Nikon D7100 review

The Nikon D7100 is the company's latest digital SLR for enthusiasts and semi-professional photographers. It's an update to the Nikon D7000, which has been a firm favourite at the Expert Reviews office since its launch back in 2010.

Much of the D7000's success stems from its ergonomics and controls, so it's good to see that very little has changed here. The large optical viewfinder, substantial 950-shot battery life, passive LCD screen for displaying settings and dual command dials distinguish it from cheaper SLRs, such the Nikon D5200. Meanwhile, the twin SDXC card slots and weather-sealed magnesium alloy body are unusual to find even at this price.
We really like the control system, with dedicated buttons for a wide range of functions including ISO speed, white balance, metering, autofocus mode and bracketing. These are adjusted by holding down the button and turning the command dials. The dual dials are used to good effect, such as adjusting the ISO speed with the rear dial and toggling Auto ISO with the front dial. Many of these buttons are accessed with the left hand, leaving the right hand in charge of the dials; it's this two-handed operation that we find extremely fast and intuitive. The main menu isn't the quickest to navigate, but with so many physical controls, there's very little need to visit it. Exposure mode and drive mode have dedicated dials, both of which have locks to avoid accidental use.

External changes compared to the D7000 are hard to spot, but there are some welcome tweaks. The 3.2in screen is a little bigger and its resolution has increased to 1.2 million dots, with white pixels joining the usual red, green and blue for increased brightness. There's a new button marked i, which gives quick access to an additional ten functions via the screen, such as HDR shooting, colour presets, noise reduction strength and the function of the two customisable buttons on the front of the camera.
The live view, video record and autofocus point lock buttons have been rearranged to a more logical layout, and there's a lever to toggle the live view mode between photo and video duties. This sets the aspect ratio to 3:2 or 16:9 (for photos and videos respectively) and also makes it clear that videos can't use shutter speeds slower than the selected frame rate, or that the aperture can't be adjusted while recording. These restrictions weren't so obvious on the D7000.

There's no discernible improvement to the live view mode, though. Autofocus becomes frustratingly slow in this mode, sending shot-to-shot times plummeting from 0.45 to 4.8 seconds in our tests. Live view is still useful for fine-tuning manual focus, and the D7100 reveals sharper detail than the D5200 when magnifying the live view image.

Focus speed

The majority of changes compared to the D7000 are inside the camera. The sensor's resolution is up from 16 to 24-megapixels, and it dispenses with an optical low-pass filter to maximise detail levels (more on this later). The autofocus sensor now has 51 points, including 15 cross-type points for increased sensitivity. The D7000 already lead the way at this price with its 39 points, but we're more than happy to have even more. The dense cluster of points covers most of the frame, and makes it easy to focus precisely on the subject rather than have to line the subject up with an autofocus point.
More points should also improve the accuracy of the 3D tracking focus mode. We didn't have the D7000 to compare it with but the D7100 did a fine job of tracking subjects as they moved nearer, further and around the frame, with more than half the shots in sharp focus.

Shooting speed

Continuous shooting performance is quoted as 6fps – the same as the D7000. However, the higher resolution has taken its toll on the camera's endurance. With a fast SDHC card, the D7000 kept going at 6fps for 100 shots. With the D7100, it only managed 18 frames at 5.9fps before it slowed to 3.4fps. That's not a terrible result, though, and will probably suffice in most situations. There's also a 1.3x crop mode, which uses a smaller central area of the frame to give 15.3-megapixel photos at 7fps (6.8fps in our tests). That lasted for 24 frames before slowing to 4.2fps.
Continuous raw performance was much shorter-lived, starting at 4.9fps and slowing to 1.4fps after just five frames (the D7000 lasted for ten). We were able to raise the initial speed back up to 5.8fps by switching from 14- to 12-bit raw formats, but it still only lasted for five frames – less than a second – before slowing dramatically. The 7fps, 1.3x crop mode managed nine frames before slowing.
Continuous JPEG shooting also took a big hit when Auto distortion control (for counteracting lens distortion) was enabled, slowing to 1.9fps after seven frames. The bottom line is that sustained fast performance is possible, but only if you're willing to forego raw mode and distortion correction, and possibly lower the resolution. These are choices we'd prefer not to have to make on a £1,000 camera.

Video mode

The video mode has some useful upgrades. There's a headphone out to complement the microphone input, plus a stereo rather than mono built-in microphone. The frame rate is no longer fixed at 24fps, with a choice of 24p, 25p and 30p, plus 50i and 60i in 1.3x crop mode. It's a bit daft that the crop mode must be set elsewhere first, or else the 50i and 60i options are greyed out – why not just perform the crop automatically? There should be more than enough detail from the sensor to produce sharp 1080p video from this 1.3x crop area, but videos in this mode weren't as detailed as when using the full sensor area.
Otherwise, video quality was excellent, and we were pleasantly surprised to find very little evidence of moiré interference – something that previous Nikon SLRs' video modes have all suffered from. Clumsy video autofocus remains unresolved, though. It must be updated on demand and spoiled the soundtrack when using the internal microphone. Shutter- and aperture-priority modes aren't available for video, but manual exposure is, making this a solid choice for serious video work.

Image quality

Our SLR photo quality tests rarely throw up big surprises, but we were interested to see the effect of the D7100 not using an optical low-pass filter (OLPF). In almost all other digital cameras, the OLPF softens details very slightly to avoid moiré interference – the rippling patterns that are caused by two regularly repeating textures that are overlaid on top of each other, such as two layers of translucent fabric. It also happens between the regular pattern of pixels on a camera's sensor and repeating textures such as fabric and bricks. In theory, omitting the OLPF on the D7100 should improve image sharpness, but at the increased risk of moiré.
Our test shots showed only a little evidence of either effect. We did our level best to create some moiré interference, but it took a lot of effort to generate some mild examples. We didn't spot it once in the rest of our test shots.

This is the worst example of moiré interference we could muster (the faint horizontal stripes on the roof)
Photos were extremely sharp, and the fidelity of subtle details in bright conditions was beyond reproach. However, direct comparisons with the D5200, which shares the same 24-megapixel resolution but uses an OLPF, weren't as dramatic as we expected. We noted in our review of the D5200 that we often struggled to achieve sharp focus, which appeared to be mostly down to problems with its kit lens' optical stabilisation (a problem we were thankfully unable to replicate on the D7100 and its kit lens).
With optical stabilisation switched off on both cameras, there wasn't a huge amount to choose between them for detail. The differences became smaller when we used the same lens on both cameras, and disappeared completely when using the same lens and processing their raw output in Lightroom.

Comparing the D5200 and D7100, the D7100 shows a small but decisive advantage for detail here. However, the D7100's superior autofocus and kit lens could well have played just as much a roll as the D5200's OLPF (Click to enlarge)

Under controlled studio conditions using the same 18-105mm lens on both the D5200 and D7100, the D7100's detail advantage is very slight. The 18-megapixel Canon EOS 100D compares well to the 24-megapixel Nikons (Click to enlarge)

Switching from JPEGs to raw (processed to maximise detail in Lightroom 5), the differences between the D5200 and D7100 all but disappear. The EOS 100D still looks pretty good in comparison (Click to enlarge)
Noise levels at fast ISO speeds were impressively low, especially considering the high resolution. Comparing raw output in Lightroom with noise reduction switched off, noise was significantly lower than from Canon's latest-generation 18-megapixel sensor (we tested the EOS 100D) at ISO 6400 and above. Comparing their JPEG output narrowed the gap – it seems that Canon's noise reduction is superior to Nikon's – but the D7100 still came out on top at ISO 12800 and 25600. It even nipped at the heels of the full-frame D610, particularly when comparing their JPEG output. As such, it seems safe to say that this is the best APS-C sensor we've seen.

ISO 6400 produces print-worthy results, particularly after processing raw files in Lightroom

Comparing JPEG output at ISO 12800, these three cameras are surprisingly close in terms of noise and detail levels. The Nikon D7100 should by rights come last considering it has a much higher pixel density than the 18-megapixel EOS 100D and the full-frame 24-megapixel D600

The three cameras’ raw output (without noise reduction) reveals D600’s finer, subtler noise texture, but the D7100 squarely beats the EOS 100D here

Here are the same three raw files again, this time with noise reduction applied in Lightroom 5
Conclusion
The D7100 costs around £1,050 with the 18-105mm kit lens, or £870 body only. These prices – and its specifications – mean there isn't a direct equivalent model in other manufacturers' SLR ranges. This can make it a little tricky to work out if it's the right model for you. We'll take you through all of the options to helpe, though.
If you're after a well-priced enthusiast camera, the Nikon D7100's weather-proof body and great handling make it the perfect choice. Before you get your wallet out, the real competition comes in when you start to look at the current-crop of lower-price full-frame DSLRs, such as the Nikon D610

Available for £1,499, the D610 has the same resolution (24.2 megapixels), but in a full-frame sensor. This means less noise in shots and better ISO performance. We also found that depth-of-field looked better on the D610. Full-frame cameras really are a step in in image quality and it's generally the point that all amateur photographers want to get to in the long-run.
Of course, the choice is always one of compromises. With the D610 you have to pay more and you'll need full-frame FX lenses, which are more expensive, as there's more glass in them. While telephoto lenses are easy for cropped-sensor cameras, such as the D7100 (a 70-300mm zoom acts like a 105-450mm lens), on a full frame camera you get the focal lengths written on the side. Admittedly it's easier to get good wide-angle lenses for full frame, but if you're going to do a lot of wildlife photography on the D610, it means bigger and more expensive lenses.
Opt for the Nikon D7100 and you get slightly better auto-focus, and cheaper DX lenses to choose from. However, you can buy full-frame lenses as an investment now, so that if you do upgrade to a full frame camera, you can maintain the same lenses. However, the downsides are worse low-light performance, and a poorer depth-of-field.
A larger concern is going to be price, with the well-priced D610 still £700 (or so) more expensive than the D7100 (body only). That's quite a chunk of money and may force your hand. If you are going to opt for the D7100 now, it may be worth buying full-frame lenses for it, so you're ready for an upgrade to a full-frame model down the line.
If you do choose the D7100, you're getting a great camera. It's not as much of a stand-out, groundbreaking camera as the D7000 was when it first appeared. Still, being spoiled for choice doesn't diminish the D7100's appeal. The short-lived continuous raw speed is our only serious disappointment, especially as this could have been the perfect camera for wildlife enthusiasts with its large viewfinder, sophisticated autofocus and weather-proofing. Otherwise, it's very hard to fault, with class-leading image quality, exceptional ergonomics and sophisticated autofocus that keen photographers will really appreciate.

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Fujifilm X20 review

The Fujifilm X20 is the successor to one of our favourite cameras of 2012. The Fujifilm X10 was a delight to use with its luxurious retro design, plentiful controls and large optical viewfinder, and image quality was among the best we've ever seen from a compact camera.
These are big boots to fill, but with the X20, Fujifilm delivers some significant improvements. Performance is faster, the controls are more responsive and photo and video quality are both higher. A year after launch, the price has dropped significantly as well, meaning anyone looking for a bargain camera should take notice of Fuji's stylish compact. It still holds its own against current compacts, and the retro design carries a classic appeal, so there's absolutely no reason to write it off for simply being "last year's model".

The viewfinder now shows exposure settings, the autofocus area and various other useful information, overlaid directly onto the viewfinder image. This information appears in black when shooting in bright conditions but switches to green in low light, and red when the autofocus is unsuccessful. This isn't an SLR, of course, so the viewfinder has its own window on the front of the camera to gather light, and its own 4x zoom lens, which moves in tandem with the main lens. One downside of this is that – as with the X10 – the lens obscures the bottom-right of the viewfinder view at wide-angle settings. Another is that shooting nearby subjects can lead to parallax errors, where the viewfinder and lens see different slightly things. However, the overlaid information warns for that too. Not everyone needs a viewfinder on a compact camera, but this one is second only to the Sony NEX-6 and its 2.4-million dot electronic viewfinder.

Another big change is the introduction of a Q (short for quick menu) button, which replaces the X10's dedicated raw button. Pressing it reveals a grid of settings, which are navigated with the pad and adjusted via the rear wheel or command dial. It greatly speeds up access to the settings that don't have a dedicated button. Elsewhere, the Auto ISO function now has customisable minimum and maximum ISO speeds, as well as a minimum shutter speed.
The accessory shoe is primarily designed for external flashguns, but it can also accommodate the MIC-ST1 external microphone. We weren't able to get our iShoot wireless flash trigger to work with the X10, but we're happy to report that it worked perfectly with the X20. It even let us achieve flash sync with shutter speeds up to 1/1,000s. This let us control the amount of captured ambient light much more effectively than with an SLR, which typically has a sync speed of 1/250s or slower.
We're relieved to find that the X20 allows settings to be adjusted while photos are being saved to memory card. This is impossible in all of the Fujifilm cameras we've seen in recent years. They're generally quick to take photos in quick succession, but taking a photo and then realising you need to adjust a setting before taking another isn't so immediate, especially when shooting in raw mode.

PERFORMANCE AND FOCUS
The X20 was also quick to switch on and shoot, taking 1.3 seconds to the X10's 3.3 seconds. As before, powering up simply involves rotating the lens barrel from its retracted position. It captured a photo every second, and unlike the X10, it didn't slow down when shooting in raw mode. Continuous mode is twice as fast as before, capturing ten frames at 12fps before slowing to a still-fast 3.3fps. Continuous raw mode set off at 9fps and slowed to 1.2fps after eight frames. These are brilliant results that put many SLRs to shame. Various other compact cameras lay claim to a 10fps continuous mode, but most only last for a few shots before stopping for a rest. The X20's optical viewfinder comes in really useful here, too, giving an uninterrupted view of the action. The only disappointment is that there's no option to update the autofocus between frames in continuous mode.
Autofocus was impressively quick in normal use. This may be thanks to the new phase-detect autofocus points that are integrated into the sensor, although the X10 was pretty quick to focus without them. Focusing errors were slightly more common than we'd like but it wasn't a big concern – they were usually pretty obvious from looking at the screen so it wasn't much trouble to take the shot again. It's easy to move the autofocus point to any part of the frame, and the subject tracking autofocus mode was extremely responsive and accurate. Face detection is available too, but it's a bit annoying that enabling it disables the autofocus and metering options. We prefer to be able to set the autofocus area manually, and for the camera to override it when it spots a face in the scene.

IMAGE QUALITY - CLICK SAMPLES TO ENLARGE
The X10's sensor used a technology called EXR, with an unusual layout of red, green and blue photosites that's designed to reduce noise and increase dynamic range when the resolution is halved to 6 megapixels. However, one downside was that its 12-megapixel output wasn't up there with the best cameras at resolving fine details. For the X20, Fujifilm has adopted a different sensor technology called X-Trans. Once again, this uses a non-standard layout of photosites, but in this instance it's designed to minimise moiré interference – swirling patterns of distortion that appear on finely repeating textures such as fabric and bricks. Virtually all digital cameras use an optical low-pass filter, which softens focus a little to reduce moiré. However, the X-Trans sensor design has allowed Fujifilm to do without an optical low-pass filter to improve sharpness.
We didn't have the X10 to test alongside the X20, but we were able to compare it to the Fujifilm XF1, which uses the same sensor as the X10. The result was a significant improvement in the X20's ability to capture fine details. It wasn't so noticeable on bold, high-contrast details, where the XF1 (and X10) already coped well, but the X20's handling of dense textures was significantly improved.

Both the XF1 (and X10) and the X20 handle high-contrast details well, but the X20 is able to resolve more definition in the statue and the bricks just below the chimney. There is no sign of moiré, despite the lack of an optical low-pass filter

Dense foliage reveals a bigger difference between the two sensors' output

The sensor has done a fine job of picking out the subtleties of the lines of trees as they disappear into the distance

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Canon EOS 70D review

The Canon EOS 70D is the company's latest enthusiast-oriented SLR. It replaces the Canon 60D, and has various enhancements that distinguish it from the likes of the Canon EOS 700D. The viewfinder is significantly larger, there are lots of single-function buttons, a passive LCD screen on the top plate and a command dial and rear wheel for direct access to exposure settings. It's faster than both the 700D and the 60D, with a 7fps continuous mode that lasted for 108 JPEGs or 16 RAW frames before slowing to the speed of the card.
Price, specs and rating based on the body-only package

When originally writing this review, the 70D cost £999 for the body only, but as is always the case with digital cameras prices have dropped significantly in the last six months . You can now pick up a 70D for around £800 from the likes of Jessops, Park Cameras and WEX photographic. That means the gap between the 70D and full-frame EOS 6D has extended to more than £500, while the Nikon D610 is even pricier so both are out of the running if you're looking to keep your budget below £1,000. Panasonic's GH3 costs £750 body-only, so if you're looking to shoot video it may be the better choice even after you've bought a few lenses.
More importantly, now that the 7D has been upgraded with a 7D MKII version, you can get the original as a body only for significantly less - and in some places less than the cost of a 70d body. Amazon is asking £792 for the 70D, but only £665 for the original 7D. While the 70D has more pixels, an articulated screen and is a newer camera, the 7D has more professionally-minded controls, an LCD display on the top of the body and a lower price. If you've already bought into the Canon lens system and don't need to buy a body with a kit, the 7D could be a bigger step up in terms of manual controls than the 70D. For everyone else, though, the 70D will still be the Canon camera of choice.
PHASE DETECT
The 20-megapixel resolution is Canon's highest to date for an APS-C sensor, and the sensor design is radically different to anything we've seen before. Each pixel not only measures the intensity of light, but also the direction, with each one made up of two photodiodes facing left and right. This helps the sensor to perform phase-detect autofocus, determining not just whether the image is in focus, but also, if not, by how much. It means the lens can jump straight into focus rather than shuttle back and forth in search of a sharp picture.
Phase-detect autofocus is already available in all modern SLRs when using their viewfinders, but in most cases it's disabled in live view mode. The 70D's ability to perform phase-detect autofocus directly on the sensor makes it much faster than the 60D to focus in live view mode.
We've seen this technique a few times before, most recently on the EOS 700D. However, previous implementations have been limited to a few dedicated phase-detect points dotted across the sensor. What's special about the 70D is that almost every pixel can contribute to phase-detect autofocus. The active area is quoted as 80 per cent of the frame, horizontally and vertically – you can't place the autofocus point right at the edge of the frame.

Testing with the 18-135mm STM lens, the benefit was immediately obvious. It took around half a second to focus and capture a photo in live view mode, rising to around one second in low light. That's twice as fast as the 700D, and about five times faster than the 60D.
It's a superb result, but we can't help wondering if it could have been even faster. It typically took less than 0.2 seconds from when we pressed the shutter button to hearing a double-beep to confirm that focus was achieved, but then it took another 0.3 seconds for the shutter mechanism to kick in. Half-pressing to focus and then fully pressing to capture removed this shutter lag, though. We measured 2.1 seconds between shots in live view mode, which is much slower than the 0.4 seconds it achieved when using the viewfinder. It delivered 7fps continuous shooting in live view mode, but focus was fixed and the screen was blank during bursts.
Still, the bottom line is that live view mode is far more useful than on any other Canon (or Nikon or Pentax) SLR. It helps that the screen is articulated, with a side-mounted hinge that allows it to tilt up, down, to the side and right around for self-portraits – a feature that's conspicuously absent from the Nikon D7100 and Canon and Nikon's full-frame SLRs.

The 70D's screen is touch-sensitive too, so moving the autofocus point in live view mode couldn't be easier. Subject tracking is available but we weren't bowled over by its reliability. The touchscreen also speeds up navigation of the Q menu, which gives quick access to a wider array of functions than are covered by the dedicated buttons. The touchscreen provides an alternative way to navigate the main menu, but we found it quicker to use the command dial and rear wheel to jump to a particular setting.
The 70D is fastest when using the viewfinder, so it's good to see some improvements here too. The 60D's 9-point autofocus sensor has been ditched in favour of the 19-point sensor first seen in the EOS 7D. All 19 points are cross-type for increased sensitivity, and they were fast and accurate even in extremely low light. There's a new button next to the command dial for expanding the active area. The largest area encompasses all 19 points, and when used in conjunction with the AI Servo autofocus mode, allows for some basic subject tracking. It can't match the sophistication of the 3D Tracking mode in the Nikon D7100, though.
IT'S ALL 'APPENING NOW
Wi-Fi is built in, with the same functions that we saw on the Canon EOS 6D. They include remote control via the accompanying iPhone and Android apps, with access to exposure settings and the ability to move the autofocus point using the smartphone or tablet's touchscreen. While the 6D had to make do with lethargic live view autofocus, the 70D was much more responsive when shooting remotely. The app can also access the camera's card to view full-screen previews with EXIF metadata, apply star ratings and instigate transfers.

We appreciate how both the remote shooting and image browsing modes are accessible without locking up the camera's controls. Photos appeared in the app within two seconds of being captured, letting us use an iPad to review shots in more detail that the camera's 3in screen allows. However, previews and transfers are limited to 2.5 megapixels, so it's not so useful for checking focus. Enabling Wi-Fi disables the USB port and video capture, so a tablet can't be used as a remote video monitor.
The iOS app worked fine in our tests but we could only connect our Nexus 4 smartphone via an existing network rather than make a direct connection. We've heard others have made direct connections with different handsets, but if this is an essential feature to you it might be worth popping along to a retailer and testing it with your own device.

FOCUS ON VIDEO
The new autofocus technology is great news for photographers, but it's potentially even more exciting for videographers. The 70D's video autofocus was the most responsive we've ever seen from a large-sensor camera, adjusting in less than a second when we moved the autofocus point using the touchscreen. There was no sign of focus hunting, and face detection and subject tracking helped us follow moving subjects – although once again, it was a little unreliable.
Even so, when we tapped on a subject to focus on, more often than not, focus would remain locked as it moved nearer or further. We've always maintained that manual focus is the only way to achieve polished results, but for the first time, here's a video autofocus system that we can envisage being used in professional productions. With a choice of 24, 25 or 30fps capture at 1080p, clips up to 30 minutes and an All-Intra mode that encodes at 75Mbit/s to avoid compression artefacts, it all looks pretty promising for serious video production.
It's a shame, then, that details in the 70D's videos aren't a little sharper. Its footage looked decent enough in isolation, but the Panasonic GX7 and Panasonic GH3 were able to resolve fine details with greater fidelity. We also noticed a tendency for moiré interference on repeating textures such as fabric and bricks. The full-frame Canon 5D Mark III showed big improvements in video detail compared to previous EOS cameras, but it seems that these advances haven't been built into the 70D. We achieved better results by selecting the Neutral Picture Style and sharpening up the footage in software, but this didn't get rid of the moiré interference.

It will bother some more than others, but the Panasonic GH3 (left) has a clear advantage over the 70D (second from left) for details in videos. The 70D's details can be improved by rolling off the sharpness and contrast and then sharpening in software, but it still can't quite match the GH3 - click to enlarge
Another hurdle for serious video production is the lack of a headphone socket, which limits the usefulness of the microphone input. The HDMI output can stream a live feed but it's not a clean feed to send to an external recorder. Despite the 70D's superb autofocus performance, the Panasonic GH3 remains our top choice for video production. The 70D isn't too far behind, though. For more casual users who still demand high quality, its more responsive video autofocus may tip the balance in its favour.

IMAGE QUALITY - CLICK SAMPLES TO ENLARGE
We've fewer complaints about the 70D's photographic output. Automatic exposures were expertly judged, and JPEGs benefited from automatic correction of vignetting and chromatic aberrations. Details were precise, although as usual, the best results came from shooting RAW and processing in software such as Lightroom.

This dense foliage has come out well, and we can forgive the over-exposed swan considering how small it is in the frame

The JPEG is no match for Lightroom's handling of the RAW file, though, both for fine detail and highlights. Note the chromatic aberrations around the swan in the unprocessed RAW image – both the JPEG and Lightroom have successfully removed these artefacts

The 7fps burst mode is great for capturing moving subjects, and the main 19-point autofocus sensor does a fine job of keeping up
The new sensor doesn't deliver a great leap for noise levels compared to existing APS-C sensors. It shows a small improvement over the 700D but it's slightly noisier than the Nikon D7100. It fell a long way short of the Fujifilm X-M1, which currently leads the field for APC-S sensors (along with various other Fujifilm cameras that use the same sensor). The 70D's ISO 1600 output was roughly in line with the EOS 6D at ISO 6400 – there's still no substitute for full frame if high-ISO shooting is a priority. Noise levels were lower than from the GH3 and 60D, though.

This is a decent result at ISO 5000 – there's a bit of grain and some stripes of chroma noise, but they won't show up too strongly at typical viewing sizes

This ISO 12800 shot is a borderline pass – fine when resized to a modest resolution

The top ISO 25600 setting is for emergencies only

The Nikon D7100 has a slight advantage for noise levels at ISO 6400 (here comparing their RAW output before and after noise reduction), but the 70D beats the Panasonic GH3
CONCLUSION
The Canon 70D is an extremely impressive camera, and the sensor-based autofocus technology is a significant leap forward. Its closest rival is the Nikon D7100, but we prefer the Canon's longer-lasting continuous performance, articulated touchscreen, superior live view and video autofocus and integrated Wi-Fi to the Nikon's 51-point autofocus.
The full-frame EOS 6D and Nikon D600 aren't much pricier, but while their low-light performance is in another league, their autofocus systems are somewhat under-specified, they're slower in continuous mode and they lack articulated screens.
The Panasonic GH3 beats the 70D for serious video work but the 70D comes top for photo quality. Neither is far behind the other, though, so it's a simple matter of priorities. If your main priority is taking photos, out of all of these cameras our top pick is the 70D.

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Canon SX60 HS review

The SX60 HS is Canon's flagship bridge camera, and its spec sheet certainly demands attention. The 65x optical zoom is even bigger than the colossal 50x zoom on the Canon SX50 HS, and currently the biggest available. 1080p video capture is at frame rates up to 60fps. There's a high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF), flash hotshoe, Wi-Fi with NFC, microphone input and wired remote input.
One thing it lacks is the ability to capture lots of light – something that's been highlighted by two recent bridge cameras from Panasonic. First came the Panasonic FZ200 and its bright f/2.8 aperture. Then there's the Panasonic FZ1000 with its f/2.8-4 aperture and large 1in sensor. Compared to the SX60 HS's 1/2.3in sensor and f/3.4-6.5 aperture, the Panasonic FZ200 captures over five times more light at the telephoto end of its zoom, while the FZ1000 captures 11 times more. Then again, their 600mm and 400mm maximum (equivalent) focal lengths can't compete with the SX60 HS's 1365mm, so it's a simple choice between the Canon's zoom range or the Panasonics' light-gathering ability.

The SX50 HS's 24-1200mm zoom range was already huge to the point of being unwieldy – without a tripod it's tricky to control where the camera is pointing when shooting at a 1200mm equivalent focal length. As such, it makes sense that the SX60 HS's even bigger zoom extends more into wide-angle than telephoto, giving a 21-1365mm equivalent focal length range. 21mm is about as wide as a lens can realistically go before it gives up trying to create straight lines and becomes a fish-eye lens. In fact, looking at the RAW files in Picasa (which makes no attempt to fix lens distortions), the lens is bordering on fish-eye at this focal length, but the camera corrects for this digitally, not just in photos but also for previews and video capture.

Canon SX60 HS Controls

Two buttons on the side of the lens help with framing of telephoto shots. One is called Framing Assist Lock, and pressing it sends the optical stabilisation into a kind of overdrive mode to help keep subjects in the centre of the frame. The other button momentarily zooms out to help find subjects when they've wandered out of the shot. On the whole these buttons worked well for framing static subjects, but tracking moving subjects was still extremely tricky.
The curved plastic body doesn't look particularly upmarket but it's a snug fit in the hand. The fully articulated screen is great for ergonomics too, giving a clear view no matter how you hold the camera. The 922,000-dot EVF is a significant improvement on the SX50 HS's 202,000-dot EVF. It's quite small and dim, though, and it's a hassle having to press the DISP button twice in order to switch between LCD and EVF screens.
There's a generous number of controls dotted around the camera, including dedicated buttons for exposure compensation, autofocus area, drive mode, flash and macro. A customisable button sits on the top, and the video record and Framing Assist Lock buttons can be reassigned to various other functions. However, we're surprised that the 20 options available don't include ISO speed. The SX50 HS had a dedicated ISO speed button, but this has disappeared to make room for a button to launch the Wi-Fi function.

Wi-Fi allows transfers and remote control with an Android and iOS smartphone or tablet. Remote control is limited to the shutter button, self-timer and flash, but it's good enough for most purposes. The iOS app worked reasonably well on an iPad, although the zoom control was very slow to respond. We were unable to get it working with a Nexus 4 phone.
The menus follow Canon's standard PowerShot design, with a Func Set button for the most often-used settings and a Menu button for more obscure settings and camera setup. When focus tracking is enabled, the autofocus area button switches tracking on and off. Tracking speed and accuracy were excellent.
There are a few other handy shortcuts, such as pressing the exposure compensation button followed by Menu to access exposure bracketing, or pressing Menu from the ISO speed control to tailor the behaviour of the Auto ISO mode. The fastest available speed can be set from 400 to 3200, and there are three Rate of Change settings: Slow, Standard and Fast. The Standard setting tended to use fairly slow shutter speeds – 1/20s for wide angle and 1/160s for telephoto – which risked blur due to camera shake or moving subjects. The Fast setting went too far the other way, picking a 1/1,000s shutter unless insufficient light demanded as slower speed.

Canon SX60 HS Performance

We mentioned earlier that it was tricky to track moving subjects at the full telephoto extension. It was virtually impossible in continuous mode, as the images shown on screen were a couple of frames behind the action. Still, we're delighted to see a significant improvement to continuous performance compared to the SX50 HS, maintaining a constant 6.7fps speed. It managed 3.7fps with continuous autofocus, which is even more impressive for what is essentially a compact camera. Focusing accuracy was reasonably high in this mode, but we usually had to set the shutter speed manually or set the ISO Rate of Change to Fast in order to avoid excessive motion blur.
Autofocus was responsive in normal use too, and 0.7 seconds between shots is a great improvement on the SX50 HS's 1.8 seconds. The only weak area for performance is shooting RAW in continuous mode, where the best it could manage was 1.4fps.

Canon SX60 HS Image and video quality

The video mode has been significantly overhauled with 1080p capture at a choice of 30fps or 60fps, the option of manual exposure control and a microphone input. Comparing studio test footage with the SX50 HS and the Panasonic FZ200, details looked more refined and natural, picking out individual strands of hair without any blocky artefacts. The optical stabilisation did a superb job of steadying handheld videos at the full zoom extension, although it often took a couple of seconds to settle down at the start of a clip. It wasn't so impressive in low light, with soft details and blotchy noise. Sound quality was merely OK, with thin-sounding dialogue and lots of wind noise in a moderate breeze. Using an external microphone with a proper wind shield would remedy both issues.

Video of Canon SX60HS video sample

^ Crisp details, (mostly) excellent stabilisation and that enormous zoom add up to a superb video mode.
It produced some excellent results in our photo tests, too. The wide-angle end of the zoom was impressively sharp, and JPEGs were vibrant. There was a slight hint of noise even in brightly lit shots, but we had to go looking for it.

^ We love the rich autumnal colours in this shot, and the automatic exposure has handled the cloudy sky perfectly. (1/800s, f/4, ISO 200, 39mm equivalent)

^ The 21mm equivalent focal length captures an extremely wide view. There's a little colour fringing but details are still impressively sharp into the corners of the frame. (1/200s, f/4, ISO 100, 21mm equivalent)

^ Skin and hair textures aren't at all bad in this ISO 100 shot. (1/100s, f/4, ISO 100, 38mm equivalent)
Zooming in placed higher demands on the lens and sensor. There was evidence of blooming around highlights and chromatic aberrations that manifested themselves as discoloration around high-contrast edges. Autofocus was sometimes a bit temperamental, too. None of these issues was too severe, though. The chromatic aberrations that plagued the SX50 HS's telephoto photos were much less noticeable this time around.
It struggled most for telephoto shots in shady conditions. The Auto ISO mode's tendency to choose slow ISO and shutter speeds meant quite a few shots were blurry. However, upping the ISO and shutter speeds inevitably pushed noise levels up. Heavy noise reduction was applied at fast ISO speeds, so photos at ISO 1600 didn't look particularly noisy but had a soft-focus sheen to them. It wasn't until we'd reduced photos to around 1 megapixel that ISO 100 and ISO 1600 shots were largely indistinguishable. This is where the Panasonic FZ200 and FZ1000 have a big advantage with their brighter lenses and the FZ1000's much bigger sensor.

^ The SX60 HS is just the thing to have in your bag when a family of green woodpeckers turns up. However, the relatively slow 1/160s shutter speed meant most of these shots were a little blurry. Overcast conditions have pushed the ISO speed (and noise) up too. It's not terrible but it limits how much we'd be willing to crop this photo. (1/160s, f/6.5, ISO 500, 1365mm equivalent)

^ Telephoto shooting in bright light is less of a challenge, although the camera has still chosen a relatively slow 1/160s shutter to keep noise down. Details aren't razor sharp and there's some evidence of colour fringing, but overall is a solid result. (1/160s, f/6.5, ISO 125, 1365mm equivalent)

^ Setting the Auto ISO mode's Rate of Change setting to Fast pushes the ISO and shutter speeds up, which reduces the chances of blur but also softens details due to noise reduction. (1/1,000s, f/6.5, ISO 640, 1365mm equivalent)

^ This brightly lit telephoto shot shouldn't have been much of a challenge, but the camera failed to nail focus in six attempts, and chromatic aberrations are quite noticeable. (1/1,000s, f/6.5, ISO 250, 1365mm equivalent)

^ Shooting at ISO 800 hasn't been too detrimental to this shot. There's probably a fair amount of fine detail lost but it still looks presentable. (1/50s, f/5, ISO 800, 135mm equivalent)

^ We took lots of telephoto shots of this shady spot, but this was the sharpest it managed on automatic settings. (1/80s, f/6.5, ISO 800, 1365mm equivalent)

^ Setting the Auto ISO mode's Rate of Change to Fast produced a shot that's noisier but no sharper. (1/400s, f/6.5, ISO 3200, 1365mm equivalent)

Canon SX60 HS Conclusion

The battle of the bridge cameras used to be a two-horse race between the Canon SX50 HS's huge zoom and the Panasonic FZ200's constant f/2.8 aperture. However, with the Canon's focus deteriorating at the long end of its zoom, the Panasonic took a clear lead overall with its superior performance and video quality.
This time it's harder to pick a winner. The Canon SX60 HS has largely caught up for performance and overtaken the FZ200 for video quality. Its lens performs better than its predecessor at telephoto focal lengths too. The Panasonic FZ1000 has raised the stakes for bridge cameras with its 1in sensor and 4K video, but at £750 it's beyond most people's shortlists.
On balance we still prefer the Panasonic FZ200, as its 24x (25-600mm) zoom is rarely insufficient and the f/2.8 aperture transforms image quality when there's limited light. However, for those who prioritise a huge zoom range over image quality in challenging conditions, the SX60 HS is the camera to buy.

Hardware
Sensor resolution	16 megapixels
Sensor size	1/2.3in
Focal length multiplier	5.52x
Viewfinder	Electronic (922,000 dots)
Viewfinder magnification (35mm-equivalent), coverage	100%
LCD screen	3in (922,000 dots)
Articulated	Yes
Touchscreen	No
Orientation sensor	Yes
Photo file formats	JPEG, RAW (CR2)
Maximum photo resolution	4,608x3,456
Photo aspect ratios	4:3, 3:2, 16:9 1:1, 4:5
Video compression format	MP4 (AVC) at up to 35Mbit/s
Video resolutions	1080p at 30/60fps, 720p at 30fps, VGA at 30fps
Slow motion video modes	VGA at 120fps (1/4x), QVGA at 240fps (1/8x)
Maximum video clip length (at highest quality)	16m 0s
Controls
Exposure modes	Program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed range	15 to 1/2,000 seconds
ISO speed range	100 to 3200
Exposure compensation	EV +/-3
White balance	Auto, 7 presets with fine tuning, manual
Auto-focus modes	Multi, flexible spot, face detect, tracking
Metering modes	Multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect
Flash modes	Auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, red-eye reduction
Drive modes	Single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, focus bracket
Lens
Optical stabilisation	Yes
Optical zoom (35mm-equivalent focal lengths)	65x (21-1365mm)
Maximum aperture (wide-tele)	f/3.4-6.5
35mm-equivalent aperture	f/19-36
Manual focus	yes
Closest macro focus (wide)	0cm
Closest macro focus (tele)	1.8m
Physical
Card slot	SDXC
Memory supplied	None
Battery type	Li-ion
Connectivity	USB, AV, mini HDMI, microphone, wired remote
Wireless	Wi-Fi, NFC
GPS	Via smartphone app
Hotshoe	Canon E-TTL
Body material	Plastic
Accessories	Neck strap
Weight	663g
Size (HxWxD)	93x128x121mm
Buying information
Warranty	One year RTB
Price including VAT	£449
Supplier	www.jessops.com
Details	www.canon.co.uk
Part code	9543B009AA

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Fujifilm X30 review

The Fujifilm X20 went down a storm when it arrived in early 2013, and it's still pretty tempting 18 months on. As such, the fact that the Fujifilm X30 is an evolutionary update is no bad thing. It uses the same lens, sensor and processor, and it looks broadly similar too. The main changes are to the viewfinder and screen, plus there's a new lens ring for controlling various functions. There's a bigger battery giving 470 shots per charge, Wi-Fi is now built in and there's a 2.5mm socket that timeshares between external microphone and wired remote duties.
The X20's 2.8in screen was one of its weaker features so it's great to have a 3in, 920,000-dot screen in its place. We're even happier to report that it's an articulated design, tilting up by about 100 degrees and down by 45 degrees. We really appreciate being able to shoot at waist height, especially when photographing children. It's also much easier to hold the camera steady in that position than with outstretched arms.

We liked the X20's optical viewfinder but the X30's electronic viewfinder (EVF) is a marked improvement. It's only marginally smaller than a full-frame SLR's viewfinder, and the 2.4-million dot (1024x768) resolution is as sharp as our eyes can see. An eye level sensor switches the EVF on automatically when it's raised to the eye. It's particularly impressive that Fujifilm has managed to fit the EVF and still found room for a built-in flash and a hotshoe. There's a mode dial and exposure compensation dial on the top plate too. With its classy retro styling and magnesium alloy shell, this is a camera that's likely to go down very well with photography enthusiasts.
It's comfortable to hold but we'd have liked the grip to be a little bigger, as it's still slimmer than the retracted lens. A couple of buttons have been jettisoned to make room for the larger articulated screen, but there's still a generous number.
As before, the camera is powered up by twisting the zoom ring from its retracted position. This time there's an additional lens ring that can be assigned to a variety of tasks. Its default role depends on the selected shooting mode: it cycles through the Film Simulation modes (Fujifilm's name for its JPEG colour presets) in Auto mode, does nothing in Program mode and controls shutter or aperture in priority and manual exposure modes. However, there's a button on the front of the camera that can reassign the ring to ISO speed, white balance, Film Simulation or drive mode. It's a welcome feature that's particularly useful in manual exposure mode to control aperture, with shutter speed assigned to the command dial. However, we're not convinced that it's a vast improvement on the wheel that encircles the X20's navigation pad, which has disappeared on the X30.

Various buttons around the camera can be customised, and the Q button reveals fifteen functions for quick access. There are lots of bracketing options, an intervalometer for capturing time-lapse sequences and an option to lock the Spot AE metering to the autofocus area.
The Auto ISO function has three customisable profiles, with the ability to define the minimum and maximum ISO speed and also the shutter speed threshold (below which the ISO speed is raised). We were impressed to see that the camera automatically raised the shutter and ISO speeds to avoid motion blur when it detected a moving subject.
Wi-Fi is built in, but the iOS app behaved better than the Android app (running on a Nexus 4 phone). It took a few attempts to establish a connection, and the app behaved oddly when we attempted to adjust camera settings in remote viewfinder mode. Still, we appreciate the ability to adjust the autofocus area using the phone's touchscreen, and the easy access to exposure compensation. The iOS app worked flawlessly, and both versions of the app let us browse and transfer photos without any trouble.

SPEED, FOCUS AND VIDEO

The X20 was a nippy performer but the X30 takes things to another level. It rattled off JPEGs every 0.3 seconds in normal use – one of the fastest results we've ever seen. It set off at the same speed for RAW capture, too, slowing to 0.6s after 16 frames.
Autofocus was consistently fast in most of our tests but it struggled with vague or moving subjects in low light, and a few of these shots were completely out of focus. We were surprised to find an option in the menu where the default behaviour was to prioritise speed over accuracy when it came to focusing. Reversing this setting sometimes resulted in no photo being captured at all, but we prefer to know at the time when the camera has failed to focus so we can have another go.
Continuous performance matched the X20's impressive 12fps top speed, slowing to 5.6fps after 17 JPEGs. For continuous RAW, it managed 9fps for eight frames before slowing to 1.2fps. There's also an option to capture a burst of frames with updated autofocus between each one. Performance in this mode varied from around 2.5fps to 5fps, but that's a great result for a compact camera.
Video capture has never been Fujifilm's strongest area, and that remains the case here. We appreciate the X30's ability to vary the frame rate from 24fps to 60fps, and to plug in an external microphone. However, videos displayed the same blocky details that we saw from the X20, and there was a lot of noise in anything but brightly lit scenes. Autofocus was fixed for the duration of clips unless we remembered to turn the dial on the front of the camera to CAF. There's some logic in that but most cameras have the foresight to override the autofocus mode during video recording.

IMAGE QUALITY

With the same lens, sensor and processor, it's not much of a surprise to find that the X20 and X30 are closely matched for image quality. Noise reduction was a little more successful at tackling the darker recesses of photos at ISO 800 and above, but that's the only difference we could spot.
That's by no means a criticism, though. The f/2-2.8 lens and 2/3in sensor equate to an f/7.9-11 aperture on a full-frame camera. This isn't far behind CSCs and SLRs at this price, which have bigger sensors but smaller apertures in their kit lenses. In practice that means excellent results indoors in ambient daylight, and respectable snapshots under household artificial light.

^ There's plenty of detail in skin and hair textures in this indoor daytime shot, even after raising the shutter speed to avoid motion blur. (1/125s, f/2.5, ISO 1000, 68mm equivalent)

^ Shooting at ISO 1600 in subdued light, shaded skin textures are a little noisy but the backlight has been expertly managed. (1/30s, f/2.5, ISO 1600, 56mm equivalent)

^ ISO 3200 shots don't stand up to scrutiny but they're fine for casual snaps. (1/56s, f/2.5, ISO 3200, 52mm equivalent)
The lens delivered the goods in outdoor tests, too, with sharp focus into the corners of frames. The sensor and JPEG engine produced some flattering colours but their handling of dense textures was a little below par. Fujifilm's dynamic range optimisation performed superbly, giving balanced mid-tones and shadows while subtly under-exposing highlights to avoid them being clipped.

^ We're big fans of the colours produced by Fujifilm's JPEG processing engine. (1/320s, f/2.8, ISO 100, 112mm equivalent)

^ Focus is sharp from edge to edge of this shot, and there's no hint of chromatic aberrations in the high contrast lines of the wheel spokes. (1/300s, f/2.2, ISO 100, 46mm equivalent)

^ This is another great result for focus and handling of highlights. (1/850s, f/4, ISO 200, 30mm equivalent)

^ The dense textures in this foliage aren't rendered so well. This could limit the degree to which photos are cropped or enlarged. (1/950s, f/4.5, ISO 200, 112mm equivalent)

CONCLUSION

The X30's price puts it in the middle of the premium compact market, although a £50 cashback offer (valid until 11 January 2015) brings the price down. Some people will prefer to stick with the X20, which is still available for around £340. The even older but still excellent Panasonic LX7 can be picked up for a mere £290. Meanwhile, there are compact cameras such as the Sony RX100 III and Panasonic LX100 (review coming soon) that surpass the X30 for image quality, but then they also cost more.
The biggest challenge to the X30 is last year's Sony RX100 II, which costs the same and wins for image quality for wide angle shots, although the X30 regains the advantage for telephoto. The RX100 II is significantly smaller but it lacks the X30's viewfinder and extensive physical controls.
Ultimately, we'd pick the X30. Image quality is consistently excellent, it's seriously fast and using it is a genuinely pleasurable experience. There's not much more we can ask for.

Hardware
Sensor resolution	12 megapixels
Sensor size	2/3in
Focal length multiplier	3.94x
Viewfinder	Electronic (2,360,000 dots)
Viewfinder magnification (35mm-equivalent), coverage	0.65x, 100%
LCD screen	3in (920,000 dots)
Articulated	Yes, tilting up and down
Touchscreen	No
Orientation sensor	Yes
Photo file formats	JPEG, RAW (RAF)
Maximum photo resolution	4,000x3,000
Photo aspect ratios	4:3, 3:2, 16:9 1:1
Video compression format	QuickTime (AVC) at up to 37Mbit/s
Video resolutions	1080p at 24/25/30/50/60fps, 720p at 24/25/30/50/60fps, VGA at 25/30fps
Slow motion video modes	VGA at 80fps (1/3.2x), QVGA at 150fps (1/6x), 320x112 at 250fps (1/10x)
Maximum video clip length (at highest quality)	14m 31s
Controls
Exposure modes	Program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed range	30 to 1/4,000 seconds
ISO speed range	100 to 12800
Exposure compensation	EV +/-3
White balance	Auto, 7 presets with fine tuning, manual, Kelvin
Auto-focus modes	Multi, flexible spot, face detect, tracking
Metering modes	Multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect
Flash modes	Auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, red-eye reduction
Drive modes	Single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, ISO bracket, film simulation bracket, WB bracket, dynamic range bracket, panorama, interval
Lens
Optical stabilisation	Yes
Optical zoom (35mm-equivalent focal lengths)	4x (28-112mm)
Maximum aperture (wide-tele)	f/2-2.8
35mm-equivalent aperture	f/7.9-11
Manual focus	yes
Closest macro focus (wide)	1cm
Closest macro focus (tele)	1m
Physical
Card slot	SDXC
Memory supplied	55MB internal
Battery type	Li-ion
Connectivity	USB, micro HDMI, 2.5mm microphone/wired remote
Wireless	Wi-Fi
GPS	Via smartphone app
Hotshoe	Fujifilm TTL
Body material	Magnesium alloy
Accessories	USB cable, neck strap
Weight	434g
Size (HxWxD)	72x130x64mm
Buying information
Warranty	One year RTB
Price including VAT	£479
Supplier	www.wexphotographic.com
Details	www.fujifilm.eu/uk
Part code	P10NC13270A

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