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Gadget Bag: The Long View
Although photographers seem to always search for it, there’s no perfect camera. Some seek a compact size over all else, while others are willing to lug around larger camera kits to ensure they’re always ready with the right lenses. While there’s no one-size-fits-all camera, there is one camera category that does a remarkable job of pleasing a lot of people in a lot of ways.
Compact super-zoom cameras find themselves squarely positioned between powerful D-SLRs and compact point-and-shoots. Typically smaller than traditional SLRs, these easy-to-use compact cameras offer one big feature that pocket-sized point-and-shoots don’t: a super-sized zoom lens.
Point-and-shoots are often equipped with a 3x optical zoom, but super-zooms flaunt lenses beyond 8x—and usually from 10x to 12x power. Often about the size of a D-SLR’s normal lens, the lenses in compact super-zoom cameras offer equivalent focal lengths easily up to 300mm and often beyond the 400mm mark. That’s a heck of a lot of magnification in a portable form.
Because these cameras are often rich in features, professionals will appreciate many of the same functions they love in their interchangeable-lens cameras—RAW image capture, hot-shoe mounts for external flashes and image stabilization aren’t uncommon among cameras in this class. Image stabilization becomes extra important. These cameras offer exponentially higher focal lengths that magnify not only the subject, but
also any camera shake.
The Canon PowerShot S3 IS builds on the success of the S2, upping resolution to 6 megapixels to complement the 12x optical zoom. One of the faster compact super-zooms, it has a variable maximum aperture of ƒ/2.7-3.5. With optical image stabilization, photographers can shoot in light two to three stops lower without worrying about blur from camera shake. With shutter speeds up to 1/3200 sec., you can handholdthe S3 even when zoomed all the way to 432mm (in 35mm equivalent terms) on the USM Ultra-low dispersion lens. Estimated Street Price: $349.
The Fujifilm FinePix S6000fd offers more than just a long 10.7x optical zoom. At the wide end of the zoom spectrum, the camera offers the 35mm equivalent of a 28mm wide-angle lens—wider than many compact super-zooms. At the long end, the 6.3-megapixel camera zooms to a 300mm equivalent. Though it doesn’t offer optical image stabilization, the S6000fd sports a higher ISO than most other cameras in its class, adjustable all the way up to ISO 3200 at full resolution. It even incorporates face-detection functionality to automatically find and focus on faces in the frame (though its results with animal faces are yet to be proven). Estimated Street Price: $419.
The Leica V-Lux 1 is based on the same mechanics as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50—although the more expensive Leica utilizes its own image processing and comes bundled with Adobe Photoshop Elements (and, of course, the prestige that comes with that little red Leica dot). The high-res V-Lux 1 offer 10.1 megapixels and a 12x Leica optical zoom lens, along with a swiveling LCD, hot-shoe and optical image stabilization. The features are similar to those found on D-SLRs, but the look and feel of the camera is a lot like those of an SLR. Estimated Street Price: $849.
On budget and style points, the Olympus SP-510 UZ scores high. This 38-380mm-equivalent 10x optical zoom is packaged nicely with a 7.1-megapixel CCD. It doesn’t include optical image stabilization, but in Bright Capture mode, the ISO increases to 4000 to help quicken the shutter speed (though the resolution at this high speed drops to about 3 mega-pixels). Estimated Street Price: $249.
The Samsung Digimax Pro 815 SE is tailored for photographers
who want a big zoom and don’t mind a big package. The two-pound, 8-megapixel camera sports a 15x optical zoom, providing an equivalent focal-length range of 28-420mm. It’s fast at the short end, too, with a maximum aperture of ƒ/2.2-4.6. A big zoom deserves a big screen, so Samsung added a 3.5-inch LCD. There’s also a smaller color LCD on top of the body, so you can brace and still see your composition. Estimated Street Price: $599.
Canon
(800) OK-CANON
www.usa.canon.com
Fujifilm
(800) 800-FUJI
www.fujifilm.com
Kodak
(800) 235-6325
www.kodak.com
Leica
(800) 222-0118
www.leica-camera.com
Nikon
(800) NIKON-UX
www.nikonusa.com
Olympus
(888) 553-4448
www.olympusamerica.com
Panasonic
(800) 211-PANA
www.panasonic.com
Samsung
(800) SAMSUNG
www.samsungcamerausa.com
Sony
(877) 865-SONY
www.sonystyle.com