Compact Camera Reviews

Note From The Editor
Our criteria for doing a test on an integral lens camera is whether or not we think it would be a camera that a seasoned photographer could appreciate and use as a second body to back up a D-SLR, or even as the sole camera on a trip where a D-SLR would be cumbersome or burdensome. The camera in question should have many of—but not all—the...

The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS certainly delivers exceptional image quality when shot at reasonable ISO speeds.

The EXILIM Pro EX-F1 is the second Casio digital camera I've ever tested. I wrote about that first one, the QV-10, for a computer magazine back in 1995 and boy, things have really changed. The Pro EX-F1 marks a departure for the company from its line of stylish point-and-shoot digicams. Instead, it's a capable electronic viewfinder (EVF) digicam that delivers...

Canon’s PowerShot G10, Nikon’s COOLPIX P6000, And Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-LX3: Which One’s Right For You?

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is what you might call a “multi-personality” device. Phone, camera, Browser, game device, gateway to all the Android apps, GPS, mapper, email connector--it’s all of that and more.
I say “multiple” because while the initial face of the unit looks like half point and shoot camera/half phone, one pasted atop the other, there is a lot more going on under the hood. That includes all the current connections one could imagine and access to the entire Android set of apps,from camera functions to finding where you can get a decent latte in any city or state or country you might find yourself. One can listen to music; watchvideos; browse the Internet, get email, tap compatible phones (literally) to share content; and send and receive via any social media you could imagine.

The Fuji X10 offers a 4x zoom lens with manual zoom control. The zoom lens ring is also used as the On/Off switch. The photographer has to turn the zoom ring to unlock the lens and to start the camera, which we found to be a very handy feature. We also feel that manual zoom control allows for a more precise and fast adjustment of the focal length compared to the servo zooms of some other compact cameras.

The HS30EXR has a surprisingly heavy and massive body and is nearly the size of an entry-level SLR system combined with a superzoom lens. The grip on the right-hand side fits perfectly into the photographer’s hand, while the left hand supports the lens system and is used to change focus and focal length manually with two large lens rings. The focal length ring has a nice rubber coating and is easy to handle, while the focus ring is very thin and is located near the body of the camera, which makes it a bit less easy to handle. Focal length adjustment is done via a mechanical regulation of the lens system, while the focusing ring adjusts via a servo system.