Camera Labs

Hi i am looking at both of these cameras for taking pictures of birds and other animals. I realize that a DSLR would be better but i have had a few dslr's and to be honest because i don't print photos i just view them on my computer and also because buying lots of lenses is expensive and i hated lugging around lots of kit then i don't really want to go back to a dslr.

Which of these do you think would be better its very confusing lol i am still a amateur :S, I can't decide if its better to have the longer optical zoom of the canon and faster shutter speed or the faster focusing and shooting panasonic.

Am kind of leaning towards the canon because the zoom looks amazing and the image quality looks better.

Smg-uk - If your "short list" is down to those two Bridge Zooms - the choice isn't too difficult.

If your priority need is good HD Video, with Exposure (Brightness) Control and Manual Focus, with very good Zoom Control in Video - the SX30 would be very hard to beat, but without the CHDK 'hack', it doesn't do RAW, or have a large low-compression JPEG, Superfine save mode.

Having used DSLRs, you'd know that P&S cameras aren't nearly as good for Sports and Action shots - but can compensate to some extent if they have a good Fast Continuous mode. The SX30 has a best Continuous mode at 1.3fps - the FZ100 has 11fps at full resolution. The FZ100 video - it does both Full and Std HD levels, is apparently quite adequate, but not as good as the SX30.

If you need choices of ARs (Aspect Ratios) in images - the SX30 is 4:3 AR in all image sizes, but has a separate 16:9 "Wide" mode, slightly narrower than the full resolution image. There is no "DSLR AR" option of 3:2.

The FZ100 does 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9, in all image sizes.

If you need very fast Continuous, Fuji's HS10 (I have one) - does a fastest of 13fps+ at full resolution, and has selectable 7, 5 and 3fps in JPEG, and 5 and 3fps in RAW and RAW+JPEG. It also has a very fast Twist-Zoom for still images - but this is awkward when zooming in Video. It doesn't have Exposure / MF in Video (as does the SX30), either.

The HS10 isn't at its best in Auto and Program modes (where the SX30 does well) - so best images are in the Priorities and Manual, where it's pretty good. It also handles low-light and high-ISO (up to ISO 6400) - better than most P&S Bridge Zooms.

So, for general purposes, it does probably come down to SX30 or FZ100 - and whether your priorities are excellent Video functions, but moderate image quality, minus the high-quality JPEG saving and no RAW (as standard), with very slow Continuous - or the "adequate" Video of the FZ100 - but RAW, good Fast Continuous, and 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 ARs at all image sizes.

Both the SX30 and FZ100 are reviewed extensively and in great detail, on this Forum ('Reviews', left end of the bar above) - these are the best "pull no punches" Reviews anywhere. So - have a look at those before you decide.

Dave.