From large SLRs to ultra-portable compacts, there are dozens of different digital cameras on the market with 10-megapixel sensors. Body size, imaging specifications and photography features all vary considerably depending on the type of 10-megapixel camera you choose. Looking at the ultra-portable Canon PowerShot S95, the compact super-zoom Casio Exilim EX-FH25 and the digital SLR Canon 1000D provides a decent cross-section of the different feature sets available for 10-megapixel cameras.
Size
Cameras with 10-megapixel sensors run the gamut in terms of size and weight. The S95 falls on the small and light end of the spectrum. It measures 3.94 inches wide, 2.28 inches tall and 1.18 inches thick at its thickest point. It weighs 6.88 oz. before optional upgrades and accessories. The EX-FH25 falls in the middle in terms of size, measuring 4.8 inches wide, 3.19 inches tall and 3.27 inches thick. It weighs 18.48 oz., including its integrated zoom lens. The 1000D is the largest of the three cameras, measuring 4.96 inches wide, 3.86 inches tall and 2.56 inches thick without a lens attached. It weighs 17.71 oz. without a lens.
Imaging
The S95's integrated lens has an equivalent focal length range of 28 to 105 millimeters, 3.8x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom. The EX-FH25's integrated lens has a much broader equivalent focal length range of 26 to 520 millimeters, 20x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom. The 1000D's lens specifications depend on which lens is attached to the camera. The S95's lens has an aperture range of F2.0 to F4.9, compared to F2.8 to F4.5 for the EX-FH25. Again, because the 1000D uses interchangeable lenses, its aperture range depends on the lens attached to the camera at any given time.
Features
All three cameras can be set to aperture and shutter priority modes. All three cameras also have manual focusing capabilities, at least six white-balance presets, custom white-balance settings and the ability to save uncompressed files to the RAW image format. The 1000D shoots up to three frames per second in continuous drive mode, while the EX-FH25 shoots four and the S95 shoots 0.9. The S95 has an ISO range of 80 to 3,200, compared to 100 to 3,200 for the EX-FH25 and 100 to 1,600 for the 1000D.
Additional Information
Battery options vary, depending on which 10-megapixel camera you choose. The S95 and 1000D both use removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs, while the EX-FH25 uses four AA batteries. LCD size also varies. The S95 and the EX-FH25 both have 3-inch LCD screens, while the 1000D has a 2.5-inch screen. All three cameras have integrated flash units. Only the 1000D has a hot shoe for attaching external flash units. The 1000D is the only camera of the bunch without video-recording capabilities. The S95 records 720p video at 24 frames per second, while the EX-FH25 records 640-by-480 video at up to 30 frames per second. All three cameras connect to computers via USB 2.0 ports and store data on Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard memory cards. Only the S95 has an HDMI output.
Tags: three cameras, frames second, inches tall, inches tall inches, inches thick, inches wide
