Compact digital cameras that get the big picture
Lori Grunin,
Senior Editor
October 20, 2009
It's difficult--but not impossible--to find a snapshot camera with the chops to capture scenic vacation vistas or real-estate interiors. Putting a lens with a wide-angle view in a compact camera is a technological challenge for a variety of reasons, and digital camera manufacturers are slowly chipping away at the problem. All of these cameras provide the 35mm equivalent of 28mm lenses at their widest, and 28mm should suffice--wider lenses can introduce disconcerting distortion.
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| Price | $291.63 to $349.99 | $299.95 | $252.95 to $299.99 | $192.95 to $289.95 | $248.95 to $349.97 | $226.95 to $279.95 |
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| Review date | July 16, 2009 | February 06, 2009 | September 16, 2009 | May 19, 2009 | April 16, 2009 | June 19, 2009 |
| The Bottom Line | Don't let its new sensor technology scare you off: the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is an excellent compact camera with shooting features for just about every type of user. | The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 is an excellent blend of usability, features, and photo quality. | One of the best ultracompacts available, the Canon PowerShot SD940 IS nonetheless falls short of greatness in performance and photo quality. | The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 is an excellent, well-balanced compact camera. | As long as you don't want much in the way of manual features, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is a very nice camera that can handle a variety of shooting situations. | With a flexible lens in a pocketable package, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 is a pleasing point-and-shoot megazoom--both in design and photo quality. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Lens aperture | F/3.3-5.1 | F/2.8-5.6 | F/2.8-5.9 | F/3.3-5.2 | F/3.3-4.9 | F/3.3-4.9 |
| Equivalent 35mm focal length | 28 - 140 mm | 28 - 100 mm | 28 - 112 mm | 28 - 140 mm | 25 - 300 mm | 25 - 300 mm |
| Optical zoom | 5 x | 3.6 x | 4 x | 5 x | 12 x | 12 x |
| Light sensitivity | ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 ISO auto ISO 6400 (6Mpix) ISO 12800 (3Mpix) | ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO auto ISO auto (1600-6400) | ISO 80 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO auto ISO 3200 (2Mpix) | ISO 80 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 ISO auto | ISO 80 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 ISO auto ISO auto (1600-6400) | ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO auto ISO auto (1600-6400) |
| Display (projector) technology | TFT active matrix | TFT active matrix | TFT active matrix | TFT active matrix | TFT active matrix | TFT active matrix |
| Video input type | Digital camera | Digital camera | Digital camera | Digital camera | Digital camera | Digital camera |
| Digital zoom | 4.4 x | 4 x | 4 x | 2 x | 4 x | 4 x |
| Weight | 6.2 oz | 5.3 oz | 4.2 oz | 6.1 oz | 7.2 oz | 7.3 oz |
| Effective sensor resolution | 12,000,000 pixels | 14,700,000 pixels | 12,100,000 pixels | 12,100,000 pixels | 10,100,000 pixels | 10,100,000 pixels |
| Still image format | JPEG | RAW JPEG | JPEG | JPEG | JPEG | JPEG |
| Display (projector) diagonal size | 3 in | 2.7 in | 2.7 in | 3 in | 3 in | 2.7 in |
| Manual focus | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic | Manual Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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