CameraRec » Zoom

New Superzoom Leica Announced – Don’t buy!

toby — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:50:08 +0000

Leica announced a new 24x zoom today- The V Lux 3 – Available in January, sporting a 12.1MP CMOS sensor. The camera has a 4.5 – 108mm F2.8-5.2 image stabilized lens, equivalent to 25-600mm in 35mm film terms. The camera can do 1080p60 video capture with stereo audio and 12fps. Sound good? You could save yourself a whole bunch of waiting and save a few hundred dollars by buying the Panasonic FZ150. Seriously it is the same camera minus the Leica red dot. The FZ150, released this past August is quickly becoming one of my favorite superzooms. All the features of the above – which includes RAW shooting, serious FPS and loads of optical zoom make this an excellent choice for photographers wanting DSLR like performance in a smaller more affordable package. You still aren’t going to get the virtual zero shutter lag of using a DSLR but for just a tad over $400 this is a good deal.

SX230 Initial Thoughts

toby — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:29:57 +0000

I couldn’t resist the call of Black Friday and snagged an SX230 for cheap! A few test photos. . . More to come. . . My Initial thoughts Pros

Very impressed with higher ISO images – See the Pie image above
Feature set is impressive and manual control is well done
14x zoom in this sized body is nice
Big thumbs up for the Dedicated movie record button and the 1080 resolution with stereo sound is Good!
GPS tagging makes this map nerd happy – inside GPS took long time to lock on but once it did it stayed locked on and tagged my photos with the location of my kitchen (don’t steal my pie)
Plenty of fun modes and scenes though several feel gimicky (fisheye I am looking at you)

Cons

Response time is OK – nothing to get excited about
Battery life. . doesn’t seem great (However I am using the GPS feature AND an Eye-Fi card). The time it takes that small battery to charge seems a bit longer than it needs to be.
Hard to keep your finger off the Flash popup
The lens covering feels flimsy – Need to get a case, wouldn’t just toss it in a bag
I want built-in intervalometer(timelapse) shooting – Will need to use http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK to get it

Bullet for bullet it looks like the Con list is almost as long as the Pro list – don’t let this fool you, I am very impressed with this little camera and quite happy with my purchase. Properly exposed high ISO images are excellent, the full range of controls and features, especially the ease at which you can control manual settings is sweet as pie. I also picked up the 4GB Eye-Fi Card and the ability to send photos directly to my computer AND select photos on the camera for upload to facebook is fun! SX230 on Amazon | 4GB Eye-Fi Card | Case | Standard 8GB SD Card Check back for hands-on video review soon.

DSLR-like camera that won’t break the bank

toby — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:39:13 +0000

Received the following from Rachelle- I am looking for a camera. Not quite the price of a DSLR but the same type of look. I want a viewfinder as well as a LCD screen and manual focus as well as auto, and I like the forced flash too. Not too fussy huh? I bought the Fujifilm Finepix S2950 the other day but am not 100% happy with it. It has most of what I want/need but like I said, not 100% happy…..but I don’t want to spend a fortune, you know?? If there is something you can recommend that is not too heavy on price, but that can fill my wants, that would be great! Thank you for your time! So my charge is to find something DSLR-like with viewfinder, LCD, pop-up flash – further discussion revealed that the Rachelle is not happy with the sometimes grainyness of the Fuji and a disappointing Macro mode. The Fuji is a budget minded DSLR look alike with a serious 18x zoom. A budget camera with that zoom and something has to give, in this case it is image quality and in low light with higher ISOs you are going to get grainy photos, you are also more likely to get grainy(noisy) photos at the far end of the zoom when the aperture gets smaller and the camera compensates by increasing the ISO. SO lets look at some options #1 – Canon G12 10 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8 Inch Vari-Angle LCD - Recent price drop = $379 Not cheap, you lose a bit of zoom(a good bit actually) but it is going to give you fantastic results for a P&S, especially at the higher ISOs and it has an optical viewfinder plus the flippity-swively LCD screen. Loads of manual controls and physical dials make controlling this camera a breeze. Bonus feature – shoots RAW file format for greatest detail,also includes hotshoe for attaching an external flash. Macro mode is excellent #2 – Canon SX40 HS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 35x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch Vari-Angle Wide LCD. - Hard to find, sitting around $399 You get a load of zoom, pop up flash controlled via button, HS sensor that will give you very good low light image quality – similar to G12. Has LCD and viewfinder – viewfinder is electronic. Macro mode is OK. #3 – Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47K 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 24xOptical Zoom -$280 Zoom, popup flash(but no button to make it popup) but it does have an array of manual modes including manual focus. This viewfinder is also electronic. In general an impressive array of features at this price point but again sacrifices are made the cheaper we go and these photos are going to be noisier at the higher ISOs. Macro mode is very good. Consider these listed in order of my preference. If you are not Rachelle send me an email or find me on Facebook to get your own personalized camera recommendation. Find this post helpful? Use the links above to shop amazon or pass along a little tip using the PayPal button. Thanks!

Personal Recommendation for Valerie

toby — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:56:36 +0000

Valerie wants a camera with a big zoom and the possibility of interchangeable lenses that provide neat effects and creative opportunities.

The Good news- DSLR prices are dropping and the XS is an affordable, easy to use, full-featured DSLR for ~$525 including an image stabilization lens. The bad news – you don’t get much in the way of zoom, but you do have the option, as your budget allows, of buying a nice zoom or any one of hundreds of canon lenses giving you huge flexibility and photographic freedom.

Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black) Camera Highlights: 10MP | 2.5″ LCD | 18mm-55mm lens with image stabilization | Live view | decent low-light performance | Auto Lighting Optimizer & Picture Style settings- styles you can apply in real time to change the look of the photo.

To add a zoom I suggest the excellent Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

And if you want to get really creative take a look at the Lensbaby Creative Aperture Kit

Buy the Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Possible Alternatives:

If you want serious zoom now and need to keep the price below $700 you want to consider the Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Camera Highlights: 10MP | 2.5″ vari-angle LCD | 20x Zoom with Image Satbilization| 30fps VGA movies | Face detection & Face self-timer | Ability to add external Flash

Please let me know if you have any questions about these cameras or anything else you come across while shopping.

If you are not Valerie and you want your own personalized recommendation

Personalized Recommendation for Maggie

toby — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:44:20 +0000

Maggie is looking for something to replace her trusty Nikon CoolPix 5900, a 5MP camera that served her well. Budget is $250-400

Three Solid Contenders. I have ranked them in order of best value based on reviews and features. But, all three are excellent cameras and I feel confident that Maggie would be happy with any one of the three.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Camera Highlights: Large and Beautiful LCD screen (3″) for composing and reviewing | iA mode – 5 features work together to pick the perfect settings for each shot, includes Auto red-eye removal and image stabilization | 10x Zoom | HD Movie Mode | 400+ Near perfect reviews on Amazon Site | Size compared to the Coolpix 5900- Width is 1/2″ larger, height and thickness is a smidgen smaller.

Canon PowerShot SD880IS 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized ZoomCamera Highlights: 3″ LCD screen but 1/2 the resolution of the Lumix above | Face detection for focus, auto scene selection, auto red-eye removal and image stabilization | 4x Zoom | 200+ favorable reviews | Size compared to the Coolpix 5900- The 880 is 0.2″ wider but much slimmer and slightly shorter

Nikon Coolpix S630 12MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Jet Black)Camera Highlights: 2.7″ LCD | Nikon’s portrait system – Face detection for focus and proper exposure, auto scene selection, auto red-eye removal and image stabilization | Smile Mode automatically fires shutter when subject is smiling and Blink Proof which takes two pics when the subject smiles and saves the shot in which the subject’s eyes are open | 7x Zoom | Early reviews are good, this camera has only been on the market for a few months | Size compared to the Coolpix 5900- The S630 is 0.3″ wider but slimmer and slightly shorter

If you are not Maggie and want your own personalized recommendation

Personalized recommendation for Samantha

toby — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:37:02 +0000

Samantha is looking for a camera under $200 that is portable, has a big zoom and an excellent movie mode. It should be easy to use too.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K 8.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom This camera has ~~excellent~~ near-perfect reviews on Amazon and dpreview.

Why this is a great camera for Samantha:

Compact enough to easily fit in a small camera bag or jacket pocket.
10x Leica zoom with wide-angle coverage out to 28mm
Several movie modes to select from 640×480/320×240 (4:3) or 848×480 (16:9) all with audio
Advanced Intelligent Auto (AiA) which consists of 7 technologies that work together to make sure you get the shots you want. Bottom line- Easy to use & get great pictures
Great Battery life

Buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K 8.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

If you are not Samantha and you want your own personalized recommendation

Personalized Recommendation for Sara

toby — Sun, 10 May 2009 16:52:10 +0000

Sara wants to spend less than $200 on an ultra-compact camera with top notch image quality, a solid movie mode, decent zoom/wide angle lens and looks fairly stylish to boot.

Canon PowerShot SD890IS 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom There are several reason why this camera has been consistently in the top ten bestselling cameras on Amazon for many weeks.

Why this is a good choice for Sara:

10 MP is plenty of mega pixels for printing 8 x10s and even higher
A nice 5x zoom, most cameras in at this price point only offer 3x, a few 4x
A decent(standard) movie mode – 640 x 480 at 30 fps
It’s good looking, sleek with nice curves and will slip in a jean’s pocket

Buy the Canon PowerShot SD890IS 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Possible Alternative

A strong contender that may even been slightly better. It doesn’t have the sales numbers that the 890IS does but the reviews are consistently excellent. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35K 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) A solid camera with good reviews and is actually a little slimmer than the 890IS

Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue) Less zoom and fewer megapixels but cheaper and same form factor/size

Personalized Recommendation for Ilana

toby — Sat, 09 May 2009 21:07:14 +0000

Ilana is willing to spend between $300 – $500 to get a compact point & shoot with a serious zoom, a good movie mode and is easy to use.

Nicely falling in the middle of that price range is the excellent Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD. The ZS3 continues the line of TZ cameras that have been highly praised by professional reviews and amateur users.

Why this is a great camera for Ilana:

Compact enough to easily fit in a purse or jacket pocket.
12x Leica zoom with wide-angle coverage out to a stunning 25mm
A movie mode with dedicated controls and the ability to capture HD video at an amazing 60 frames a second with stereo sound
Intelligent Auto (iA) mode & Face Recognition feature mean it is very easy to get great, in-focus shots
3″ LCD allows you to easily compose and review

Buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD