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Black is and still is the new black

By Edvarcl Heng

Why fix something when it isn't broken? Pundits have tried different shades--pink, white, blue, green--what's not been tried? Magenta? Come on.

But color aside, black just simply looks better. It pairs wells with everything and it's tough to dirty. Think about it--how black can dirt be? It's a uniform color that adds a bit of pizzazz to any gadget.

So in our book, black should come back full circle. The darkness reigns.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

1.  Canon PowerShot G9
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: A cornucopia of features; zippy; built like a tank.
The bad: Relatively significant distortion at the widest angle of view; when zoomed out completely, lens intrudes into viewfinder; no optical zoom during movie capture.
The bottom line: The Canon PowerShot G9 is a solid enthusiast camera for those who want something compact to complement a dSLR.

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2.  Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: Intelligent Auto mode was spot on most of the time; solid build; good overall performance.
The bad: No hotshoe; no flip-out screen.
The bottom line: Its ease of use is of note for a user who isn't prepared to delve into a camera's manual exposure settings, but who wants something better than a point-and-shoot.

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3.  Fujifilm FinePix F50fd
 
CNET Asia rating: 7.8 out of 10
The good: Has aperture- and shutter-priority exposure controls; sensor-shift image stabilization; wide ISO range.
The bad: Sluggish between shots; shows minor noise even at ISO 400; no full manual exposure mode.
The bottom line: The Fujifilm FinePix F50fd should works for most photographers, in fact, it would even please those who are slightly more advanced.

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4.  Sony Cyber-shot T200
 
CNET Asia rating: 7.4 out of 10
The good: Great design; nice, large 3.5-inch screen; touchscreen.
The bad: Iffy accuracy for Smile Shutter; no custom white balance; slight noise even at ISO 400.
The bottom line: It's a perfect camera for someone who prizes style and gimmicky features over performance and control.

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5.  Sony Cyber-shot T2
 
CNET Asia rating: 7.4 out of 10
The good: Peachy design; 4GB built-in memory; optical image stabilizer.
The bad: Requires special cable for USB; on-screen controls not terribly clear; Smile Shutter accuracy not spot on.
The bottom line: The Cyber-shot T2 may look like a decent performer, but its sibling camera, the T200, will prove to be a stiff rival.

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