598 with the two-lens (18-55mm and 50-200mm) kit, and it includes a basic automatic bracketing mode, which will take three shots with different exposure. It also has an automatic in-camera HDR mode (also with three images), and a multi-exposure mode which automatically overlays the 3 with a simple blend.

You can choose how many stops to vary the exposure by, and what order (underexposed first, then regular, then overexposed, or another way) you want them in.

However, if you want more shots than 3, or if you want to vary something other than exposure (or choose which exposure parameter is varied), I don't think you'll be able to get it without spending more. (The twice-as-pricey Pentax K-5 has a lot more options.)

Depending on your needs, you might be best served by a non-dSLR camera — specifically, a Canon point-and-shoot model running the CHDK firmware hack, which could give you very powerful programmatic control over bracketing. With your budget, you could go for the high-end P&S Canon G12, which is listed as supported by a beta version of CHDK. (Models change all the time, of course; if you come back to this question a year from now, make sure to see what's latest.)

Or, you can, of course, simply bracket manually.

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