Expert Recommendation
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Overview
Equipped with the tremendous reach (18x zoom) and the fast response times of the Panasonic FZ18, you can freeze that tennis ball from a safe distance. It comes with useful features like an AF assist lamp and an auto-bright LCD (brightness increases as background light decreases) for fast focusing and easy framing in low light. The camera has an Auto Mode with lots of Scene Modes for easy operation by novice users. For advanced users, it has full manual modes and supports a RAW image format.
My Best In Class Pick
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
All these cameras offer an Auto Mode plus a lot of Scene Modes for novice users. Experienced photographers will find the Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority manual modes useful.
The Sony H7 lags behind the other two on image quality as it uses excessive compression (typical image size of 2.2MB to Canon S5IS’s 3.8MB) smearing out fine details from the images, more so at higher ISOs (poor low light performance). Additionally, its images suffer from more frequent fringing problems (i.e. unnatural purple/red halos around high contrast edges).
The Canon S5 IS has good performance but along with the Sony H7, it too suffers from fringing problems. (Refer to reviews at DPREVIEW, one of the top camera reviewing site.)
The Panasonic FZ18 has tremendous reach (18x zoom, best in class) and has minimal distortion or fringing problems. The image quality is good at high ISOs, especially if one shoots in RAW mode and converts them to JPGs using an image-editing program. The camera has fast focusing and shot-to-shot speeds. Surprisingly the lens is brighter (wider Maximum Aperture at tele-end) than Sony H7, even though it has a larger zoom range.
The Panasonic FZ18 is my “Top Pick”.
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
- Pavilion Electronics… : $364.99 (Best Price)
- Compare Prices : $364 - $1049
- 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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| Customer Rating |
 
(from 176 reviews)
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(from 398 reviews)
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(from 51 reviews)
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| Price | $364 - $1049 | $349 - $795 | $327 - $499 |
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Effective Sensor Resolution
The Effective Sensor Resolution tells you the total number of pixels that are recorded when you take a picture. The units are MP, which stands for megapixels or millions of pixels. For outstanding fine compression prints, 3MP is required for 5x7's, 7.1MP for 8x10's, and 10.9MP for 11x14's. The effective sensor resolution is only one of many important factors that will determine the quality of the photograph when displayed or printed at different sizes.
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8.1 million pixels | 8.0 megapixels | 8.1 million pixels |
| Shutter Lag Time (pre-focused) | 0.1 sec | 0.08 sec | 0.06 sec |
| Shutter Lag Time (including auto-focus time) | 0.5 sec | 0.5 sec | 0.5 - 1.0 sec |
| Power to First Shot Time | 1.7 sec | 1.7 sec | 2.4 sec |
| Continuous Shooting Speed (single shot mode) | 0.9 frames/sec | - | 0.6 frames/sec |
| Max Shooting Speed (continuous) | 2.0 frames/sec | 1.5 frames/sec | 2.0 frames/sec |
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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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28-504 mm | 36 mm | 31 - 465 mm |
| Optical Zoom | 18.0x | 12.0x | 15.0x |
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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 |
| Manual Focus Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Focus Assist Light Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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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/4.2 | f/3.5 | f/4.5 |
| Shutter Priority Mode Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder Type | Electronic | Electronic | Electronic |
| Battery Life | 400 shots | 450 shots | 280 shots |
| High ISO performance | Average (Raw mode helps) | Good | Below Average |
Canon PowerShot S5 IS
This camera is the latest upgrade in Canon’s highly successful “S” series of super-zooms with a unique swivel LCD. It has an 8 megapixel resolution sensor and a 12x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 36-432mm on a 35mm camera). It has a Normal Continuous Shooting Mode in which it takes approximately 1.5 shots/sec and supports a live view on the LCD in that mode (good for action photography as one can follow the subject uninterrupted).The camera has an Image Stabilization feature and full manual control options. The battery life is approximately 450 shots/charge (using 4 AA-size NiMH batteries).
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7
This super zoom is the top of the line camera from Sony. The camera has 8.1 megapixel resolution and 15x zoom lens (equivalent to 31-465mm on a 35mm camera). It also supports full manual modes (e.g. Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, etc.). Sony quotes battery (proprietary) life of 280 shots per change.
How It Works
Unbiased experts recommend the best digital camera for you based on the types of photographs you intend to take, your budget, and desired features.
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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
