For some casual snapshooters, size is really no object.  In terms of usage, these users might use a camera very similarly to how they’d use a simple ultracompact – snapping a photo or two at social events, or taking casual photos around the house or room.  In contrast to a simple ultracompact, a simple full-size camera doesn’t have portability as its main concern; you probably won’t be able to stuff it in your jeans pocket, and it might even require its own bag.  Instead, the larger formfactor of a simple full-size camera often allows for better overall image quality.

Simple Full-size, premium: Pentax K-x with 18-55mm lens

If size doesn’t matter and your budget reaches up to $500 or so, your best bet is a basic DSLR camera that provides superb image quality and quick response times that simply blow away anything you can find on a small-sensor compact or bridge camera, especially in low-light situations. While more advanced photographers appreciate them for their interchangeable lenses and manual controls, all of them still have fully automatic modes for simple point-and-shoot use.

The Pentax K-x is Pentax’s entry-level DSLR, but you wouldn’t know it based on its featureset and image quality.  While priced in the same sub-$500 range as Canon’s Rebel XS and Nikon’s D3000, the Pentax K-x’s plethora of features rival many midrange DSLRs, with fast-firing 5fps continuous shooting, sensor-based image stabilization that works with any lens, expansive 11-point autofocus system, and even 720p HD video. Image quality on the K-x, especially in low-light situations, is a bit better than the Rebel XS, and both easily outclass the Nikon D3000.

• 12MP resolution
• 27-83mm (3x) zoom range
• f/3.5-5.6 aperture
• 1280×720, 24fps video
• Sensor-based Image stabilization
• 516g (18.2oz) – not including lens
• 122.0 x 91 x 69.0 mm (4.89 x 3.6 x 2.7 in) – not including lens
• 420 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $490 on Amazon

Simple Compact, midrange: Canon SD3500 IS

For a midrange budget, there really aren’t any value-added propositions for moving up a size class for this user group; no cameras exist that offer significantly better image quality for the price, so one may as well opt for the Canon SD3500 IS for increased portability.  See the recommendation for Simple Ultracompact, midrange for the description.

Simple Compact, budget: Canon SD1300 IS

For the budget price range, there really aren’t any value-added propositions for moving up a size class for this user group; no cameras exist that offer significantly better image quality for the price, so one may as well opt for the Canon SD1300 IS for increased portability.  See the recommendation for Simple Ultracompact, budget for the description.

Workhorse Full-size, premium: Canon Rebel T2i with 18-135mm lens

The Canon Rebel T2i is a midrange DSLR, well spec’d with a plethora of features and the best image quality in its sub-$1000 range. The T2i has one of the more capable autofocus systems around and boasts the best high-ISO performance for low-light situations. It also has the most comprehensive video capability around, with 1080p recording and even an input for attaching an external microphone.  While the basic kit, priced at about $800, comes with an 18-55 IS lens, spending about $200 more will net you the much more versatile 18-135 IS, equivalent to about 29-216mm and giving you just enough zoom (wide-angle and telephoto reach) to handle the majority of shooting situations, all without ever having to stop and swap different lenses.  If you’re willing to take the size, convenience and speed tradeoff of using multiple lenses, however, a lens combo of the 18-55 IS kit lens and 55-250 IS telephoto lens will run about the same price, and offer slightly better image quality and a much more extensive range (roughly 29-400mm, or nearly twice the telephoto reach).

• 18MP resolution
• 18-55 lens: 29-88mm (3x) zoom range; 55-250 lens: 88-400mm (4.5x) zoom
• f/3.5-5.6 aperture
• 1920×1080, 30/24fps (1080p) video
• Lens-based Image stabilization
• 475g (16.8oz) – not including lens
• 130  x 97 x 76 mm  (5.1 x 3.8 x 3.0 in) - not including lens
• 470 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $995 on Amazon; $1019 on Amazon for 18-55 + 55-250 kit ($799 + $210)

Workhouse Full-size, midrange: Panasonic FZ40

The market for the big, hulking ultrazooms of yesteryear have somewhat evaporated in the budget and midrange categories – for the majority of consumers, the advantages of having a portable formfactor like the Sony HX5 or Panasonic TZ/ZS/ZR series cameras is so enormous that no amount of expanded features or capability would sway them towards a larger camera.  Nonetheless, there are certain advantages to larger cameras like the FZ40: even bigger “megazoom” lenses, better ergonomics (there’s a real handgrip, and generally much more camera to hold onto), an electronic viewfinder in addition to the rear LCD for composing images, hotshoe for attaching external flash units, and manual controls that often aren’t found on compact ultrazooms for marketing reasons.

All prices are based on the lowest of amazon.com or bhphotovideo.com

Have you got a use case/need that isn’t covered here?  Feel free to post it in the comments, and I’ll keep it in mind for future guides (or maybe update this guide, if there’s a glaring omission in a category).  And if you think differently about any of the cameras, feel free to share that too!

General advice:

To give you all an idea of the perspective these recommendations are written from, here are a few guidelines I mostly go by:

Features trump image quality: With modern cameras, many image quality differences are mostly a consideration of the past.  Almost every camera released today has megapixel resolution far in excess of what’s needed (or even usable) for the majority of applications (like making a 4×6″ print, uploading to Facebook, or even displaying full-size on the biggest computer monitor or LCD screen you can buy), and in most daylight scenarios there is practically zero difference between cameras, especially among the top tier of manufacturers.  The main differentiator in your photographic experience and capability is what features you’ll have to work with – being able to take a wide shot with a 28mm wide-angle lens, or having a fast 5fps continuous shooting mode for action shots, for instance, is going to go a long way towards getting you the photographs you want, compared to minute differences in image quality or resolution.

Price/performance: The recommendations for different categories will mostly recommend the camera with the best value proposition – a lot of these are often written in the format of: Best budget camera under $200, best midrange camera under $300, best premium camera under $500, etc. While oftentimes, yes it’s true that Camera Xa has a slightly bigger LCD screen than Camera Xb and is therefore better, and the $50 premium still puts it under the $300 budget, as a knowledgeable consumer you wouldn’t want to spend that much more on a mostly cosmetic difference, and as an informed friend you would do best by recommending Camera Xb to your friend.

Simple Ultracompact

For many people, cameras are just cameras, and all they need is something that, for lack of a less-hackneyed phrase, they can “point and shoot”.  They’re not interested in photography and don’t need nor want full manual controls, and can make do without a huge zoom range.  They’ll take snaps while they’re out at social events or just randomly at home or in their room, but that’s about it.  For this group there’s thesimple ultracompact - a basic camera that has a few useful features (wide-angle lenses for photos in restricted interior space – group photos at a restaurant, for example - and image stabilization for low-light situations) but otherwise just provides good overall quality and a small formfactor that can be taken just about anywhere.

Simple Ultracompact, midrange: Canon SD3500 IS

For years, Canon’s iconic SD line has been the quintessential ultracompact point and shoot, and their popularity has good reason: they deliver solid image quality, decent featureset, no-frills point-and-shoot control, and aren’t overly expensive.  The SD3500 is one of the better featured packages available, providing a 5x lens with extremely versatile 24mm wide-angle (perfect for taking photos indoors and getting everything in the frame), 720p HD video resolution, and the increasingly common image stabilized lens.

• 14MP resolution
• 24-120mm (5x) zoom range
• f/2.8-5.9 aperture
• 1280×720, 30fps video (720p)
• Lens-based Image stabilization
• 160g (5.6oz)
• 99 x 56 x 22 mm (3.9 x 2.2 x 0.9 in)
• 220 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $249 on Amazon

Simple Ultracompact, budget: Canon SD1300 IS

The Canon SD1300 IS is a simplified version of the SD3500 – image quality is not quite as sharp; its 28mm wide-angle lens is still useful but not quite as versatile as a 24mm; and it produces only 640×480 video instead of 1280×720 HD video. It also uses standard physical buttons in its control scheme, instead of the pure touchscreen interface of the SD3500 – a minus in the fancy-tricks-you-show-off-at-parties category, but probably a plus for everyday usability.  Nonetheless, it fulfills the common use cases of the simple budget ultracompact, and does it with consistent image quality for a surprisingly low price (even among budget cameras).

• 12MP resolution
• 28-112mm (4x) zoom range
• f/2.8-5.9 aperture
• 640×480, 30fps video
• Lens-based Image stabilization
• 117g (4.1oz)
• 91 x 56 x 20 mm (3.6 x 2.2 x 0.8 in)
• 240 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $129 on Amazon

Workhorse Compact

While simple ultracompacts make great cameras for casual snapshots, they don’t quite meet the needs of avid picture takers.  A casual user might go to a party and take three or four photos with her friends the whole night, and might not care about quality so long as they’re passable for Facebook.  The avid user is the family photographer for the annual camping trip to Yosemite – they may not exactly aspire to be the next Ansel Adams, but will take in the neighborhood of hundreds of pictures to document and remember the whole trip.  The workhorse compact is the ideal camera for these users – good, versatile cameras with the capability to handle a large number of common situations, from daylight to low-light, and up-close photos in cramped interiors to outdoor graduation ceremonies from half a soccer field away, while still retaining fairly simple functionality and a portable formfactor.

Workhorse Compact, midrange: Sony HX5

While the Panasonic ZS/TZ cameras are the best-known in this category, the slightly more upscale Sony HX5 offers improved image quality (especially in low-light situations) and a number of useful features enabled by its high-speed back-illuminated CMOS sensor.  Featuring a 10x lens with a very versatile 25mm wide-angle, the HX5 has the zoom range to cover practically any situation.

The HX5 also excels in low-light situations.  In addition to its lens-based image stabilization, the high-ISO ability of the HX5′s back-illuminated CMOS sensor outperforms all the other CCD-based cameras in this category, and has even further low-light capability when used in a multi-sampling mode to reduce noise (Sony calls this “Handheld Twilight”).

The HX5 also packs a couple of unique features for travelers: the camera has an onboard GPS which adds coordinate information to the metadata of all images (as well as software to sync this data with Google Maps), and an automated “panorama mode” which simply works by literally waving the camera across the scene in front of you (although experienced panorama photographers should note that it only produces ~7MP images, instead of the full-resolution from stitching images manually).

It’s a feature-laden camera with supreme versatility and especially impressive low-light performance, making it a nearly perfect workhorse camera for the most common and most difficult photographs.

• 10MP resolution
• 25-250mm (10x) zoom range
• f/3.5-5.5 aperture
• 1920×1080, 30fps video (1080p)
• Image stabilization
• 170g (6.0oz)
• 104 x 61 x 31 mm (4.1 x 2.4 x 1.2 in)
• 310 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $299 on Amazon

Workhorse Compact, midrange: Panasonic ZR3

The smaller sibling of the popular TZ/ZS compact ultrazooms, Panasonic’s ZR series achieves even further feats of compactness by offering a versatile 25-200mm (8x) zoom lens into an ultracompact-size body.  Despite squeezing itself into such a tiny package (it’s exactly an inch thick), the ZR3 features all the essential capabilities of a TS/ZS series camera – expansive zoom range and wide-angle lens, and Panasonic’s image stabilization system (arguably the best IS system for blur reduction), 720p HD video, – making it a near-perfect travel companion.

If you’re really interested in the long end of the zoom range or need further exposure controls, and can live with an average-size compact rather than an ultracompact, the Panasonic ZS5 ($215 on B&H) bumps up the zoom range to a 25-300mm lens (12x) that also features a larger telephoto aperture (more light at the long end of the zoom, and less problems in lower-light situations), and provides users with full exposure program controls (including a full manual exposure mode).

• 14MP resolution
• 25-200mm (10x) zoom range
• f/3.3-5.9 aperture
• 1280×720, 30fps video (720p)
• Image stabilization
• 137g (4.8oz)
• 99 x 56 x 25 mm (3.9 x 2.2 x 1.0 in)
• 330 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $179 on B&H PHoto

Up next: Consumer categories (simple and workhorse again), for those without size restrictions (i.e. entry-level DSLRs and bridge-type superzooms)

The Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 VC - currently one of only two f/2.8 midrange zoom lenses on the market, and the only one under a grand ($650 to be exact)

When it comes to midrange lenses, there’s a few different approaches. Of course, a lot of people start at the low end with an 18-55mm kit or so, but eventually most people graduate and there are pretty much two ways to go:

1. A small range, high-quality, high-aperture zoom.
2. A large range ultrazoom with (usually) lower quality and smaller aperture

One of the advantages where ultrazooms seemed to gain the leg-up on large aperture zooms was in the image stabilization department, where nearly every single ultrazoom lens does, but up until recently only one large aperture crop lens (Canon’s $1000+ 17-55mm f/2.8 IS) did.

That left just one (very expensive) option for Canon users, and Nikon users completely out in the cold (they pay $1300 for a 17-55 f/2.8 without VR). Third party manufacturers, have as always had cheaper alternatives, such as Sigma’s 18-50mm f/2.8 and Tokina’s 16-50mm f/2.8, but all of these lacked any sort of stabilization as well.

Now finally, Tamron has gone ahead and introduced their VC stabilization to their flagship crop standard zoom, the 17-50mm f/2.8 (or rather, Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC LD Aspherical [IF]), which finally delivers a large aperture, image-stabilized standard zoom for an affordable price ($650 currently).

It’s only knock is that it doesn’t yet have the fast USM or SWM-based autofocus of the Canon or Nikon models, although it’s a feature I’ve long-regarded as over-rated for standard zooms for most people’s actions.

Digital cameras don’t come out all that often, so this may be a quarterly guide.  This also may not reflect the very cutting edge – it takes a little while for reviews for the newest cameras to come in, and it’s impossible to really assess the cameras until they do.

All prices based on the lowest of amazon.com or bhphotovideo.com

Have you got a use case/need that isn’t covered here?  Feel free to post it in the comments, and I’ll keep it in mind for future guides.  And if you think differently about any of the cameras, feel free to share that too!

General advice:

To give you all an idea of the perspective these recommendations are written from, here’s a few guidelines I mostly go by:

Features trump image quality: With modern cameras, image quality differences are mostly a consideration of the past.  Almost every camera released today has megapixel resolution far in excess of what’s needed (or even usable) for most applications, and in most daylight scenarios there is practically zero difference between cameras, especially among the top tier of manufacturers.  The main differentiator in your photographic experience and capability, then, is what features you’ll have to work with – being able to take a wide shot with a 28mm wide-angle lens, or having a fast 4fps continuous shooting mode for action shots, for instance, is going to go a long way towards getting you the photographs you want compared to minute differences in image quality or resolution.

Price/performance: The recommendations for different categories will mostly recommend the camera with the best value proposition – a lot of these are often written in the format of: Best budget camera under $200, best midrange camera under $300, best premium camera under $500, etc. While oftentimes, yes it’s true that Camera Xa has a slightly bigger LCD screen than Camera Xb and is therefore better, and the $50 premium still puts it under the $300 budget, as a knowledgeable consumer you wouldn’t want to spend that much more on a mostly cosmetic difference, and as an informed friend you would do best by recommending Camera Xb to your friend.

Simple Ultracompact

For many people, cameras are just cameras, and all they need is something that, for lack of a less-hackneyed phrase, they can “point and shoot”.  They’re not interested in photography and don’t need nor want full manual controls, and rarely would use and can make do without a huge zoom range.  They’ll take snaps while they’re out at social events or just randomly at home or in their room, but that’s about it.  For this group there’s the simple ultracompact – a basic camera that has a few useful features (possibly wide-angle lenses for indoor group photos and image stabilization for low-light situations) but otherwise just provides good overall quality and a small formfactor that can be slipped just about anywhere.

Simple Ultracompact, midrange: Canon SD960

A plethora of Canon, Panasonic, and Fujifilm cameras rule the roost in the ultracompact category, all roaming around the $300 range.  For a little less than $300, Canon’s SD960 puts together the best combination of image quality and features, with a 28mm wide-angle, image stabilization, and even 1280×720 (720p) video capability.

• 12MP resolution
• 28-112mm (4x) zoom range
• f/2.8-5.8 aperture
• 1280×720, 30fps video (720p)
• Image stabilization
• 145g (5.1oz)
• 99.1 x 53.3 x 22.9 mm (3.9 x 2.1 x 0.9 in)
• 200 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $281 on Amazon

Simple Ultracompact, budget: Panasonic FS15

If you’re looking for cheap and portable, the Panasonic FS15 is the most capable camera around.  For the most part the FS15 is your typical point-and-shoot ultracompact – it’s 0.9″ thin and 4.1oz light, so you can definitely take it just about anywhere.  The most prominent features is the 29mm wide-angle lens, allowing you to get a much wider view for sweeping landscapes or cramped indoor group photos.  The FS15 also features an image stabilization system, which helps greatly to reduce camera shake blur in low-light situations.  You’ll be hard-pressed to find either of these features on an ultracompact this small or a budget camera this cheap, much less both, which is what makes the FS15 by far the most capable camera in its class.

• 12MP resolution
• 29-145mm (5x) zoom range
• f/3.3-5.9 aperture
• 840×480, 30fps video
• Image stabilization
• 115g (4.1oz)
• 96.5 x 53.3 x 22.9mm (3.8 x 2.1 x 0.9 in)
• 330 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $188 on Amazon

Workhorse Compact

While simple ultracompacts make great cameras for casual snapshots, they don’t quite meet the needs of avid picture takers.  While a casual user might go to a party and want to take three or four photos with her friends the whole night, and might not care about quality so long as they’re passable for Facebook, the avid user is someone who’s going on a family trip to Yosemite and doesn’t exactly aspire to be the next Ansel Adams, but definitely wants to take hundreds of pictures to document and remember the whole trip.  The workhorse compact is the ideal camera for these users – good, versatile cameras with the capability to handle a large number of common situations from daylight to low-light and cramped interiors to outdoor graduations from a distance, while still retaining fairly simple functionality and a smaller formfactor.

Workhorse Compact, midrange: Panasonic ZS1, Panasonic ZS3

The Panasonic ZS1 and ZS3 are the latest in a line of compact ultrazoom cameras from Panasonic – both feature big 25-300mm (12x) zoom lenses that provide versatility for long-range photography and a very wide short range that’s especially useful for landscapes or interiors (the 25mm lens is in fact significantly wider than the kit lenses that come with most DSLRs).  The ZS3 features 1280×720 HD video capture and a higher resolution screen compared to the ZS1 –  the first might be a worthwhile feature if you’re interested in taking video as well, although for now it comes at a hefty price premium.

• 10MP resolution
• 25-300mm (12x) zoom range
• f/3.3-4.9 aperture
• ZS3: 1280×720, 30fps video (720p); ZS1: 848×480, 30fps video
• Image stabilization
• 206g (7.3oz)
• 104.1 x 61.0 x 33.0 mm (4.1 x 2.4 x 1.3 in)
• ZS3: 300 shots battery life (CIPA); ZS1: 320 shots
• ZS3: $399 on Amazon; ZS1: $260 on Amazon

Workhorse Compact, budget: Panasonic TZ4

The Panasonic TZ4 is the previous model in Panasonic’s series of ultrazoom compacts.  While the newer ZS series cameras provide wider lenses and slightly better high ISO performance, the TZ4 is nothing to scoff at – no other camera outside the TZ/ZS series provides a 10x zoom in as small of a package as the TZ4, and certainly not for the sub-$200 price of the TZ4.

• 8MP resolution
• 28-280mm (10x) zoom range
• f/3.3-4.9 aperture
• 840×480, 30fps video
• Image stabilization
• 208g (7.3oz)
• 104.1 x 58.4 x 35.6 mm (4.1 x 2.3 x 1.4 in)
• 330 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $190 on B&H

High-Performance Compact

Most users who are highly interested in photography – both in terms of having a high degree of control and producing the best images possible – are most likely to be interested in a full-fledged DSLR camera, but there does exist a niche market of high-performance compacts for the same user group.  Some might not be quite ready yet to take the plunge into the world of DSLRs, and others may not be interested in the size and micromanagement required of using a DSLR system.  Another common form of user in this group is the actual DSLR user looking for a second “social” camera that can be a bit more automated and definitely more pocketable, while still retaining the highest quality and a great amount of user control.  It should be noted that these cameras aren’t really the easiest to use or most versatile; in many cases they’re actually very specialized and limited in use, and require a strong technical proficiency to get the most out of the images, but in the right situation and in the right hands, these can be far more capable than your typical compact camera.

High-Performance Compact, premium: Sigma DP1

The Sigma DP1 is perhaps the epitome of the high-performance compact category.  It’s an extremely limited camera – it’s only got a fixed 28mm lens (no zooming at all), which makes it ideally suited for landscapes or interior photos, but leaves it absolutely useless for things like sports or other long-range events and doesn’t provide the working versatility useful for travel or portraiture.  Despite this, it’s close to a photographer’s absolute dream in a camera: it packs an extremely large 276mm² sensor that enables it to achieve much better noise performance, a very large dynamic range, and provides the option for shallower depth of field compared to nearly every other camera this side of a DSLR.  It also features a RAW mode and a hotshoe for use with external flashes, as well as fully manual exposure controls.  Sigma also makes the DP2, which is the same camera paired with a 41mm f/2.8 lens – even more specialized for low-light photography and perhaps a bit better for portraiture, but in a bit of a no man’s land in terms of focal length: a very difficult range to capture landscapes or interior photos, and still not anywhere near close enough for long-range photography.

• 4.6MP resolution
• 28mm (1x) zoom range
• f/4.0 aperture
• 320×240, 30fps video
• No Image stabilization
• 250g (8.8oz)
• 114.3 x 58.4 x 50.8 mm (4.5 x 2.3 x 2.0 in)
• 250 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $444 on Amazon

Simple Full-size

For some casual snapshooters, size is really no object.  In terms of usage, these users might use a camera very similarly to how they’d use a simple ultracompact – snapping a photo or two at social events or taking casual photos around the house or room.  In contrast to a simple ultracompact, a simple full-size camera doesn’t have portability as its main concern – you probably won’t be able to stuff it in your jeans pocket, and it might even require its own bag – but has a larger formfactor which often allows for better overall image quality.

Simple Full-size, premium: Canon Rebel XS with 18-55 IS lens

The Rebel XS is Canon’s entry-level DSLR offering.  While it’s got all the manual controls for more advanced users, like all DSLRs it has an automatic mode that reduces controls to the level of point and shoot.  In its price range, Rebel XS features the top image quality, and unlike some other entry-level models features an 18-55 kit lens with an image stabilization system to help steady low-light images.

• 10MP resolution
• 29-88mm (3x) zoom range
• f/3.5-5.6 aperture
• No video
• Image stabilization
• 450g (15.9oz) – not including lens
• 127.0 x 96.5 x 61.0 mm (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4 in) – not including lens
• 500 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $540 on B&H

Workhorse Full-size

For many in the “avid photographer” user profile mentioned in the workhorse compact camera description, the growing interest in photography can often reach a point where taking pictures and documenting an event becomes the primary interest rather than the event itself.  As an example, rather than searching cool or fun places to visit on your next vacation, you might deliberately search for photogenic locales that will make for great photo trips.  For these users, coming away with good images supercedes the enjoyment of traveling or participating in the event itself, and thus the hassle of carrying and managing photo equipment becomes secondary to being able to capture the best images.  For these users, a workhorse full-size camera that can handle a variety of scenes and perform under even the most difficult conditions, and sacrifices no capability for size considerations, is ideal

Workhorse Full-size, premium: Nikon D5000 with 18-55 VR and 55-200 VR lenses

The Nikon D5000 is a midrange DSLR that is a bit lighter on features compared to some higher-end models (mostly in lens compatibility and fast-action capability) but packs the same sensor internals as some of Nikon’s premium sports cameras.  It’ll provide by far the best image quality in its price range, especially when a high-ISO mode is required (fast action and low-light).  The D5000 is also one of very few DSLRs currently to feature a video mode.  The 18-55 VR and 55-200 lens combo will require some lens swapping when switching between short and long-range subjects, but together will provide an extremely versatile range that can cover just about anything.  Both also feature IS systems (Nikon calls it VR) to help cut down on camera shake.  If you don’t require a long range lens, a kit with only the 18-55 VR runs for $773.

• 12MP resolution
• 18-55 lens: 27-83mm (3x) zoom range; 55-200 lens: 83-300mm (3.6x) zoom
• f/3.5-5.6 aperture
• 1280×720, 24fps (720p) video
• Image stabilization
• 560g (19.8oz) – not including lens
• 127.0 x 104.1 x 78.7 mm  (5.0 x 4.1 x 3.1 in) - not including lens
• 510 shots battery life (CIPA)
• $1000 on B&H; $773 on Amazon (18-55 lens only kit)

Workhouse Full-size, midrange: Panasonic FZ28

The market for the big, hulking ultrazooms of yesteryear have somewhat evaporated in the budget and midrange categories – for the majority of consumers, the advantages of having a portable formfactor like the Panasonic TZ/ZS series cameras is so enormous that no amount of expanded features or capability would sway them towards a larger camera.  Nonetheless, there are certain advantages to larger cameras like the FZ28: even bigger “megazoom” lenses, better ergonomics (there’s much more camera to hold onto), and manual controls that often aren’t found on compact ultrazooms for marketing reasons.  While the traditional ultrazoom cameras like Canon’s S (now SX) and Sony’s H (now HX) series still exist, they’ve somewhat transitioned into a premium niche market – Panasonic’s FZ28 is just about the only one of these to be found for a reasonable sub-$300 price.

http://shuttersounds.thedailynathan.com/upcoming-posts/

But some news items that may be of interest to readers of this blog:

Spring 2009 Digital Photography Decal

Regular class: Thursdays 5-7pm, 293 Cory
New more advanced class: Thursdays 7-9pm, 293 Cory
Mandatory intro meeting: Thursday 2009 January 29 6pm, 293 Cory (email if you can’t make it)

I’ll be teaching my Digital Photo Decal class once again.  It’s now running into its fourth semester, and as always there are a handful of tweaks and changes.  I’ll be reverting to a format similar to the second version of this class taught in Spring 2008 – both the photo review and lecture parts will be combined into one big two hour block that I’ll teach, rather than splitting up into a big lecture + multiple smaller discussions led by others.  Hopefully I’ll get to know the students a lot better than I did last semester, and I think I’ll also be able to offer a much more technical (rather than aesthetic or artistic) analysis of the students’ photos, which is probably one of the unique things about this course that students won’t get elsewhere.

In addition, I’m also adding a new course, which I’ve titled “Advanced Applications” (the old “Advanced” course is retitled “Advanced Theory”).  It’s meant as sort of the next step beyond the original course, and will be much more student-driven.  The format’s partially based on an E24 freshman seminar I took with Professor Jeffrey Bokor, where each week the lecture will be a student presentation on a topic of their choosing.  E24 was all about consumer electronics technology (guess what type of device I did my presentation on? =D).  So what we end up learning/discussing will largely depend on the students, but we’ll definitely end up covering topics such as cataloging/processing workflow, usage of ultrawide lenses, image equivalency across formats.

Anyhow, the regular (“Advanced Theory”) class will be held Thursdays 5-7pm in 293 Cory.  The new, more advanced class will be Thursdays 7-9pm in 293 Cory (I’ll play around with the format – this may end up finishing by 8:30 most nights).  If you’re interested, shoot me an email, or otherwise come to the mandatory introductory meeting on Thursday 2009 January 29 at 6pm in 293 Cory.

Applications for the Daily Californian photo department

With every semester comes a bit of turnover, so the Daily Cal does in fact hire for the spring semester as well.  You can find the application page for the Daily Cal at http://apply.dailycal.org/

For any of you even mildly interested in improving your photography, I’d highly recommend applying to join the Daily Cal.  If nothing else, it’s a fantastic opportunity to get yourself out there shooting on a regular basis, which is really the best and only way to improve.  In addition, working for a paper, you end up getting sent out on assignment to cover events or subjects you’d never hear or think of (like, admittedly, 2008 election night results party and aftermath), or never have access to (like getting close enough to touch Natalie Portman!), which in the long run will help you build a much more diverse and photogenic portfolio than if you spend your days choosing your own photo adventures and end up with hundreds of street photography hoboes, portraits of friends, and various travel landscapes.

You also get a chance to use some of the higher end equipment (big telephotos, fast sports bodies, and flashes) that most people probably wouldn’t get a chance to play around with otherwise.  Most of all, it’s a great place to meet other photographers, many of whom are superbly talented, knowledgeable, and willing to teach.

The recruitment meeting for Spring 2009 will be taking place this Friday at 4pm on the 6th floor in Eshleman Hall (that building on Lower Sproul Plaza that has “DAILY CALIFORNIAN” on the windows.  http://apply.dailycal.org/recruitment.php

The application for editorial positions (photogs, writers, designers, etc.) can be found here: http://apply.dailycal.org/applications/Spring2009EditorialApplication.pdf

You’ll basically need a cover letter, resume, and some sample photos for the application, which is due the second Friday of classes (January 30th).

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q408slimgroup/

Some interesting results – these aren’t really the cameras I would have looked at, but perhaps they can tell you about the quality and image processing from other cameras of the same manufacturer.

The main thought I have on this is that Panasonic has come a long, long way from being a small bit player in the market.  They’ve long dominated in featureset, and they do so again here, with the only 25-125mm camera in the set (the only camera wider than 33mm even). Interestingly enough they’ve seem to be addressing their Acchile’s Heel – low-light high-ISO performance – fairly well these days.  To me, the ISO1600 outdoor night shots are a bit above Sony’s and right behind Canon’s, and in the indoor case it actually exceeds Canon is arguably the best.  Interestingly enough, the daytime tests are way below best-in-class for Panasonic, which seems to say either the lens isn’t that good (which would mark a pretty big drop off from previous cameras) or the sensor isn’t great, as it’s always been, but some software wizardry is going on which is what gives us the improved noise performance.

Daily Cal Special Elections Cover

Haven’t updated this in awhile – I’ve been fairly busy with work and school.  A couple of nights ago was the United States 2008 election, which resulted in a fair bit of excitement here in Berkeley.  I covered a portion of it, mostly the results viewing and reaction later on in the night.

Some interesting “Making the Shot” posts to come, including on the front page photo here, which was a mess color and noise-wise previous to processing.

But with the right tools, photos can still end up looking fantastic despite being shot at IS6400 and cropped to 6MP.

In the meantime, check out some of the slideshows on the Daily Cal website for more photos by our fine photography staff.

http://www.dailycal.org/mediabox.php?id=227&type=slideshow
http://www.dailycal.org/mediabox.php?id=226&type=slideshow
http://www.dailycal.org/mediabox.php?id=225&type=slideshow
http://www.dailycal.org/mediabox.php?id=224&type=slideshow

The Canon Superteles

As with all the other manufacturers, the pride and joy and “flagship” lenses of a lens manufacturer are its supertelephotos.  Say what you will about the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 or Canon’s 50mm f/1.2 – when it comes down to it, it’s the 300 f/2.8 IS’s or 400 f/2.8 VR’s of the world (or maybe the 200-500 f/2.8′s in Sigma’s case) that companies tout and wear on their chests like badges of honor.

A dpreview forum member, Juza_EA, who runs www.juzaphoto.com, a fantastic site with great technical insights and some sweet nature photography, recently posted up a lens test comparing the great Canon telephotos extended to the ultra-telephoto range (he tests 800mm, 1200mm, and 1600mm on a Canon 1Ds Mark III).

Direct test link here.

Lenses tested:

Canon 200 f/1.8
Canon 300 f/2.8 IS
Canon 400 f/2.8 IS
Canon 400 f/4 DO IS
Canon 600 f/4 IS
Canon 800 f/5.6 IS 

The lenses were combined with appropriate mix of 1.4x and 2x teleconverters to come up with the 800, 1200, and 1600mm focal lengths.

It’s not quite a surprise who wins.  As the native lens without attached teleconverters, the 800 f/5.6 easily takes the cake, with the additional teleconverters really making the images softer.

Interestingly enough, at 800mm the 400 f/2.8 + 2x extender combo is slightly outresolving the 600 f/4 + 1.4x extender combo.  And both don’t lag too far behind the 800 f/5.6.  If that’s the maximum extent you plan to go, the 400mm seems to offer a slightly lower price and definitely greater all-around versatility.

The 300 f2.8 (with 1.4x and 2x) and 200 f1.8 (with two 2x) really don’t fare well at all, although the 300 combo does get more acceptable stopped to f/11.

It should be noted that Canon has introduced a newer 200 f/2 IS design to replace the 200 f/1.8, so results could be even better with the newer lens.

The truly abysmal performance here comes from the 400 f/4 DO (diffractive optics) lens.  While some might argue that the idea behind DO is really about compactness, rather than absolute image quality, at more than 5 grand you’d expect something much much better than the result here, which looks as bad as the 200 f1.8 with two stacked 2x teleconverters.  This is probably the reason why DO stopped after the 400 f/4 and 70-300 – customers really need two out of three of compactness, cheapness, and quality, and all the DO lenses were only providing one.

The 400 vs. 600 performance debate reverses beyond 800mm, however, once the 400 begins stacking on multiple teleconverters.

If I knew I was going to be shooting exclusively at 800mm+, it seems clear that the 800mm f/5.6 is the lens to get, in spite of early detractors who kept pointing to 600mm with an extender providing a 840mm f/5.6 equivalent.

The Canon 800mm f/5.6

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0810/08100102_samsunginterview.asp

Given that these are business execs and it’s a business/consumer expo, the questions and responses here are a bit guarded and generic, but it still provides some neat insights into business strategies and where the future is going, in each company’s view.  Maybe they’ll have snagged down a real engineer for some of the other company interviews.