DSLR News

Fujifilm’s Long Zoom
I know a lot of consumers get excited about zoom lens ratios so if that’s you, here’s your dream camera. Fujifilm’s FinePix HS10 looks like a SLR but is a small, electronic viewfinder, 10-megapixel camera with a fixed Fujinon 30x (24-720mm equivalent!) manual optical zoom lens. The twist-barrel manual zoom lets you make the kind of adjustments SLR users can and is more accurate than the annoying power zooms on most compact cameras. Fuji’s Triple Image Stabilization system combines a mechanically stabilized CMOS sensor with high ISO (100-6400) sensitivity and multi-frame digital stabilization to reduce blur from hand or subject movement.

The FinePix HS10 offers a full HD (1080p) Movie mode with stereo sound and the camera’s Super High Speed Movie function can freeze action and capture slow-motion movies at up to 1000 frames per second (fps). Too much motion in your still images? The camera’s Motion Remover captures five images of a scene in quick succession that are then analyzed and combined in camera to produce a single image where anything moving in the scene is removed. I tried this at Fuji’s booth and was simply amazed at the results. This feature is something that previously required a complex Photoshop procedure.

Fujifilm FinePix HS10

You can also capture a panoramic view in a single shot. As the camera pans across the scene, the FinePix HS10 captures a series of shots that are stitched together in camera to produce a seamless panorama. The camera has face detection and redeye removal that automatically corrects redeye and saves both the original and the corrected image file. Other capabilities include Raw+JPEG shooting, making the FinePix HS10 a remarkable blend of technology in an affordable package.

Panasonic’s High-Tech Offering
Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-ZS7 is a 12.1-megapixel superzoom with a Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens that has a focal-length range (equivalent) of 25-300mm. The camera has a 3” LCD preview screen and a built-in GPS that embeds photos and videos with latitude and longitude details in the EXIF data so these geo-tagged images can be pinpointed on maps in photo-sharing and social-media sites. It shows the name of the city, country, and state, and has information on more than 500,000 landmarks in 73 countries in the camera’s internal memory. Travelers will like the fact that the ZS7 automatically adjusts its clock to local time. And wouldn’t you know it, the Lumix ZS7 also records HD video.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7

The camera has fast AF and Panasonic claims it locks on a subject in approximately 0.35 seconds (wide) or 0.41 seconds (tele). Panasonic’s iA (intelligent Auto) mode makes it intuitive to use without changing any settings and incorporates an Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS). Note that iA is available in Video mode and automatically selects the most suitable Scene mode—Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, and newly added Sunset—to improve focus, brightness, and exposure. The ZS7 offers face recognition for up to 15 faces, allowing you to register up to three different images of a person to improve detection accuracy. Its “Happy Mode” optimizes color, saturation, and brightness to make both photo and video appear more vivid. The ZS7 is compatible with SDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity) memory cards to enable high-capacity content storage. Panasonic also introduced the Lumix DMC-ZS5, which like the ZS7 features a 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica lens, 12x optical zoom, and manual controls, but it has a 2.7” LCD, records 30 fps HD video in Motion JPEG, and lacks GPS capabilities.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5

Pentax’s New Spin
You can always count on Pentax Imaging to put a unique spin on the compact camera and the stylish Optio I-10 has a design inspired by its classic Auto 110 SLR. This first model in the new Optio I line features a flash head and speaker in the upper midsection of the body. The 12.1-megapixel Optio I-10 has a 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens (28-140mm equivalent), a 2.7” LCD, and 30 fps HD video capture at 720p. The camera’s Triple Shake Reduction technology includes a mechanical sensor-shift mechanism, similar to the one used in the K-x I recently tested (see the May 2010 issue of Shutterbug), Pixel Track Shake Reduction, and Movie SR, for sharp images or video clips. It also sports Face Detection that can track up to 32 faces, including dogs and cats so Mr. Snuffy can get into the shot, as well as Smile Capture and Blink Detection. The Optio I-10 has an optional infrared remote control and is available in Classic Black or Pearl White for less than $300. Since Mary is related to silent film actress Pearl White (The Perils of Pauline), I know she’s going to want one of those.

Pentax Optio I-10