High Zoom Cameras

paulwf

I'm getting some early Christmas ideas

My gf currently has a Kodak Easyshare compact camera, and whilst it does the job fine she would like a better camera as she likes taking loads of pics. She would like an DSLR as some as her friends have got as although image quality is fine (it is only 5MP but pics mainly go on the web not printed out) the zoom ability is a bit lacking. The extra zoom would help for wildlife shots and similar when out walking.

I'm thinking that a DSLR is a bit overkill as they can be very bulky and I can't really see her swapping lenses about, plus they are obviously expensive (for non-professional use).

So, is a "high zoom" camera the best of both worlds or is it too much of a compromise? Ideally I'd like to pay £200 for a complete package but that isn't fixed. A key requirement is that it should be very easy to use, the less options the better. Taking standard AA batteries and having a large screen would be a plus.

All thoughts welcome, either in general about high zoom cameras or specific models...

Viper_7

Many high Zoom cameras are /digital Zoom and not optical, and don't make for great pictures... may as well just zoom in and edit on your computer.

KingL

The (Panasonic) Lumix DMC-TZ3

has 10x optical zoom. It's pretty simple to use, too.

I've had one for a couple of years. It's all good.

Rechargeable proprietary battery, mind.

mr_fishbulb

What you are after is a superzoom. Has a non-changable lens which can go from ~35mm-~400mm

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q109superzoomgroup/ has a comparison of a lot of them. The winner was superseded by the Olympus SP-590UZ (£260)

But I've just seen the Canon SX110 (£230) which is a compact superzoom. Takes AAs and has a good review here, and here. It's smaller but still has a 9x optical zoom

zee_2

look up kodak own refurbished site ,new cameras ,great prices , but not for memory cards , 7dayshop.co.uk better
http://shop.kodak.co.uk/store/ekconseu/en_GB/list/KODAK_Outlet/Refurbished_Digital_Cameras/categoryID.28920900?cm_mmc=Google_MarketForce-_-Store-_-Kodak%20Refurbished-_-kodak%20refurbished

Sooler

See the other thread on this forum - Bridge cameras

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=25307417#post25307417

Leopard

mr_fishbulb wrote: »

What you are after is a superzoom. Has a non-changable lens which can go from ~35mm-~400mm

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q109superzoomgroup/ has a comparison of a lot of them. The winner was superseded by the Olympus SP-590UZ (£260)

But I've just seen the Canon SX110 (£230) which is a compact superzoom. Takes AAs and has a good review here, and here. It's smaller but still has a 9x optical zoom

With respect, the joint winners of the comparative review to which you provide a link were the Canon SX10 IS and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 - not the Olympus SP-565UZ.

The review is from 2008 and the winning Panasonic has since been updated to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38. (Which is a marvellous little camera and perfect for what the OP writes that his girlfriend wants. It isn't "the best of both worlds", as the OP put it, but it is the best compromise between those two conflicting worlds. Costs only about £250 and she'd absolutely love it! )

wallbash

The (Panasonic) Lumix DMC-TZ3

I have the TZ2 very happy

Dodgybloke

I bought the Panasonic DMC-FZ28 for a safari holiday. I don't have much camera nous and took some fantastic photos of wildlife with it. So, simply enough for a novice yet powerful enough for a competent user without going down the SLR route. The 18x optical zoom is just incredible.

I hope that helps

Mobeer

I have used and recommend the:
PANASONIC DMC-TZ6

12x zoom (from 25-300mm equivalent)
with optical image stabilisation
reasonably small
uses its own battery format, not AA
lacks an optical viewfinder

Listed here from Comet at £195.09
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1102.html

mr_fishbulb

Leopard wrote: »

With respect, the joint winners of the comparative review to which you provide a link were the Canon SX10 IS and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 - not the Olympus SP-565UZ.

Yup. Read the conclusion wrong