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Expert Recommendation
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Overview
Though it’s no longer the newest compact ultrazoom on the block, Canon’s SX110 is still a full-featured, quality camera that adequately fulfills the two biggest criteria for fast action photos - a long telephoto lens for close-up shots (the SX110 has a 360mm telephoto) and decent high-ISO ability to freeze motion in its tracks.
My Best In Class Pick
Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
Canon’s SX110 is part of a new segment of “compact” ultrazoom cameras. While its big 10x zoom lens reaches as far as 360mm - providing plenty of range for most action situations - the entire camera fits neatly into a 1.8 in. thin frame that can be taken just about anywhere.
Speed-wise, the SX110 has about average shutter lag and autofocus, so precisely timing shots or tracking fast subjects may be difficult. The SX110 shoots at 1.2 frames per second, which isn’t really fast enough to cover moments of action with a burst of shots.
Low-light ability on the SX110 is above-average. The SX110’s image-stabilized lens helps to reduce camera shake, and high-ISO quality is decent - good enough to freeze fast motion in slightly low-light situations without producing unusably noisy photos.
Comparison with Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD
The Fuji S2000 boasts a longer telephoto range than the Canon SX110, but that’s where its advantages end. The SX110 beats out the S2000HD in every other area, most importantly in high-ISO performance, where the SX110 can produce much more detailed images while freezing the fast motion. The SX110 is also significantly more portable than the S2000HD.
Comparison with Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4
Though the SX110 and TZ4 are both versatile compacts offering large 10x zoom ranges, each caters to a different area. While the TZ4 offers a 28-280mm range with a more flexible wide-angle end, the SX110 offers more telephoto reach with its 36-360mm range, achieving better close-ups for far-away action subjects.
Pros
- +Above-average high-ISO quality
Cons
- -Slow 1.2 fps continuous shooting
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
- Highly Recommended at DPReview.com
- Dave's Pick at Imaging-Resource.com
- Rated Very Good by CNET.com
Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices
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| Price | $599.99 | $190.00 | |
| Size (W x H x D) | 4.4 x 2.8 x 1.8 in. | 4.4 x 3.1 x 3.0 in. | 4.1 x 2.3 x 1.4 in. |
| Weight (without batteries) | 8.6 oz | 13.6 oz | 7.3 oz |
| Max Shooting Speed (burst) | 1.3 frames/sec | 1.1 frames/sec | 3 frames/sec |
| Max Consecutive Burst Frames | Unlimited | 3 frames | 4 frames |
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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 mm | 27.6mm | 28 mm |
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Max 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. Larger max focal lengths make distant objects appear more magnified.
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360 mm | 414mm | 280 mm |
| Optical Zoom | 10.0x | 15x | 10.0x |
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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 | 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/3.5 | f/3.3 |
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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/5.4 | f/4.9 |
| Battery Life | 400 shots | 400 shots | 300 shots |
| High ISO quality | Average | Average | Poor |
| Shutter lag | Average | Average | Good |
| Fast Action Rating | Good | Good | Average |
Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD
With its huge 414mm telephoto lens, Fujifilm’s S2000HD has one of the longest reaches of any budget ultrazoom on the market, enabling it to cover everything from short-range indoor sports to long-distance action that stretches across fields or racetracks.
Performance-wise, the S2000HD is a little above average; while the camera isn’t blazingly fast at locking onto a subject and snapping away, it should be sufficiently responsive for most situations. The S2000HD can shoot burst of shots at a nearly useless 1.1 fps speed, but also has higher-speed modes that can shoot at extremely fast 6.8 and 13.5 fps, although both operate at lower resolution.
Low-light performance is about average - while the S2000HD does feature an image stabilization system to reduce camera shake, its high-ISO performance is middle of the pack, producing moderately blotchy photos when trying to freeze fast motion.
Comparison with Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4
The S2000HD just edges out Panasonic’s TZ4 in a number of areas, with slightly better high-ISO image quality and a much longer telephoto range. The TZ4 does trounce the S2000HD in a handful areas, such as faster shutter lag/autofocus performance, much, much faster continuous shooting, and perhaps most importantly, a more travel-friendly size. Simply for telephoto reach and close-up ability, the S2000HD is a better action camera by a hair, although the TZ4 is a worthy alternative if you’re looking to shoot quick or unpredictable subjects (children, animals, fast action), or if you’re simply looking for something more portable.
Pros
- +Long 414mm telephoto
Cons
- -Slow 1.1 fps continuous shooting
- -Below-average high-ISO
Where to buy
Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD
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Best Price:
$190
See It »
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4
The budget TZ4 doesn’t quite have all the features of the ideal fast action camera. Its 280mm telephoto lens is a bit short for getting good close-ups of action scenes from a distance, although it’s definitely still usable. The TZ4’s slightly below-average high-ISO quality also limits its ability to freeze action, especially in lower light situations.
Despite, this, the TZ4 does have a few redeeming features. It’s only 1.4” thick, making it a very portable camera that can be taken just about anywhere. Its 3fps burst mode is also significantly faster than most other cameras, and is great for snapping a series of shots and picking out the best one later. And though its 280mm lens isn’t the longest one around, it still provides significantly more reach than your average budget camera.
Pros
- +1.4 in. thick
- +3fps burst mode
- +Good shutter lag
Cons
- -Below-average high-ISO
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4
How It Works
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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
