Full-size megazoom cameras

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5 (excellent)

The good: Outstanding feature set and shooting options; fast shooting performance.

The bad: Menu system can get confusing; JPEG photo quality tanks at ISO 400.

The cost: $374 to $500

The bottom line: As long as you're willing to work with raw image files, the Lumix DMC-FZ100 is one of the best full-size megazooms you can get.

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Nikon Coolpix P100

Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (very good)

The good: Solid design; overflowing with photo, movie features; very fast shooting performance for its class.

The bad: Photo, video quality is weakest part of the package.

The cost: $300 to $488

The bottom line: There's a lot to like about the Coolpix P100, but you'll need to keep your photo-quality expectations in check to really enjoy it.

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1

Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (very good)

The good: Fast; tiltable LCD; hand-held Twilight mode produces better-than-average photos in low light; zooms during movie capture.

The bad: Small EVF; no raw support; HDMI output requires dongle; no standard continuous-shooting mode

The cost: $325 to $400

The bottom line: Trade-offs abound in the Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. Though it's fast and has some really novel, useful features, it just doesn't deliver the photo quality expected for its class.

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Canon PowerShot SX30 IS

Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (very good)

The good: Flexible lens range; excellent image stabilization; features for every kind of user.

The bad: Generally soft, noisy photos at full size; overall slow performance; no raw capture.

The cost: $369 to $517

The bottom line: The PowerShot SX30 IS is a point-and-shoot camera with a 35x zoom lens. As long as you're not expecting much more than that, it's a very good megazoom.

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These Cnet staff members contributed to this report: senior editors Joshua Goldman, Lori Grunin and Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit www.cnet.com.

This article appeared on page D - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle