#101 Esther

Dear all,
I am a mom wanting to take high quality SHARP pictures of my very ACTIVE little boy (3 years old) and everyday family pictures (both indoors and outdoors). I am the typical point and shoot camera user (never used anything other than a point and shoot pocket camera). I am willing to take the leap to a more sophisticated camera with the luxury of being able to rely on automatic settings when there is little time to adjust everything (especially the case with the little guy) . I am of course wiling to learn how to use my camera’s manual settings and play with it for the best result. However, I want to be able to rely on the automatic settings for say 90% of the time and have good results (sharp pictures) whilst having the opportunity to improve the results even more through time. I was hoping this would be the perfect camera for my situation. However, after reading Richard Hannan’s feedback on post #38 (and some other similar remarks), I am seriously wondering if I made the wrong conclusion:

Here is a snippet of the feedback:
This is not a camera for the casual amateur. It is for an amateur that seriously wants to learn good techniques, a serious amateur or as a professional back up camera.

Thanks in advance for your time and feedback,
Esther

10:37 pm - Tuesday, January 8, 2013

#102 Point and shoot Mom

Dear all,
I am a mom wanting to take high quality SHARP pictures of my very ACTIVE little boy (3 years old) and everyday family pictures (both indoors and outdoors). I am the typical point and shoot camera user (never used anything other than a point and shoot pocket camera). I am willing to take the leap to a more sophisticated camera with the luxury of being able to rely on automatic settings when there is little time to adjust everything (especially the case with the little guy) . I am of course wiling to learn how to use my camera’s manual settings and play with it for the best result. However, I want to be able to rely on the automatic settings for say 90% of the time and have good results (sharp pictures) whilst having the opportunity to improve the results even more through time. I was hoping this would be the perfect camera for my situation. However, after reading Richard Hannan’s feedback on post #38 (and some other similar remarks), I am seriously wondering if I made the wrong conclusion:

Here is a snippet of the feedback:
This is not a camera for the casual amateur. It is for an amateur that seriously wants to learn good techniques, a serious amateur or as a professional back up camera.

Thanks in advance for your time and feedback!

10:42 pm - Tuesday, January 8, 2013

#103 Point and shoot Mom

I am your typical point and shoot camera user willing to expand my horizons in order to take SHARP high quality photos for personal use. I have a very ACTIVE little 3 year old and looking for a camera to help me take great pictures of the family (both indoor and outdoor).  Until now I have only owned pocket cameras (current one an outdated Cannon Powershot SD 790 IS, so in an entirely different league of cameras).
I am looking for a reasonably sized and priced camera which can take clear and sharp pictures of the little one while active (both close up and far away) with good light and no red eye. I am certainly wiling to follow up on the suggestions posted thus far (especially post #70) in order to learn more about how to adjust the different settings/ functions of the camera so that I can improve my picture taking skills and take advantage of the options provided in these higher range cameras.
However, since my partner has made it clear he is not going to use anything other than the automatic setting options, I want to have the luxury of relying on the automatic settings for good quality pictures say 90% of the time.  In the meantime, I can learn more about the camera and play with it whilst he solely uses the point and shoot settings. I was hoping this would be the perfect camera for this. However, I am no longer sure in light of post # 7 and similar remarks:
This is not a camera for the casual amateur. It is for an amateur that seriously wants to learn good techniques, a serious amateur or as a professional back up camera.
This is my first time posting on such a site so my apologies if I provide too much/ or irrelevant information.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.

11:27 pm - Tuesday, January 8, 2013

#104 Esther & Point and shoot mom

SORRY for the overkill, I lost my original message, received two delivery errors and started all over again. The posts from Esther and Point and shoot mom are from the sam person, me.
Thanks for your understanding and looking forward to feedback.

11:31 pm - Tuesday, January 8, 2013

#105 Esther & Point and shoot mom

My apologies, I have been having several problems posting on this blog. As you can probably ascertain: Esther and Point and shoot mom are the same person. I received delivery errors and then eventually rewrote my message as a last ditch attempt just to find that my original message was posted twice.

11:53 pm - Tuesday, January 8, 2013

#106 Richard Hannam

Hello Esther
All I was trying to say was, don’t waste your money if you’re not really serious about learning to use this camera. In some respects, it’s more complex than the SLR cameras I use for my pro work.
So, if you’re not prepared to learn how to use it, you may as well just buy a decent point & shoot if you’re just going to use it in fully automatic mode.
Is it capable of doing the job you want? Yes it is. As an example, here are a few shots I took recently in an effort to really push the FZ200’s limits by photographing my watch in a variety of very challenging environments as if I was doing an advertising shoot:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103464086508170700630/FZ200
The complicated watch face is difficult enough on its own but even more so in the backgrounds I set. My SLR kit, which costs 6 times the FZ200, would struggle to do much better!
Finally, to help you even more, take a look at some of FZ200 expert, Graham Houghton’s excellent instructional videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ghough12/videos?sort=dd&view=0&flow=list
If you have any more questions, by all means contact me again.

1:39 am - Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#107 JOE PRETE

Point & Shoot Mom,
I can’t say I disagree with the advice you’ve been given. This is a great camera, but you need to study to make use of all of it’s features, in fact learning it is a job in itself.  I’m sure that any camera shop would love to reel you in. The more the camera costs, the more money they will make. But in the same list price
range there is a much better option. I say “List Price” because it’s been known to go on sale for $80.00-$100.00 Less.
I’m referring to the Canon SX50 HS And from what you describe, it sounds like it was built for you. The Ai is amazing, it features a mode called “Zoom Framing Assist and Lock” and what it does is, Brackets lock onto the subject and keep him in focus as he moves around, the Brackets Follow, keeping him in focus. The High speed burst is 10 frames with continuos focusing. It also has a “Facial Recognition” feature that lets you enter their name in the camera, and when one is in the viewfinder their name pops up! The Record button is placed right next to where your thumb rests and it’s very easy to go right into video mode. It has 1080p FULL HD Video and Zoom while Recording.

Another nice feature is, the Mode that you are in can be read with Tele-Prompter like words at the bottom of the screen. Whether it’s directions, suggestions or a reminder of what mode you are using, it’s all printed at the bottom of the screen. It can be left on if you need it, or switched off if you don’t. It’s letting you learn as you are using the camera.
The six way Optical Image Stabilization gives you steady, sharp pictures whatever the conditions are. The Auto intelligence system picks from 58 Pre-Defined shooting situations and the best mode settings are automatically set for you. The Auto Focus is lightning fast, and you can use the Eye Level Viewfinder or the
2.8” inch LCD. It has a 12 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and the Digc 5 Image Processor. Oh, by the way, this is also a 50X Zoom that is now the longest of an integrated lens Camera in the industry. It’s a 24-1200MM (Surpassing the Canon SX40 HS)

This camera is reviewed on this site, just choose it from the “Camera Reviews” or type the name into the search and click on review. You might see some of my comments there! I would also go to Canon’s web site and choose Cameras>compact>SX50 HS It’s easy and very informative. You can call them with any questions, but look for the sales and you will find it soon. As you might guess, I own one of these and their G1 X along with my Pro Nikon DSLR’s and SLR’s
Happy Shooting,
... Joe Prete

2:27 am - Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#108 JOE PRETE

Point & Shoot Mom,
I would look at the Canon SX50 HS. From what you describe, it sounds like it was built for you. The Ai is amazing, it features a mode called “Zoom Framing Assist and Lock” and what it does is, Brackets lock onto the subject and keep him in focus as he moves around, the Brackets Follow, keeping him in focus. The High speed burst is 10 frames with continuos focusing. It also has a “Facial Recognition” feature that lets you enter their name in the camera, and when one is in the viewfinder their name pops up! The Record button is placed right next to where your thumb rests and it’s very easy to go right into video mode. It has 1080p FULL HD Video and Zoom while Recording.
Another nice feature is, the Mode that you are in can be read with Tele-Prompter like words at the bottom of the screen. Whether it’s directions, suggestions or a reminder of what mode you are using, it’s all printed at the bottom of the screen. It can be left on if you need it, or switched off if you don’t. It’s letting you learn as you are using the camera.
The six way Optical Image Stabilization gives you steady, sharp pictures whatever the conditions are. The Auto intelligence system picks from 58 Pre-Defined shooting situations and the best mode settings are automatically set for you. The Auto Focus is lightning fast, and you can use the Eye Level Viewfinder or the
2.8” inch LCD. It has a 12 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and the Digc 5 Image Processor. Oh, by the way, this is also a 50X Zoom that is now the longest of an integrated lens Camera in the industry. It’s a 24-1200MM (Surpassing the Canon SX40 HS)
This camera is reviewed on this site, just choose it from the “Camera Reviews” or type the name into the search and click on review. You might see some of my comments there! I would also go to Canon’s web site and choose Cameras>compact>SX50 HS It’s easy and very informative. You can call them with any questions, but look for the sales and you will find it soon. As you might guess, I own one of these and their G1 X along with my Pro Nikon DSLR’s and SLR’s
... Joe Prete

2:34 am - Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#109 JOE PRETE

Esther,
I would look at the Canon SX50 HS. From what you describe, it sounds like it was built for you. The Ai is amazing, it features a mode called “Zoom Framing Assist and Lock” and what it does is, Brackets lock onto the subject and keep him in focus as he moves around, the Brackets Follow, keeping him in focus. The High speed burst is 10 frames with continuos focusing. It also has a “Facial Recognition” feature that lets you enter their name in the camera, and when one is in the viewfinder their name pops up! The Record button is placed right next to where your thumb rests and it’s very easy to go right into video mode. It has 1080p FULL HD Video and Zoom while Recording.
Another nice feature is, the Mode that you are in can be read with Tele-Prompter like words at the bottom of the screen. Whether it’s directions, suggestions or a reminder of what mode you are using, it’s all printed at the bottom of the screen. It can be left on if you need it, or switched off if you don’t. It’s letting you learn as you are using the camera.
The six way Optical Image Stabilization gives you steady, sharp pictures whatever the conditions are. The Auto intelligence system picks from 58 Pre-Defined shooting situations and the best mode settings are automatically set for you. The Auto Focus is lightning fast, and you can use the Eye Level Viewfinder or the
2.8” inch LCD. It has a 12 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and the Digc 5 Image Processor. Oh, by the way, this is also a 50X Zoom that is now the longest of an integrated lens Camera in the industry. It’s a 24-1200MM (Surpassing the Canon SX40 HS)
This camera is reviewed on this site, just choose it from the “Camera Reviews” or type the name into the search and click on review. You might see some of my comments there! I would also go to Canon’s web site and choose Cameras>compact>SX50 HS It’s easy and very informative. You can call them with any questions, but look for the sales and you will find it soon. As you might guess, I own one of these and their G1 X along with my Pro Nikon DSLR’s and SLR’s
... Joe Prete

2:50 am - Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#110 Joe Prete

Hi Esther,
Richard is right, the FZ200 camera can be difficult to master.
It sounds like the camera for you is the Canon SX50 HS It is a camera that you can actually learn from. It has many features like “Zoom Framing Assist & Lock” the brackets lock onto a moving subject and continue to focus until you get your shot or shots.
The High Speed Burst is 10 Frames with continuos focusing. It has a Facial recognition mode, you just enter the name and it identifies your subject, the record button is at your thumb and you can also Zoom while recording. The Zoom is silent. The Video is Full HD 1080p Your actions can be read at the bottom of the screen with Tele-Prompter like Quality, it can give directions, suggestions or just remind you of what mode you are in, or be turned off if you don’t need it. It’s teaching you every mode that you are using. It has 6 way Optical Image Stabilization. The Ai system has 58 Pre-Defined Shooting situations and it picks the best suited mode. The AutoFocus is lightning fast. It has an Eye Level Viewfinder and a 2.8” LCD. A 12 MegaPixel CMOS Sensor and a DIGIC 5 Image Processor. I can really go on and on, The Zoom Lens is the largest integrated lens in the industry now, it’s 50X OPTICAL ZOOM is 24-1200MM (Surpassing the Canon SX40 HS) The Ai is simply amazing! No I don’t work for Canon, actually I’m a Nikon Shooter, but for compacts I’m using The Canon G1 X and the SX50 HS The HS is for High Sensitivity. This camera is about the same list price as the FZ200 but it frequently goes on sale for $80.00-$100.00 off.  There is a review on this site, but I think you should also go to Canon’s own web site. Remember their price is not what we pay. This is one of the most advanced cameras on the market. The reason for the sale prices, it’s too close in price to Canon’s entry level DSLR’s (We got lucky!!)
Happy Shooting,
... Joe Prete

3:33 am - Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#111 JOE PRETE

Esther,
There has been a lot of trouble with the site today, if you enter a post and don’t get a denial screen, it may go through. It could take from two minute to two hours. Yes it is very annoying, especially with a long and detailed post. It is better to wait and see. If it doesn’t show in two hours, it probably wont. I’m not sure how you wound up on this page unless you did a specific search.

I just wanted to say that many people are at a standstill with this camera, it’s a lot to learn. it is just too deep for most people that just want to take good pictures. I do feel very strongly about the SX50 HS. It’s not very often that I am so amazed with a camera, that I really don’t need, but I yet I have to have it. I’m not sure where you’re from, but if you need any more help, just let me know. When I bought mine, I got it for $383.00 The very next sale, it was down to $350.00 As for the long zoom lens, if you don’t need it, don’t use it. It just comes with the package, but if you don’t Zoom out far, it will be the same size as it’s competitors. You’re not really paying extra for that. If you need any more help, just ask. I’ll be around.
Best Regards,
... Joe Prete

4:29 am - Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#112 Fabio

To Point and shoot mom
  All bridge cameras have compact sisters that sometimes share the same sensor and processor, so basically bridge cameras may look like a “professional camera” but they have the heart and soul of point and shoot cameras.
  Why carry such a big camera if you can use a pocket camera that will deliver the same results most of the time?
    You need a camera with fast focus, easy to operate, long zoom, no red eyes, good movies . I strongly suggest the Panasonic TZ30 or ZS20, they are the same camera.
    It fits in a pocket, has 500 mm max zoom (the FZ200 is 600mm max,) the flash is fixed in the body, no red eyes, movies are great, automatic mode works very well and maybe the most important thing for your husband , the touchscreen. You can operate it like a cell phone, touch the screen and you set the focus point and if you wish it takes the picture too. Burst modes are great.
  It also has all controls that you find in professional cameras, meaning that if you learn how to make use of aperture, speed and ISO, the controls are there.
    Another important point is that you can operate it with just one hand, get the camera, press the on button and it’s ready to take pictures, no lens cap to worry about, turn it off and throw it in your pocket or bag. 
    It costs less than half the price of the FZ200. I had the TZ30/SZ20 and liked it very much. I spent 3 days with a FZ200 and after testing it with other bridge cameras I’m sure it’s not the eight wonder of the world,  go for the compact and you won’t miss the big one, in fact I bet you will take much more pictures and movies with the small one.

10:01 am - Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#113 esther & Point and shoot mom

Dear Richard, Joe and Fabio,
Thank you very much for the feedback and especially for your understanding about the multiple postings.
Richard, the pictures you took look of your watch look great and the tutorials are perfect for a beginner like myself: not too fast, nice visuals and very well presented. However, after discussion with my husband we have decided that we will opt for a decent point and shoot camera in automatic mode (and extra options so that I can learn how to improve my picture taking). I realize the rewards derived from the FZ200 will make up for the time invested, I must admit that I am not up for the challenge at this time.
Pete and Fabio, the Canon Powershot SX50 HS and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 are great suggestions and I am trying to decide between the two. I like the options on Canon and and the compact size/ price of the Panasonic. I am reading the reviews (which is how I came across this blog) and will be sure to revert back to you both when we make our choice.
Thanks again to you all for making my first blog experience so positive. Best regards, Esther

9:08 pm - Friday, January 11, 2013

#114 Richard Hannam

Hello Esther
The pleasure was as much ours as yours. I’m glad we were able to assist in our own different ways.
From what you say, I think your choice is about right. You may find that the ZS20 focuses faster than the Canon. Worth checking.
Another alternative would be to get a used version of one of the earlier Panasonic models. I shot my first professional shots with an FZ28. A couple of years ago this was a $300 camera but now less than half that now. Not unsimilar to the FZ200 but at a quarter of the cost & the opportunity to progress your knowledge & technique in the future.
As always with any technology, it’s much better to buy one model behind the latest one every year or so!
Best wishes, Richard

11:48 pm - Friday, January 11, 2013

#115 John Wewege

Have a look at the (reputable) reviews on the internet and you will find that the Panasonic FZ200 is the best bridge camera currently available.
It is by no means perfect, but incorporating everything that is suggested in the comments below, will increase the price drastically.You cannot compare the FZ200 with a DSLR or a “prosumer” compact with a larger sensor such as the G15. Its like comparing apples with pears!
Show me a camera with a 1/2.3” sensor and at least a 600mm reach that performs better and have better specs/features. The FZ200 must be the best bridge camera for action photography (sports and wildlife)

7:40 am - Friday, January 18, 2013

#116 H. MONETTI

John,
As long as you keep the ISO low, it’s fine!

10:12 am - Friday, January 18, 2013

#117 H. MONETTI

And btw,
For the record, the Best is the Fujifilm X-S1
Hank

8:35 pm - Friday, January 18, 2013

#118 Jozsa

Can someone tell me what is the difference between the electronic zoom and mechanical zoom? What are their advantages and disadvantages for stills and video? I would like to buy this camera, but I have on my list another camera, the Fujifilm X-S1. Would I miss the mechanical zoom if I would choose the FZ200? Answer will be apreciated.

9:27 am - Saturday, January 19, 2013

#119 Joe Prete

Jozsa,
Electronic Zoom, much better known as “Power Zoom” Works by way of a “rocker switch” and an electric motor.

Mechanical Zoom, much better known as “Manual Zoom” works by you turning or pushing/pulling part of the lens barrel.

In the past, people chose a Manual zoom, because the noise of the power zoom motor was heard during a Movie recording and/or because it drained the battery power faster.

Both of the problems have gone away, on this and other High end cameras, The FZ200 and Canon’s SX50 HS motors are near silent, and the noise is not heard during recording. Also, advancements in motor design have resulted in motors that do not drain power nearly as much. I can’t say for lower end cameras, because my work has been with top of the line Digital SuperZoom cameras. So why now, would one choose one over the other, in the case of the Fujifilm X-S1, it is built as a DSLR replacement for those not wanting to carry and change lenses, and DSLR Cameras do not have Power Zoom lenses. So, for those customers, they would probably expect a “Manual Zoom” lens.
... Joe Prete

11:03 am - Saturday, January 19, 2013

#120 Joe Prete

Jozsa,  Part 1
Electronic Zoom, much better known as “Power Zoom” Works by way of a “rocker switch” and an electric motor.

Mechanical Zoom, much better known as “Manual Zoom” works by you turning or pushing/pulling part of the lens barrel.

In the past, people chose a Manual zoom, because the noise of the power zoom motor was heard during a Movie recording and/or because it drained the battery power faster.
Both of the problems have gone away, on this and other High end cameras, The FZ200 and Canon’s SX50 HS motors are near silent, and the noise is not heard during recording. Also, advancements in motor design have resulted in motors that do not drain power nearly as much. 
... Joe Prete

11:08 am - Saturday, January 19, 2013

#121 Joe Prete

Jozsa Part 2
I can’t say for lower priced cameras, because my work has been with top of the line Digital Super Zoom cameras. So why would Fujifilm put a Manual Zoom lens in the X-S1 camera.
The X-S1 is built as a DSLR replacement for those that don’t want to carry and change lenses, and Since DSLR’s do not have “Power Zoom” lenses, people that buy it would never really expect it to have it. I think that it also, would have made a very expensive camera, even more expensive. That was a very good Question, even though our Spam filter didn’t think so. I would be happy to discus the choice further with you if you want. My email is on the Nikon L810 Review Comments at number 102 I think. There are a few other things that you should know for such a large one time investment.
... Joe Prete

11:25 am - Saturday, January 19, 2013

#122 Randy Swain

Trying to choose either Nikon D3100, D5100 or Canon SX50 or Panasonic FZ200.  I have very little experience with Digital point and shoot cameras, the last one was the Canon A590IS which went bad on me a few years ago and took very good photo’s.  I am a novice, I really have a desire to have a good excellent camera for video taping my daughters at home, indoors, school and outdoors, and of course indoor photo’s.  I would like to have one that I can grow with, use for nature/wildlife, scenic photo’s, close-ups and just everyday photography.  I would like to have the option if I wanted to enlarge a photo to 16 x 19 or so that I would have the option to do so with good results, my first choice was the Panasonic FZ200 but I was told that I should go with the D3100 or D5100 for the sensor size and they produce excellent low light video and photo quality.  I even thought about trying out the Canon SX50 since I work at Walmart and can get it for 10% off, or I could try the Nikon D3100 or D5100 with the same discount.  I know that the Nikons come with the 18-55 VR lens and that is O.K., for me it is if I get the Canon or Panasonic if I will regret it and wish I would have gotten the Nikon’s.  I realize know one can make the decision for me, I just need some good hard and sincere imput to try to influence me :). Hopefully one day I will have the opportunity to take some photo classes in college and getting into photography more but I’m sure that will if ever come later.  Thanks!

6:49 am - Monday, January 28, 2013

#123 Richard Hannam

To: Randy Swain #122
My suggestion would be to invest in some classes first. Then you will have the basic knowledge to make your own choice of equipment rather than be confused by the widely varying opinions of other folks which will only confuse you further.
The money you save by buying the right equipment will more than pay for your lessons!!

11:07 am - Monday, January 28, 2013

#124 hash50

I have a Lumix FZ-20 from 2005 which was the last Lumix with the great Leica constant f2.8 aperture 12x lens, and the pixel count was 5MP. I am very happy with the quality of the pictures (mainly due to the lens I suppose) I have taken with it. I was hoping Panasonic would come back with a constant f2.8 lens with a larger sensor and a smaller zoom, rather than the same sensor and twice the zoom. I doubt if the FZ-200 gives any better photos since they have packed 12MP in the same sensor size. I believe the low light performance of FZ-20 would be better (bigger pixels in 5MP) than FZ-200 although the resolution is slightly better(about 50% more pixels in each dimension) in the FZ-200.

1:05 pm - Monday, February 11, 2013

#125 Prakash Wadhwani

I have a Nikon D-90 with an 18-200 lens and consider myself a power-user. I’m a DJ & need to carry my camera to my gigs to shoot some stills in the extremely low-light / highly colored lighting + videos of people dancing & enjoying themselves within the above-mentioned lighting parameters.

My SLR (D-90) seems a little bulky to carry around & as such I’m looking for a super-zoom to fill the slot. I need stills taken (mostly without flash) to capture the heavily colored/tinted lighting projected by the array of DJ lights + videos of the same too.

I’ve been considering between the SX-50 & FZ-200 and since the 1200 reach is not that important for me I was sorta inclined towards the FZ-200 due to the f2.8 right throughout the focal length.

Q1) I’m a little wary as I’ve read the Panny is a little more noisy than the Canon.

Q2) Should I be considering any Fuji’s eg. FinePix SL1000 or HS30EXR or FinePix HS50EXR ?

Please note that of crucial importance to me is “pristine” picture quality with as less noise as possible as a lot of my shooting would be in the dark. Equally important is having great video. I’m also looking for a camera having a zoom of at least 25x & above.

I’d really appreciate some input from all you gurus here.

Rgds,
Prakash.

10:07 pm - Saturday, March 2, 2013

#126 Richard Hannam

To Prakash in reply to #125
In a nutshell, no superzoom will satisfy the requirements you have specified.
Only a DSLR or compact camera like the NEX 7 will do that.
You also seem to contradict yourself as you said, “...he 1200 reach is not that important…” but then said,”...I’m also looking for a camera having a zoom of at least 25x & above.”
Regards, Richard

10:50 pm - Saturday, March 2, 2013

#127 Prakash Wadhwani

Hi Richard ... Thx for your feedback. I don’t think I’ve contradicted myself. I’ve stated my main usage for the camera ... and also a minimum zoom requirement so that it satisfies some outdoor shooting on days when I don’t wanna carry my SLR around. Sort of a 1-stop-shop with a compromise on quality as compared to my DSLR.

If the zoom wasn’t so important I’d probably be going with a Canon G15 or something similar.

What I’d like is ... given the above parameters of my requirements, which of the cameras requested would come closest to satisfying them?

Thx for taking the time to answer.

Rgds,
Prakash.

12:57 am - Sunday, March 3, 2013

#128 Andy

How viable/practical is it to buy and attach a 1.7x magnification filter to the end of the FZ200’s lens, thus extending the Optical Zoom limit from 600mm to 1020mm, which would then compete with the Canon SX50HS (1200m) and the new Fujifilm HS50EXR (1000mm)?
Would this affect image quality or zoom-abilty of the lens- or just cost too much?

11:27 pm - Thursday, March 7, 2013

#129 Richard Hannam

In reply to Andy #128
As always, when you add to a lens, no matter how good the base lens & camera are, there will be some degradation in quality. Adding an extender to the FZ200 is reported to provide an acceptable result.

However, don’t forget that the FZ200’s 600mm zoom can be ‘pushed’ to 1200mm anyway. I’ve tried it & was surprised at the quality.

It all depends on how much quality you need with either method. I use a 1.5x extender on my Canon L class lenses. Even at this level of lens quality & dedicated extender , there is a noticeable albeit slight drop in quality.

11:46 pm - Thursday, March 7, 2013

#130 David

I cannot get my new Panasonic Lumix FZ200 to display on a UK Sony PAL TV by HDMI cable?
How do I tell if the camera is just for NTSC playback? I set it for PAL output.
Is the camera only designed for playback on a Panasonic TV?
What are the correct camera settings?
Thanks, David

11:33 am - Thursday, March 14, 2013

#131 Richard Hannam

In reply to David #130
The FZ200 displays quite happily on both PAL & NTSC so I guess you’re doing something wrong.
A lot of problems are caused by incompatible cables.
However, your best bet is to contact Panasonic. Their customer support is always excellent in my experience.

5:52 pm - Thursday, March 14, 2013

#132 JIM SMITH

I JUST PURCHASED APANASONIC FZ200 CAMERA AND I CANNOT FIND OUT HOW TO CANCEL THE DATE STAMP FEATURE SO IT IS OFF ALL THE TIME.I CANNOT CROP PICS MADE IN THE IA MODE DUE TO DATE STAMPING.I WANY TO TURN IT OFF.CAN SOMEONE HELP ME—-JOE PRETE OR ANYONE?THANKS.

3:16 am - Thursday, March 28, 2013

#133 Mary Rogers

Question: I’m fairly new to photography so forgive my ignorance/stupidity.  I notice that in Manual mode the FZ200 does not allow exposure compensation to be changed.  Even if I increase or decrease the exposure in say, P mode, then go back to M mode the exposure in this mode is not changed (it’s still set on 0). Any reason for this?

9:33 am - Thursday, March 28, 2013

#134 JOE PRETE

To Mary Rogers,
1)You should know that this is the very worst Camera choice for a beginner. The setting you seek is only found in Program, Aperture or Shutter Priority. It (might) be added by using one of your custom settings, but Panasonic isn’t very clear about that.

Reading from page 79, they call it “compensating the exposure”. Not a “Photographic” term. We call it “Exposure Compensation”. and it’s usually found in every mode on all other cameras. Panasonic makes everything from Auto radios to Vacuum cleaners, so it must be hard for them to relate.

2)Aside from building a high priced, difficult camera, they failed to hire an experienced writer for their owners guide. You just got the camera and like the YELLER before you,  you also found problems at the most basic of settings. I warn you, their Tech support knows about as much as you do about this Camera.

It seems, they did only one thing right. That is, license the use of Leica’s Lens formulas. My first warning, buy a camera you can pick up and use, I just spent a few months helping someone who didn’t have an option for tech support in India. Richard tried to help him too. He is a well educated Adult & Parent, so the problem can not be blamed on him. He just made the wrong choice. Now I warn you, there will be comments disputing everything here, you see they are investors, i.o.w.,They drank too much of Panasonic’s cool-aid so their only release is to drag others into the fire with them, so they boast about the camera. 

So I urge you to -
3)Return it while you can and buy a Canon, Nikon Fuji, Pentax Olympus or even Sony. Otherwise you will have an ulcer long before you master this camera. As good as they claim it is, it’s really very different from the rest of the world!  While I always recommend reading the full guide, you will have nothing but problems with this camera. I’m doing this over 40 years now, and I can use any other camera without even using the basic guide.
If you keep it, you will spend so much time reading that you won’t have time to use it.  I say to the people who will write in Panasonic’s defense, why didn’t you answer this woman’s question?  You should kindly ask Richard Hannam as a second opinion and then get something that’s much more “User Friendly” Before you spend all your days watching Graham Houghton’s
you tube videos.
Good Luck Mary Rogers,
... Joe Prete

11:38 pm - Thursday, March 28, 2013

#135 Joe Prete

To Mary Rogers,
I’ve replied to your question, but due to problems with the Moderator/Spam filter it’s not getting through. When this happens, we tend to trim them down a bit. Yesterday 6 variations printed on the L810 comments. If you want to email me I can Help you. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) You can send it anytime and I will respond same day. Unless you want to wait here. I assume Richard Had the same problem, He always tries to help. Whatever works for you.
Regards,
... Joe Prete

12:37 am - Friday, March 29, 2013