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Expert Recommendation
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Overview
The Panasonic FX30 is a stylish ultracompact camera, embodying many of the ideal features of a travel camera into a budget price. Its image stabilization system is great for taking pictures of static scenes when in low-light, and its 28mm wide-angle lens is perfect for landscapes, landmarks, and interiors encountered on travel.
The one area where the FX30 fall short is in its ability to freeze and capture fast action, especially in low-light. If you’re planning to take lots of photos of moving subjects, the Fujifilm F40 (mentioned below), may be the better camera for you at this price point.
My Best In Class Pick
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30
As you slash your budget further and further, every camera has to make compromises, and in the sub-$200 range we have three cameras which somewhat fit our needs, but none is a perfect match for all the features we’re searching for in a low-light travel camera.
If you’re planning on taking photos of moving subjects in low-light, the F40fd is definitely the best camera, since it can use its high-ISO ability to freeze subject motion, something the other two IS-enabled cameras can’t.
On the other hand, for static subjects, the FX30 has a lens-shift image stabilization system, which works just as well as a higher ISO for subjects that aren’t moving (buildings, landscapes, city landmarks). In addition to this, the FX30 also packs in a versatile zoom range with a 28mm wide-angle lens, the only camera with a wide-angle at this price point.
The final recommendation will depend on what you plan to shoot more of on your travel - things that move, and things that don’t. If you’re planning to shoot moving subjects like people, the F40fd is the way to go, but if you plan on shooting lots of inanimate things like landscapes and buildings, the 28mm lens and IS of the FX30 make it the best choice.
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30
Specifications
- Zoom: 3.6x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 7.2MP
- Max ISO: 3200
- Size: 3.7 x 2.0 x 0.9 in.
- Battery Life: 280 shots
- Easy to Use: Yes
Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices
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| Price | $399.66 | $399.99 | |
| Size (W x H x D) | 3.7 x 2.0 x 0.9 in. | 3.8 x 2.3 x 0.9 in. | 3.5 x 2.5 x 1.7 in. |
| Weight (without batteries) | 4.7 oz | 5.4 oz | 6.1 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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28 - 100 mm (3.6x) | 36-108mm (3x) | 35 - 140 mm (4x) |
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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 |
| Storage Media | SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card | xD-Picture Card, SD Memory Card | SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card |
| Battery Type | Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable | Proprietary Litihium Ion Rechargeable | AA-size (x2) |
| Battery Life | 280 shots | 300 shots | 400 shots |
| Max Usable ISO (subjective) | ISO200 | ISO800 | ISO400 |
Fujifilm FinePix F40fd
The Fuji F40fd is the budget model of Fuji’s F-x0 series of ultracompact point and shoots. While its compact size makes it easy to carry along on travel, the F40fd has a rather limited 36-108mm 3x zoom range and lacks the wide-angle lens that is useful for landscape and landmark pictures in travel photography.
The F40fd’s strong point, however, is low-light photography. Thanks to its SuperCCD sensor, a unique sensor design developed by Fujifilm, the F40fd can produce amazing high-ISO photos in low-light, reducing camera shake blur and motion blur without creating excessive graininess or noise which ruins high-ISO pictures on most other cameras. The F40fd does not have image stabilization, however.
The F40fd battery lasts about 300 shots (CIPA standard), which should be good enough for a day of shooting for most travelers.
Where to buy
Fujifilm FinePix F40fd
Specifications
- Zoom: 3.0x
- Image Stabilization: No
- Resolution: 8.3MP
- Max ISO: 2000
- Size: 3.8 x 2.3 x 0.9 in.
- Battery Life: 300 shots
- Easy to Use: Yes
Canon PowerShot A570 IS
The Canon A570IS is one of the budget models in Canon’s A series, but despite its budget label and cheap price, the A570 packs a lot of features. Using a conventional CCD sensor, the A570IS’s high-ISO ability is fairly typical, but thanks to a lens-shift image stabilization (IS) system, the A570IS is a better than average low-light performer. While IS won’t be able to freeze subject motion blur, it works great to reduce blur on pictures of static scenes like buildings and landscapes in low-light.
The A570IS packs a 35-140mm (4x) zoom lens. Although it lacks the wide-angle that’s useful for pictures of scenery or landmarks, the longer telephoto length allows for better portraits and some more ability to zoom in on fine detail.
The A570IS runs on AA batteries, which last 400 shots (CIPA standard), which should be good enough for a day if not more, of travel.
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot A570 IS
Specifications
- Zoom: 4.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 7.1MP
- Max ISO: 1600
- Size: 3.5 x 2.5 x 1.7 in.
- Battery Life: 400 shots
- Easy to Use: Yes
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
