Brand new superzoom cameras from Panasonic, Fujifilm and Sony will be available in stores soon. What do we like about these cameras?
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 |
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 We liked Panasonic's TZ3 when we reviewed it last year, so we were pleased to see that Panasonic didn't change much when updating the line with the TZ4 and TZ5. Still packing the same 28mm wide-angle, 10x zoom Leica lens, Pansonic beefed up the TZ5's sensor while leaving well enough alone. The form factor seems identical, but the display jumps from 2.5-inches to a massive 3-inch LCD with an astounding 460,000 dots of resolution. While not exactly able to playback video in 720p resolution (which it records in), it is certainly the sharpest LCD we've seen. The aforementioned HD video recording is impressive, especially since the camera allows zooming during recording; even more impressive is how smooth the zoom works, as we were able to zoom in and out with minimal choppiness. We also liked how the continuous auto focus maintained focus without depressing the shutter, saving valuable time when trying to take the perfect shot. Probably the most interesting feature of the TZ5 was the extra optical zoom, which provided additional optical magnification, extending zoom up to 16.9x (at a reduced resolution of 3-megapixels) using the center part of the CCD sensor. Release: March 2008. Price: $350.
Pros: Excellent wide-angle Leica lens, 720p video, beautiful LCD screen
Cons: Extremely heavy for its size
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| FujiFilm FinePix S100FS |
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 While camera companies love to talk about how their ultrazooms are "just like a DSLR," FujiFilm's 10-megapixel S100FS is the first we'd actually have trouble separating from an SLR lineup. The S100FS doesn't try to compact the DSLR form factor at all, and is admittedly quite large and heavy. But it feels solid, and the massive, fixed 14.3x manual zoom lens is a beautiful. We like the tiltable LCD (which we're seeing on many new DSLR's), and the maximum ISO setting of ISO 10,000 (at 3 megapixels) is also impressive. But the unique feature of the S100FS are its four namesake film simulation (FS) modes, which are meant to recreate specific types of FujiFilm film stock. We suppose this would be an invaluable feature for a nostalgic 35mm film photographer making the switch to digital, but otherwise it seems to be strictly a novelty. Nonetheless, the ability to match tone and color reproduction to specific 35mm film is something that only FujiFilm can lay claim to, and this is a camera we'd want regardless. Release: March 2008. Price: $800.
Pros: Gorgeous 14.3x zoom lens, unique film simulation feature
Cons: Extremely large, heavy
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| Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H10 |
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 With the Cyber-shot H10, Sony updates their H3 superzoom camera…barely. The LCD screen gets a bump to 3 inches, but the 8-megapixel sensor and the 10x zoom lens both boast the same stats as the model which it is replacing. Its features seemed limited, and the person working the camera bar at Sony's booth even went so far as to say many use it as a "second camera," which would suggest that maybe the H10 isn't as versatile as we'd like. We were intrigued by the the sports shooting mode, which--like many other sports scene modes--combines high shutter speed and continuous auto-focus to capture fast-action, however on the H10, the camera focuses on fast-moving subjects by predicting where they will be in the frame. The camera measures in at 4.25 x 2.75 x 2 inches, making it shorter (length-wise) and thinner than Panasonic's new TZ5, not to mention considerably lighter. With barely any improvement from its predecessor, the H10 appears to be an afterthought for Sony, and we'll treat it as such. Release: April 2008. Price: $300.
Pros: Thin profile, excellent 10x zoom lens, intelligent sports mode
Cons: Barely any improvement over previous model
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