Canon PowerShot A85 Digital Camera

• The Canon PowerShot A85 is another 2004 update to Canon's wildly popular PowerShot A70 model from 2003. The major change between the A75 (the previous update) and Canon A85 is a higher resolution sensor, moving from 3.3 to 4.0. As with the PowerShot A75, there's a larger LCD (1.8 inches, up from 1.5 on the A70), more Special modes, and a faster, more efficient DIGIC processor. The PowerShot A85 also debuts at the same introductory price as its predecessor, the A75. Featuring a full 13 shooting modes, the Canon A85 offers not only manual and full-auto exposure control, but five preset capture modes, and six Scene modes to boot. The A85 has a maximum shutter speed of 1/2,000 second, and includes a Custom white balance setting. Best of all, the camera accommodates a wide range of users with its variable level of exposure control. Experienced shooters will appreciate the Manual, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority modes, while novices will find the Auto, Program AE, and Scene modes useful. Plus, the PowerShot A85 has a 9-point AF system and the benefit of Canon optics with its 3x zoom lens. Advanced features continue with an orientation sensor, date imprint mode, manual focus, and the new Print/Share button that is appearing on all new Canon PowerShots. The A85 seems poised to enjoy the same popularity as the A70 did last year, though it will probably split its fame with the A75, A80, and A95.

FujiFilm FinePix S8000fd

FinePix S8000fd digital Megazoom camera

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  The Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd may be an enhanced digital camera with a megazoom onboard, but the competition is strong and cannot be ignored. And that’s the problem. Working with the Fujifilm S8000fd camera is pleasant in itself, although I cannot get used to the structure of the menu and I really suggest some innovation on this field. The camera has everything onboard that you may expect from a Megazoom camera as far as specifications are concerned. The combination of the 18x zoom and an optical image stabilizer ensure a pleasant way of photographing without having to worry about shutter speeds in relation to possible blur caused by jitter.

Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd vs Panasonic FZ18

• The Fujifilm S8000fd has some strong competitors however, like the Panasonic FZ18. And we noticed that the Panasonic FZ18, unlike the S8000fd, did succeed in shutting up the critics on some issues. In particular the quality of the lens or correcting lens deviations and such; issues the competitor has effectively dealt with, unlike Fujifilm. And this makes the Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd somewhat less all-round than it could have been.

Fujifilm S8000fd - Optical zoom range

• The optical range of the Fujifilm FinePix S8000 is a joy to work with. Certainly for those who like to capture landscapes and interiors of churches on their holiday. The captured pictures are stored in JPEG format. Unfortunately the RAW format is missing. You can argue about it, but it is a feature that the photographer would like to see on this camera something competitors understood and have applied in the configuration. An additional feature that needs improving is the overall speed. It is acceptable for carrying out standard work but the Fujifilm S8000fd is slower than wished for and that makes it hard to take high resolution action pictures.