Camera Labs

Compact superzoom cameras are getting more advanced these days, and gaining the features of their bigger, 'bridge' camera cousins. So here is my rundown of the compact superzoom TZ10/ZS7 and the 'bridge' superzoom camera FZ35/FZ38. Hope it helps someone make a decision between these two


Main differences:
TZ10/ZS7
Smaller, more compact, able to fit in a large pocket
25-300mm (slightly wider wide-angle image but shorter 12x zoom)
No RAW compression
Shorter battery life (what if with GPS turned off?)
Bigger 3" LCD with 470k pixels
GPS, location info embedded in EXIF

FZ35/38
Bigger, need to be carried in a special pouch, and requires a lens cap (and maybe filter as protection? - highly subjective)
27-486mm (longer 18x zoom)
RAW compression
Longer battery life
Smaller 2.7" LCD with 230k pixels

Similarities to note:
1. Sensor size is the same, so essentially there'll be no significant difference in image quality.
2. Both has HD video recording.
3. Both has full manual controls over exposure, aperture.


My conclusion is that the main factors in deciding between both cameras is the size ('pocketability'), RAW compression, and zoom range.

I'm finding a hard time deciding between a true compact superzoom TZ series and the bigger superzoom FZ series. I've been waiting for the GPS feature in cameras for a while now, and I like that it is small enough to be carried around without a pouch. On the other hand, I'm not sure if I'll miss RAW compression (never really used it, but I'm just starting to get into digital photo-editing) and the extra zoom is certainly a bonus. Looks like for now I'm sticking with the FZ series only because I don't like compact cameras (used to bigger cameras )

Anyone else has any comment or question, or if I had any info wrong just post a reply

hi mate,

I never got round to starting that thread!!

I took the plunge and got the fz38 and im very glad I did. I was previously using a tz3 which i was happy with as a point and shoot but wanted a camera that i could record hd video on.

One of my main concerns was the size difference but i actually quite like it as i i find it less fiddly to hold than the tz series. The fz38 was lighter than i thought to.

Battery life is way above my expectations, i was lucky to get 250 shots on the tz3 and a friend who has bought the tz10 is lucky to get 200 shots out of one battery charge.

I took he camera out all weekend and took around 250 shots and the battery has still got 2 bars left.

Lack of gps does not really bother me tbh. I think its just a gimmick! I mean if you cant remember where you took the picture was it really worth capturing !!!

One of the gripes for me is that you must remember to take off the lens cap on startup as the lens will collide with it!

The HD video is amazing, I can plug the camera directly in to my 50'' panasonic viera plasma which is 720p. the quality is fantastic , i was very pleased with the sound too.

Heya

Just for discussion's sake, what made you decide on the FZ38? The TZ10 now has HD recording as well, and AFAIK the capabilities of FZ38 and TZ10 are virtually identically except for RAW, zoom, and GPS.

As Gordon said before, the FZ38 has a bigger battery so it's natural for it to have a longer battery life. That's a tradeoff for the size and unpocketability though (hey I just invented a word lol). And what if the GPS is turned off on TZ10, that should extend the battery life quite a bit if you don't need it.

Yeah I agree the GPS is just a gimmick (and real threat to privacy!). But my only reason for wanting a GPS is for geotagging, especially when out exploring new places/landscapes. It'll be nice to see all my pictures displayed on a map as well, rather than the traditional slideshow or grid view.

Glad to hear you're happy with the camera, I'm waiting for my FZ38 as well which should come tomorrow!

Hi I am also trying to decide between these two and all things considered it really is hard to decide.

As I am far from being an expert about digital cameras, I am having hard time figuring out the difference in image quality between these two, and it would really help me decide. If you compare specs of both cameras ( http://www.camera-catalog.com/compares/ ... x_dmc-fz38 ) it seems that they are actually pretty similar but there are some differences apart from ones that are already mentioned, so I would love to get some answers on some of my noobish questions:

- Which has the better image stabilizer (Optical (Sensor-Shift) VS Dual (Lens Shift))?
- Will the difference in lens aperture make huge difference in image quality?
- In Cameralabs video review of the TZ10 during the filming of the boat scene the image was jerking a bit and Gordon was actually quick to point it out. Would FZ38 be more stable in that situation?
- Is the FZ38 considerably better in lower light situations (not necessarily indoors but lets say when its overcast or if you are shooting in thick woods)
- Anything else anyone would like to add?

I just want to point out that the size is not that important to me, but I would rather go for the pocket size TZ10 if the image quality is pretty much equal.