Not many people consider Panasonic digital cameras when shopping. They may be
making a big mistake. Although not as well known by potential digital camera
consumers as Canon, Nikon or Olympus, Panasonic does produce excellent digital
cameras that utilize Leica lenses by Leica Camera AG.
The
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 belongs to the Lumix "FZ" line of
cameras by Panasonic. Cameras of this line feature optical image stabilization
(OIS), powerful 12x optical zoom and fast maximum aperture of
f/2.8 throughout the zoom range.
The latest Panasonic Lumix cameras also feature fast Venus II engine, which,
among other things, effectively suppresses chromatic aberration (purple
fringing) in virtually all conditions.
The FZ20 features a 5-Megapixel resolution and manual focus via a ring
around the lens, in addition to the auto focus. It is available in black
(FZ20K) or silver (FZ20S). Black finish looks more professional, whereas silver
reflects more light and keeps the camera cooler in sunlight.
The 5-Megapixel resolution is enough for larger than 11x14-inch prints or
cropping and printing a part of the image.
If you don't need 5-Megapixel resolution and want a cheaper camera, check out
the
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ15. It has 4-Megapixel resolution, lack
the FZ20's hot shoe for the external flash, but has very similar features and
performance otherwise.
Lens
Among the major factors contributing to the picture quality, the lens is
usually the most important one. The FZ20 features amazing optics. The lens is
multicoated to reduce flare and reflections and features 13 elements in 8
groups, including 3 aspherical lenses and 3 aspherical surfaces as well as one
ED (extra-low dispersion) lens. The FZ20 is the only camera of the Lumix FZ
series to have an ED lens.
The lens has 12x optical zoom (36-432 mm in 35-mm equivalent) and has fast
f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout its impressive zoom range as well as
the optical image stabilization (OIS) that really works.
The powerful 12x zoom is especially useful for sporting events or wildlife
shooting (where you cannot get close to the action) and is practical in this
application because the image stabilization really keeps unintended camera
shake at bay. As such, you can zoom in optically instead of having to rely on
the digital zoom of lesser cameras or cropping. Majority of compact digital
cameras use only about 3x optical zoom and then switch to digital zoom,
removing any advantage of their higher-resolution CCDs.
An example would be, the otherwise capable,
Olympus D-580 camera that has 3x optical and 4x digital zoom
and 4-Megapipxel resolution. If you use it to get 12x combined zoom, the real
resolution drops to just 0.25MP. When using digital zoom, the resolution
drops proportionatly square of the digital zoom factor. This means that
resolution drops 16 times if using 4x digital zoom (linear resolution drops 4
times both horizontally and vertically).
Obviously, for situations that require good zooming power, the real optical
zoom is much better than the combined optical/digital zoom.
The camera's optical image stabilization lets you shoot with up to three stops
slower shutter speed with no blur. In other words, you will be able to shoot at
shutter speeds, which would have consistently produced blurry images without
the use of OIS. This helps in low light situations as well as at high zoom
levels.
The lens features excellent f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range
and can be stopped down to f/8 minimum aperture (also throughout its zoom
range). This powerful lens is relatively large, but certainly not as large as
an
SLR with comparable set on lenses. To approach this kind of
flexibility and maximum aperture, you would have to get several SLR lenses
(that would cost a lot, be heavy to carry and you would have to change them).
The lens in question is very flexible, sharp and fast. The camera also has the
ring around the lens, which lets you focus manually when you need to. Combine
it with optical image stabilization and you get a great, flexible camera. The
use of 12x zoom lens makes the use of the electronic viewfinder (EVF) instead
of the optical one a necessity.
EVF
The EVF is fluid (more so than the 2-inch LCD), has diopter adjustment and is
much better visible in the sunlight than the LCD. For ease of manual focusing,
the central portion of the image (on the EVF or LCD) gets enlarged 4x.
OIS - Optical Image Stabilization
The camera has a couple of sensors that detect camera motions and move a lens
element inside the camera to compensate for this unintended motion. Having such
a powerful zoom, the optical image stabilization comes in handy and lets you
shoot with several stops slower shutter speed than you would be able to use
otherwise. This is useful not only at high zoom levels, but in the darker
environments as well.
The optical image stabilization, combined with the f/2.8 maximum aperture
throughout the zoom range lets you shoot handheld in situations that would
otherwise have required a tripod. Keep in mind that it is recommended that you
disable the OIS if you are shooting using a stable tripod.
The OIS can be disabled or enabled in either continuous mode (the OIS is always
on, even before the shutter release button is depressed) or in the mode where
it is activated only when the shutter release button is depressed.
Disabling the OIS also saves power, since there is no need for the motors that
move the lens element to draw power from the battery.
Body
Click here for more pictures of Panasonic DMC-FZ20
The camera is not compact, due, in part, to the size of its powerful lens. The
body itself is larger that that of the majority point-and-shoot digital cameras
and the lens is substantially larger than most, both in diameter and the
protrusion when off (and especially when the camera is on). Even in the powered
off state, the lens barrel is relatively long - you will definitely need a
carrying case for it.
The back of the camera houses the 2-inch LCD screen with 130K pixels, the menu
control buttons, the sliding power switch, several other buttons and an
electronic viewfinder (EVF) with diopter adjustment. The top deck has a rotary
mode switch, flash and hot shoe.
Flash
The camera has a hot shoe, which you can use to attach the external flash to.
The built-in flash is invisible and extends if you push the "Flash" button on
the rear of the camera.
After the flash is extended, you can select the flash mode using "right arrow"
menu control button. I find the fact that the flash has to be activated
manually a good thing, since some other cameras make the flash pop up whenever
they please, sometimes ruining the shot. The popup flash in this camera is
necessary because the lens barrel is long and the flash on the body of the
camera would be blocked by it, plus it helps with the red-eye problem if you
move the flash away from the lens's optical axis.
You can adjust the flash output /- 2EV in 1/3 EV steps.
Some Features and Specs
The camera has shutter speed of 8-1/2,000 sec (some values are accessible in
aperture and shutter priority modes only). The camera has automatic white
balance as well as presets for Cloudy, Daylight, Halogen, Flash and Custom
(using white or gray card). The custom white balance using a white card is very
useful, especially in incandescent light as there is no Tungsten preset.
You can also adjust the white balance manually between -1500K and 1500K in 150K
steps, unless the white balance is set to automatic. This not only lets you
adjust the white balance to the proper setting, but also to adjust it to get
slightly "warm" or "cold" effect. Example: I sometimes use "warmer" settings
for autumn foliage and "colder" settings for snow.
The camera has live histogram, which is very helpful when assessing the
exposure. This is unlike some cameras that have no histogram whatsoever and you
have to rely on what you can see on the LCD as far as detail in shadows and
highlights goes (usually not much). The only way to make sure your shots are
perfectly exposed in this case is to take multiple shots with different
exposures and then open the files in Photoshop or other editing software.
And some cameras have histogram in review mode only (e.g.
Canon Powershot S410 or
Canon Powershot S500). With that camera, only after I took the
pictures, switched to review mode and hit a button twice, was I able to see the
histograms on the photos already taken. Not surprisingly, it was immediately
visible from the histogram that several of them were underexposed, which was
pretty difficult to see on the LCD.
With FZ20, you see the live histogram and can use exposure compensation ( /-
2EV in 1/3 EV steps) to correct for this. The camera also has auto exposure
bracketing, which lets you take three consecutive shots at the selected
exposure, slightly overexposed and slightly underexposed (in 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV
steps).
Sensitivity
The camera has Auto mode as well as ISO 80, 100, 200 and 400 presets. The ISO
400 setting (as well as Auto in dimly lit environments in some camera modes) is
quite noisy, but with optical image stabilization you can use lower ISO and
slower shutter speeds.
Storage
As other Panasonic digital cameras (and cameras of some other manufacturers),
the FZ20 uses Secure Digital cards as media. It can also use MultiMedia cards,
but they are slower (have slower data transfer rates) and I do not recommend
that you use them. The camera comes with a 16-Mb SD Card and you can buy a
512-Mb SD card for about $40-60. Such capacity will let you
store hundreds of pictures (at least in JPEG format).
The camera"s 5-Megapixel sensor lets you shot (and store) at the following
resolutions: 2560x1920, 2048x1536, 1920x1080, 1600x1200, 1280x960 and 640x480.
The JPEG format can be utilized with Fine or Standard quality settings and
there is a mode in which the pictures are stored in TIFF format. The camera can
also record video at 320x240 resolution.
Battery
The FZ20 uses a proprietary 680mAh Li-Ion rechargeable battery, which is
charged outside the camera. It is slightly inconvenient that you have to remove
the battery every time you want to charge it, but it makes it easier to charge
a spare battery wile keeping the original in the camera and replace them when
needed.
The battery charges in 60-90 minutes and lets you take a couple hundred
pictures on one charge, unless the weather is cold. As with other Li-Ion
batteries, it is recommended not to discharge the battery completely and
recharge it once in a while. "Aftermarket" batteries (other than
Panasonic) are available if you need spares and cost much less.
Supplied
The camera comes with a cool lens hood you can attach (a very useful gadget for
reducing flare), lens cap with a string (making it more difficult to loose), a
16-Mb SD card (you can buy a
512-Mb SD card online for $40-60), a CD-ROM with software, a
USB cable, a battery and a charger/power adaptor, AC and DC cables, A/V cable,
camera strap, manuals, etc.
I have to mention that Panasonic cameras do not require USB drivers on Windows
2000 (and later) and I never had to load the software from the supplied CD.
This is unlike some Canon cameras. For example, I borrowed
Canon PowerShot S410 without the CD and found out the hard way
that you need to install the driver for my Windows 2000 computer to see the
camera.
Computer Connectivity
Obviously, you can get a card reader that supports SD cards and remove the card
from the camera to be read using it. Alternatively r you can use the USB cable
supplied with the camera to connect it to your computer. The computer
connectivity is easy and fast, unlike some Canon models (e.g.
Canon PowerShot S410).
For Windows 2000 or later, there is no need to install the USB driver. But if
you have an older version of Windows (e.g. Windows 98), you might have to
install it from the supplied CD.
The camera appears as a removable drive when powered on and you can simply copy
or drag-and-drop files from it. The software that comes on the CD includes an
SD Viewer - a utility that lets you see not only the thumbnails of the pictures
that are on the SD card, but the EXIF information about the photos as well -
date/time, aperture, shutter speed, camera model and other information.
Usage
You can see that the camera is not targeted to beginners by the fact that it
has no easily accessible "Easy" mode - the mode that less expensive FZ1, FZ2
and FZ3 cameras have on their main rotary mode switch (the easy mode on those
cameras is marked with a red heart icon).
The FZ20 has a no-nonsense main rotary switch with P (Program mode), A
(Aperture Priority), S (Shutter Priority), M (Manual mode), macro, review,
movie mode and a couple of modes, which let you select among the multitude of
pre-programmed auto exposure modes in the menu (Portrait, Landscape, Sports,
Snow, Night Portrait, etc.)
The power switch on the rear of the camera is a simple sliding type with a LED
that stays lit when the camera is on. Once the switch is moved to the "on"
position (and provided the mode switch it not in "review" mode), the camera's
lens extends.
The FZ20's menus have pleasing colors and are very easy to use. I find that
Panasonic makes the easiest-to-use interfaces and the FZ20 is no exception. I
find the menus on this cameras much easier to use than
Canon S410's menus, for instance. The 2-inch LCD is
well-visible and sturdy, but visibility in sunlight suffers. It seems to be a
compromise - the LCDs that are better visible in sunlight do not provide as
good of picture quality as the ones that do not work well in sunlight. So in
the sunlight, you may want to switch to the EVF, which is fluid and lets you
see the camera information as well.
The camera's shutter lag is short, when prefocused by pressing the shutter
release button halfway. The focusing itself is by TTL contrast detection, which
is slow in the dim environments. In the dark, the camera seems to select
smaller apertures and longer shutter speeds to keep everything in focus. The
camera's optical image stabilization helps a lot when the slower shutter speeds
are used.
When taking pictures in dim environments without flash, the camera does not
refuse to shoot (unlike some others) and with help from its OIS, the pictures
are not blurry.
The camera has exposure compensation, exposure bracketing, continuous AF (when
needed) and self timer. The aperture and shutter priority modes are selected by
the main mode switch, but the modes like portrait, scenery, party, etc. are
selected from the menu.
When white balance is set to any mode other than Auto, pressing the "arrow up"
button also brings the option to change white balance from the current value
towards red or blue. In fact, the arrow up button is loaded with a lot of
functions and scrolling through them to get to the ones you need is a bit
annoying. Provided you selected settings other than automatic, you can use this
almighty button to get to the exposure compensation, exposure bracketing, white
balance, flash compensation.
The "arrow down" button helps you review the last taken photo without going to
the "review" mode. In fact, you can view other photos on your SD card as well,
all without rotating the main mode switch to review. To do so, you use left and
right arrow buttons after pressing the arrow down button. You can zoom in and
out in this (pseudo-review) mode or review mode by using the zoom control on
the camera.
The optically stabilized lens works well at wide angle and at telephoto. The
OIS is no magic bullet however - it is difficult to shoot at full magnification
while holding the camera steady, but it is still feasible.
You can also focus manually by sliding the focus switch on the side of the lens
from Auto to Manual position and rotating the ring around the lens barrel.
Since the SVF and LCD don't have the resolution similar to the ground glass of
the SLR, the central part of the image gets magnified 4x to help you focus.
Performance
Obviously, this camera has impressive specifications and features. And FZ20
does not disappoint - the pictures it takes (provided you don't screw up the
exposure or focus, of course) have amazing sharpness with excellent color
rendition. The colors are vivid and true to life. The camera has manual
adjustments for contrast, sharpness as well as saturation. Using saturation
control, you can adjust the colors to be more or less saturated. Reducing
saturation will make colors less vivid.
There is no vignetting - the corners of the photos are as bright as the center.
There is also no noticeable purple fringing (chromatic aberrations) at all -
the purple fringing is effectively suppressed by the camera's Venus II engine.
The lens does not exhibit any noticeable pincussion distortion at telephoto
end. There is slight barrel distortion at wide angle, but it is minor.
The live histogram is very useful for judging exposure and if you are
Photoshop-proficient, you can make your photos shine even more (even simply by
using Levels). The camera's burst mode lets you take up to 7 pictures (Standard
mode) or up to 4 pictures (Fine mode) in rapid succession (at 3 or 2 frames per
second) at full resolution. This mode is activated by the button on the top
deck of the camera.
Unlike some cameras, the LCD/EVF does not lock up or go blank while the photo
is written to the memory card.
The camera's amazingly fast (throughout the zoom range) f/2.8 lens is very
sharp and the optical image stabilization helps when shooting handheld - you
can shoot several stops slower than you would be able to without the OIS.
The camera also lets you record short (5-sec) audio annotations and attach them
to the still pictures. The supplied lens hood is handy at fighting flare, but
could be a little easier to install. You have to install the supplied adaptor
ring first, which in turn accepts the supplied lens hood (or other
accessories). Also, you have to remove the lens hood if you want to use the
built-in flash.
The zooming is fast, responsive, smooth and quiet. Moreover, it is precise,
unlike some lesser cameras (e.g. Canon PowerShot S410).
Bottom Line
The
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 is an advanced and flexible camera with
excellent Leica optics, powerful 12x optical zoom, optical image stabilization
that works and easy to use controls. It is not targeted to a beginner
photographer, but people familiar with things like aperture priority will find
it an excellent tool of self-expression as well as a great tool to keep
memories. Its high-powered zoom, great optics and optical image stabilization
are indispensable if you want to take pictures from afar.
Recommended
Yes
Product Rating
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Panasonic DMC-FZ20 Review on Epinions.com