I subscribe to Consumer Reports and have their cell phone app on my phone. I recently checked their ratings on cameras. They have 6 categories. This post concerns the category of SLR cameras.

Here are the cameras that are RECOMMENDED, with 2 Canons designated as a Best Buy.

Score of 78. Sony Alpha 99II w/85 F2.8 SAM
Score of 74. Canon EOS 200D Rebel SL2 w/EF 50 mm, BEST BUY
Score of 73. Nikon D7200 w/18-55mm
Score of 72. Pentax K-1 w/FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited
Score of 72. Canon EOS 6D Mark II w/24-105mm IS STM
Score of 72. Nikon D7500 w/ AF-S 50mm
Score of 72. Canon 800D Rebel T7i w/50mm, BESTBUY
Score of 71. Nikon D500 w/AF-S 50mm 1:1.8G

What I find interesting is their opinion on Image Quality:
Image quality is based on tests performed in auto and manual mode using regular photos, low-light photos, and flash photos with consideration of their performance in terms of color reproduction, dynamic range, resolution, distortions, reflections, image stabilization, as well as movie quality.

They list 41 different camera, lens combinations. On Image Quality, they rate the top performers as Very Good. All the rest receive a Good rating.

For Nikon, there is only one model, in addition to the above mentioned, that received a Very Good rating on Image quality, the Nikon D5500 w/18-55 VR II, with a score of 68.

What really surprised me was how full framed Nikons scored....and they all received a Good, not Very Good on Image Quality.

Score of 61. Nikon D610 w/AF-S 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED
Score of 61. Nikon D850 w/AF-S 24-120mm
Score of 60. Nikon D750 w/AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR
Score of 59. Nikon D810 w/AF-S 24-120 f/4 G ED VR

The following are the lowest scoring Nikons:

Score of 57. Nikon D500 w/AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4 E
Score of 53. Nikon D5600 w/18-140mm VR
Score of 53. Nikon D7500 w/16-80mm
Score of 47. Nikon D7500 w/18-140mm VR

I have the following observations, based on these ratings:

1. If I mount a prime lens on a camera, it is transformed into a top performer. The Nikon D7500 w/18-140 scores the lowest of all camera/lens combinations. With a 50mm prime lens it is a recommended camera, with a score of 72.

2. You don’t need to buy a full frame camera to get Very Good image quality. Both the Nikon D7200 and Nikon D5500, with kit zoom lens of 18-55 mm, showed better image quality than any full frame Nikon, including the Nikon D850.

3. The Nikon D7200 did very well, even with zoom lens. I shoot Nikon. Hence my concentration on that brand.

I did a previous post on Consumer Reports ratings when I was looking at getting a Nikon D7500. I was surprised at the low rating with the generally well regarded 18-140. That rating didn’t show results with a different lens, a 50mm prime, like this one does.

Previous responses were interesting. Many pointed out that they thought other resources were more credible. Like most people, I consult other resources as well. I thought the ranking of different camera/lens combinations could be useful on choosing cameras and lens. Some didn’t know CR was even around any more. Some didn’t agree with their ratings on some other product and thus chose not to care what they said about cameras.

Anyway, I thought the above could be helpful to somebody.

You need to take Consumer Reports camera ratings with a grain of salt. They are generally geared to newbies, or those with little knowledge or interest in understanding the details, and use specific criteria they feel would seem important to their target audience. Their ratings are simplistically applied. If you truly wish to understand the quality differences between cameras and lenses, separately and in combination, you will need to educate yourself over time. Quick hit ratings like theirs, without knowing exactly which test methodologies were used, and without seeing seeing all the graphed test results which brought them to their conclusions, is useless. Go to some of the trusted review sites discussed in these pages, read the reviews and learn how to interpret the data and graphs.