Can it be only 20 years ago that the first DSLR was introduced?
Yes. It was the Kodak DCS-100, with a jury-rigged 1.3-megapixel camera back attached to a Nikon F3 film SLR, and a shoebox-sized 200 MB hard drive that slung painfully over your shoulder. And it cost you $26,000 !
By today's standards, the DCS-100 was a dinosaur—but some say the same of any DSLR that's more than five years old, as tech advances come so quickly.
Now, if you're a serious photographer who can't justify spending several grand on a rugged, full-frame DSLR, or even a pro looking for an affordable, lightweight backup camera and one that just happens to record great video, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the features and performance found in DSLRs costing under $1,000.