in November/December 2005
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Gear Reviews: Going Places
Text by Sky Gilbar Photograph by Dan Westergren
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Craig Lay takes digital photos on Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu, New Mexico. |
These versatile digital cameras keep up with your most demanding travel itinerary.
Family Vacation Snaps
Canon A510, $199 Capture memories, not camera complications, on your next trip to the theme park. An affordable price, good image quality, and simple interface help make Canon's A510 an ideal camera for digital newbies. Leave your charger at home—this camera runs on AA batteries, available virtually everywhere. The A510's autofocus and scene modes capture sharp pictures in tricky lighting conditions. While easy to use, the small 3.2-megapixel sensor is inadequate for saving images that print larger than 5x7. One solution: the nearly identical, 4-megapixel Canon A520 ($250).
Parisian Days and Nights
Fuji FinePix Z1, $350 When your day takes you from a bateau-mouche ride along the Seine to an all-night Montmartre street fair, the ultra-thin and stylish Fuji FinePix Z1 is just what you need. This très chic camera, less than an inch thick, fits into a purse or pocket, and yet still packs an impressive 2.5-inch LCD screen and a 3x optical zoom lens. The camera is equipped with a 5.1 megapixel sensor and a natural light mode, which optimizes performance in low-light situations without requiring a flash. The lithium-ion battery captures an average of 170 shots between charges.
Museum to Mountaintop
Olympus Stylus 600, $299 Precision optics, an all-weather build, small size, and high-tech image review features make the Olympus Stylus 600 a true can-do camera. With a highly sensitive 6-megapixel image sensor, this sporty incarnation of the best-selling Stylus line takes sharp, natural-looking, flash-free photos in low-light locations such as cafés, museums, and twilight Venetian strolls. A fast, reliable, splashproof, and affordable camera that compensates for average battery life with a sharp 3x optical zoom lens and a high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD screen.
Snorkel, Ski, Kayak
Pentax OptioWP, $300 Unlike most "weatherproof" cameras, which merely endure the occasional sprinkle or splash, the Pentax OptioWP is a completely sealed, waterproof camera that enables you to shoot in a downpour, capture friends' expressions as you raft over rapids, and even snap fish up to a depth of about five feet. This small, rugged camera sports a 5-megapixel image sensor, 3x optical zoom lens, nearly two dozen pre-set scene modes, and a medium-quality 2-inch LCD screen. As with other digital cameras, you can record movies and voice.
The Travel Junkie
Nikon D50, $799 The Nikon D50 is a high-performance, durable, 6.1-megapixel digital SLR that snaps images of exquisite resolution. The ergonomic handgrip and virtually no "shutter lag" help capture lightning-fast action (maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 sec, continuous shooting is 2.5 fps). Fully manual controls—knobs as well as digital buttons—interchangeable lenses, autofocus and motion-tracking features, and spot metering make this a true shutterbug's favorite. A wide-angle 18-55mm lens comes with the kit, but adding a telephoto lens and big memory card will drive up the price.
Wildlife Warrior
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30, $700 Nuzzle up to gnus and linger over lions on your next safari with this fixed-lens camera, which combines the advanced features of an 8-megapixel SLR with the simplicity of a compact camera in a smart package. With a 12x optical zoom range (equivalent to a 420mm lens), an amazingly clear Leica lens, high-tech image stabilizer, and speedy autofocus, this camera easily overcomes an electronic viewfinder that makes subjects difficult to see in low light. Don't need the manual controls? Try the smaller, simpler Panasonic DMC-FZ5 ($450).
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