Psst, get closer with a 12x digital camera

Going steady
Those are the reasons why everyone emphasizes the importance of some form of image stabilization for telephoto cameras. At its best, a good stabilization system can buy you a couple of stops; for example, at a given aperture size, you could shoot with a 500mm lens at a shutter speed as slow as 1/250 second. Not all stabilization systems are created equal, however, and it's no longer a matter of assuming that optical image stabilization systems (OIS) are automatically the best. In fact, the term optical stabilization itself has become a bit of a misnomer.

In a true OIS, such as Canon's Image Stabilizer and Panasonic's Mega OIS, an inertial sensor detects motion and the camera shifts a special lens element to refocus light rays gone astray back to the middle of the optical system. In contrast, Konica Minolta's Anti-Shake technology compensates by moving the image sensor, in effect, changing the focal point on the image plane rather than in the optical path.

Sony's Super SteadyShot operates along similar lines, but instead of physically moving the image sensor, Sony's system simply focuses on a different area of the sensor. In practice, as long as the majority of the light travels through the center of the lens element closest to the focal plane--and therefore hits the sensor on the perpendicular and at its most coherent--the method of compensation shouldn't matter.

In contrast, electronic image stabilization is always an inferior solution, because it occurs after the image has been captured. Any pixel- or algorithm-based correction degrades the image quality. That said, some methods are better than others, and the degradation isn't necessarily noticeable all the time. And, of course, it allows for lower-cost solutions.

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	1.	Canon PowerShot S5 IS   CNET Asia rating: 7.4 out of 10 The good:  Tons of manual and automatic features; well-laid-out controls; solid body; nice LCD display. The bad:  Lens aberrations and vignetting; some processing artifacts; lacks raw file support; redesigned lens cap still pops off too easily. The bottom line: Though it remains a good megazoom, thanks to continued image and lens artifacts, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS is slowly losing ground to competitors. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	2.	Leica V-Lux 1   CNET Asia rating: 7.4 out of 10 The good:  Fast, 12x optical, image-stabilized zoom lens; RAW capture; sensitivity to as high as ISO 1,600. The bad:  Big camera body; auto white balance is bad with tungsten lighting; expensive. The bottom line: Leica's version of Panasonic's DMC-FZ50 has slightly better JPEG compression, slightly slower performance and a much higher price tag. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	3.	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5       CNET Asia rating: 7.2 out of 10 The good:  Stylish exterior; dedicated buttons for focusing, bracket exposure and burst modes; large LCD monitor for viewing pictures; hinged cover for battery and Memory Stick Duo compartments; 12x optical zoom; manual features. The bad:  Rather short body; evident shutter lag; no continuous burst mode; purple fringing. The bottom line: Other than some misses in the performance and image quality, the Cyber-shot H5 is a worthy megazoomer with image stabilization and high ISO features. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	4.	Kodak EasyShare Z612   CNET Asia rating: 7.2 out of 10 The good:  12x optical zoom; full manual exposure controls; optical image stabilization. The bad:  Noticeable fringing and image artifacts; ISO 800 not available at full resolution; no manual white balance. The bottom line: The superzoom Kodak EasyShare Z612 has style and plenty of features, but its image quality leaves a bit to be desired. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	5.	Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8   CNET Asia rating: 7.2 out of 10 The good:  Fast 12x optical zoom lens; convenient joystick control; manual exposure controls; optical image stabilization; raw image capture. The bad:  Noisy images; so-so image quality; ISO 3200 hidden away in a scene mode. The bottom line: A fast, long 12x optical zoom lens and easy-to-use controls help make up a little for the DMC-FZ8's image-quality issues. Review | See full specs | Rate this