The Best Superzoom Camera of 2006

Alright then, now that you've seen our favorite consumer-level cameras, it's time to move on to the big-guns—Enter the superzooms!

As the name suggests, the biggest striking feature about superzoom cameras is the high optical zoom level which is usually between 10x to 12x in comparison to the 3x or 4x optical zoom that you usually get in consumer level cameras. But that's not it, these cameras also add a bunch of features like manual exposure and manual focus, along with customization options that make the cameras perfect for prosumers and amateur photographers.

The following are our favorite superzooms of 2006.

Second Runner-UpSony Cyber-shot DSC-H5

It was a tough choice between the Canon Powershot S3 IS and this one for the third position, but in the end we had to select the Sony DSC-H5 for its better features. It performs better in low-light conditions, has an innovative digital zoom that crops images instead of stretching them, and better resolution.

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First Runner-UpFujifilm FinePix S6500fd

The best part about the Fujifilm FinePix S6500fd is that it gives you excellent performance and manual features including manual focus and zoom, and it's one of the cheaper superzooms out there.

The Best Superzoom Camera of 2006

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50

There's nothing about the FZ50 that doesn't wow you—be its overwhelming looks, its versatile functionality and of course, the excellent output. The camera excels in brightly lit conditions and has a pretty good noise reduction engine at work in less-than-adequate lighting.