Best Extended Zoom Cameras | Digital Camera HQ's Buyer's Guide
Last Modified: 01/29/2010
These extended zoom cameras make excellent gifts for budding photographers interested in gaining more experience with advanced techniques. They're not as complicated or as expensive as high-end dSLRs and require no interchangeable lenses. They offer long-range zooms, wide-angle lenses, and plenty of manual control so the shooter can have a say in how their photos look. Each of these cameras provides an excellent opportunity for someone to really step up one's game.
| [Read our full Panasonic Lumix FZ35 Review] [Read our full hands-on review] The jury has spoken and they love the Panasonic Lumix FZ35. As of early January 2010, it's been the top-rated camera on DCHQ for several months running and the only model with an A+ rating. This versatile snapper packs in sweet specs like 18x optical zoom, 720p high-definition video mode (in the new AVCHD lite format for smaller file sizes and higher quality), and a 27mm wide-angle lens, so it's capable of capturing detailed long-range photos as well as wide, all-inclusive shots. Improvements over its popular predecessor, the FZ28, include faster autofocusing and image processing, "Power" optical image stabilization, and a smaller price tag. Our reviewer loved it and photographers everywhere love it. This is a great buy. | |
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[Read our full Canon Powershot SX20 IS Review]
[Read our full hands-on review] The Canon Powershot SX20 IS is built for comfort, for ease-of-use, and to take exceptional long-range photographs with its image-stabilized 20x optical zoom. It's positioned as sort of a mini-dSLR, a camera with a fixed lens but looks and performance approaching that of a low-end dSLR. Photo quality at low ISO is excellent, and it features a solid 720p HD video mode (the most notable improvement over the SX10 IS). The 28mm wide-angle lens is great for group shots, and the 2.5-inch articulating LCD display makes even shots from awkward angles easy to capture. We still think the Panasonic FZ35 above takes better pictures, but the more compact SX20 is worthy of your money. |
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| The Fuji Finepix S200EXR is a fixed-lens camera with all the power and most of the control of an entry-level dSLR (sometimes known as a megazoom, zoom-lens reflex, or bridge camera). Fuji has a good reputation with this class of camera and the S200EXR falls in line with that tradition. It's pricey (for a fixed-lens model) and users are committed to one lens (duh), but it does eliminate all the fuss, fumble, and extra costs that go along with a regular dSLR. It also features Fuji's high-sensitivity CCD EXR sensor, which improves low-light performance. The dual-stabilized optical zoom comes in at a respectable 14.3x, manual controls are ample, and the film-simulation effects and bracketing settings have drawn high praise in most reviews. The S200EXR isn't for everyone, but those that do choose it end up loving it. |
Best Extended Zoom Cameras | Digital Camera HQ's Buyer's Guide Comments & Questions (write your own!)
The body is strong mg alloy which is a durable device.
Basically a person who is looking for a outdoor camera with ease operations and high zoom this is the best choice.