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Expert Recommendation
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Overview
Its high resolution (8 Megapixels) sensor coupled with a sharp lens will capture the skin tones of your kids perfectly. With its long zoom (10x) in a compact-sized body, you can take those candid shots of kids & pets anytime without startling them. Its fast operation and excellent performance in low light will enable you to capture those timeless moments in family gatherings. And to top it all, the Canon SX100 IS comes with enough controls and scene modes to satisfy demanding users.
My Best In Class Pick
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
All these cameras are fully automatic and offer numerous scene modes (including an auto high-sensitivity mode that helps take blur-free shots in natural lights) for novice users. Although impressive on paper, Sony H3, lags behind the other two in low-light image quality. At higher ISOs (ISO400 & above), its images are heavily compressed and devoid of fine details (due to excessive noise reduction). The lens also exhibit higher purple fringing on high-contrast edges especially near the telephoto end of the zoom range.
The Fuji F40fd & Canon SX100IS have sharper lens and capture more details. The Fuji F40fd’s size makes it easy to carry in a shirt pocket and has low light performance as its unique selling proposition.
However the Canon SX 100 IS leapfrogs it, armed with a much higher zoom (10x) lens with less fringing problems, image stabilization, manual modes (for use by advanced users) while still having good image quality at higher ISOs. Even ISO1600 is usable (images are grainy at this setting but retain enough details for getting up to 8”x10” prints).
The Canon PowerShot SX100 IS is my Top Pick.
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
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Best Price:
$312
See It »
- $312 - $441 Compare Prices »
Specifications
- Zoom: 10.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 8.0MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.5 sec
- Max ISO: 1600
- Easy to Use: Yes
Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices
| Product |
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| Customer Rating |
 
(from 246 reviews)
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(from 72 reviews)
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(from 68 reviews)
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| Price | $312 - $441 | $319.95 | $379 - $399 |
| Shutter Lag Time (pre-focused) | 0.10 sec | 0.10 sec | 0.10 sec |
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Shutter Lag Time (including auto-focus time)
This is the time from fully pressing the shutter button until the image is captured. Longer shutter lag times make it more difficult to capture the desired moment.
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0.6 sec | 0.5 sec | 0.6-1.0 sec |
| Power to First Shot Time | 2.4 sec | 2.7 sec | 1.8 sec |
| Continuous Shooting Speed (single shot mode) | 0.6 frame/sec | - | 0.7 frame/sec |
| Optical Zoom | 10x | 3.0x | 10x |
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Image Stabilization Available
Image stabilization features are designed to reduce the blur that results from normal, minute shaking of a lens due to hand-held shooting. However, image stabilization does not prevent motion blur caused by the movement of the subject or by extreme movements of the camera.
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Yes | No | Yes |
| Auto Focus Assist Light Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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Max Aperture (wide-angle)
The aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that determines the amount of light falling onto the sensor. The maximum aperture (wide-angle) is the largest possible size at the wide-angle limit of the zoom lens. The lens aperture is usually specified as an f-number, the ratio of focal length to effective aperture diameter. A lower f-number denotes a greater aperture opening, which allows more light to reach the image sensor.
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f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/3.5 |
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Max Aperture (tele-photo)
The aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that determines the amount of light falling onto the sensor. The maximum aperture (tele-photo) is the largest possible size at the tele-photo limit of the zoom lens. The lens aperture is usually specified as an f-number, the ratio of focal length to effective aperture diameter. A lower f-number denotes a greater aperture opening, which allows more light to reach the image sensor.
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f/4.3 | f/5.1 | f/4.4 |
| Aperture Priority Mode Available | Yes | No | No |
| Shutter Priority Mode Available | Yes | No | No |
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Min Focal Length (35 mm equivalent)
The 35 mm equivalent focal length is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a particular combination of a camera lens and the sensor size. The term originates from the time when the vast majority of photography was done with 35 mm film. On any 35 mm film camera, a 30 mm or less lens is considered a wide-angle lens.
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36 - 360 mm | 36 mm | 38 - 380 mm |
| Battery Type | 2 AA batteries | Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable | Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable |
Fujifilm FinePix F40fd
The successor of great low light performer Fuji F20, this model offers greater resolution (8MP) and comes with a sharp 3x zoom lens (36-108mm equivalent). This compact model also has a face-detection feature. The ISO rating goes up to 2000. The camera runs on a proprietary battery.
Where to buy
Fujifilm FinePix F40fd
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Best Price:
$319
See It »
Specifications
- Zoom: 3.0x
- Image Stabilization: No
- Resolution: 8.3MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.5 sec
- Max ISO: 2000
- Easy to Use: Yes
Sony Cybershot DSC-H3
This is another superzoom without an eye-level viewfinder from Sony. Boasting 8MP resolution, an image-stabilized 10x zoom lens (38-380mm equivalent), and a sturdy body, it aims to compete with the Canon SX100 IS. This camera offers one manual mode (user can adjust shutter speed and select one of two aperture values) and a face detection feature. It has an ISO rating up to ISO3200. The camera runs on a proprietary battery.
Where to buy
Sony Cybershot DSC-H3
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Best Price:
$379
See It »
- $379 - $399 Compare Prices »
Specifications
- Zoom: 10.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 8.1MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.3 - 1.4s
- Max ISO: 3200
- Easy to Use: Yes
- Recommended at DPReview.com
- Dave's Pick at Imaging-Resource.com
- Rated Very Good by CNET.com
How It Works
You tell us your budget, intended uses, and desired features. We show you personalized recommendations from unbiased experts to quickly identify the best digital camera for you.
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How to Pick Digital Cameras
- For Travel Photos
- For Photos of Children or Pets
- For Action or Sports Photos
- For Photos in Low Light
