Panasonic FZ28 LUMIX Digital Camera

Panasonic FZ28 LUMIX Digital Camera Review

good tuff

"i am a Photo Enthusiast and i like this camera very much][...]"

[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]

Panasonic FZ28 LUMIX Digital Camera Review

Best camera I have ever owned!!

"I just got this camera after months of searching for a replacement for my Fujji S700. Over the course of the last 7 years I have used Fujji, Kodack, Olympus, Norcent...I've owned a bunch. This camera is awesome. The battery was fully charged in an hour and a half so I was able to use it almost immediately. I headed outside with the kids and took a bunch of shots on IA (Intelligent Auto)...what I loved was that when I pointed the camera at my kids it went into portrait mode. When I pointed the camera at the mountains it went into landscape mode...and I fell in love with face detection. Shots that normally would have caused a problem with focus (like my son sitting in the tall grass) the camera stayed focused on his face so I didn't end up with a bunch of pictures with a blurry kid and in-focus grass!! We also had a full moon last night, and I was able to try the night scenery setting. For the first time in my life I was able to take a picture of the moon that actually showed the clouds around it and the tree branches I shot it through. The moon was blown out, and the picture was dark, but at least I didn't end up with a blurry blob in a completely black background...it was a big step in the right direction for me!!



As far as shutter lag time I have not been disappointed with this camera. While I'm sure it's not the fastest camera on the market, it is heads and shoulders above all the other cameras I have owned, so it is a big improvement to me. I have not yet tried the burst mode, but understand that it is faster.



If you have a baby you will love baby 1 and baby 2 modes. You enter your child's birth date and name and when you take pictures it keeps a detailed record of your child's age right down to the day (yesterday my daughter was 3 years 5 months and 28 days in her pictures!!) I thought that was pretty cool...wish I had this camera 3 years 5 months and 29 days ago!!



I am very satisfied with this camera, and I am excited to delve into all this camera can do. I posted pictures I took with the camera on my social networking page and I had several people ask if I was a professional photographer...that was really nice!!"

Taken on IA (Intelligent Auto) mode

• Made with Product

Taken on sunset mode

• Made with Product

Oct 08, 2009

svetlin

"very nice review"

 

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[20 of 23 customers found this review helpful]

Panasonic FZ28 LUMIX Digital Camera Review

FZ28S - Strongest intelligent auto mode

"I bought Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28S recently. Initially i was rather doubtful to buy Panasonic. I was strong believer of Canon and Nikon research in cameras. But when i went through reviews of Canon SX10IS, SX100IS, Nikon P80 and Panasonic FZ28S, i decided to go for panasonic for following reasons:

1. Same configuration in low price

2. Better reviews than the Canon and Nikon Cameras in the same range

3. Easy to carry in spite of 18x optical zoom (I did not want SLR.. it is very inconvenient on Hikes. I have used one before)



When i had my first photo session mainly indoor, i was really astonished to see the Intelligent Auto mode of Panasonic FZ28S. It is so powerful that you can actually focus on small objects and blur the rest of the background. It took really good indoor photos in low light. The IA mode selects the correct mode automatically and displays the focus. you can change the focus using AF lock features The portrait mode can even detect faces on the television screen.



I am yet to explore other features and will post their reviews later. I ordered Case Logic TBC-4 Camcorder Bag (Black/Grey) for this camera and it fits perfect."

18x zoom IA mode no flash taken indoor

• Using Product

IA mode 2pm backyard. focus on left most fruit

• Using Product

[3 of 4 customers found this review helpful]

Panasonic FZ28 LUMIX Digital Camera Review

So Much Power at Your Finger Tips

"I really am sold on this new Panasonic FZ28. It has several things I want for scenic photography that my FZ50 lacks. Foremost is the wide angle - but bumping the zoom to 18X also is great - making for an incredible range covering a focal length of 27-486mm.



Other good new stuff includes the MEGA O.I.S. Image stabilization system, color EVF, Face Detection AF, and 0.39-inch Macro capabilities. Other added features include a new Venus Engine IV image processor, 10-megapixel image sensor, a larger 2.7-inch LCD, HD (1280x720, 30fps) movie mode, use of the optical zoom while recording video, an 11-point AF system, Intelligent Exposure, 50MB of internal memory, RAW and JPEG still image capture (RAW+JPEG too), in-camera "leveling" (playback option), component video output, and high-speed burst modes.



With Intelligent Auto and 22 Scene modes, this camera is easy to use as a simple point-n-shoot. Included in those 22 scene modes are five "Advanced" scene modes (Portrait, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Macro), which offer several options to better define the specific shooting situation. The Q.Menu (Quick Menu) shortcut menu allows you to quickly make changes to exposure options so that you easily can blur or sharpen the backgrounds.



One simple new feature I really like is a Record/Play switch. On past models, playback mode was accessed via the mode dial. This new mode switch allows you to quickly switch back and forth with your thumb, without having to rotate the mode dial away from the current exposure mode being used.



All of the above in a camera small enough to carry in my coat pocket.



My two-year old FZ50 still has some features I like that are not available on the FZ28: hotshoe support for an external flash; a 360 degree swivel-viewer for shots at all kinds of angles; separate manual zoom and focus rings - rather than an automated system; a substantial metal body frame rather than plastic; and, a better fit and weight in my hand.



Both cameras have Leica lenses - and I can't begin to tell you what a difference that makes in picture clarity and sharpness, compared to other cameras I have owned



Which camera will I now use the most? Probably the new FZ28, from my experience so far. It can do everything I need in one easy-to-carry little machine."

Thanksgiving Eve Sunset - FZ28 Sunset Scene Mode

• Using Product
• Sunset Scene Mode
• FZ28

Clouds Over Mt. Rainier - FZ28 Scenery Mode

• FZ28
• Using Product
• Scenery Mode

[20 of 20 customers found this review helpful]

Panasonic FZ28 LUMIX Digital Camera Review

Earned the hype.

Super Informative

"I spent a lot of time researching before I bought this camera, and now that I've played with it for a couple weeks and taken hundreds of pictures, I figured I'd pass on some of the things that had interested me in the camera for future buyers.



First off, I rated this camera five stars. Not because it's the best camera in the world, but because it does an excellent job of everything it aspires to do. I'll start off with some pros and cons.



Pros:

-Minimum focal length of 1mm; excellent for close-ups.

-The telephoto is awesome, and in one contained lens.

-Image stabilization works beautifully.

-The HD video is of better quality than my dedicated HD camcorder.

-The controls and menu are dense, but very intuitive. I found myself looking at the manual only for one or two trivial things. I had handled a Fujifilm camera before buying this one, and at the time I was thinking "How am I going to get used to using this thing? The menu makes no sense." I was relieved that Panasonic did a much better job.

-The LCD is something I consider to be ancillary and wasn't a factor in choosing this camera, but, for those who are interested, it is big, bright and seems to perform well outdoors.

-I was afraid the joystick was going to be problematic for manual focus (as opposed to a focus ring, which this camera lacks), and that it would be difficult to use for fine adjustments, but that is not the case. It's very easy to use and the manual focus assist (enlarges a portion or all of the image to see detail) helps greatly.

-Battery life is good. It's rated for 400 pictures, and I know I took about that many the first time I used it on one charge, with no shortage of playing with the LCD for reviewing images and checking out menu features.



Cons:

-I find that the autofocus doesn't want to focus on things within a couple inches of the lens, even when spot AF is enabled on the item. The same is true of telephoto macro shots where the camera is near its minimum focal distance for that zoom. For these shots, I use the manual focus. Personally this isn't a bother, but I list it under cons as it may be for some. Interestingly, my old Nikon 4100 did a better much job of autofocusing for macro shots.

-As others have said, yes, the manual focus can be engaged accidentally, but personally I keep the display on and check my settings before taking a picture. I've done it and caught myself before it was a problem a couple times now.

-The camera body does feel as though a fumble to the floor would do it no favors. But, it's light, and ergonomic.

-The battery/card compartment is inaccessible when the camera is mounted on a tripod/tripod shoe.

-The raw image format is RW2, which if I remember correctly is a proprietary format designed for Panasonic’s supplied software. I haven’t shot any raw yet, so I’m not sure if my version of Adobe Camera Raw will support RW2, but I know that earlier versions won’t. I’d suggest researching to see what, if any, versions of Camera Raw support RW2 before buying if that’s a deal breaker for you. I also have not installed Panasonic’s supplied software (If I can’t use Camera Raw, I’m not interested in the feature).



Other things to note:

-It actually took me a few days to figure out the quick menu. I'd been using the joystick for navigation, but I knew was also supposed to serve as a quick menu and I was confused because nothing happened when I pressed it. Well, for some reason it took me that long to try holding the button down. It takes about a second holding to activate the quick menu, probably to prevent accidental button presses when using the joystick.

-So far I've found no use for the burst mode. My experience has been that if you want to catch a still of something happening quickly, the best way to do it is to record a video and then use the camera's review mode to snap a still from it. I have some shots of a 9mm casing ejecting from a semi-auto rifle that were done this way. The quality will never be great, but certainly it's enough to know what's going on.

-The shutter lag and repeat between shots are things people have reviewed both positively and negatively, but I find them both to be as expected in sufficient light. I wouldn't categorize them as either pros or cons.

-I never use the "intelligent auto" mode. Even for snapping pictures of family and friends. I prefer to use aperture priority mode with face detection if I want to snap a few casual images. I'm sure the IA mode has a use for some users, but my thinking is that for anyone vaguely camera-literate, its purpose is limited.



Having written this it seems like I spent more time talking about what could be wrong with the camera than with what's right with it, but that's because I wanted to address the things that might concern people. Plus, it's easier to list the things that are wrong with the camera than the things that are right with it - that list would be too long. It's a safe bet that if I've omitted something in this review it's because it landed in the pro side and I felt it would be a given.



To summarize, this is a great compact camera that gives the user significant control over his images. That being said, if you want the absolute best shots you can get in low light situations, a DSLR is the only way to go. Likewise, if you're a casual photographer and don't plan to use the manual settings, I would say there are other cameras that would be cheaper, more conveniently sized, perhaps easier to use and may even work better for what you want than this camera. But for people like me who want a significant amount of control over their images, and want to be able to photograph just about anything without carrying around a bag full of lenses and a bulky DSLR body, this is the camera for you."