‘Tweener’ cameras all the rage

The demand for compact yet powerful digital cameras with interchangeable lenses began long before your television screen was inundated with ads featuring Ashton Kutcher groping the new line of Nikons.

But it's true many Canadians scooped up this relatively new breed of cameras over the holidays and throughout Boxing Week. And for good reason: they offer the best of both worlds. You've got a small form factor not much bigger than a "point and shoot" model, yet they deliver the speed, performance and versatility of those bulky digital single-lens reflex (dSLR) cameras.

These "tweener" cameras are also priced somewhere between inexpensive point-and-shoot models and pricier dSLRs, but still supports multiple lenses for you to capture the shot you want.

Here's a look at a few of the compelling options now available.

Nikon 1 J1

Nikon is leveraging its heritage in DSLRs to create a small but powerful compact system camera: the Nikon 1 J1 ($649.99 with 10-30mm vibration reduction lens). Available in black, white, silver, pink and red, these cameras feature a 10.1-megapixel CX-format high-speed CMOS sensor - including the ability to shoot 10 frames per second - and an incredible 73-point autofocus array that's continuously tracked while shooting images or 1080p HD movies at 30 frames per second. You can also snap photos while recording video. A wide ISO range of 100-3200 gives you the flexibility to shoot in light and dark environments.

Olympus PEN E-PL3

Olympus is swinging back in this highly competitive space with its PEN E-PL3 ($699.99 with 14-42mm lens), the latest in its awardwinning and retro-looking PEN line that provides proquality images and video in a compact interchangeable lens camera. Compared to previous models, the E-PL3 is much faster - including a shutter response time of less than 60 milliseconds, a speedy 35-point autofocus system and burst mode of 5.5 frames per second (without image stabilization). The E-PL3 boasts a tilting LCD screen, new art filters to help unleash your creativity, 1080p HD video recording and support for multiple lenses.

Sony NEX-5N

Also with the ability to capture beautiful stills at 10 frames per second is Sony's NEX-5N ($699.99 with 18-55mm vibration reduction lens), a small interchangeable lens camera that can snap 16.1-megapixel stills and Full HD (1080/60p) or 24p video. The large Exmor APS-C CMOS sensor takes in a lot of light for rich shots in a variety of situations, along with wide panoramic shots in 2-D or 3-D. Other appealing features include a three-inch tilt-enabled touch screen LCD, support for a few Emount lenses (and nearly 30 A-mount lenses via an adapter, sold separately) as well as such consumer assists as intelligent scene recognition, face detection and optical image stabilization.

Pentax Q

Available in black or white, the Pentax Q's ($799.99 with Pentax-01 standard prime lens) magnesium alloy body is only slightly larger than most point-andshoots, yet the camera offers a DSLR-like sensor, speed, manual options and support for multiple Q-mount lenses. Along with 12.4-megapixel stills and 1080p HD movies, the Pentax Q can shoot about five images per second, has an ISO range of up to 6400, a bright three-inch LCD screen and includes in-body shake reduction and an anti-dust mechanism.

Panasonic DMC-GF3X

Shoot like a pro - even if you're a casual hobbyist - and then slip the camera in your pocket when you're done. This was Panasonic's goal when developing the compact DMC-GF3X ($799.99 with Lumix G X lens), a powerful camera with numerous assists, if you need them, but with exceptional quality thanks to its 12.1-megapixel 4/3-type Live MOS sensor, a fast 23-point autofocus system, optical image stabilization and the ability to shoot 1080p HD video in AVCHD format. If you own a 3-D TV and want to capture images with added depth, the GF3X supports the Lumix G 3-D interchangeable lens (sold separately).