Point and Shoot Digital Camera vs High-end Digital Camera

[Stonefred]

I am looking at the following cameras which have very close specs and feature sets:
Coolpix P100
Lumix DMC-FZ35
Kodak Z981
Cyber Shot HX1
Powrshot SX20

Can anyone tell me the difference between a Point and Shoot Digital Camera and a High-end Digital Camera? Some of the above cameras are Point and Shoot and others High End.
Any specific opinions or experience with any model is also welcomed
Thank you

[mtclimber]

Stonefred-

Welcome to the Forum. We're pleased that you dropped by.

The cameras in your list a generically called super zoom cameras. They are a part of the P+S line-up that feature fixed lenses with long zoom lenses. From your group there is one clear winner: the Panasonic FZ-35.

I own and use a FZ-35/38 and we have a large group of FZ-35/38 users in out Panasonic P+S folder. There you will also find lots of tips and photo samples.

The Nikon P-100 has received poor user and professional reviews. The Kodak Z981(I own one) is a good camera with a great macro and super macro modes. However, beyond 15X the image quality beginning to deteriorate rapidly. The Sony HX-1 is another good camera that just does not quite make it. The colors from the HX1 (I own one) are not vibrant and sort of bleached out. The SX-20 ( I owned one, but finally sold it) is a very dated design that is way too large. It also has excessive noise above ISO 200.

Sarah Joyce

[Stonefred]

Sarah,
Thank you for the valuable feedback

[shoturtle]

you may also want to consider the fuji HS10. It has a heck of a zoom, and very high grade images in the fuji forum here.