Hewlett-Packard changes its digital camera range so often it can prove difficult to keep track of what’s current and what isn’t. HP PhotoSmart 735 introduces another new design, one that’s shared by the more expensive 5-megapixel PhotoSmart 935.

HP’s cameras aren’t normally known for their style, but the 735 does look pretty neat from the front. Round the back, though, it’s a bit of an ugly beast – but then at a typical asking price  you’ve got to remind yourself what you’re getting. Where else will you find a 3.2-megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom at anywhere near this price?

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The reason that so many portraits lack impact is that nothing seems to be happening. The person is just standing there, staring at your digital camera. Often they look bored. Sometimes they even look scared. The ’startled rabbit syndrome’ is often much in evidence. Rarely does the person actually look as if they’re having a good time.

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Panasonic is producing some extremely good digital cameras right now, right from low-cost pocket-sized snapshot cameras to high-end enthusiasts models. Panasonic Lumix FZ3 shares the staggering 12x optical zooming range of the FZ10, but it’s a scaled down version with a smailer lens, body and sensor. Indeed, the 3.1-megapixel resolution is pretty tame by today’s standards, but it’s good enough for Canon with its PowerShot Pro SI. This is one of the Panasonic’s main rivals, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fare.

As with other Panasonics, it’s the lens that makes this model stand out. The 12x optical zooming range is just the start. It maintains the same f2.8 maximum aperture right across this range, unlike any of its rivals. It also incorporates an image stabiliser so those long-range shots. The image stabiliser will also help you get sharp shots in low ambient lighting. The long-range zoom makes the DMC FZ3 well-suited to sports and act ion photography, and this is backed up by high-performance continuous shooting and an innovative ‘pre-focusing’ system, which we’ll come onto shortly.
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