Five of the Best Cameras for Still and Movie Work
Increasingly, digital camera manufacturers are paying attention to the moviemaker in their audience as well as the stills photographer. It’s now the case that even high end digital SLR models allow the user to take quality video. So which are the best of the bunch?
Nikon Coolpix P330
The Coolpix P330 is the latest incarnation in Nikon’s successful range of “P” model Coolpix cameras (the P stands for Professional). The idea: to give the user a professional feel and full manual control with an easy to use compact camera. A decent backlit light sensor allows the P330 to capture images and film in low light conditions without using a flash, ideal for the serious amateur and even good enough for a pro to use as a backup. Plus, with nice retro stylings and a simple body choice – black or white – the P330 earns some kudos for looks as well.
Canon Powershot D20
As ugly as ever (the Powershot range is great for images but looks awful), the Canon Powershot D20 takes extreme still and movie taking to another level. Waterproof, shock proof, freeze proof and dust proof, the D20 is designed for the extreme sports enthusiast. You can drop it from one and a half metres up without killing it, take it down to 33ft underwater and leave it out all night in minus 14 degrees Centigrade and it’ll still work. GPS helps you tag shots and films, and Intelligent Stabilisation gives you sharp images no matter what’s going on around you.
Fuji FinePix HS50 EXR
You know you’re holding something special when it has this many letters and numbers in its name. The FinePix HS50 EXR continues Fuji’s often overlooked range of quality digital cameras – it’s a bridge camera that gives semi-pro quality images and video without the size or price tag. Almost as big as a DSLR but not quite, the FinePix HS50 EXR has a 42x optical zoom, full HD movie recording and a range of high end shooting functions to help you get creative with your shots.
Canon EOS M
Another bridging camera, the EOS M is an interchangeable system camera with aspirations to be a full DSLR. It makes short work of low light situations and brings back images with Canon’s trademark sharpness – making it a better option than the Nikon J1 when it comes to enlarging images or playing with depth of field in high contrast situations. A large back screen and a classy minimalist body design give it the chops to fight it out with stylish lower price tag contenders for looks, too. Recommended for professional results without a professional cost.
Nikon D4
One of the true big guns, this is the kind of camera that pro photographers like Nick Grove use. Masses of features, all customisable, allow the photographer to set the D4 up to perform precisely as he or she wants. The HD movie recording mode allows as many as 20 minutes of continuous footage to be shot, and the camera can be connected directly to an external device to playback uncompressed HD via an HDMI cable.
About the author:
The Author is a professional technology writer and a keen amateur photographer. His work has been published on more than 150 technology web pages, and he writes print articles for a well known UK based amateur photography magazine. He uses a Canon EOS 100D, and carries a Nikon P330 as a backup.
