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Top 5 advanced compact cameras

By Leonard Goh
July 3, 2009

In the past, professional photographers usually shoot with an SLR for work and use a compact camera for daily candid shots. It was fine then because both systems use the standard 35mm film. But these days, digital cameras come with sensors of various sizes, and most of them are smaller than the size of your pinkie fingernail. This is why advanced shutterbugs today are actively seeking point-and-shoots with large image sensors because they typically produce much better picture quality than your average compact shooter.

Here are five cameras which we feel that will appeal to professional photographers. Not only do they have dSLR-like functions such as manual exposure control and RAW image capture, they are very portable, too. The latest contender from Olympus, the E-P1, even offers an interchangeable lens system.

Here's a quick guide on choosing from among these five cameras.

Looking for a light point-and-shoot with ultra-wide-angle lens? The LX3's 24mm optics will probably be your best bet.

If you're currently an Olympus dSLR user and want a more compact system, you can consider the E-P1 which allows you to use Four Thirds lenses via an adapter.

The Nikon Coolpix P6000 has an onboard GPS offers an almost fuss-free solution for geotagging.

The Canon PowerShot G10 is a good all-round point-and-shoot if you don't need to change optics.

For fuss-free low-light shooting, the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is one of the best compact cameras out there.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

Olympus E-P1

First take
Shutterbugs who have been waiting for Olympus to announce its Micro Four Thirds shooter didn't wait in vain. Ever since the firm showed off a mockup unit at the biennial imaging tradeshow, Photokina in Germany last year, photographers have been eagerly anticipating the snapper's release. Today, the E-P1 was finally announced. We have an exclusive hands-on of the shooter with plenty of product pictures.

First take | See full specs | Rate this

Canon PowerShot G10

CNET Asia rating: 7.6 out of 10

The good: Easily accessible settings on top deck; 28mm wide-angle lens; natural-looking colors in photographs; speedy performance.

The bad: Heavy and a tad bulky; no major improvements to feature set from G9.

The bottom line: The G10 is going to be tough competition for the Lumix and other pro-level point-and-shoots, but it boils down to the image quality which is subjective. The features have not changed much, though it should satisfy those looking for a compact shooter to complement their dSLR setup.

Review | See full specs | Rate this

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10

The good: High-resolution multi aspect ratio image capture; F2.0 optics; highly customizable modes which can be saved; large sensor delivers impressive image quality.

The bad: Unable to capture full-resolution images in 16:9 format; use of lens cap may be an issue to some; bundled RAW image-processing software not up to the job.

The bottom line: The LX3 is a good camera with an excellent feature set that positions it way beyond any conventional point-and-shoot on the retail shelves today.

Review | See full specs | Rate this

Nikon Coolpix P6000

CNET Asia rating: 7.8 out of 10

The good: Geotagging features are relatively easy to use; two user-defined modes; zippy performance; use of LAN port to transfer images intuitively; professional design.

The bad: Took several long tries to get a GPS lock; RAW image supported only by Nikon's ViewNX software; image quality is acceptable but not impressive for a shooter in this class.

The bottom line: The inclusion of GPS into the P6000 could possibly carve a niche for Nikon, but the shooter has a lot of potential to be a better camera.

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Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR

CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10

The good: Good quality images even at high ISO; reliable automatic EXR mode switches between different settings accurately; wide dynamic range.

The bad: Boring design; limited manual exposure function; no HD video-recording feature.

The bottom line: Despite minor flaws, we were captivated by the incredible image quality from the F200EXR, considering it is just a point-and-shoot. By far one of the best midrange compacts we've tested.

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