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Ultrazoom Cameras<br />
Combining massive zoom lenses with point-and-shoot simplicity, these snappers<br />
may not fit in your pocket, but they won’t empty it, either. —Z.S.<br />
Digicams<br />
Leica V-LUX 1<br />
$850 • leica-camera.us<br />
The 10.1-megapixel V-LUX 1 has obvious DSLR<br />
aspirations, and it matches those cameras in<br />
size and cost—but not in results. The admittedly<br />
impressive Leica lens, with its precision zoom<br />
and focus rings, can’t compensate for inconsistent<br />
images: It captures true skin tones, but<br />
other colors lack pop. Great optics may be the<br />
core of any good camera, but the V-LUX 1 needs<br />
to focus more on its photo processing.<br />
WIRED Sharp LCD rotates for self-portraits.<br />
Digital eyepiece provides bright, clear view of<br />
the shot. Optical stabilizer works as advertised.<br />
TIRED With a 0.1-second shutter delay, it lacks<br />
the instant response of competing ultrazooms.<br />
Often adds slight glow to edges of objects.<br />
Burst mode works only with JPEGs.<br />
Olympus SP-550 UZ<br />
$500 • olympusamerica.com<br />
The SP-550 UZ’s 18X lens, fully zoomed, brings<br />
the whole package to a whopping 5.5 inches and<br />
is perfect for bird-watching. (Either kind.) Pulled<br />
back, it’s wide-angled enough to squeeze in all<br />
your birthday dinner guests. Macro shots brim<br />
with rich detail. The camera’s images disappoint,<br />
however: Bland colors are the norm, hues bleed<br />
together in bright light, and busy backgrounds<br />
splotch together like gobs of paint.<br />
WIRED Barely noticeable shutter delay. Fast<br />
JPEG recycle time for next shot. Mechanical stabilizer<br />
holds longer exposures fairly still.<br />
TIRED RAW shots take more than 8 seconds<br />
to process, and high-speed shooting mode<br />
doesn’t work with RAW at all. AA batteries are<br />
convenient but invite scorn of green friends.<br />
EDITORS’<br />
PICK<br />
Sony DSC-H9 Cyber-shot<br />
$480 • sonystyle.com<br />
The DSC-H9 is mighty fast, blasting more than<br />
18 JPEGs in 10 seconds, with no shutter delay<br />
for single shots—great for sports and outdoor<br />
snaps. But this speedy camera also blurs life’s<br />
details: Object edges glow and colors bleed on<br />
nearly every photo, distracting from otherwise<br />
accurate hues. And put it away if the clouds<br />
start to gather: Low-light areas get grainy, and<br />
noise creeps in like ants ruining a picnic.<br />
WIRED LCD tilts up and down for extremeangle<br />
shots. Face-recognition technology<br />
is <strong>sm</strong>art enough to fire fill-flash in harsh<br />
sunlight. 15X optical zoom.<br />
TIRED Tiny viewfinder nearly useless. No<br />
RAW support. Shadow details can be grainy<br />
even in daylight. Noise ruins darker shots.<br />
Fujifilm FinePix S700<br />
$250 • fujifilmusa.com<br />
With its 10X optical zoom, superbright<br />
screen, and full manual controls, the<br />
7.1-megapixel S700 boasts some highend<br />
features at a ridiculously low price.<br />
The solid, compact design and intuitive<br />
interface make most options easily<br />
accessible. But once you shoot with<br />
the S700, it’s clear where Fuji cut costs.<br />
Skin tones seem a bit blah, and there’s<br />
occasional color bleed, as well as poor<br />
performance in high-contrast lighting<br />
situations. Still, even with those concerns,<br />
there’s ample value here.<br />
WIRED Fast power-up, minimal shutter<br />
lag. Pop-up flash gets red-eye-free<br />
shots. Competent macro mode.<br />
TIRED Uses disposable AA batteries,<br />
which is convenient but oh so ecounfriendly.<br />
Tiny digital viewfinder is<br />
nearly useless. No stabilizer—antishake<br />
mode merely increases shutter speed.
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