Advanced Digital Cameras

The advanced digital camera range as I know is much smaller than it was three or four years ago. This is probably because of the way the price of digital SLR cameras has crashed over the past few years. Even so there is still a demand for this type of digital camera from people who would like a more convenient and therefore more portable advanced digital camera than the larger and bulkier digital SLR cameras.

This type of camera is a cross between High Specification, Super Zoom and Digital SLR cameras. They usually have around eight megapixels and zoom lenses between 4x and 10x. Like digital SLR cameras, you may find control dials that give you fast access to key controls rather than a array of buttons on the back of the camera. Many also offer custom modes where you can save your favourite settings.

Among the more advanced features that can be found are long exposures, custom white balance, matrix, spot and centre weighted metering, continuous shooting, best shot selectors and time lapse movies. Other features can include bracketing, noise reduction and options to adjust sharpness, contrast and saturation.

One of the main differences I have found between these digital cameras and the cheaper Super Zoom style models is build quality. These cameras tend to be far sturdier and a better feel in the hand. They also manage to avoid the problems of purple fringing when the zoom is fully extended.

These types of camera are becoming harder to come by and pricing has fallen since they were first introduced. However, if you see photography as a hobby then it may be a good idea to look at the latest offerings from entry level digital SLR cameras. I expect this type of digital camera to remain with us, but the flow of new models is much reduced from its peak around four years ago.