The Battle of Zooms, Part 2

As we promised you last week, we will continue today our journey into the world of prosumer cameras fitted with zooms equal or longer than 7X.

We stooped in 2002, when Nikon had just launched Coolpix 5700 (a camera with 5MP resolution and 8X optical zoom).

In September 2002, Minolta extended the lineup of its Dimage series with another camera: Dimage 7Hi, which is based on the 2001 model, 7i. Dimage 7Hi has a 5MP sensor, allows the user to save in a new format (Extra fine JPG), and several other improvements: shutter speed, white balance and color space.

The same month, Olympus continues the Camedia long-zoom series with C-730. The new model employs the same 3MP sensor, but boosts the zoom to 10X. Moreover, Olympus introduces a new type of storage solution that allows using both xD-Picture as well as SmartMedia cards.

The year 2002 welcomes a newcomer on the prosumer long-zoom market: Panasonic.
On October 9, the Japanese company announces DMC-FZ1, with a 2MP sensor and 12X zoom. This is the first producer of the new wave that reuses image stabilizing technology which is harmoniously blended into the Leica lens. Panasonic also uses dual storage, only this time, the solutions are xD and MMC.

In 2003, Olympus expands the Camedia long-zoom lineup with two models: C-740 and C-750, with sensors of 3.18MP and respectively 4.0MP. The C-750 also allows recording movies.

In the summer of the same year, Fujifilm launches the first camera with 10X zoom: FinePix S5000 Zoom. The model has a 3.1MP sensor, Fujinon lens and it offers users to save in RAW format.

Minolta continues the long-zoom crusade and announces in August Dimage Z1, which is not a camera that stands out from the crowd because of the special features, the camera having a 3.2 MP sensor and standard features, but because of the bizarre design, which is inspired by an analogical camera from 1968.

It seems that 2003 is the Minolta year, because in the same month, the company announces Dimage A1 which comes to replace the 7 series. This time we are not dealing with a simple upgrade, but with a completely new product. Dimage A1 comes with a 5MP sensor, dual-focus macro system, CxProcess II technology, 3-D Predictive Focus Control, Subject Tracking AF, and last but not least: innovative Anti-shake technology.

And since this segment was gaining an increasing popularity among photography enthusiasts, HP thought it might not be a bad idea to join the long-zoom party and so, it launched HP Photosmart 945, which has a 5MP sensor and 8X zoom. One of the main features of this camera is the Adaptive Lighting proprietary technology whose role is to adjust the lighting level in dark areas, being similar to a fill flash.

Panasonic continues the DMC-FZ with FZ2, which brings a series of significant changes to the previous models: 2.8 aperture across the entire focal length, aperture and time priority, white balance fine tuning and saturation control. Unfortunately, it uses the same 2MP as its predecessor.

Sony comes back on the market with the DSC-F828 model, which implements a last generation 8MP sensor and 7X zoom. Aside from the specific design, with the lens moving around the camera body, the Japanese producer has implemented a new type of sensor, which adds another color filter: emerald.

After Fuji, another film maker joins the long-zoom market: Kodak launches the DX6490 which has a 4MP sensor and 10X optical zoom.

In October, Panasonic announces DMC-FZ10, the first camera capable of resolutions of up to 4MP, which has a 12X stabilized optical zoom. The Leica lens has the same constant 2.8 aperture across the entire focal range (35-420mm, 35 mm equivalent), which is a unique feature among long-zoom digital cameras.

In January 2004, Nikon announces Coolpix 8700, the second long-zoom camera after Sony DSC-F828 to have an 8MP sensor. Coolpix 8700 comes with a few design changes, among which the AF assisting lamp, which was missing from the previous model.

After a long absence on this market, Canon announces the PowerShot S1 IS model, the 2004 version of the Pro90 IS. The new camera comes with a 3.1MP sensor and a 10X stabilized zoom. Aside from the manual control, PowerShot S1 IS stands from the crowd by using a LCD that can be folded and twisted and an ultrasonic motor.

In the same time, Olympus announces C-770, which implements a 4MP sensor and a 10X optical zoom, which is shortly followed by C-765.

Minolta teams up with Konica and announces a new Dimage camera, the Konica Minolta Dimage Z2, which has the same 10X zoom, but a new 4MP sensor. At this model, the zoom can also be used during video mode. Another feature is the external flash shoe.

Konica Minolta announces the new Dimage A2, which uses an 8MP sensor instead of the 5MP one included in the previous Dimage A1 and the same 7X zoom.

In July, Panasonic announces DMC-FZ3, with 12X zoom and a 3MP sensor, and DMC-FZ20 with 12X zoom, 5MP sensor and improved image stabilizing technology.

Konica Minolta announces in July Dimage Z3, which has a 12X zoom, image stabilizing technology and 3.9 MP sensor and in September it announces A200, the lightweight version of A2.

In the same month, Nikon announces Coolpix 8800, with 10X zoom, 8MP sensor and image stabilizing (being the first camera from the Nikon to be fitted with such a technology).

In January 2005, Konica Minolta announces Z5, the new model from the Z series. The technological evolution of digital cameras can also be seen in the Z5, the camera having a 5MP sensor, 12X optical zoom, and image stabilizing. The company also announces Z20, a camera with 8X optical zoom aimed at low-budget users.

Panasonic expands its lineup with FZ5 and FZ4, two models that don’t bring substantial changes to the FZ series.

In February, Kodak announces Z7590, fitted with a 10X zoom and other already standard features.

In the same month, Sony announces Cyber-shot DSC-H1, with 12X zoom, image stabilizing and a 5MP sensor. The features present on this model (except for the 5MP sensor), remind of the Mavica series (the first cameras with stabilized 12X and 15X zoom).

The last player to renter the long-zoom market is no other than Canon with its PowerShot S2 IS, announced in April 2005, which implements a 12X zoom, image stabilizing and a new 5MP sensor.

Although our history stops here, the battle of zooms goes on, Samsung announcing the P815, a model which will be fitted with 15X zoom and an 8MP sensor. Although this is the first prosumer long-zoom camera produced by the Korean producer, thanks to its features, this model might be the pioneer of a new generation of long-zoom cameras.

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