Face-Off: Pick the Products You Want to Compare
| STORES | £ |
|---|---|
| Amazon mark... | 246.95 |
| Amazon.co.uk | 249.99 |
| Amazon mark... | 309.99 |
| Compare prices |
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| Panasonic Lumix FZ150 | Sony Cyber-shot HX200V | Fujifilm FinePix HS30 EXR | Canon PowerShot SX40 HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Photo
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 Overview - Full review |
 Overview - Full review |
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 Overview - Full review |
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Price
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Score
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User Score
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(4)
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(4)
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(3)
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(2)
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Specifications
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Conclusion
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While the Lumix FZ100 was let down by its sensor, Panasonic has put things right with the FZ150. Picture quality has improved greatly and the rest of the camera (largely unchanged) is excellent—apart from that viewfinder, of course. Panasonic can now take on the likes of the Sony HX100V with its head held high. |
The Cyber-shot HX200V brings a few nice updates (screen calibration, responsiveness) to an already excellent camera. For those of you who don't mind the effect of Sony's image processing in Jpeg shots, this is certainly THE bridge of the moment. However, for anyone looking to post-edit pictures, there's still no match for the Panasonic FZ150 and its RAW mode. |
The Fuji HS30 EXR is a pretty standard replacement for the HS20 EXR. It brings a largely improved viewfinder and an Li-ion battery, but it's otherwise just like its predecessor. In other words, it's a very good bridge—or a must-have for anyone looking for a mechanical zoom—even if Canon's SX40 and Sony's HX200V edge slightly ahead. |
The Canon PowerShot SX40 HS is an excellent bridge, so long as you don't mind the smooth, shallow grip handle. In fact, it's probably the best compromise out there right now for pure picture quality (for Jpeg only, there's no RAW mode). However, the low-def screen and unimpressive responsiveness ultimately cost this bridge a fifth star. |
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Pros
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+ Nice design, pleasant to handle, easy to use + Picture quality: ISO settings handled well, good lens + Good Full HD video mode with stereo sound + General responsiveness, particularly in burst mode + Flip-out swivel screen for lining up shots vertically and horizontally |
+ High-quality build, good design and handling + Sharp, comfortable-to-read vertical-tilt screen + Good general responsiveness + Advanced image processing and picture quality at long focal lengths + Full HD video at up to 50 fps with decent sound |
+ Advanced controls: mechanical zoom, loads of buttons, etc. + Good build quality, sturdy and reassuring + Viewfinder is better than those usually seen in bridges + Good picture quality up to 800 ISO or even 1600 ISO + 1080p HD video with stereo sound |
+ Simple, clear interface + General picture quality (sharpness and sensitivity) + Full HD video with good-quality stereo sound |
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Cons
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- Poor-quality electronic viewfinder - Doesn't feel as sturdy as some cameras |
- No Raw mode and Jpegs will still be too over-processed for some - Lens could be more consistent at wide-angle settings / Chromatic aberration visible at telephoto settings - Not enough customisable features (particularly the control ring) - Poor-quality electronic viewfinder |
- Handling can be complicated (options sometimes deactivated, menus could be simpler) - Lens could give more consistent-quality results, especially at wide-angle settings - RAW shots are slow to save, limited burst mode |
- A higher resolution screen would be nice - Design and handling could be better (the grip handle in particular) - No RAW mode - Could be more responsive, a bit slow to start-up |
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