The Panasonic LX3, announced in July 2008, revolutionised the digital compact camera industry by becoming the first camera with an ultra wide-angle lens.
At 24mm at its widest, the LX3 pioneered what turned to be a trend in the compact camera segment, with most camera makers now giving attention to producing their own wide-anglers.
What are the pros and cons of wide angle compacts? The pros are obvious — by using a wide angle camera, you’d be able to shoot rolling landscapes or a large group of people.
However, a wide angle lens could also cause barrel distortion, especially if you are shooting objects at close range. This won’t be a major concern when shooting landscapes. There are several ranges you can choose from, namely 24mm, 25mm, 26mm, 27mm and 28mm. Here are a list of wide-angle cameras announced or released so far in 2010.
Wide Angle Compact Cameras January-June 2010
| CANON | 24/25mm | 26/27mm | 28mm |
|---|---|---|---|
Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS (Digital IXUS 210 IS) 14.1 MP, 24mm - 120mm (5x) [Buy Canon PowerShot SD3500IS] |
Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS (Digital IXUS 130 IS) 14.1 MP, 28 mm - 112 mm (4x) [Buy Canon PowerShot SD1400IS] |
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Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS (Digital IXUS 105 IS) 12.1 MP, 28 mm - 112 mm (4x) [Buy Canon PowerShot SD1300IS] |
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Canon PowerShot SX210 IS, 14.1 MP, 28 mm - 392 mm (14x) zoom lens [Buy Canon PowerShot SX210IS] |
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| Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS (IXUS 300 HS) 10 MP, 28 mm - 105 mm (3.7x) | |||
| NIKON | 24/25mm | 26/27mm | 28mm |
| Nikon Coolpix P100, 10.3 MP, 26 mm - 678 mm (26x) | Nikon Coolpix L110 12.2 MP, 28 mm - 420 mm (15x) [Buy Nikon Coolpix L110] |
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Nikon Coolpix S3000, 12.0 MP, 27 mm - 108 mm (4x) [Buy Nikon Coolpix S3000] |
Nikon Coolpix S6000, 14.2 MP, 28 mm - 196 mm (7x) [Buy Nikon Coolpix S6000] |
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Nikon Coolpix S4000, 12 MP, 27 mm - 108 mm (4x) [Buy Nikon Coolpix S4000] |
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| PENTAX | 24/25mm | 26/27mm | 28mm |
Pentax X90, 12 MP, 26 mm - 676 mm (26x) [Buy Pentax X90] |
Pentax Optio I-10, 12.1 MP, 28 mm - 140 mm (5x) | ||
Pentax Optio H90, 12.1 MP, 28 mm - 140 mm (5x) [Buy Pentax Optio H90] |
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| Pentax Optio M90, 12.1 MP, 28 mm - 140 mm (5x) | |||
| CASIO | 24/25mm | 26/27mm | 28mm |
| Casio Exilim EX-FH100, 10.1 MP, 24 mm - 240 mm (10x) [Rated Best "Travel Zoom" Compact By DPReview alongside Samsung's HZ35W] | Casio Exilim EX-Z550, 14.1 MP, 26 mm - 104 mm (4x) [Buy Casio EX-Z550] |
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| Casio Exilim EX-H15, 14.1 MP, 24 mm - 240 mm (10x) | Casio Exilim EX-Z2000, 14.1 MP, 26 mm - 130 mm (5x) [Buy Casio EX-Z2000] |
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| Casio Exilim EX-H5, 12.1 MP, 24 mm - 240 mm (10x) | |||
| SAMSUNG | 24/25mm | 26/27mm | 28mm |
| Samsung HZ35W (WB650), 12 MP, 24 mm - 360 mm (15x) [Rated Best "Travel Zoom" Compact By DPReview alongside Casio Exilim EX-FH100] | Samsung TL210, 12.2 MP, 27 mm - 135 mm (5x) [Buy Samsung TL210 DualView] |
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Samsung HZ30W (WB600), 12 MP, 24 mm - 360 mm (15x) [Buy Samsung HZ30W] |
Samsung HZ50W (WB5500), 13.8 MP, 26 mm - 676 mm (26x) [Buy Samsung HZ50W] |
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| Samsung TL350 (WB2000), 10 MP, 24 mm - 120 mm (5x) | |||
Samsung TL500 (EX1), 10 MP, 24 mm - 72 mm (3x) [Buy Samsung TL500 (EX1)] |
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| FUJIFILM | 24/25mm | 26/27mm | 28mm |
Fujifilm FinePix HS10, 10.3 MP, 24 mm - 720 mm (30x) [Buy Fujifilm FinePix HS10] |
Fujifilm FinePix JZ500 (Fujifilm FinePix JZ505), 14.1 MP, 28 mm - 280 mm (10x) | ||
Fujifilm FinePix S1600 (Fujifilm FinePix S1770), 12.2 MP 28 mm - 420 mm (15x) [Buy Fujifilm FinePix S1600] |
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Fujifilm FinePix S1800 (Fujifilm FinePix S1880), 12.2 MP, 28 mm - 504 mm (18x) [Buy Fujifilm FinePix S1800] |
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Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD (Fujifilm FinePix S2600HD), 12.2 MP, 28 mm - 504 mm (18x) [Buy Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD] |
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| PANASONIC | 24/25mm | 26/27mm | 28mm |
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX75 (Lumix DMC-FX70), 14.1 MP, 24 mm - 120 mm (5x) | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT2 (Lumix DMC-TS2), 14.1 MP, 28 mm - 128 mm (4.5x) [Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2] |
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| Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX66 (Lumix DMC-FX68), 14.1 MP, 25 mm - 125 mm (5x) | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 (Lumix DMC-FS30), 14 MP, 28 mm - 224 mm (8x) [Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20] |
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX3 (Lumix DMC-ZR3), 14.1 MP, 25 mm - 200 mm (8x) [Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3] |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 (Lumix DMC-FS11), 14.0 MP, 28 mm - 140 mm (5x) [Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3] |
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 (Lumix DMC-TZ10), 12.1 MP, 25 mm - 300 mm (12x) [Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7] |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 (Lumix DMC-FS10), 12.1 MP, 28 mm - 140 mm (5x) [Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1] |
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 (Lumix DMC-TZ8), 12.1 MP, 25 mm - 300 mm (12x) [Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5] |
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| SONY | 24/25mm | 26/27mm | 28mm |
| Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5, 10.2 MP, 25 mm - 250 mm (10x) | |||
… to be continued
