Fuji monster zoom snags award

Fujifilm sparked some buzz in January when it introduced a snazzy "bridge" digital camera with a fixed monster zoom lens and the ability to emulate film stock. Bridge cameras are so named because they span the gap between point-and-shoot DSCs and digital SLRs. That buzz about the 11.1 megapixel FinePix S100FS ($739.99-$799.99) appears to have caught the ears of the judges last week at this year's Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) awards show seen by some observers as the European Academy Awards for the imaging and photo industry. In naming the Fuji snapper "Best Superzoom Digital Camera" TIPA noted:

"With an optically-stabilized 28-400mm f/2.8-5.3 lens, the S100 FS offers a huge zoom range that covers all general photography subjects, and the 2.5-inch screen can be tilted to provide the optimum viewing angle for composition. The camera’s Film Simulation modes emulate the contrast and saturation of Velvia and Provia emulsions, and there’s a RAW format for the discerning enthusiast wanting to create the look and feel of their images from scratch."

Other TIPA award winners this year included the

• Sony Alpha 200, Best Entry-Level DSLR;
• Canon EOS 450D, Best Advanced DSLR;
• Nikon D300, Best Expert DSLR; and
• Panasonic Lumix FX-500, Best Compact Digital Camera.