Review of BenQ GH200

GH200 is a stylish and compact digital camera that features a 12.5x optical high zoom with MagiQ filter. It is also equipped with O.I.S. anti-shake technology, 1cm super macro and D-lighting. Let me show you how to use these functions to take good pictures (幫BenQ寫的英文網誌，校稿中).




12.5x optical zoom & O.I.S. anti-shake technology

Even though GH200 is so compact, it features a 12.5x optical zoom (24-300mm, 35mm equivalent) that allows you to shoot landscapes with the 24mm wide-zoom and further away objects with the 300mm tele-zoom. In other words, it provides you with superb flexibility in composition.

Take the following pictures for example. Standing at the same spot, I used the 24mm to shoot a magnificent wide-angle view of the terraced fields and applied the 300mm to shoot a close-up of it. Moreover, with the help of the O.I.S. anti-shake technology, the close-up picture is clear and sharp.


#1.
Focal length: 24mm.  Guizhou, China.


Focal length: 300mm. Guizhou, China.


O.I.S. ON.

MagiQ Filter

MagiQ filter is one of the 21 scene modes of GH200. This function allows you to turn a picture into a painting. It is easy to use MagiQ filter. First, press SET button on the back of GH200, select SCN item on the LCD, press SET again and select MagiQ filter. Secondly, press the shutter button, after about 10 seconds, and GH200 will transform an ordinary view into a beautiful painting.  

The following pictures were shot at the same place with auto and MagiQ filter respectively. The picture shot with auto mode has only a few pink clouds in the sky. Therefore, I shot the next picture with MagiQ filter that turned an common view into a colorful painting.


Auto mode.


MagiQ Filter.

1cm Super Macro

GH200 contains 5 focus modes, including 1cm Super Macro. When you need to shoot tiny subjects such as flowers and insects, select super Macro focus mode that automatically adjusts the camera focus to cover everything in between 1 to 50cm.

Even though the super macro is limited to the focal length of 24-30mm, GH200 is capable of taking a picture with incredible detail and blurry background. In shooting the following pictures, I switched focus mode to 1cm super macro and set focal length at 24mm. With this combination, I could shoot close-up of flowers standing out of blurry background.


Focal length: 24mm. Focus mode: 1cm Super Macro.


Focal length: 24mm. Focus mode: 1cm Super Macro.

D-Lighting function

Under certain scene modes, such as Auto, Portrait and Landscape, GH200 affords the function of D-lighting. In shooting high contrast scenes, D-Lighting has the function of keeping the bright areas from over-exposure and the dark areas from under-exposure. In other words, it has the function of balancing the exposure between the bright and dark areas.



D-Lighting ON.

Let’s take a look at the picture #1 and #2. The former is shot with auto mode, and the latter is shot with auto mode and D-Lighting. It is easy to distinguish that the dark areas of picture #2 is brighter than that of picture #1.


#1. D-lighting OFF.


#2. D-lighting ON.

A compact DC for travel

When traveling abroad, I usually carry a DSLR as my primary gear for taking important pictures. However, I’d like to bring a compact DC to shoot snap shots. In April 2012, I went to Guizhou, China. I carried a GH200 with me. Even though the quality of GH200 is not as good as a DSLR, it is small and easy to use that helps me to take a lot of good pictures including landscape, buildings and people.