Superzoom Digital Cameras overview
As if it wasn’t enough of a challenge sifting through all the blurb relating to compact digital cameras and digital SLRs, there is yet another, hybrid, category that sits somewhere between compact and DSLRs. Such ‘bridge’ cameras are most commonly known as superzooms.
Typically a superzoom will have a powerful zoom lens and megapixel count more akin to a DSLR but unlike DSLRs, the lenses of which are interchangeable, superzoom lenses usually cannot be changed. Visually, superzooms resemble DSLRs but are about two-thirds the size. Because superzooms aren’t as slim as a compact they won’t fit in a pocket but if you want much of the capability of a DSLR without having to carry and change multiple lenses, a superzoom is a good compromise. They also tend to be cheaper than a DSLR and so give a lot of camera for your money. As with all zoom lenses, the longer it becomes the less light gets in, which means long-distance shots taken in low light can be grainy.
While it’s astonishing how fast consumer electronics companies can react to plug a gap in the market or even create a new sector, it’s also the case that, unless sales targets are met, those new products will be dropped like a hot oily stone. Compact cameras now have 12 megapixel resolution and powerful zoom lenses and entry-level DSLRs are getting cheaper by the week, all of which is making the superzoom, for its many qualities, somewhat redundant.
Unlike the DSLR market which is dominated by Canon and Nikon, the superzoom market has given an opportunity for other manufacturers to make their mark.
