Get Huge Zoom Range In A Compact, Take-Anywhere Camera
By Zachary Singer
Imagine the freedom
of carrying a lightweight, compact digital camera with a built-in
zoom Lens so powerful that it does the work of several typical
zooms. Ideal for travel, sports,
architecture or anytime when you can’t get close to your
subject, a big-zoom digital camera dramatically expands
the types of photography you can experience.
The cameras we’ll look at here all boast a zoom range of
at least 5x, with most in the 8x to 10x range, and one that’s
a remarkable 12x. These Lenses
allow you to go from a moderately wide-angle composition to
a strong telephoto shot in seconds at the push of a button.
The versatility of such a Lens is something you can’t fully
appreciate until you’ve used one.
The best part about these cameras
is that they’re lightweight, easy to carry and affordable.
They’re an ideal choice for the family vacation when space
for camera gear is at a premium, plus the whole family can enjoy
using them—all models here feature several Exposure Modes
to satisfy both the experienced photographer and the casual
snapshooter with terrific results.
Nikon
Coolpix 5700 Resolution: 5 megapixels Lens: 8x zoom, 35-280mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: 67mm (requires adapter) Exposure Modes: Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
Manual ISO Equivalence: 100, 200, 400, 800 Shutter Speeds: 8 to 1/4000 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.8-4.2 White Balance: Auto, 5 Presets, Custom Storage Media: CompactFlash Dimensions: 4.3x3.0x4.0-inches Estimated Street Price: $900
Nikon’s top-of-the-line
Coolpix, the 5-megapixel 5700, features Best Shot Selector
(BSS), which automatically selects the sharpest photo
from a series of five consecutive shots. The camera offers
an 8x zoom lens with a Macro mode that focuses down to
1.2 inches, plus RAW file recording capability. Contact:
Nikon, (800) NIKON-UX, www.nikonusa.com.
Olympus
C-750 UltraZoom Resolution: 4 megapixels Lens: 10x zoom, 38-380mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: 55mm (requires adapter) Exposure Modes: Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
Manual, 6 Scene modes, 4 Custom settings ISO Equivalence: 100, 200, 400 Shutter Speeds: 16 to 1/1000 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.8-3.7 White Balance: Auto, 6 Presets, Custom Storage Media: xD Dimensions: 4.2x2.6x2.7-inches Estimated Street Price: $599
In addition to Program,
Aperture- and Shutter-priority modes, the C-750 offers
six Scene modes to set the camera for particular situations,
as well as full manual exposure control. If that’s
not enough for you, the camera has four customizable exposure
settings, named the “My Mode” feature, which
lets you store preferred settings for quick access. Contact:
Olympus, (800) 622-6372, www.olympusamerica.com.
Kodak
EasyShare DX6490 Resolution: 4 megapixels Lens: 10x zoom, 38-380mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: Not yet available Exposure Modes: Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
Manual, 6 Scene modes ISO Equivalence: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 Shutter Speeds: 16-1/1700 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.8-3.7 White Balance: Auto, 3 Presets Storage Media: SecureDigital, MultiMediaCard Dimensions: 3.9x3.1x3.2-inches Estimated Street Price: $500
Kodak’s EasyShare
DX6490 offers a Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon 10x zoom
Lens that reaches a 35mm equivalent of 380mm, one of the
longest Lenses in this group. The DX6490’s new Kodak
Color Science Image Processing Chip helps boost color
fidelity. The camera comes with a dock, so you can transfer
images directly from the camera while charging its battery.
Contact: Kodak, (800)
23-KODAK, www.kodak.com.
Optical
Vs. Digital Zoom
Many manufacturers claim a “total” zoom range that’s
about the same as those on the cameras in this article. In so
doing, they include the effects of a “digital zoom”—essentially,
a cropping of the digital data from the imaging chip. Because
the image no longer carries all the data coming from the chip,
the quality declines. The cameras featured here all have optical
zooms in the described range—they will provide the same
image quality at telephoto settings as they do with wide-angle.
HP
Photosmart 945 Resolution: 5 megapixels Lens: 8x zoom, 37-300mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: N/A Exposure Modes: Auto, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
3 Scene modes ISO Equivalence: 100, 200, 400 Shutter Speeds: 16-1/2000 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.8-3.1 White Balance: Auto, 4 Presets, Custom Storage Media: SecureDigital, MultiMediaCard Dimensions: 4.8x3.4x3.4-inches Estimated Street Price: $550
Like many of the cameras
featured here, HP’s new 5-megapixel Photosmart 945
has a Burst mode, capable of shooting six full-Resolution
images in four seconds. The 8x zoom Lens offers a 35mm
equivalent of 37-300mm. Auto, Aperture- and Shutter-priority,
plus three Scene modes, are available. Contact:
HP, (800) 752-0900, www.hp.com.
Minolta
DiMAGE Z1 Resolution: 3 megapixels Lens: 10x zoom, 38-380mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: 52mm (requires adapter) Exposure Modes: Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
Manual, 5 Scene modes ISO Equivalence: 50, 100, 200, 400 Shutter Speeds: 15-1/1000 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.8-3.5 White Balance: Auto, 5 Presets, Custom Storage Media: SecureDigital, MultiMediaCard Dimensions: 4.3x3.1x3.2-inches Estimated Street Price: $399
Minolta’s offering
in the “Big Zoom” category, the DiMAGE Z1, can
shoot VGA (640 x 480 pixels) movies at 30 frames per second
in addition to its 3-megapixel still photos. The movie
recording time is limited only by the size of the memory
card, and video can be shot in low light with the camera’s
Night Movie mode. Contact:
Minolta, (201) 825-4000, www.minoltausa.com.
Panasonic
DMC-FZ10 Resolution: 4 megapixels Lens: 12x zoom, 35-420mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: Not available Exposure Modes: Auto, Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
Manual, 6 Scene modes ISO Equivalence: 50, 100, 200, 400 Shutter Speeds: 8-1/2000 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.8 throughout the zoom range White Balance: Auto, 3 Presets, Custom Storage Media: SecureDigital, MultiMediaCard Dimensions: 5.5x3.4x4.2-inches Estimated Street Price: $600
Panasonic’s DMC-FZ10
lays claim to the biggest zoom range and the longest Lens
available in a compact digital camera. The Leica-made
lens maintains its widest aperture of ƒ/2.8 at all
focal lengths, and boasts image stabilization for sharp
handheld exposures at slower shutter speeds. Given the
camera’s extra-long 35mm-equivalent focal length
of 420mm, image stabilization is a big benefit. Contact:
Panasonic, (800) 272-7033, www.panasonic.com.
Fujifilm
FinePix S7000 Resolution: 6 megapixels (via interpolation) Lens: 6x zoom, 35-210mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: 55mm (requires adapter) Exposure Modes: Auto, Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
Manual, 4 Scene modes ISO Equivalence: 160, 200, 400, 600, 800 Shutter Speeds: 15-1/2000 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.8 throughout the zoom range White Balance: Auto, 6 Presets, Custom Storage Media: xD, Microdrive Dimensions: 4.8x3.2x3.8-inches Estimated Street Price: $700
The FinePix S7000’s
new imaging chip produces an effective Resolution of 6.3-million
pixels, among the highest in this class. In addition to
its normal high-Resolution mode, the S7000 can shoot a
sequence of 40 3-megapixel images. The camera is capable
of recording up to 30 minutes of VGA movies with sound
at 30 frames per second (depending on the memory card
capacity). Contact:
Fujifilm USA, (800) 800-FUJI, www.fujifilm.com.
Using Accessory
Lenses To Improve Your Camera’s Zoom Range
If you have a digital camera with a 3x or 4x optical zoom,
you can often increase your range of focal lengths without
resorting to “digital zooms” by attaching a
wide-angle or telephoto adapter Lens. These auxiliary
optics fit over the front of your camera’s Lens and
change its focal length. The telephoto adapters enable
more tightly cropped images, like a digital zoom does,
but without the digital zoom’s loss of image data.
On the wide end, the adapters allow you to include more
of the scene in your shot than you otherwise could. (Since
digital zooms can only eliminate information, they’re
useless for extending the wide-angle part of the zoom
range.)
Pentax
Optio555 Resolution: 5 megapixels Lens: 5x zoom, 37.5-187.5mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: N/A Exposure Modes: Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
Manual, 9 Scene modes, User-Customizable mode ISO Equivalence: 64, 100, 200, 400 Shutter Speeds: 15-1/2000 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.8-4.6 White Balance: Auto, 6 Presets, Custom Storage Media: SecureDigital, MultiMediaCard Dimensions: 3.9x2.3x1.6-inches Estimated Street Price: $550
Packing a lot of capability
into a very compact frame, Pentax’s 5-megapixel Optio555
offers a “Free Focus” mode, which allows users
to put the autofocus point anywhere in the image area.
The camera shoots time-lapse movies, and fits easily into
your pocket. Contact:
Pentax, (800) 877-0155, www.pentax.com.
Sony
Cyber-shot DSC-F828 Resolution: 8 megapixels Lens: 7x zoom, 28-200mm (35mm equivalent) Filter Size: 58mm Exposure Modes: Auto, Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority,
Manual, 4 Scene modes ISO Equivalence: 100, 200, 400, 800 Shutter Speeds: 30-1/2000 sec.
Apertures ƒ/2.0-2.8 White Balance: Auto, 5 Presets, Manual Storage Media: CompactFlash, Microdrive, Memory Stick PRO Dimensions: 5.3x3.6x6.2-inches Estimated Street Price: $1,200
Sony’s new big zoom
camera offers a very high-Resolution, 8-megapixel imaging
chip. Although its reach at the telephoto end is exceeded
by many of the cameras here, the Zeiss Vario-Sonnar Lens
offers wide-angle coverage unmatched by any other camera
with a similar zoom range. The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 has
an infrared illumination system that aids composition
in very dim light and that can even serve as the light
source for infrared photography. Contact:
Sony, (800) 222-SONY, www.sony.com.
With its 2.5-inch LCD monitor,
the 3-megapixel Toshiba PDR-M700 makes it simple to view
the images taken with the camera’s 10x zoom lens.
The least expensive of the cameras featured here, the
PDR-M700 still boasts a zoom Lens with a maximum focal
length among the longest in its class. A remote-control
aids both shooting and image playback. Contact:
Toshiba, (888) 874-8247, www.toshiba.com.
Handholding
Long Lenses
Long telephoto Lenses like those on the cameras featured here
do more than magnify your subject; they magnify sharpness-robbing
camera shake as well. The best solution for this is the use
of a rigid tripod, but that isn’t always possible. When
you shoot at longer focal lengths handheld, use as fast a shutter
speed as possible. The longer your telephoto, the faster your
shutter speed will have to be when handholding. For moderate
telephotos, like a 135mm equivalent, shoot at 1/125 sec. or
faster; with a 200mm, shoot 1/250 sec. or faster. If your camera
allows you to set the shutter speed, take advantage of that
to keep your speeds as high as possible. Many digital cameras
have a Mode selector with a setting for Sports or Fast Action,
either of which can help keep your speeds up if you can’t
set them directly.
You also can increase the ISO of your camera to keep your shutter
speeds up. This boost in sensitivity allows a faster shutter
because the camera will need less light for the exposure. In
effect, you’ll be trading improved sharpness from the higher
shutter speed for increased noise from the higher ISO. That’s
usually a good trade-off when you’re forced to shoot long
Lenses handheld.
