Panasonic FZ50, Canon S3 IS & Olympus SP-550 UZ:
The battle of the superzooms
Reviewed on 31 Mar 2007

DigitalRev's Verdict:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 - For the photographer who seeks artistic control and craves the handle of an SLR
Canon PowerShot S3 IS - For those looking for more power and advanced control but are unwilling to sacrifice style and size
Olympus SP-550 UZ - Proof that superzoom manufacturers have learnt how to acquire the perfect balance after all these years

Much ado about everything
Somewhere along the way, superzooms have evolved into fully-fledged SLR-substitutes. Now the definition of a superzoom entails long, fast zoom lenses, high mega pixel counts, manual exposure controls, and a whole line of advanced features. It's a tough world, but this breed of high-end camera closes the gap between fixed lens cameras and SLRs in an irresistible fashion. It's win-win in the world of superzoom living, as these cameras give you the feel of an SLR without the complicated and expensive burden of lens-swapping.

Zoom, zoom, zoom
2006 was a fantastic year for superzooms. In our opinion this success was a result of DigitalRev's long-time favourites, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and Canon's PowerShot S3 IS. These two shiny models turned up in the market with an awesome zooming power of 12X, pretty much forming the ceiling for cameras of this calibre. But that was then, and now Olympus has just pushed aside past achievements with the SP-550 UZ, which sports an 18X wide-angle optical zoom lens.

Olympus hardly thought of introducing the world to its first wide 18X optical zoom and leaving it there. The powerful lens is supported by Dual Image Stabilization which uses digital image stabiliser as well as ditching traditional OIS in favour of sensor-shift (aka mechanical) image stabilisation. If you find you prefer optical image stabilisation as the more effective choice, we suggest opting for the FZ50 or the S3.

Quality you can count
Yes, the 18X zooming power in the SP-550 UZ could hardly be better, but it seems to come at a price when you consider that the camera carries a slightly disappointing 7.1 mega pixels. On the other hand, the FZ50 excels at a staggering 10.1 mega pixels, leaving behind the S3 with its rather meagre 6.0 mega pixels. But of course, mega pixels aren't everything and our tests reveal that image quality is top-notch with all cameras, even with the S3.

A vision in darkness
Sensitivity is high in the FZ50 which boasts ISO settings equivalent to ISO 3200 in the camera's High Sensitivity scene mode. The S3's highest ISO setting is comparatively lower at only ISO 800, leaving the SP-550 UZ as the ultimate low-light winner. Shooting at settings as high as ISO 5000, Olympus' stunning camera also employs BrightCapture Technology to capture crisp images without having to use a flash.

The final touch
The SP-550 UZ has been designed with a lot of attention to detail so it's comfortable and intuitive to use. The FZ50 is one big camera, but seeing as it is styled as a DSLR, this is no surprise, and some users even prefer the necessity to handle the camera with both hands. Its large size does allow for a rotating, flip-out LCD, an Electronic Viewfinder (if you like that sort of thing), and lots of other nice features. The S3 is compact, lightweight and stylish, yet still manages to carry a flip-and-twist LCD and has an Electronic Viewfinder. If you're looking for the perfect blend of mobility, chic and features, the S3 is your guy.