Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

Fujifilm's FinePix S8100fd offers much of the appeal of a dSLR in the smaller. lighter plastic body of a bridge camera. Although the S8100 has an attached lens, rather than the swappable lenses of adSLR , the 18x zoom range -- spanning 28-486mm -- should be enough for 99% of an average consumer's photo opportunities.

The super macro mode allows the camera to focus on objects as close as 0.3", neatly supplanting the need for a specialized macro lens. Images can be captured in RAW format, and a VGA video capture option is also included. Depending on the desired degree of control over image parameters, users can choose frompre -programmed scene modes or use manual exposure controls to adjust more precisely. Facial detection is in place at all points on the zoom range, and dual image stabilization helps ensure sharp images even at the highest telephoto range.