Canon powershot S80 review

PowerShot S80 perfectly embodies the compact design and superior handling that are the hallmarks of the S-series, and as the top model in the line, it's equipped to impress. The 8.0 Megapixel CCD and wide-angle, high performance lens ensure spectacular images, while the extra-large LCD screen makes shooting and playback easy and fun.

Canon PowerShot S80 detail:

• 8-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints


• Large high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD screen with wide viewing angle; 3.6 optical zoom


• Brand new,high quality canon NB-2LH lithium ion battery


• New UA lens technology for superior image quality


• 21 shooting modes, including Special Scene modes and My Color for customization while shooting


• Expand your shooting capabilities with optional wide and tele conversion lenses, wireless
  controller , and underwater housing (not included--must be purchased separately)


• DIGIC II Processor


• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed

One of the biggest differences between the old S60/S70 and the new S80 is the type of memory card used. While the old models used CompactFlash, the S80 uses Secure Digital cards. Canon includes a 32MB SD card with the camera, which doesn't hold very many 8 Megapixel photos, so buying a larger card is a must. I would suggest picking up a 512MB or 1GB SD card if possible. The camera takes advantage of high speed SD cards so it's worth paying a few extra bucks for one.

The PowerShot S80 uses the same NB-2LH lithium-ion battery as the S60 and S70 (not to mention the Digital Rebel XT). This battery packs 5.3 Wh of energy, which is pretty good for a camera in this class.

Quality build, quality optics

The sleek-looking S80 has been redesigned to give it a solid, high quality build and a more ergonomic, compact body that is over 8% smaller than its predecessor--despite the camera's improved performance. Its 28-100mm f2.8-5.3 (3.6x) optical zoom lens features Canon's advanced UA (Ultra High Refractive Index Aspherical) lens technology, which allows for true wide-angle capability without increasing camera size. The focal length range expands to approximately 22.4 to 200 millimeters with the new optional wide and tele-converter lenses.

The power of 8.0 megapixels plus DIGIC II

With a sensor that includes a massive 8.0 megapixels, the camera produces images for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints, and gives photographers more freedom to crop images.

Canon's advanced image processor, DIGIC II, has been incorporated to increase the camera's speed and responsiveness, while also improving image quality. Auto focus speeds are now up to 20% faster, and focusing performance in low light has improved by around 1 stop, offering better control in dim conditions. DIGIC II drives a 1.8 frames per second continuous shooting speed, and supports 9-point AiAF for fast, accurate focusing even when subjects are not centerd. FlexiZone AF/AE allows free scrolling anywhere within the frame's auto focus area to select the desired subject, for which exposure is weighted accordingly. Manual focus selection is also possible.

Hi-Speed USB 2.0 compatibility offers faster communication with computers, speeding up file transfers.High-capacity NB-2LH li-ion battery.

High level control and easy to use

The camera's smaller size has not compromised ease of use. A new large 2.5-inch LCD is adjustable to one of 15 brightness levels and has a Quick-bright function to facilitate shooting in sunny conditions. A real-time histogram, which appears on the LCD monitor, has been incorporated to allow the user to evaluate exposure easily when composing. The selectable grid line display helps with composition and levelling horizons.

With a newly designed user interface, the S80 offers faster and more intuitive operation. The Multi Control Dial allows quick setting of menu and shooting functions, as well as rapid scroll through images during playback. Conveniently, the mode dial is now positioned so it can be better viewed when composing shots. The camera's Shortcut function increases flexibility by allowing the Print/Share button to be assigned to any one of a wide range of still image or movie shooting setting functions.

For enhanced image review, the jump to folder button now allows jumping to the first image of specified folders. Folders can be defined to be created automatically as specified by the user, for example on a weekly basis, and now has a capacity of up to 2000 images per folder.

Modes, My Colors...and movies

The S80 incorporates a total of 21 shooting modes: in addition to the full Manual mode and other creative zone modes that photographers would expect on an S-Series camera, nine new special scene modes have been incorporated. Helping the user to effectively handle a wide range of situations, these scene modes include Snow, Portrait, Underwater and Digital Macro, plus others. Custom mode allows users allocate preferred shooting settings.

My Colors--located on the mode dial--allows the expansion of creativity in digital photography. Special effects, such as Color Swap or Custom Colors, which allows users to select their preferred color balance for any given shot, can be performed in-camera and viewed on the LCD while shooting stills and movies. These effects could previously only be achieved using PC software after shooting.

Extended movie shooting functions feature in the S80, including a first for the market: a high-resolution (1024 x 768, 15 frames per second) XGA movie mode, made possible by DIGIC II's processing speed. Movies in this mode can be up to 1GB in size and are ideal for viewing full screen on a PC or TV. High quality VGA (30/15 frames per second) movies with sound or QVGA movies (30/15 frames per second) are also possible, and a compact mode allows short clip capture at 160 x 120 for easy e-mailing.

As always, I recommend a trip down to your local reseller to try out the PowerShot S80 and its competitors before you buy!

Casio Exilim EX-S100 Review

Casio Exilim EX-S100 is extremely compact, beautifully designed, and easy to use. But in our formal image-quality tests, it earned an overall score that ranked among the lowest we've recorded recently. The EX-S100 is fine for quick and simple snapshots, but not the best choice for avid photographers seeking a small, pocketable camera.

Casio Exilim EX-S100 is 3.2 megapixels, 2048 by 1536 maximum resolution, 36mm to 102mm focal range (35mm equivalent), f4 to f6.6 maximum aperture range, shutter speeds from 4 seconds to 1/2000 second, LCD viewfinder, USB and video connections, 9.3MB internal memory plus SD Card slot, one rechargeable lithium ion battery(casio np-20), 4.5 ounces with battery, Casio Photo Loader and PhotoHands software.

Specifications / Features:

2.8x optical zoom

3.2 megapixel CCD sensor


2.0'' digital TFT colour LCD

4x digital zoom


BESTSHOT (23 predefined scenarios)


Flash assist function


Unlimited movie mode (320x240 15fps)


Macro, with auto macro function

Box Contents:

Digital Camera


USB Cradle

USB Cable

AC Adapter

Strap

CD-ROM (includes full 207 page manual)

Lithium-Ion battery (Casio NP-20 battery)

16-page basic reference manual

The S100 is the world's smallest optical zoom digital camera.You can take it with you anywhere– it's about the size of a deck of cards and weighs less than four ounces (without the rechargeable battery and memory card). The secret to its tiny size is the world's first high-refractive ceramic lens, which can be produced in a much slimmer size than glass.

White Balance: EIGHT White Balance settings including Shade and Manual gray card as well as Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent and two Fluorescent settings. These are all very important to getting good color and are much better than the paltry offerings of most other compacts.

Memory: SD memory cards, none included. I use a 1GB 32x Lexar card I got here and it works great, capable of storing something crazy like 1,000 images at a normal setting. You can get as few as 550 at the FINE 2048 setting, or 10,000 at the economy 640 x 480 setting. The 640 x 480 setting is all you need for the internet and email, so you could store a lifetime of snaps on one postage stamp sized card if you never intended to print them.

The EX-S100 includes an additional 9.3 MB of permanent built-in memory instead of a throwaway SD card. Therefore the S100 can record images, movies or sound without a card and also plays some neat tricks with all this memory. This is great for spy use since you can hand all your memory cards to the guard when entering a sensitive facility and shoot away with this little camera that fits undetected in a pocket.

Battery: Tiny NP-20 lithium ion rechargeable good for hundreds of shots.

In a word,if you want to buy a casio camera battery,EX-S100 is your better choose.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 Digital Camera Information

If you want to save some money, then you may be interested in the H9's little brother, the DSC-H7. This camera is almost identical to the H9, with the differences being LCD size (2.5" on the H7),NP-BG1 battery life (better on the H7), and NightShot (the H7 doesn't have it).

Cyber-shot DSC-H9

• New sensor 8MP


• longer lens range 15x


• Higher maximum sensitivity (ISO 3200)


• Tilt-up articulated screen


• Sony NP-BG1 Lithium Ion battery


• Control dial has moved to rear of camera


• 9-point AF (was 3-point)


• New Sports mode


• HDTV (1080i) video output (via optional component cable)


• Face detection


• D-Range optimization (auto contrast)


• In-camera retouching


• Remote control included


• NightShot function for shooting in the dark


• Entirely new user interface

Like all of Sony's 2007 cameras, the Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has built-in memory instead of having a memory card included in the box -- 31MB worth to be exact. That holds just ten photos at the highest quality setting, so you'll want to buy a memory card right away. The DSC-H9 uses Sony's Memory Stick Pro Duo cards, which currently top out at 8GB, and I'd recommend picking up a 1GB card along with the camera. An adapter is included with all MS Duo cards so they work in standard Memory Stick slots.

The DSC-H9 uses the same NP-BG1 lithium-ion battery as several of Sony's other cameras. This is the only Sony digital camera battery that I know of that isn't an "InfoLithium", which means that it won't tell you how many minutes you have left before the battery dies. The NP-BG1 has 3.6 Wh of energy, which isn't much compared to what you'll find in other ultra zooms.

While it’s easy to compare numbers in theory, the H9’s lens has a big advantage over its rivals in practice: it focuses very quickly indeed, making it much easier to grab action shots be they of wildlife or sports.

The H9 also trumps its rivals with its screen: not only is it much bigger at 3in, but you’ll also enjoy the flexibility of flip-out capabilities. It may not twist to be usable in portrait orientation or for self-portraits, but it’s still very impressive

If you shoot primarily outdoors in daytime--especially sports, children and animals--and don't find the interface quite as crazy-making as I do, the H9 is a great choice. The approximately $100 difference in street prices between the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7 and DSC-H9 makes your choice simple: if you can forgo the infrared and the flexible LCD, then buy the cheaper model.

Canon IXUS 300 Digital Camera

Maybe many people are searching a good review about Canon IXUS 300 camera.This is the only way before you buy IXUS 300.Here,show a perfect camera review.

Canon Digital IXUS 300 reveals enough new design characteristics to satisfy the most ardent style guru whilst delivering original and exciting advances in digital photographic technology. The pocket-sized Canon Digital IXUS 300 shares the acclaimed beauty a nd tactile feel of the original award winning Digital IXUS.

Technical Specification.


• LCD Monitor
  
  
  100% coverage 1.5" Low-temperature Polycrystalline Silicon TFT Colour LCD



• CCD Size
  
  
  1/2.7 inch



• CCD Pixels
  
  
  Total: Approx. 2.11M Pixel (1688 x 1248)
  
  Effective: Approx. 2.02M Pixel (1636 x 1236)



• CCD Filter Array
  
  
  Primary-colour Bayer filter



• Lens Focal Length
  
  
  5.4 (W) - 16.2 (T) mm (35mm film equivalent: 35 - 105mm)



• Aperture Range
  
  
  F2.7 (W) / F4.7 (T)



• Lens Construction
  
  
  7 elements in 5 groups



• Digital Zoom
  
  
  2.5x [Maximum 7.5x digital zoom is available combined with optical zoom]



• Focusing Method
  
  
  TTL AiAF 3 focusing points



• Focus Range
  
  Macro: 16 (W) / 26 (T) - 76cm
  Normal: 76cm - infinity



• Exposure Control
  
  
  TTL Programme Auto Exposure



• Exposure Compensation
  
  
  +/- 2.0EV [1/3 step increments]



• Light Metering Method
  
  
  Evaluative metering (linked to focusing point)



• White Balance
  
  
  TTL Auto White Balance Auto, Pre-set [Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent]



• Shutter Speeds
  
  
  1 - 1/1,500 sec. (Noise reduction operates for all shutter speeds of 1/6 sec and longer)



• Shooting Interval
  
  
  Approx. 1.7 sec



• Shutter Release Time Lag
  
  
  Approx. 0.05 sec



• Equivalent Film Speed
  
  
  Approximately ISO 100 equivalent (Gain up to ISO 150 is automatically applied in low light conditions)



• Viewfinder
  
  
  Optical & LCD



• Flash Mode
  
  
  Auto, Red-eye Reduction Auto, Manual Flash On/Off, Slow Sync Speed



• Flash Range
  
  
  Wide Angle: 0.26m - 3.5m
  
  Telephoto: 0.26m - 2.0m



• File Format
  
  
  Design rule for Camera File system Standardised by Japan Electronics and InformationTechnology
  Industries Association (JEITA)



• Print Order Format
  
  
  Digital Print Order Format [DPOF v1.1]



• Image Compression
  
  
  JPEG



• Compression Modes
  
  
  Super-Fine, Fine, Normal



• Recording Pixels
  
  
  Large: 1,600 x 1,200 pixels
  
  Middle: 1,024 x 768 pixels
  
  Small: 640 x 480 pixels
  
  Movie : 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120



• Storage Media
  
  
  CompactFlash™ card Type I



• Continuous Shooting
  
  
  Approx. 2.5 images / sec [At Large/Fine mode and LCD monitor is turned off]



• Interface
  
  
  USB I/F NTSC/PAL Video Output - menu selectable Audio monaural
  


• Power Source
  
  
  Camera: Li-ion Rechargeable Battery (NB-1L)* Date/Clock backup: Fixed Internal Battery, recharged by above *Li-ion Rechargeable Battery supplied



• Weight
  
  
  Approx. 240g [excluding battery and CF card]



• Operating Temperature
  
  
  0 - 40°C



• Operating Humidity
  
  
  10 - 90%



• Other Operations
  
  
  Camera Settings
  
  Date/Clock, LCD Menu Languages
  
  [English, French, German Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish]



• File Operations
  
  Single Erase, All Erase, Protect, DPOF Marking, CF Card Formatting



• Playback Operations
  
  Single, Multi, Auto Play, 2.5x Magnify



• Other Features
  
  
  Self-timer
  
  
  10 seconds



• Signal Sound
  
  Camera Status and Warnings



• Stitch Assist
  
  Integrates with the PhotoStitch software



• Dimensions
  
  
  (W x H x D): 94.8 x 62.5 x 29.9 mm [excluding protruding parts]

In terms of specifications, the IXUS 300 is impressive considering its size, featuring a 2.11 megapixel CCD and a 2.5x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 35-105mm on a 35mm camera. This is a slight improvement over the preceding digital IXUS (see Labs, issue 75, p92), which featured a 2x optical zoom lens. There's also the option of a digital zoom up to a maximum total of 7.5x. Images can be viewed using the optical viewfinder or a 1.5in LCD screen, which is bright and detailed, although it can be difficult to see in sunny conditions.

For the new model, Canon has mainly made internal changes, bringing it more up to date by adding manual white balance control, an extra level of compression and video-capture functionality. However, the controls layout has also been modified to make it more intuitive.

The Canon Digital IXUS 300 is an excellent digital camera for those looking for style and simplicity of control, but with first-rate image quality. It's not cheap though, and Casio's superb 3.34 megapixel QV-3500EX (reviewed issue 81, p165) is similarly priced. But if you want a stylish, high-quality pocket-sized digital camera and camera battery (canon nb-1l) with long battery life, the IXUS 300 won't disappoint.

Casio Exilim EX-M1 digital camera

Casio Exilim EX-S1 / EX-M1/b>

Sensor	1/2.7" 1.3 megapixel CCD
Effective pixels	1.2 megapixel
Lens	37 mm equiv. F2.5
Focus	Fixed focus
Digital zoom	Yes, up to 4.0x
Image sizes	1600 x 1200 (interpolated) 1280 x 960 640 x 480
Image format	JPEG
White Balance	Auto + four modes + manual
Metering	Center Weighted Average
Exposure compensation	+/-2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
Flash	Internal
Flash modes	Auto Fill-In Cancel Red-Eye reduction
LCD monitor	1.6" TFT 85,000 pixel (354 x 240)
Storage	14 MB internal RAM SD/MMC slot
Viewfinder	Optical
Connectivity	Via cradle (USB)
Power	Casio np-20 Lithium-Ion rechargable (included)
Dimensions	EX-S1: 88 x 55 x 11.3 mm (3.5 x 2.2 x 0.4 in) EX-M1: 88 x 55 x 12.4 mm (3.5 x 2.2 x 0.5 in)
Weight	EX-S1: 86 g (3.0 oz) EX-M1: 87 g (3.1 oz)

When you have a camera this small, you've gotta have a proprietary battery. Casio uses one called the NP-20, which seems familiar for some reason. This 2.3 Watt/hour battery will get you about 80 minutes of juice per charge, according to Casio. Charging the battery (in the USB cradle) takes two hours.

Speaking of the USB cradle, this is a dock similar to those found on other cameras. Unlike Kodak, HP, and Fuji, Casio actually includes the dock with the camera. You use the dock to transfer photos as well as recharge the battery. The dock does not have to be powered to use the USB connection, which usually isn't the case with docking stations.

The Exilim has a slot for Secure Digital / MultiMedia cards, but one is not included. Instead, the camera has 12MB of built-in memory. A "dummy card" sits in the SD/MMC slot to protect it from dirt and dust.

The Exilim produced pictures that were very good for a 1.2-megapixel camera. Colors were vivid and accurate, and the Exilim's variable ISO sensitivity produced nice pictures in low light, even without a flash. Our test images didn't look great on the PC screen—especially when compared with the 2-, 3-, and 4-megapixel cameras in our roundup—but they produced perfectly acceptable 4-by-6 prints. The 1.6-inch TFT LCD screen is bright and sharp, even in full outdoor light. Unfortunately, the fixed-focus lens really limits the camera's versatility; we couldn't focus on the test target, so the camera couldn't complete any of our performance tests.

The Exilim comes with a USB docking cradle that does double duty as a charger for the camera's
np- 20 lithium ion battery. And battery life was very good, even though we used the LCD screen almost continuously. The model we tested includes MP3 record and playback features, and it comes with a built-in microphone for taking voice memos, a wired remote control, and a set of earbuds. The Casio Exilim EX-S1 omits these features.

With its tiny size and way-cool cachet, the Exilim is a great yet pricey party camera. But if you're looking for sharp picture quality, you'll be disappointed.

Canon ZR700 digital camera review

The Canon ZR700 comes with a CCD that measures1/6th inch, with 680K gross pixels, 340K effective pixels in 4:3, and 450K effective pixels in 16:9 with the image stabilization turned off. When shooting with this imager the video results tended to be oversaturated, producing an image that while strong and vibrant was not necessarily an accurate representation of the actual color chart. This tendency towards oversaturation is common amongst the lower-priced models of nearly all manufacturers. It displayed an improvement over last year's ZR300, which struggled with both image and noise. Although noise levels didn’t show a huge improvement between 2005 and 2006, the amount of color information being produced by the ZR700 is definitely an improvement over the ZR300.

Technical Details

• Model number: ZR700


• Image sensor: 1/6-inch CCD, approximately 680,000 pixels


• Tape format: Video cassettes bearing the DV mark


• Maximum recording time (with 80-minute cassette): SP: 80 minutes; LP: 120 minutes


• Lens: f2.6 to 65 millimeters, f1.8 to 2.6, 25x power zoom


• Minimum illumination: 2 lux with night mode


• Recommended illumination: More than 100 lux


• Viewfinder: 0.3 inches, 123,000 pixels


• LCD screen: 2.7 inches, approximately 112,000 pixels


• Number of recording pixels: Approximately 340,000 pixels (tape 4:3), approximately 450,000 pixels (16:9, image stabilization off), approximately 400,000 pixels (16:9, image stabilization on), approximately 450,000 pixels (card)


• Power supply: BP-2LH battery pack (included), CA-570 power adapter (included)


• Remote control: Wireless


• Dimensions: 1.9 x 3.6 x 4.5 inches / 49 x 92 x 115 millimeters (W x H x D) excluding protrusions


• Weight: 13.4 ounces / 380 grams


• What's in the box: ZR700 camcorder, BP-2LH(nb-2lh battery replacment) battery pack, CA-570 power adapter, WL-D85 remote control, STV-250N stereo/video cable, IFC-300PCU USB cable, software CD-ROM (Digital Video Solutions for Windows and Macintosh), user's manual

Canon NB-2LH rechargeable Battery pack for Canon ZR700 Digital cameras features Lithium-Ion technology for maximum battery life power. It retains full charge capacity after multiple recharges, making it free from Memory effect. It is extremely lightweight and easy to carry.

As with other ZR models, Canon's Easy mode takes the guesswork out of shooting, while Program mode provides access to eight autoexposure modes, three white-balance options (including evaluative), nine digital image effects (including the nifty split-screen Mirror effect), six shutter-speed settings, and even a clever level marker that overlays a horizon line on the LCD to help you shoot even, centered images. That's a lot of manual controls for an entry-level camcorder. Plus, you can add a handful of lens converters and filters, another unusual bonus for this price range.

As for still photography, the ZR700 delivers about what you'd expect: low-resolution images that can't overcome the low-resolution sensor, despite the included digital camera amenities such as scene modes and nine-point autofocus. In our tests, the 0.7-megapixel snapshots exhibited relatively accurate colors but with noticeable noise and a lack of sharpness.

In a word,Canon's latest entry-level camcorder, the ZR700, is easy to use, affordable, and ideal for wide-screen moviemaking, but low-light performance remains a problem.

Sony DSC-V1 digital Camera information

Today, they market a wide range of popular cameras meant for the consumer market but also for more advanced photographers. Their latest model, the Sony DSC-V1 is clearly aimed at more upmarket shooters, especially if you consider the elaborate range of features it offers.

Over the years Sony's Cybershot range of cameras have distinguished themselves from the competition by a wide selection of sizes and body shapes, which more often than not could be called unconventional. Not so the Sony DSC-V1, which looks very traditional in that it resembles a 35mm rangefinder camera from the past.

The DSC-V1 has a very good bundle. Inside the box, you'll find:

• The 5.1 (effective) Mpixel Cyber-shot DSC-V1 camera


• 32MB Memory Stick


• NP-FC11 InfoLithium battery


• AC adapter / battery charger


• Hand strap


• USB cable


• A/V cable


• CD-ROM featuring Pixela ImageMixer software and USB drivers


• 130 page manual (printed)

Sony gives you a 32MB Memory Stick in the box, which is (barely) enough to start with. You'll want a larger card right away -- I'd say 128MB at the very least. The V1, like all the 2003 Sony models, supports Memory Stick Pro cards, which come as large as 1GB.

A smaller camera like the requires a small battery, so Sony uses their proprietary NP-FC11 here.When it's time to charge the FC11 battery, just plug in the included AC adapter and wait for 150 minutes.

Here are the most interesting features in the setup menu:

• Moving Image (MPEG Movie, Clip Motion, Multi Burst) - explained later


• AF mode (Single, monitor, continuous) - see below


• Smart Zoom (on/off) - see below


• Date/Time (Day & Time, Date, Off) - whether date/time is printed on your photos


• Redeye reduction (on/off)


• Hologram AF (on/off)


• Bracket step (±0.3, ±0.7, ±1.0) - for bracketing feature


• Hot shoe (on/off)


• Zoom lever - choose which way the lens moves when you press the zoom lever up or down


• File numbering (series, reset)


• Create/Change Rec folder - for managing images on a Memory Stick


• LCD brightness (Bright, normal, dark)


• LCD backlight (Bright, normal, dark)


• Language (English, French) - this seems incomplete -- maybe the production model will have more languages


• USB connect (PTP, normal) - you may need to change this depending on the operating system on your computer


• Video out (NTSC, PAL)

Image quality

It is not surprising that with a lens like the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar, the V-1's images are razor sharp. After all, Zeiss lenses have been around for as long as anyone can remember and they have always been synonymous with quality. All images possess an excellent sharpness from corner to corner, with no vignetting and only a little softening in the extreme corners at maximum telephoto. There is little barrel distortion at the wide angle end of the zoom and only slight pincushion distortion at the tele end. In all distortion is within the average range for digital cameras in this class, also considering the V-1 has a 4x zoom lens. Some colour fringing was visible in bright contrast situations and this seemed a bit more than average. A rather striking phenomenon was that the accuracy of the optical viewfinder actually varied quite a lot depending on the zoom setting. At wide angle it showed much less of the actual image than at the tele setting. The LCD showed a full 100% coverage though.

Conclusion

The Sony DSC-V1 is a very nice little camera with excellent image quality. We think it would be ideally suited to the advanced photographer who likes his photography to be a bit more creative and adventurous. There is the possibility to manually control settings such as aperture and shutter speed, white balance, focusing or flash output. The camera supports add-on lenses and has exposure bracketing with adjustable steps. There are advanced features such as the unique hologram AF laser focusing system or the Nightframing mode which can capture pictures in complete darkness. Add to this the Carl Zeiss 4x zoom lens with Smart (digital) Zoom feature or the hot shoe for mounting an external flash,longer battery life sony NP-FC11 battery and you have the perfect tool for creative photography.