Panasonic Lumix FZ28 Digital Camera Review
Posted on 09/19/2008
An interesting extended zoom offering from Panasonic. See what we thought of it in our hands on review.
By Michael Patrick Brady
Panasonic FZ28 Pros:
- Long 18x zoom
- 27mm wide-angle lens
- Full manual controls
- Lightweight body
- "HD" 720p video recording
Panasonic FZ28 Cons:
- Colors are somewhat muted
In Pictures
The FZ28 features a 27mm, 18x optical zoom lens that is also capable of shooting wide-angle shots. That's a lot of scope for such a compact camera, allowing users to capture highly-detailed long-range photographs as well as broad, inclusive close-up shots. The 18x optical zoom is a nice start, though slightly less powerful than the 20x zoom found on the Olympus SP-570 UZ from earlier in the year, or Canon's all new Powershot SX10 IS.
For me, any extended zoom camera must be compared to the superlative Olympus SP-570 UZ, which I reviewed a few months ago and was incredibly pleased with. The SP-570 UZ, with its 20x optical zoom and exceptional performance, sets the standard in the extended zoom category, and one can expect its updates (like this fall's SP-565 UZ) to follow closely to that winning formula.
The FZ28 is a well-designed, well thought out camera, and while it may not be as polished as the SP-570 UZ, it's an attractive (and slightly less expensive) option.
Design
The first thing most people will notice when handling the FZ28 is how lightweight it is. The optics certainly adds some bulk, but it's well balanced. The FZ28 would make an excellent portable camera for travelers.
The FZ28 features both a large, 2.7-inch LCD display and an electronic viewfinder; while the LCD display is big and vivid enough to make previewing shots very comfortable, the viewfinder is narrow, cramped, and particularly difficult to utilize outdoors in bright environments. The EVF is also quite jittery and afflicted by image noise. The LCD is a user's best bet for hassle-free framing, as it can handle bright light fairly well.
There are a lot of buttons strewn about the back and top of the camera, but they're arranged in a very natural, easy-to-reach way. The big question is whether or not you can remember which of the many buttons does what without having to look at them constantly. The mode dial is solid and strong, sweeping in its orbit with a satisfyingly stable click.
The menus are clear and easy to understand, and each of the modes (Portrait, Macro, Landscape, etc) has a sub menu to account for different types of pictures. You can select Portrait for example, and then further optimize the mode by indicating that the subject has soft skin, is indoors, or outdoors. These refinements subtly alter the camera's settings to ensure a better photograph.
Performance
The Panasonic FZ28 is capable of taking still images in various aspect ratios: standard 4:3 photos are taken at 10 megapixels, smaller 3:2 photos at 9 megapixels and widescreen 16:9 photos at 7.5 megapixels. It provides a number of automatic modes (Profile, Landscape, Sports, Nighttime, Close-up), several manual priority modes (Shutter-Priority, Aperture-Priority, Program AE), and two custom slots on the mode dial (C1, C2) in which to save user-defined settings for quick, easy access, as well as a straight-up manual mode.
Overall, the FZ28 took great photos, though in some cases the colors appeared muted or dull. Our test photos are visible in the accompanying sidebar, so you can judge for yourself. The ability to make manual adjustments is very beneficial, with small refinements to aperture and shutter speed granting much more versatility in each photo.
High-Definition Video
The FZ28, like all of Panasonic's new slate of cameras, also has a high-definition movie mode that shoots video clips in 720p at 30 frames per second. The movie modes on digital cameras are great for quick clips, and the FZ28 performs adequately in this regard. While the video clips it shoots are technically high-definition, users shouldn't expect incredibly detailed footage coming from this camera. It's definitely an improvement, but not an adequate replacement for a dedicated video camcorder like Panasonic's SD100.
Conclusion
The Panasonic FZ28 isn't a blockbuster digital camera, but it's an excellent, reasonably priced option for consumers interested in a versatile, competent shooter. The FZ28's combination of a long-range zoom, wide-angle lens, and HD video mode (however slight) makes it a really strong contender for a great all-around option.
Panasonic Lumix FZ28 Comments & Questions (write your own!)
In my mind, this outweighs any potential benefits.
And you're not just talking about an extender, but a step up ring as well and a lens adapter tube. That will add just that much more of an issue in my opinion.
But, the beauty of digital is, you can try it and if you don't like it, you can just hit the delete button.
There is no loss of light with tele/wide converter lenses for P&S cameras. You loose f-stops only with SLR tele converters.
I am assuming you are asking which camera has better high ISO performance. The Panasonic has better performance in my opinion. The G9 has worse line definition and more luminous noise; meaning even though both cameras will give you similar artifacts, the CAnon's has multi-colored pixels and the Lumix has less, as it remains more true to the original.
hope this helps!
1. It has zoom in the video mode.
2. Reportedly the metering system has been tweaked so the camera is not so prone to being overcome by sharp lighting contrasts when very bright light is included in a mixed contrast shot; I've used my friend's fz18 and this is an issue with the earlier model.
3. The lens specs are a bit different, 27 vs. 28 at the wide angle and slightly under 500 vs. slightly over 500.
4. There are also a number of differences in the program modes (like beach shots, pet shots, candle light, etc.)
You can do a side by side review at the Panasonic web site.
The Fz28 is 10 MP with a larger sensor, and the FZ18 is 8 MP. Cnet has a fantastic review, and are calling this the best they have seen in the super zooms. I was going to get the Olympus SP-570UZ, and I will lose 2 mm wide angel, and 2 zoom stops, but they said it is 8 SECONDS from shot to shot in raw mode. Not worth it. This is the one I am getting!
Hope that answers your question. Don't know why it seems to cost more though, for less MP. :-}
But the good news is that the delay is lessening as the technology matures. According to recent news articles, many camera companies will be incorporating the CCD chips they use in their SLR lines (which give no shutter lag) into their point and shoot cameras. So look for it within the next few years.
Meanwhile, there are ways to combat it.
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
6. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
Doing these, particularly prefocusing and panning with the action will cut your shutter lag by as much as 80%.
I like the Lumix cameras- but dont want the 72 ppi limitation.
Am I reading the wrong information or have the specs been updated?
From my Nikon D70 - Raw format photo (nef) - w 3040 x h 2014 pixels ( 15.18 in x 10.05 in. ) pixels per inch (ppi) = 200 average file size about 5 mb
Nikon Cool Pix L1- Jpeg format -w 2816 x h 2112 pixels ( 9.387 in x 7.04 in ) ppi = 300
Average file size about 3.3 mb
From my Lumix DMC-LZ7 - full resolution Jpeg format - w 3072 x h 2304 pixel - ppi = 72
All three cameras are 6 mp
So from my Lumix photo I want to increase the resolution. This is time consuming and sucks up a lot of memory on the pc. Using the Corel Paint Shop XI to increase the ppi
My results are - Original Lumix photo at 72 ppi = File size = 2.77 mb
Made 2 identical copies of original photo. Incresed 1st copy to 300 ppi and saved as high quality Jpeg file
(this has slowed my old P4 computer to a crawl now because of the memory draw to process the photo)
File size is 24.9 mb. I could not finish the 2nd one because the first took up most the ram on the pc.
So even on a newer PC to change these photos up to 200 or 300 ppi you would need to be rebooting your PC after just a few photos.
Thanks! That's the clarification I'm looking for. I'm going for 12x9 prints. I appreciate it a lot.
I am new amature photographer ,which like to have manual control also,Does ,not having hot shoe for flash will have any effect on my photos.
The Lumix DOES support sizes other than 72dpi \ 72ppi. Read this link for further details photo.net/learn/resize/.
What it boils down to is this:
The dpi and ppi is NOTHING to do with the camera. Any old 1megapixel camera can be worked on at 300ppi and printed at 300dpi, but the printout will be small.
SO you can print a 10megapixel image at any dpi you like, and manipulate it at any ppi you like.
Hope this clears up the misinformation others have been posting!
He says he 'saved the 72dpi photo as 300dpi and high quality jpeg' ...which increased the file size 10 times to 24Mb.
The cause of the file size increase was NOT saving at 300dpi, but instead making the fatal mistake of *saving as high quality jpeg*. If he had taken the same image, not changed the dpi setting and saved it as the highest quality jpeg *it would still have been 24Mb*!! Why? Because very high quality jpeg actually makes files bigger!
Try it yourself right now- use google image search for an 'extra large image' about 3000 x 2000 pixels, fire up photoshop (or your image editor of choice) and try saving at 72dpi in jpeg at the highest quality. Then see how big the file is after. You'll be surprised..
In summary: NEVER save jpeg at their highest quality. If a 6mp photo is over 4Mb, your jpeg setting is too high.
normankoren.com/pixels_imag...
alistapart.com/articles/hir...
design215.com/toolbox/megap...
;)
Hope I've helped.
Johnny
If megapixels and ppi are 'basically ... the same thing' then for you to state in the 'best answer' that the 10megapixel lumix is limited to 72ppi is inherently wrong. The two statements cannot both be true or 300ppi won't be around until 30megapixel cameras are out!
As you seem to say at one point, megapixels and ppi actually work in conjunction to define the final picture size.
However far from clarifying, this means your statement that megapixel count 'doesn't tell you how good a picture is at a certain size' is VERY confusing, as you later state that ppi helps if you're figuring out detail at a certain size. Isn't 'detail' and 'how good a picture is' the same thing?
To attempt to properly clear things up: are we agreed that ppi is defined solely in software to determine print size.
E.g. if you want a print 12 x 8, with a 10megapixel image your print has to be 300ppi. If you were to print that same image at 72ppi the print size would have to be a whopping 54 x 36 inches, or put another way 4.5 x 3 feet.
Either I worded my answer above a little awkwardly or you missed the meaning. Megapixels is one million pixels, whereas ppi is pixels per inch. Megapixels is a pretty unchanged number it measures the number of dots that are in an image, Pixels per inch, on the other hand, measures resolution; the number of those dots that you have in a certain area. You can make your dots bigger and smaller, but unless you use software you can't add more dots, thus you cannot change the number of megapixels. The smaller your dots, ie the more dots you have per unit area, the more details you'll have in your picture.
Now, say you want to print a 12 x 8 like you said, with your picture having a resolution of 300ppi. This gives you a 2400 x 3600 pixel image, pretty common, the total megapixels being approximately 8.64. You can't go arbitrarily defining megapixels and ppi with different image sizes, like I said before they're two ways of measuring the same thing. They are dependent on each other, you can do the math to get from ppi (if you have a certain size of picture like 12 x 8) to megapixels, or get to megapixels (again, if you have a certain size of picture) to get to ppi. So your alleged picture would be 8.64 megapixels, not 10. This gets a tad bit confusing, because yes, we said that an image shot by a good camera has a ppi of 300, but it also has a set dimension (bigger than 12 x 8). So, when you shrink the image to smaller than 12 x 8, you actually increase the ppi past 300 (if you're shooting with a 10mp camera).
Now for the second example you quoted, ppi to 72 with the size of picture, the total pixels you'd get would be 10.08, or approximately 10. The megapixels have to say set, your picture can't magically change from 8.6 megapixels to 10.1 megapixels.
Finally, a 72 ppi image is something found on the internet, hardly of good quality, while a 300 ppi is what a lot of lower end SLRs shoot at, decent or good quality. So yes, you can take your picture and blow it up to as large as you want to, but your resolution starts going down, and at some point its just not worth blowing it up because you lose too much detail. Where you draw that point is up to you. Hope this helps to clarify everything.
If you'll excuse the analogy, take temperature in Fahrenheit and Celsius. 100F equals 38C (give or take). That's two ways of saying the same thing (how hot it is), but 10megapixels doesn't equal 300ppi. Ppi is independent of megapixels, and you can have 72ppi or 300ppi while the image is still 10megapixels. But if the temperature were to change from 38C, the temperature in F would not remain the same.
I will take your point that the default ppi value CAN be set by the camera, and it may be that the Lumix will only set this to 72ppi as a maximum. However, as has been shown on the links provided earlier, changing this to a more acceptable 300ppi is a very, very trivial matter which is possible entirely in software.
This renders your initial answer misleading (though technically accurate) and I feel warrants at least an update to say something like 'while the lumix is limited to 72ppi out of the camera, any decent image editing software will be able to adjust this to 300ppi with no difference in quality than if it was able to set it at 300ppi natively'.
On a side note, I realise my ppi figures about print size were a bit out- I was rounding for ease of comparison. The ppi to get a 12 x 8 image at 10mp would in fact be about 325ppi. However my point still stands- ppi and megapixels are two entirely different measurements of two entirely different things.
Let me put it another way, megapixels measures how many pixels there are in total. Ppi measures how densely packed those pixels are.
1. Nikon P80
2. Olympus SP 570 UZ
3. Olympus SP 565 UZ
4. Canon SX10 IS (or SX1 IS)
5. Panasonix Lumix FX28K
I am considering the asthetics and technical parameters. Let me say it this way. If a very experienced photgrapher takes a picture of very eye catching events (1) landscape (2) Sports/action (3) potrait (4) indoor with similar settings, which camera will give the better results.......
Also talking about movies... does 640 x 480 at 30 fps gives you a reasonable DVD or SD quality video... if so then why to spend more on SX1 and buy SX10....
thanx
Now I've got another question for everybody: I've heard about some sort of interpolation software that allows you to enlarge images well beyond their original dimensions with no loss of quality. Does anyone know what it's called, how well it works, and how difficult it is to use?
Thanks!
You can talk ppi, dpi, megapixels, this x that blah blah blah all you want but in photoshop these pics are all 72 dpi which means blocky and pixelated. Same goes when their printed out. Increasing dpi after the fact with pc or mac software does nothing to change this fact.
If all you want is pictures to send via email or post online then a cheap under $100 camera will do just fine.
If you want standard def video for like an old crt style tv then 640x480 @ 30 fps is ok. If you want HD quality for pc or flat panel you'll need an HD video camera with 16x9 and 720p or 1080p specs.
IMO read professional reviews because most consumers leaving reviews are only taking pics for the web and don't know anything about image quality for printing purposes. A lot of times the consumer reviewer has had the equipment only a very short time and they post a review before they have used even half the features or had a chance to experience all the bugs and shortcomings. Instead check out the photo/camera related forums for what people are trying to find fixes and workarounds for so you know what to avoid.
Considering how much this camera costs it is a disappointment. My 5 year old nikon has much better quality. I have a few panasonic electronic consumer items and I figured I'd give their camera a try. Mistake... Will stick with Nikon and Canon from now on.
BTW - I work at a professional printing co. (magazine, catalog, brochure printing) so I have experience with printing images.
if an image is 3000 x 2000 pixels and 72 dpi printing it out will look rubbish. this is because of the ppi. Upping the ppi to 300 will make it print out perfectly because this is the standard that most printers use. At least its an industry standard. Also the file size wont change at all.
what will change is the print size.
at 72 ppi it would print out at jsut over a meter wide, to be exact
1058.33 mm x 705.56 mm
change the ppi to 300 and it will end up roughly a quatar this size
254 mm x 169.33 mm
what you are making the mistake of doing is not changing the pixels back to 3000 x 2000 when you up the ppi
in photoshop when you change the ppi it changes the pixel count to compensate rather than the print size. what you need to do is change the ppi then reset the pixel size back to 3000 x 2000. this in turn will shrink the print size and leave you with a perfectly printable picture
try it and you will see.
of course just changing the ppi without resetting the pixel count will create a pixelated image because your trying to print 4 x the amount of pixels that originally existed.
So from someone who has a lot of image and print experience take it from me. what ever the PPI your camera produces effects nothing of its quality. A camera that produces a shot with 10 million pixels produces just that. upping the ppi doesnt magically add more pixels. its still 10 million pixels whether you like it or not.
if you had 2 cameras. one produces 10 mp 72 ppi images and the other 10mp 300ppi images the pixels size will be exactly the same on both. However the print size on the 300 ppi image will be 4 times smaller. All its doing is nothing that cant be done manually in photoshop or similar programmes
And an aside about RAW:
"RAW" is NOT the same as "uncompressed." RAW refers to images that have been captured with a Bayer pattern sensor (as opposed, say, to a CMOS) whose image data has not been converted into a viewable or printable color space (e.g.: RGB, REC709, YUV, CMYK).
RAW images CAN be compressed (even highly -- as with, say the RED motion picture camera). So do not make the mistake of thinking that "RAW" means "everything the lens saw" or "uncompressed." The value of RAW may be that software, tuned to this kind of image capture, can offer one or two further avenues of control through post-processing -- not because it's uncompressed, but because the interpolation of a Bayer pattern adds ways to manipulate color and sharpness. For a good primer and debunker, see this article (geared towards the film industry):
magazine.creativecow.net/ar...
For DIP, PPI:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_...
...and look for the subheading "DPI or PPI in digital image files."
you're right about fujifilm and i'm also looking for the discontinued f31 model that is supposedly the best compact in that respect.
nothing against panasonic however, cos i own an fz7 and fz30 and i think they outdo most cameras in speed, style and image quality under normal shooting conditions.
However, the flash works perfectly. Especially when it comes to portrait photos.
Hope it helped.
Despite this, it's important to remember that a good fast (f2.8) telephoto lens for a DSLR would cost more than twice as much as the FZ28.
Any advice will be very helpful ,in any way ,Thanx Aditya for ur reply.
IN what area will u say pana fz28 is ahead of canon sx10.
i suppose if the marching band stood at attention for a moment, the fz28's OIS + zoom would definitely help. but it can't be called action then.
sorry, because i have tried and tried myself and i am also looking for that camera to come. so the fz28 is STILL A VERY CAPABLE CAMERA since all digital p&s cameras fail to score at low light action shots, let alone without zoom. i'm pretty sure i'm not wrong here.
I read on a post that Canon SX10 does not give flexibility to change aperture at telefous and is set to f5.7. I dont know if its correct and is such problem is there in Pana FZ28.
thank you!
the quality of movies in any digital camera will not be as good as a video camera
848x 480 at 30fps mono is the best this camera can do
But maybe you should be looking the other way around and get a camcorder which shoots digital stills. Some are reaching that 6MP sweet spot for point and shoot.
I have actually purchased this camera and taken it on vacation and overall, I'm really pleased - even with the video quality. Since that is the topic of this thread, I'll stick with my thoughts about that. We took this camera on a trip and found that the video quality works just fine for us. the sound is a bit muffled at times - especially in the wind. But I thought it did a nice job. We keep the camera in HD video all the time. With our 4GB card in, it says it will take about 8-9 min of video. That worked just fine for us but I can see that some people might want a bigger card. We attached the camera to the tv and did video playback and the quality was nice - not as nice as my brother's dedicated JVC video camera, but it did a good job. the only downfall is the zoom. I know most cameras with video capability don't do zoom well and this camera is probably better than average. It actually does zoom while in video mode. However, it takes the camera a few seconds to get the focus and sometimes it doesn't to it at all. perhaps I could tweak this a bit and get a better result but I haven't read the manual cover to cover :)
Great camera - it's our new go-to camera. I feel very confident capturing those quick little moments of my kids on this camera's video function. If you wanted to record for high quality sound, you'll probably be disappointed.
Once the lens is zoom out to these figures, all pictures taken will be in wide angle.
There is no ' setting ' for wide angle, software wise. Zooming of a lens is purely mechanical controlled by the Tele-Wide switch.
Wide angle photo is characterised by inclusion of other objects on both sides of your main subject. If you take a group picture, a tele photo will only capture one or two persons whereas wide angle will include the whole group, perhaps 5 or more. Similarly if you photograph a house, telephoto may only capture the house but wide angle will include the trees and gardens on either side of it.
So a 80-200mm lens is not regarded as having an acceptable wide angle.
2. 18X refers to the magnification of the widest angle. So a 35-105mm lens is said to be 3X because 105/35=3. It does not mean the lens starts at 18mm.
3. click <a href="ask.com/web?q=wide+angle+pi... here </a> to see examples of wide angle view pictures.
this is a bit to specialized for a direct answer
contact
thedigitaldentist-site.org....
The FZ28 is offers manual exposure controls like a DSLR which you don't get on the TZ. The zoom range is also longer (18x)- though my TZ3's 10x zoom (same as the TZ5) is outstanding for such a small camera.
The ease of use is about the same on both cameras as the share similar menu systems, but the FZ has more features so has more options and buttons. The FZ is also better in lowlight than the TZ, though I beleive the TZ5 is a little better than the TZ3 in this respect.
It really comes down to what you want to do with the camera, if you want manual control and more creative options and aren't bothered about being able to stick it into the jeans pocket go for the FZ28 as the picture quality will be better overall, though sacrificing a little portability (though not compared to a DSLR with similar lens capability where you'll need to lug 2-3 extra lenses around).
The TZ5 is also an outstanding camera - I have been seriously impressed with my TZ3 so the 5 must be better. If you want a point and shoot compact camera that takes excellent shots with superb zoom capabilility then the TZ5 is hard to beat. I took my TZ3 on safari and got some superb shots that I'd have totally missed with any "lesser" compact camera.
Either way I'm sure you'd be happy with your choice. They're both excellent cameras.
Also is the FZ28S (Silver color) the latest model in the FZ28 series or has Panasonic decided to launch a new successor to this one?
I would recommend the FZ over the TZ as you get more for your money. The only downside is portability. The FZ is bigger and won't fit in a pocket (unless you have huge poacher pockets!). It also comes with a lens hood which takes up some more space. That said it's a lot smaller and lighter than a DSLR.
I live in Canada and, as you might know, we have cold winters. I had to shoot with my Panasonic FZ28 on a number of occasions in temperatures like minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Under such severe circumstances, the Li-Ion battery pack which had been supplied with the camera performed greatly. I was able to shoot as much as I wanted, without counting the shots, as long as I was able to withstand the cold and wind, which was about more that an hour on each occasion.
A major advantage FZ28 has over both Canon and Nikon is that it can shoot raw photos. Again, if you have patience and inclination for post processing, it's a great advantage.
So it all depends what you want of your camera. Visit some sites like dcresource.com or dpreview.com to know more about the specialties of each camera.
Also, the battery life on the FZ28 (450 shots on single charge)is much better than SX10IS (340 shots on single charge of 4x 2100mAh NiMh Batteries) and P80 (250 shots on single charge).
Finally the SX10IS (560 gm)is a much heavier camera as compared to both P80 and the FZ28 (both 370gm) (all weights without batteries) which will eventually make it a tad more difficult to shoot around with all day.
Finally, FZ28 does video in HD (1280x720) while both SX10IS and P80 are Standard Def only (640x480).
dpreview.com/reviews/Q109su...
To be more preciese, my requirement wld be, mostly around 60% indoor photography. ( night as well as day ) and 40 % outdoor photography to explore landscape, mountains & family outings at tourist places.!
Regds - Ramesh
Interestingly, there is one model from Fujifilms, F30, which is a compact camera but surprisingly gives the best results (almost as good as dslr) in low light situations. I don't know if this model is available nowadays, but if you want to shoot indoors, I haven't seen a better camera in compact models than fuji f30.
I have a Panasonic FZ1 which has been great, but I'd like a bigger zoom for those smaller birds. Speed is also important as is battery life. What would you suggest: Lumix FZ28, Canon SX10, Olympus SP570, Nikon Coolpix P80?
Tell me how to solve this problem.
Thanks,
But Brenda is right, a USB card reader is MUCH easier to deal with. your flash card will be read as a drive on the PC. Then it's a simple drag and drop.
The first time i conected the camera through USB, the camera was ON at the time and it prompted me if it should go in PC mode or Pictbridge (Select PC). And it was detected easily as a removable drive.
But remember that it requires the camera to be turned on for it to be detected.
BTW while I have your attention, allow me to make an pitch for using several cards, rather than one large one. Reason being, insurance. Any memory card can fail or become corrupted. And when you're on vacation the last thing you want is to lose the opportunity to take pictures until you can recover that media card with a software utility. If your card goes bad, swapping another one for it at that moment is of advantage so you can keep taking pics. Then, later when you're in front of your PC, you can use a utility like "F-Recovery" ( filerecoverytools.com/produ... ) to get back your pictures and recover your card.
No need to lose the moment because you relied on one card one when several can solve that problem. At the very least, you want to get more than one of whatever size you settle on.
One last thing. Cards have different speeds. The faster a card is, the quicker it'll save the photo and cycle to be ready for another shot. In the end, your camera is only going to be as fast as it's slowest link in the chain. So check for speed when you purchase a card.
amazon.com/Tamrac-Photo-Dig...
From internal dimensions, I'd say it's a good fit. Also, Tamrac is a good brand.
Electronics; $18.79 from Amazon.com. It is red and which will hopefully help me to keep an eye on it when I sit it down and not leave it in the airport like I did the last one. :) Ben
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Sports mode is designed to have a fast shutter speed so that it freezes the moving object, minimizing motion blur. Depending on how fast the object is moving, it may simply be too fast for the shutter to freeze it.
Some things to try:
-Set your focus mode to AF Tracking. This will try to keep focus even as an object moves across the screen.
-Set the camera to S (shutter priority mode) and pick the fastest shutter speed available. I'm not sure what this camera offers, but just as a general guideline, the number gets larger as the speed gets faster. So if your camera offers shutter speeds 250, 500, and 1000, go with the 1000 (these are actually fractions: 1/250, etc. Digicams just tend to abbreviate them).
I don't know what shutter speed the Sports mode sets the camera to, but it may not be the fastest one the camera has, so setting it to S mode and then choosing the fastest speed may help. Shutter priority mode will keep whatever shutter speed you choose and then adjust the other settings accordingly to try to get a properly lighted shot, so it won't be as complex as using full Manual mode.
I have narrowed down to 1) Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5A 9.1-Megapixel Digital Camera – Blue (circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/20...
And 2) Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28S 10.1-Megapixel Digital Camera – Silver circuitcity.com/ssm/Panason...
I need that the picture qualities be the best and there should be ease of handling and maximum wide angle and photo quality maintained at high zoom.
I do not care about the digital zoon.
I need to click pictures of our baby and indoor photos AND PHOTOS SHOULD BE QUICK TO BE CLICKED. In my existing Cannon, it takes a while to click the photo and I miss the shot. Basically I need something that is more sophisticated than point and shoot but not as expensive as the digital slr’s.
I am tending towards the DMCFZ28S however when I see that the TZ5A has many more features. I am not able to figure out what good features is the DMCFZ28S missing. Secondly I am not able to see Panasonic cameras in any of the stores.
Dear experts please give me pointers so that I can make a choice. Also please let me know if these are the latest cameras as well or there are new versions/models for this camera
for ease of use choose the tz5 it has a very good auto mode
dpreview.com/news/0801/0801...
for speed , best image quality and maximum wide angle choose the new panasonic lx3
dpreview.com/reviews/panaso...
I have been researching here and assumed the answer was the Exposure FPS, but reading the answer below about DSLRs not having any lag (but still having a slower EFPS than this camera) I am totally confused on this aspect.
Thanks!
shutter lag is explained here
cameras.co.uk/html/shutter-...
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
6. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
Doing these, particularly prefocusing and panning with the action will cut your shutter lag by as much as 80%.
it is better to use a memory card with this camera
the best card to use is a 2 gigabyte card(2gb)
Thanks
Amar
Set the ISO to stay at ISO100 for almost zero noise!
Set your white balance (the "1" white balance setting keyed onto a white patch; in the same lighting as your subject) ANYTIME you are not using flash and AWB. It's just simply saves time, trying to fix WB later.
Switch from "P" to "A" making sure you are at the wider end of your zoom and your aperture is wider to the "faster" F2.8 (a 1/2.8 fraction) wide. This way, the shutter speed with self adjust; to the correct slow shutter speed in any low light. If you target is still and your camera hold is good (you may lean/brace yourself on a nearby wall, pole, chair(for kids) or just use mono-pod or tripod, if you have one(then turn IS off, if not in hand). You may only have to hold still for 1/2 a second(easy), so if you do good (and Mega OIS is set to auto) you can do it free hand. In less light, it might take 1 to as long as 8 seconds, but it will be clean @100ISO and when everything is still, not blurred. (For longer 30 and 60 second modes, like for stars, just see the "Starry Sky" Scene mode with a tripod like setup).
If your target can not be still for this above technique, just use "Burst Flash" Scene mode to freeze the action. The flash range is nice for a built-in flash and small camera.
Other modes (like iA) will up the ISO (i-ISO on) to freeze action. Yet some noise will apply and worse as the (no-flash) light goes. Medium light is not that bad. That's the price we pay (so far) for smaller, less costly, all-in-one type cameras (to date) and their excellent carry ability. What's good, is your camera when left at home? See the pricey, tiny LX3; if you want more decent/good low light performance, yet more, in your pocket/compactness (without the long zoom). I'd say the FZ28 and the LX3 is great for the two camera family. You save money, they're easy to carry, and you (if YOU're good) take outstanding pictures.
Take a LOT a pictures and weed em' out! Bzzzzz.
Apart from that, these products cater to different audiences. If you are looking for a camera which you can carry around everywhere in your purse, the Canon is a much better buy than the FZ28. But if you are looking for advanced SLR-like features, long zoom range, and host of manual controls, go for the FZ28 instead. So what is better depends on what you are looking for.
Apart from these, the FZ28 has support for HD video recording (720p) while Canon SD990 does only Standard Def.
B&H Photo in NYC has it for $300 in black or silver. They have a good reputation to go with it.
Brick and mortar store and sells on the net too.
My suggestion is to invest in a pair of good Sandisk Ultra III 2GB SD cards.
It sounds to me like a better solution for you, Deb, is to go with a video camcorder which shoots digital stills onto flash cards. Canon's HV30 is a real good choice.
This is a point and shoot camera.
I loved how my camera wasn't just a point-and-shoot that I could play around with and experiment with to take some really nice pictures. I'm looking for a similar camera with a better zoom, resolution, and image quality. I'm looking for something under $300 (or just a smidgeon over). I'm still learning a lot about photography, so your suggestions would be great!
There are some people here who might have had focussig problems.. but that ma be due to some fault in their particular piece. I hav tried videos on both sx10 and fz28... and due to its HD capability.. they turn out much better on the FZ.. i have never had a video going out of focus.. and i generally keep comparing the video quality of FZ28 with my dedicated camcorder sony sr65 (SD).. and there is not much difference in focussing speeds between the two.. as for zooming while in video.. FZ does it very well.. maybe not as fast as a dedicated camcorder.. but its very much there... its about half the speed on the still camera mode... but that is to cut out the motor noise from the video.... which it succeeds in doing. I have tried still shots on a SX10IS and the focussing is... as fast as on a FZ28.. so no differences there too.. the camera had a 2 month waiting here in india when i got it in late december (and SX10 was readily avalable)... and guess what.. i have never regretted my decision. I have taken videos of birds flying at full zoom.. and had no trouble focussing... or keeping them in view.... both with/without using a tripod.. so take my word.. you will not get any such problems mentioned in the above answer.... If you do get any such problems.. get yours changed fom the store... because that isnt how it is supposed to behave...
Further advantages i think.. for the FZ28 are... notably lighter... 417 gm with battery v/s 560 gm without battery for SX10IS.. much more convenient for all day carrying around..
Lithium ion battery lasts for around 500 mixed(with and without flash) shots easily... thats 3-4 days of casual snapping on holiday...
SX10IS is rated to do 340...
you can get a spare FZ28 battery for $18 off ebay... that one is higher capacity.. 650 shots+
It supports extra addon lens attachments (wide angle upto 0.3x and telephoto upto 3.2x Opteka) SX10IS does not.. making it more versatile...
You dont need a Flash hotshoe (present on SX10IS).. because.. the stock flash is enough to illuminate the subject even 30 feet away... SX10IS doesnt have such a powerful flash... and hence a hotshoe is required...
It shoots RAW... though only in manual mode... SX10IS does not... period.
If you still want to go in for a SX10... its your decision after all.. but I would highly recommend the FZ28. I dont know anything about the said lumix ZS3.. because frankly.. i stopped looking around after getting this 1.
I checked out the ZS3 Lumix, and the zoom is 12x - I'd rather have the 20x. Yeah, I'll probably buy the Canon.
Thanks to both of you for the feedback.
However my disappointment with the SX10 has been enormous. I have taken about 5-600 pictures with it, and not a single one (not kidding) has turned out to be as good as with the Ixus 40, a much older and smaller camera. I of course assumed that there was some setting that I had overlooked, some obvious detail to explain why all the pictures were dull, just slightly fuzzy and out of focus. But I have now been through every shooting mode there is and tried all the tricks I can think of, and still not a single crisp shot.
I later found out that another user on this website has exactly same problem, and has found no solution to it.
I refuse to put the camera on the shelf and continue with my Ixus 40, so I have now returned the camera to the store and will probably go for the FZ28 instead.
Short version: I cannot recommend the SX10. It has a lot of good features, but the output is simply frustrating.
As for setting your aperture and shutter speeds. A good read through the manual will answer all your questions. If you don't have one, you can download a PDF copy of the manual from the Panasonic website ( www2.panasonic.com/consumer... ).
I just received my Panasonic DMC-FZ28 & read in a previous question that the manual on the cd was better than the written manual. My cd does not have a manual - am I missing something?
ie:
" I also want to add that there is a middle portion; to your HUGE zoom range that is not suitable for focusing to close unless you back up, or zoom in, or out. It's all in the manual with a chart. It doesn't mean it's failing. That's the way they work. You may just want to leave it at wide for your flowers.
Suggest you purchase the Component cable (DMW-HDC2) for viewing your movies and pictures in high def on a HD TV. You will be amazed.....
However, be sure you are using the manual on the CD. It is a lot better than the printed manual!"
If this is no longer the case - then yes thank you - this is the best answer I can expect - has the printed manual been upgraded?
I just received my Panasonic DMC-FZ28 & read in a previous question that the manual on the cd was better than the written manual. My cd does not have a manual - am I missing something?
i saw price in online which is showing 450 and 480$ !!! i am planning to visit L.A in next week need some store name or good website where i can buy at better price as mentioned above.
Be warned.