Alright then, now that you’ve seen our favorite consumer-level cameras, it’s time to move on to the big-guns—Enter the superzooms!
As the name suggests, the biggest striking feature about superzoom cameras is the high optical zoom level which is usually between 10x to 12x in comparison to the 3x or 4x optical zoom that you usually get in consumer level cameras. But that’s not it, these cameras also add a bunch of features like manual exposure and manual focus, along with customization options that make the cameras perfect for prosumers and amateur photographers.
The following are our favorite superzooms of 2006.
Second Runner-Up
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5
It was a tough choice between the Canon Powershot S3 IS and this one for the third position, but in the end we had to select the Sony DSC-H5 for its better features. It performs better in low-light conditions, has an innovative digital zoom that crops images instead of stretching them, and better resolution.
The thing with the Sony H5 is that its an excellent camera for a prosumer as well as someone who’s just upgraded from a point and shoot level, and wants a camera that can do more. Though that may sound like a generic description for all the cameras in this category, the H5 has all the right features for it.
Dimensions | 108 x 81 x 92 mm |
---|---|
**Weight | |
** | 490g |
**Type | |
** | Superzoom |
**Connectivity | |
** | Pict-Bridge/USB/Composite |
Storage | 32MB/MS Duo/Pro Duo |
**Battery Type | |
** | 2xAA |
**Body | |
** | Metal |
LCD Type | 3.0", 230,000 px |
**View Finder | |
** | Electronic Viewfinder |
Sensor | CCD |
Effective Pixels | 7.1 Megapixels |
Resolutions Supported | 3072 x 2304, 2592 x 1944, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480 |
**ISO Sensitivity | |
** | Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000 |
Optical Zoom | 12x |
**Digital Zoom | |
** | 2x Smart Digital Zoom |
Shutter Speed | 30-1/1000 sec |
Aperture | F2.8 - F3.7 |
Format | JPEG |
**Scene Modes | |
** | Beach, Landscape, Portrait mode, Twilight mode, Hi-speed shutter, High sensitivity, Twilight portrait |
White Balance | Custom, Automatic, Flash, Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent, Incandescent |
Flash | |
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync | |
Self Timer | |
10 secs | |
Video Resolution | 640x480 @ 30FPS |
Video Format | |
MPEG | |
Sound | Yes |
Street Price | |
Rs. 20,500/- |
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First Runner-Up
Fujifilm FinePix S6500fd
The best part about the Fujifilm FinePix S6500fd is that it gives you excellent performance and manual features including manual focus and zoom, and it’s one of the cheaper superzooms out there.
This is definitely what one can consider as a bridge camera—the kind that fills the gap between a compact and an SLR. But if you’re planning to use it auto mode, then it’s quite a waste as the camera’s automatic settings are not very well optimized, and you’ll probably be better off shooting with some amount of manual control. Still that doesn’t take away much from what a brilliant camera this is.
Dimensions | 131 x 98 x 128 mm |
---|---|
**Weight | |
** | 700g |
**Type | |
** | Superzoom |
**Connectivity | |
** | Pict-Bridge/USB/Composite |
Storage | xD Picture Card + Internal |
**Battery Type | |
** | 4xAA |
**Body | |
** | Metal |
LCD Type | 2.5", 235,000 px |
**View Finder | |
** | Electronic Viewfinder |
Sensor | CCD |
Effective Pixels | 6.3 Megapixels |
Resolutions Supported | 2848 x 2136, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480 |
**ISO Sensitivity | |
** | Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
Optical Zoom | 10.7x |
**Digital Zoom | |
** | Yes |
Shutter Speed | 30-1/4000 sec |
Aperture | F2.8 - F4.9 |
Format | RAW/JPEG |
**Scene Modes | |
** | Text, Macro, Flower, Museum, Sunset, Fireworks, Landscape, Beach/snow, Night mode, Sports mode, Party/indoor, Natural light, Portrait mode, Natural light & with flash |
White Balance | 6 positions plus manual |
Flash | |
Auto, On, Red-eye reduction, Slow, Off | |
Self Timer | |
2-10 secs | |
Video Resolution | 640x480 @ 30FPS |
Video Format | |
AVI | |
Sound | Yes |
Street Price | |
Rs. 21,000/- |
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The Best Superzoom Camera of 2006
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
There’s nothing about the FZ50 that doesn’t wow you—be its overwhelming looks, its versatile functionality and of course, the excellent output. The camera excels in brightly lit conditions and has a pretty good noise reduction engine at work in less-than-adequate lighting.
The FZ50 also boasts the best image stabilization in its category, which results in blur free images caused by jittery hands. All this along with being a simple camera to get into and learn the essentials of photography is what makes this the perfect prosumer model. Hail to the king!
Dimensions | 140.75x85.5x142mm |
---|---|
**Weight | |
** | 734g with Battery and SD Memory Card |
**Type | |
** | Superzoom |
**Connectivity | |
** | Pict-Bridge/USB/Composite |
Storage | SD/MMC/SDHC |
**Battery Type | |
** | Li-Ion |
**Body | |
** | Plastic |
LCD Type | 2.0", Vari-angle, 207,000 pixels |
**View Finder | |
** | Electronic Viewfinder |
Sensor | CCD |
Effective Pixels | 10.0 Megapixels |
Resolutions Supported | 3648 x 2736, 3264 x 2448, 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x1200 |
**ISO Sensitivity | |
** | Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, (3200 boost) |
Optical Zoom | 12x |
**Digital Zoom | |
** | 4x |
Shutter Speed | 60-1/2000 sec |
Aperture | F2.8 - F3.7 / F11 |
Format | RAW/JPEG |
**Scene Modes | |
** | Auto, Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Panning, Food, Party, Candle, Fireworks, Snow, Starry Sky, Baby1, Baby2, Snow, High sensitivity |
White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, Flash, White Set1/2, Manual |
Flash | |
Auto, Red-Eye Auto, On, Red-Eye On, Red-Eye Slow Sync, Off, Slow Sync (1&2) | |
Self Timer | |
2-10 secs | |
Video Resolution | 848x480 @ 30FPS (16:9) 640x480 @ 30FPS (4:3) |
Video Format | |
MPEG4 (QT) | |
Sound | Yes |
Street Price | |
Rs. 31,500/- |