Best mega-zoom zlr under $300 (US)

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Daniel Prince - 30 Mar 2006 01:15 GMT

In your opinion, what is the best mega-zoom zlr under $300 (US) with
image stabilization that uses AA batteries. I will probably use
whatever camera I get in automatic mode most of the time but the
ability to set things manually would be nice.

I am thinking of getting a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6 but I wonder
about wide angle pictures without the wide angle adapter. Its lens
is supposed to be equivalent to 35-420mm. I have a film camera with
a 38-70 lens and I have to back up against the fence to take a
picture of my eight foot wide orange tree. Would the Z6 have the
same problem?

In the review of the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6 on Steve's DigiCams it
says in one place that the Z6 LCD display and viewfinder
automatically brighten in low light conditions and in another that
they do not. I have not yet found a place on the web page to send
feedback. Does anyone know which is true about the camera's
displays and how I can send feedback to Steve's DigiCams?

Thank you in advance for all replies.

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Paul Allen - 30 Mar 2006 07:17 GMT

> In your opinion, what is the best mega-zoom zlr under $300 (US) with
> image stabilization that uses AA batteries. I will probably use
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Thank you in advance for all replies.

Check out the buying guide over at dpreview:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp

If you ask it for cameras with a street price <$300,
a zoom range from <38mm to >200mm, you get some choices. The
two with the widest wide angle (35mm) are the Panasonic FZ3 and
the KM Z6. They have the longest zooms as well, at 420mm.
The Panasonic takes a proprietary battery and has about half
the sensor pixels as the Z6, if that matters. If you want
the wide end <28mm, you have to boost the price limit to $600
in order to catch the KM A200, with just a 200mm zoom, a
proprietary battery, but a much larger sensor and possibly
lower noise.

With a 35mm wide angle, you'll have to back up almost against
the fence to shoot your orange tree. There's an email address
for "Scott" buried in the About Us page linked off the front
page at Steve's Digicams.

Have fun!

Paul Allen

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measekite - 30 Mar 2006 19:22 GMT

>> In your opinion, what is the best mega-zoom zlr under $300 (US) with
>> image stabilization that uses AA batteries. I will probably use
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> a zoom range from <38mm to >200mm, you get some choices. The
> two with the widest wide angle (35mm) are the Panasonic FZ3

Two generations old

> and
> the KM Z6.

Minolta sold their digital camera line to Sony.

> They have the longest zooms as well, at 420mm.
> The Panasonic takes a proprietary battery and has about half
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> proprietary battery, but a much larger sensor and possibly
> lower noise.

You can buy a just released Panasonic FZ7 for around $50.00 more from a
variety of surces online.

> With a 35mm wide angle, you'll have to back up almost against
> the fence to shoot your orange tree. There's an email address
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Paul Allen

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Gene F. Rhodes - 30 Mar 2006 22:00 GMT

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06021405panasonictz1.asp
may be what you need.
Gene

> In your opinion, what is the best mega-zoom zlr under $300 (US) with
> image stabilization that uses AA batteries. I will probably use
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> cat's real motives. For example if the cat gets in the
> way when we are trying to do something we say it is "helping".

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