panasonic

Zoom lenses have become increasingly popular over the years for a number of reasons, including convenience (less lost time swapping lenses and in turn less chance of getting dust on the camera sensor and/or missing the shot altogether), weight (one slightlier heavier zoom can replace two or three slightly lighter but collectively heavier lenses) and slimmer camera bags (have you flown with carry-on baggage lately?). 

Professionals tend to expect more from the tools they use. They expect them to perform reliably, accurately and smoothly on good days and bad. On top of all that, they expect their tools to feel proper, secure and "right" in the hand. And these very same folk often have the same expectations when it comes to pedestrian items. We'd like to talk about a half-dozen point-and-shoot digital cameras that should appeal to serious-minded shooters seeking a pocket-sized camera that feels and performs like a "real" camera.

While there may not ever be a "perfect" lens, there has long been a need for a one-lens solution for shooters who want to head out the door with one camera and one lens over their shoulder. The reasons vary. For some it's a matter of convenience. For some, it's a matter of pure laziness and for others it's the fear of getting dust on the sensor. For frequent flyers it's a matter of logistics, i.e., there's a limit to how much airlines allow you  to carry aboard the plane (almost all of these lenses are surprisingly compact).

The interesting thing about entry level point-and-shoot digicams is that the simplest, least expensive of the lot is capable of taking wonderfully sharp, angst-free photographs. The costlier, more "'complicated" digicams can perform more "tricks" or have wider or longer lenses  than entry-level digicams, but at the end of the day, each of these econo-cams capture surprisingly fine stills and video.

In the process of trying to organize the dozens of DSLRs we sell at B&H into their respective price and performance categories for our 2010 Holiday DSLR

The Panasonic Lumix ZR3 has a true 25mm f/3.3 Leica Vario Elmar 8x wide-angle zoom lens and a 14MP CCD sensor. This camera shoots video in 720p HD and offers optical image stabilization.

This is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. With an f/2.0 Leica DC Vario Summicron lens and a 3.8x zoom from 24 to 90mm, this Panasonic camera will enable you to capture outstanding images in almost every lighting situation you can imagine.