Super Zoom Cameras

[SkyRider]

I was looking at some of the new super zoom cameras (Fuji, Olympus, Nikon, etc.) this weekend. Even though I have steady hands I couldn't hold the cam steady beyond the 20th zoom. Does that mean these super zoom cams require a tripod or a table once you go higher than 20 optical?

 

[Powershot]

It depends on your shutter speed.. if its bright out it only needs to be opened a very short time and thus the shake might not be an issue.

 

[Bif_Butkiss]

A quick rule of thumb is don't shoot at a shutter speed less than the longest focal length of the lens you are using. IE: If you're using a 80mm - 200mm lens then don't shoot with a shutter speed less than 1/200 of a second, regardless if you have the lens set to anything less than the 200mm.

Sorry, I should have added that this rule of thumb applies to hand held shooting only. If you're going to be using some sort of tripod then you can shoot at any shutter speed you like.

May I also suggest that if you are using a tripod with a VERY slow shutter speed that you consider using the camera's self timer option OR an external shutter release.

 

[SkyRider]

Would using a flash speed up the shutter and avoid any shakiness?

 

[Cinema Face]

The best one on the market appears to be the Fuji HS10. Check that one out.

I hope you realize that super zooms are little more than point and shoots cameras with extreme zooms.

You will get much better results from a DSLR for almost the same money. Granted, that you need to drag extra lenses to get the same zoom range but that's the tradeoff.

 

[nofrill]

All superzoom (prosumer) cameras have some form of image stabilization (IS). Most late model cameras have "mechanical" image stabilization - (1) sensor shift (eg. "CCD shift", though more point & shoot cameras use CMOS now) (2) optical.

The camera also raises the shutter speed (eg. by opening up the aperture and/or increasing the ISO setting) to help reducing camera shake, if you are using the "Sport" scene mode.

The image stabilization system of these cameras is usually effective to gain at least 1 to 2 "steps" of shutter speed - if you go by the traditional rule of "1/200 sec speed for a 200mm lens" (NOTE: this is more applicable to old SLR cameras with large clunky telephoto lens. Many people can manage at least 1 "step" lower shutter speed in smaller point & shoot cameras without IS), image stabilization allows you to use 1/100 or 1/60 sec or even lower shutter speeds.

A camera with a "fast" lens (ie. large aperture / small "f" number) potentially allows a faster shutter speed and reduce camera shake. Unfortunately, zoom lens have variable "f" numbers (ie. the largest aperture decreases as the zoom increases) - most superzooms which are 400mm+ at the telephoto end have f/5.6 or higher, which is of little help. If telephoto zoom is important to you, DON'T just look at the smaller f-number (eg. f/2.0 of the Canon S90) - manufacturers always advertize the "best" feature which is not always the full picture!

The best way to assess the ability of the image stabilization system of various cameras is to read up on camera reviews. However, I think they are pretty much the same in effectiveness.

Therefore, I would worry more about other capabilities of the camera such as optical quality, low light capability, size/ weight, user friendliness etc. IMO, Canon and Panasonic Lumix have the best optical quality. Fuji used to have an edge on the low light capability, but other manufacturers are quickly catching up (or Fuji is slipping). I agree with Cinema Face that all current prosumer cameras are no match to DSLR in terms of low light capability (and optical quality), but this is a tradeoff for an all-in-one camera.

 

[Bif_Butkiss]

Would using a flash speed up the shutter and avoid any shakiness?

Yes it would to a certain extent. Providing that the sync speed, aperture and ASA / ISO used without the flash would give you an underexposed image by at least 2 or 3 f stops. Having met this the flash would "freeze" the image.
This works best for taking people pics or other close ups with a telephoto and a flash.

 

[SkyRider]

The best one on the market appears to be the Fuji HS10. Check that one out.

Are you the guy with the Canon S90? Still happy with it?

I tried the Panansonic GF 1. It was terrible.

 

[Cinema Face]

Are you the guy with the Canon S90? Still happy with it?

I tried the Panansonic GF 1. It was terrible.

Sorry, I was away from TERB for a couple of months.

Yes, I’ve got the S90 and I’m very happy with the camera. It's a stunning camera but it doesn’t look like anything special, that is until people see the results.

My problem is that it gets borrowed a lot. My g/f is the biggest borrower of the camera so for her b/day, I decided to buy her this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXlKWbTLXAw


The Nikon S1000PJ is the world’s first camera with a built in projector.

 

[Bif_Butkiss]

Would using a flash speed up the shutter and avoid any shakiness?

Yes it would again to a certain extent. I assume that you're considering a camera such as this specifically for it's zoom capabilities? If you're going to use the built in flash (if any) you have to understand that the built in flashes that most cameras have these days aren't that powerfull. So if you're going to be using the camera's zoom option the built in flash may not have the power to illuminate whatever you want to take a picture of at distance and an external flash source may be required. Depending on the ambient light / shutterspeed / asa rating and aperture you are using most built in camera flashes are only good to about 20 feet, the external camera top mounted flash to about 35 feet and the off camera "potato masher" style flashes (Metz make some very good flashes) on manual to about 50 feet MAX. If shopping for a flash keep an eye out for a high "Guide number". The higher this number the more powerfull the flash is. My Metz's have guide numbers of 100 and 120 and they've never let me down HOWEVER current replacement for these flashes is about $600 - $800.

 

[Cinema Face]

It looks like Canon has the newest superzoom champion now, the Powershot SX30 IS with a 35X zoom.

Wow! IS or no IS, you'd have to use a tripod or a monopod if you wanted to use the extreme end of that zoom.

Styling wise, it looks like a baby EOS. Let's wait and see what the IQ will be once it's released.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/SX30IS/SX30ISA.HTM

 

[SkyRider]

It looks like Canon has the newest superzoom champion now, the Powershot SX30 IS with a 35X zoom.

That is truly amazing. I was looking at hi-def camcorders about 18 months ago and the maximum optical zoom was 10-12. I asked the Henry's guy why the zoom isn't higher and he said that it wasn't practical. Yet we now have cameras with 30-35 optical.

 

[burt-oh-my!]

I have used the HS10 on full zoom and achieved some very sharp pictures. There is a setting for use with high zoom to take 4 pics almost simultaneously and use the processor to knit them together electronically. I actually didn't use that setting and still got quite acceptable pics.

After having that zoom available, having a , say , 20mm - 150mm zoom seems like a big step back.

 

[blackrock13]

That is truly amazing. I was looking at hi-def camcorders about 18 months ago and the maximum optical zoom was 10-12. I asked the Henry's guy why the zoom isn't higher and he said that it wasn't practical. Yet we now have cameras with 30-35 optical.

Don't get caught up in the numbers because it can be deceiving. An old trick is to increase the wide angle aspect/capability of the lens, dropping the lower number focal length and say the zoom power is X which appears to be an increase, but it's not. The maximum magnification has not changed at all, just the difference between minimum and maximum focal length.