Point and shoots are generally seen as the wimpy hacks of the camera world, when compared to modern DSLRs and fancy new Micro Four Thirds cameras. But their specs — like the 18x optical zoom on the Pentax Optio RZ18 — are getting pretty impressive. It’s like when Carrot Top grew mega-muscles and could all-of-a-sudden kick your arse.
The Optio RZ18’s lens covers 12mm to 450mm, which pretty spectacular for a point and shoot. It’s also got a 16MP sensor, a 3-inch LCD display, image stabilisation, and it shoots video at 720p/30fps. It’ll be available for $US300 in October. [Marketwatch via Slashgear]