 "Top 3 Superzoom Cameras Under 25K")
Compact cameras are great these days, but if you’re really getting into photography, it’s time for you to move to the next level.
Superzoom cameras are called so because of their extraordinary optical zoom levels. But that’s not all; they offer a lot more manual options than your standard compact, and they also give you an overall better picture quality and better colors, thanks to their more well-defined optics, and when it comes to features, they give you a great bang for your buck. Oh, and they look cool too.
The best part is that even with all these features, the Superzooms don’t really get too complicated for a casual user. You have options to start using it as a point-and-click, and take your time experimenting with it’s settings, till you figure it out. They’re great if you want to learn a bit more about the essentials of photography or if you simply wish to have more control over your snapshots.
Here are some great options in Superzoom digital cameras you can consider if you think you’re ready to move on.
Panasonic DMC-FZ7
The Panasonic series of Superzoom cameras have been universally appreciated, because of one simple reason — it works! The camera feels great because of it’s great size and its fast performance. The picture quality is sharp and accurate, and the image stabilization at 12X zoom level is arguably the best in it’s range.
FZ7 shoots at 6 megapixels (2560x1920 pixels), and saves images in JPEG or TIFF format. The TIFF option is a great substitute for RAW files that you find in professional cams, as it saves the image in a lossless file format.
On the negative side the noise levels are a bit higher than usual at lower ISO sensitivity levels, which is especially noticeable in low-light situations. Still, that takes little away from this otherwise great option for a Superzoom. At Rs 20,995 it’ll surely give you your money’s worth.
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Sony Cybershot DSC-H5
If you’re looking for a camera that you can just take out of the box and click away, then the DSC-H5 is a great option. Not to say that the camera doesn’t offer any comprehensive manual modes. In fact the camera is packed with features that make it easy for you to click in manual modes. But where is falls short on is perfecting each of these features.
When it comes to design and build quality, Sony has obviously spent some time with this one. The camera looks great and feels great to hold, and with the great 3” LCD screen, you get a better judgement of how the images turned out. It also features the highest megapixel count among the other Superzooms in this feature, with 7.2 megapixel (3072x2304 pixels). It offers 12x optical zoom, which works even in video shooting mode (unlike the other cameras in this feature). The only place it lacks is that edge-to-edge sharpness, that too because its image stabilization isn’t as strong as in the Panasonic DMC-FZ7.
It’s street price of Rs. 24,899 makes it the most expensive camera in its series. But is it worth the cost? We suggest you look at the other two options first.
Canon Powershot S3 IS
After its success with the S2 IS Superzoom camera, Canon has brought in the latest in the series, but this time they’ve made it more evolutionary than revolutionary. Not that it’s a bad thing.
The S3 IS offers the Canon trademark great colors, without going overboard on trying to make things look too vivid. It sports 6 megapixel resolution, which is not bad at all. The camera is said to make the images look a little soft, but then that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when you’re into portraits. If you’re looking for slick, sharp images, you should take a look at the Panasonic FZ7.
Still, the S3 IS boasts some pretty impressive features like a great video shooting mode with stereo sound, tilt and swivel screen, PC controlled shooting via USB and an ultra-quite performance. The lack of a lossless image format storage and the soft image quality may still be worth thinking about before you shelve out Rs. 24,499 for this one.