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Expert Recommendation
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Overview
Equipped with Fujifilm’s renowned SuperCCD sensor, the Fuji F50fd boasts some of the cleanest high-ISO images in a non-SLR camera, allowing users to freeze action and avoid camera shake in low-light situations.
My Best In Class Pick
Fujifilm FinePix F50fd
Fuji’s line of F-series ultracompacts have long been famed for their low-light ability, and Fuji’s midrange offering, the F50fd, boasts both good high-ISO performance to combat blur and a sensor-shift image stabilization system to reduce camera shake.
While its high-ISO ability doesn’t approach SLR quality, it does deliver significantly less noisy images than the average non-SLR camera, allowing you to freeze most kinds of motion in low-light situations. The F50fd also features a sensor-shift IS system, which doesn’t work quite as well as the more mature lens-shift technology in other cameras, but still helps to reduce camera shake.
The F50fd covers a fairly typical 35-105mm (3x) zoom range, which is good for everyday photography. The lens aperture is f2.8-5.1, somewhat small and typical for an ultracompact, and requiring a higher ISO or longer shutter speed.
The built-in flash for the F50fd is embedded into the camera body, making it susceptible to red-eye effects.
Comparison with Sony Cybershot DSC-H10
Overall, the H10 is a much more versatile camera, with its 10x zoom, although the Fuji F50fd is much more compact. In terms of low-light performance, the H10 has a slightly more effective IS system, but the Fuji F50fd ultimately is the better camera with its less noisy high-ISO performance and slightly larger aperture at the wide-angle end.
Comparison with Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
As a 10x ultrazoom compact, the Canon SX100IS is a much more versatile and bulkier camera than Fuji’s ultracompact F50fd. The F50fd is a better overall low-light performer - although it has a smaller aperture, the F50fd performs much better at high-ISO situations than the SX100IS.
Pros
- +Superb high-ISO among non-SLRs
- +Image-stabilized sensor
Cons
- -Embedded flash susceptible to red eye
Where to buy
Fujifilm FinePix F50fd
Specifications
- Zoom: 3.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 12.0MP
- Max ISO: 6400
- Easy to Use: Yes
Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices
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| Price | $120.00 | $649.00 | ||
| Size (W x H x D) | 3.6 x 2.3 x 0.9 in. | 4.2 x 2.7 x 1.9 in. | 4.3 x 2.8 x 1.8 in. | |
| Weight (without batteries) | 5.5 oz | 9.3 oz | 9.4 oz | |
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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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35 mm | 38mm | 36 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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108 mm | 380mm | 360 mm | |
| Optical Zoom | 3.0x | 10.0x | 10.0x | |
| Important low-light features | ||||
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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/2.8 | |
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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/5.1 | f/4.4 | f/4.3 | |
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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 | |
| Image Stabilization Type | Optical (sensor shift) | Optical (lens shift) | Optical (lens shift) | |
| Flash type | Embedded | Pop-up | Pop-up | |
| Battery Life | 230 shots | 310 shots | 400 shots | |
| High ISO quality | Good | Good | Average | |
| Low-light rating | Good | Average | Average | |
Sony Cybershot DSC-H10
Part of its series of compact ultrazoom cameras, Sony’s H10 is a full-featured camera that packs a versatile 10x (38-380mm) image-stabilized zoom into a compact 1.9” thick package.
In terms of high-ISO ability, the H10 is above average, allowing you to take usable noise-free photos while avoiding blur from camera shake or motion. The lens aperture is f3.5-4.4, which is somewhat poor for an ultrazoom, forcing the H10 to rely more on high ISO and longer shutter speeds
The H10 uses a pop-up flash that places the flash away from the lens, so red-eye shouldn’t be a problem.
Comparison with Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
The H10’s featureset is similar to that of the Canon SX100 - they both feature versatile 10x zoom ranges that cover the range for most photography, have image-stabilized lenses, popup flashes, and come in fairly compact sizes. What differentiates the cameras are their high-ISO abilities and lens apertures - the H10 performs slightly better at high-ISO thanks to its more aggressive noise reduction, while the SX100 has a slightly larger aperture than the H10, allowing it to rely less on high-ISO ability. Overall, the cameras are approximately equal in terms of low-light ability, so you may want to consider what other features or uses you’re looking for when deciding between them.
Pros
- +Above-average high-ISO
- +Image-stabilized lens
Cons
- -Somewhat small aperture for an ultazoom
Where to buy
Sony Cybershot DSC-H10
Specifications
- Zoom: 10.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 8.1MP
- Max ISO: 3200
- Easy to Use: Yes
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
The SX100IS is the little brother of Canon’s full-featured S5 IS - the SX100 packs a slightly smaller 36-360mm (10x) zoom range and comes in a much smaller 1.8” thick size.
Like the other Canon cameras, the SX100IS uses a more conservative noise reduction method, retaining more detail but also making the images very grainy, although they can be cleaned up with noise reduction software.
The SX100’s image-stabilized lens will help to reduce camera shake. The lens aperture is f2.7-4.3, typical for an ultrazoom and above average compared to most cameras.
The SX100 has a popup flash, so redeye shouldn’t be an issue.
Pros
- +Large lens aperture
- +Image stabilized lens
Cons
- -Extremely grainy high-ISO images, unless edited with noise reduction software
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
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Best Price:
$649
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Specifications
- Zoom: 10.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 8.0MP
- Max ISO: 1600
- Easy to Use: Yes
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