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Still like good old, reliable film for point-and-shooting? Then for you, life is good. The camera guys are making some plenty nice cameras for prodigiously puny prices.
Canon gave its top-of-the-line Sure Shot 130u four new siblings, the Sure Shot 115u, 105u, 90u, and 80u. Their model names signify the longest setting of their zoom lenses, all of which start out at the sorta-wide 38mm. They all have nice aluminum-trim plates, wide-area AF that measures across seven points, and five scene-program modes on top of the full array of conventional flash settings. Expect street prices on the order of $170, $160, $130, and $120, respectively.
Fujifilm spiffed up its line of Zoom Dates with two long-lensers, the 160EZ and 140EZ. These long jobs have 38-160mm and 38-140mm lenses, respectively, the full range of flash options, and Fuji's nice, big, rear LCD control panel that illuminates automatically in low light. Expect street prices below $230 and $180. The super-bargain Zoom Date 60EZ has a 35-60mm lens, the three basic flash settings (auto, flash on, flash off) and should retail below $70. As per Fujifilm tradition, all three cameras prewind the full roll of film upon loading.
Olympus is showing off a pair of fraternal twins-the Stylus 120 and 105. These reprise the classic (weatherproof) Olympus clamshell design in a silvery color scheme and a size that's minute, even by Olympus standards. Both have a camera-shake indicator that blinks when, well, you're shaking the camera too much for a steady exposure. (The camera will select a faster shutter speed, if possible, to compensate.) The wide-area passive AF goes to new widths with an 11-point(!) scan across the frame, and the exposure metering can recognize fluorescent lighting and compensate with fill flash. These 38-105mm and 38-120mm models will street for $130 and $150, respectively. Olympus, by the way, is phasing out the Epic model name, originally used to designate cameras smaller than standard Stylus models. As all new Styli will be ultra-compact, there is no more need for the Epic distinction.
Samsung showed a bunch of long-lensed 35mm compacts, the leader of the pack being the Maxima 1400Ti, which has a 38-140mm aspheric zoom. The Maxima 1050Ti and the Maxima 105LX, both with 38-105mm zooms, are pretty much the same camera. All are very compact, and have the usual Samsung boatload of features like continuous winding, portrait zoom, and Bulb mode. Bargain priced, too: the 1400Ti will street for about $150, the 1050Ti around $100, while the slightly spiffier 105LX (for specialty retailers) will street for about $120.
Minolta made a bargain-level introduction with the 110 Zoom Date. In addition to its 38-110mm lens, it has all standard flash settings, infinity lock, a good range of shutter speeds (4-1/500 sec), and Minolta's film-back safety lock. Not at all bare-bones! Approx. street price: $150.
Rollei's silvery compact Prego 100WA now has a sibling, the Prego 130WA. This wide-0angler ranges from 28mm to 130mm, and has the 100WA's range of shooting options, as well as that wonderfully readable, illuminating rear dial. Street price: around $250.
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