Compact cameras today have taken on some advanced features, and more advanced models are becoming less bulky. Keeping the jet-setter in mind, we asked Netherlands-based Dennis Hissink, editor of LetsGoDigital, for recommendations in two categories.
Advanced Compact Cameras
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 — The “TZ” in its name stands for Travel Zoom. “Packed with an impressive 12x optical zoom, image stabilisation [which removes blur caused by camera shake] and support for high-definition video, the Panasonic Lumix TZ7 is hard to beat,” Hissink says. It’s a small, lightweight, 10.1-megapixel option with a Leica-brand lens. Find it in the U.S. as Lumix DMC-ZS3.
- Canon PowerShot SX200 IS — Hissink gives Canon kudos for this compact camera, packed with useful options for travel photography. “A 12x optical zoom with image stabilisation, innovative features like automatic scene detection and face detection makes photography under every condition as easy as it sounds,” he says. This 12.1-megapixel camera also supports high-definition playback.
- Olympus Mju Tough 8000 — In the U.S., the same camera goes by the name Stylus Tough 8000. Either version offers 12 megapixels and a 3.6x zoom, a combination that makes this camera ideal for the most adventurous traveller. “Shooting under conditions where the camera may take a heavy hit is absolutely no problem for [this] camera,” Hissink says. Take into account that it’s waterproof to 10 metres, shockproof following falls from 2 metres and freezeproof to temperatures as low as -10˚C, and there are few places you can’t take it with you.
DSLR Cameras
- Olympus E-620 — At 16.76 ounces, the E-620 is the world’s smallest DSLR with an image stabilisation feature. The camera also offers a “Live View” turnable display, which, as Hissink says, “gives the photographer freedom to shoot a subject from any angle.” The combination of features makes it easy to handle and use.
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 — This easy-to-use Panasonic camera has a built-in high-definition video mode with continuous autofocus tracking. “Compared to the competition, shooting video with your DSLR is as easy as taking a picture,” Hissink says. Offering image capture at 12 megapixels, fashionably coloured housings, a swivel display and easy-to-use operation, this one is “one of a kind.”
- Nikon D700 — The Nikon D700’s “superb image quality,” according to Hissink, compares with Nikon’s D3 professional camera. The D700 is “on its best when shooting difficult light conditions in high ISO settings.” In other words, it practically guarantees the perfect shot.
Susan E. Stegemann, managing editor of Four Seasons Magazine, is a former editor for several photography trade magazines.
