Fixed Lens

Pentax’s first super-zoom digicam offers high-speed continuous shooting and 720p HD video recording.Pentax enters the competitive super-zoom market with the X70, a 12-megapixel digicam with an advanced suit of controls and a 24x optical zoom lens. Covering a focal length range equivalent to 26-624mm in 35mm format, the lens boasts a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture at the widest position and the camera includes an ‘Intelligent Zoom’ function that can extend magnification to 150x, providing an equivalent focal length of approximately 3900mm at VGA resolution. Sensor-shift image stabilisation and a 2.7-inch monitor are other key features.

An upgrade to Panasonic’s popular enthusiast digicam flagship with improved ergonomics, autofocusing and image quality.The enthusiast digicam market has changed in the two years since Panasonic released its popular DMC-LX3 Lumix digicam and the new LX5 model faces tough competition both from high-end digicams from other manufacturers and the new Micro Four Thirds cameras released by Panasonic and Olympus. To meet this challenge, Panasonic has improved the user interface on the LX5 and increased the range of the zoom lens to the equivalent of a 90mm lens in 35mm format.

An advanced digicam with a fast, 18x zoom lens plus support for raw file capture and AVCHD Lite HD video recording capability.Panasonic’s DMC-FZ35 Lumix camera replaces the popular FZ28 at the top of the super-zoom line-up and offers P, A, S and M shooting modes to please photo enthusiasts, along with AVCHD Lite HD video recording. It carries on the SLR-like styling of its predecessor, along with the same Leica DC Vario-Elmarit zoom lens. Other familiar features include the joystick controller, which was first seen in the FZ7 model plus much of the control layout and most menu functions.

A welcome update to the FZ100 with a 12.1-megapixel sensor, improved optics and ISO performance plus new Full HD video recording capabilities.The Lumix DMC-FZ150 replaces the FZ100 at the top of Panasonic’s super-zoom digicam line-up. Announced on 26 August, it features a new, 12.1-megapixel MOS sensor (down from 14MP in the FZ100) but retains the same 24x zoom lens but adds a new ‘Nano Surface Coating’ to minimise flare and ghosting caused by internal reflections. The lens also carries a new zoom control on the side of its barrel, providing an alternative to the lever zoom surrounding the shutter button.

A compact, digicam with advanced shooting functions and a stabilised wide-angle, 20x optical zoom lens.In its Ultra Zoom (UZ) models, Olympus appears to be trying to bridge the gap between digicams and DSLRs. But, until larger sensors are used in these cameras, a large gulf will remain. With the new 10-megapixel SP-570 UZ, it has taken a big step forward by providing the longest zoom currently available on a compact digicam. Extending from the equivalent of 26mm (in 35mm format) to 520mm, it covers a magnification range of 20x and both optical and digital image stabilisation are provided.

A new flagship digicam with a fast zoom lens, a wide range of exposure controls and support for raw file capture and 720p HD video recording.The XZ-1 was one of two feature-rich cameras announced by Olympus on 6 January, as the C.E.S Show opened in Las Vegas. Introduced as the flagship of the company’s digicam line-up, the XZ-1 combines a relatively large ‘1/1.63 inch’ type (~ 8 x 6 mm) CCD sensor with an effective resolution of 10 megapixels with a smarter body design and many features from PEN series models.

A compact digicam with a 20x optical zoom lens and advanced shooting modes.Olympus’s SP-565 UZ incorporates many of the features of the flagship model of the long-zoom range, the SP-570 UZ, in a cheaper, more compact body. It has the same 10-megapixel sensor and 20x optical zoom lens plus the same TruePic III image processor. Yet it weighs 72 grams less and is $100 cheaper than the SP-570 UZ. Its LCD monitor is also slightly smaller but has the same resolution as the flagship model.

Nikon’s first ultra-zoom digicam with P, A, S and M shooting modes and time-lapse capture.Nikon has entered the competitive ultra-zoom digicam market with the Coolpix P90, which combines a 24x optical zoom lens with a 6.13 x 4.6mm CCD sensor with an effective resolution of 12.1 megapixels. It’s not the longest zoom lens on the digicam market (Olympus still commands a lead with 26x on the SP-560UZ) and the P90 is a large and chunky camera. But it has a few features to attract photographers who don’t want an SLR.

Nikon’s latest digicam for photo enthusiasts who want a full range of controls plus support for raw files and HD video. It’s taken a while for us to get our hands on Nikon’s Coolpix P7000, although we’ve reviewed its main rivals: Canon’s PowerShot G12 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. There’s clearly a market for a competent, pocketable camera that supports raw file capture and offers P/A/S/M shooting modes. And it’s obvious the main players are watching their rivals because all three models provide similar functions.

A compact super-zoom digicam with support for Full HD video capture plus high-speed photo and video shooting modes.Released a year after the Coolpix P90, Nikon’s Coolpix P100 is a next-generation super-zoom model with the same SLR-like styling as its predecessor. However, it adds some features and special shooting modes to attract a wider range of potential purchasers. Although sensor resolution has been (sensibly) reduced, the zoom range is longer and the adjustable LCD monitor has higher resolution.