Camera Labs

Well I thought the VAT is around 17%, so $360+17%=$421 +30$ just for fun and we have the same price. And probably for $30 nobody will deliver a camera. (I calculated with the Sony price).
But anyway, I read another thread about the H50, and it says that sometimes there is a soft spot in the picture :\
So, no dubt I will wait until Panasonic DMC-FZ28 arrives here, at least I have time to read many articles.

First Impression video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI0d6YxFs_Y

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I'm from Denmark so my english is not perfect, but I'm trying

bentn, thanks for the video on the FZ28. I also found one by the same reviewer on the LX3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdQxZUrMjsk

Fred

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Frederick W. Chapman: Consultant & Scientist @ F.W. Chapman Solutions / Expertise in Web Design, Digital Imaging, E-Learning, Math & Comp Sci / www.fwchapman.com

Cameras: Oly E-P1; Pan G1, FZ28, LZ10 | FT Lenses: Oly 50mm f/2.0; Sig 18-50mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 | MFT Lenses: Pan 20mm f/1.7, 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6, 45-200mm f/4-5.6

Here's a review for the fz28 -

FZ-28 Review by Trusted Reviews

The reviewer finds it a very good camera, declaring it to be the best of the current superzooms (as I'm predicting Gordon will do whenever he gets his hands on one).

Your welcome, Fred, thanks for the LX3 link but it's not really a camera for me.

Jacen...thanks for the URL I will read it now!

Here is more news about the FZ28 too

http://artzen2.com/artzen2-0090.htm

http://artzen2.com/artzen2-0089.htm

take care, bentn

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I'm from Denmark so my english is not perfect, but I'm trying

I really didn't see this one coming. I just checked prices for the FZ18 on Amazon.com, and much to my amazement, the prices are going up! My favorite online camera seller, Vanns.com (a reputable discount seller which is rated very highly by customers on Amazon.com, PriceGrabber.com, and ResellerRatings.com) says "The Panasonic DMC-FZ18K is no longer available for purchase." Perhaps Vann's is a harbinger of what is to come, now that online resellers are starting to offer the FZ28.

Only a week ago, the FZ18 was selling for around US$300 on Amazon.com, PriceGrabber.com, and Vanns.com. Now the price on Amazon.com is well over US$400. One crazy Amazon retailer (Toyzz) is now selling the FZ18 for over US$1000 -- go figure! In contrast, the FZ28 is available from Vann's for around US$390.

I guess there won't be deep discounts on the FZ18 now that the FZ28 is on the scene. I was already leaning towards the FZ28 anyway, and market forces have now made my decision even easier!

Fred

_________________
Frederick W. Chapman: Consultant & Scientist @ F.W. Chapman Solutions / Expertise in Web Design, Digital Imaging, E-Learning, Math & Comp Sci / www.fwchapman.com

Cameras: Oly E-P1; Pan G1, FZ28, LZ10 | FT Lenses: Oly 50mm f/2.0; Sig 18-50mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 | MFT Lenses: Pan 20mm f/1.7, 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6, 45-200mm f/4-5.6

How good are the manual control vs G9 or coming G10?

I'm not sure what you mean by manual control mate, but the fz28 offers the standard manual shooting modes ie. Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual & Program Mode. It also features 2 customizable shooting modes called "C1 & C2" respectively which can be preset to whatever manner of personal settings you find most desirable.

You can also manually set the ISO along with the exposure compensation (+-2ev in 1/3 stops) & ofcourse there's the basic image parameters such as noise-reduction, sharpening, contrast, colour-saturation etc... all of which can be altered.

I don't think i'd be speaking wrongly if I said that the fz28 (along with many other cameras of this segment or the Canon G9 / Nikon P6000 / Panny LX-3... segment) offer all the manual control that their SLR counterparts would.

I wouldn't worry about that too much Fred, it's a rather recognizable trend pattern that tends to follow such events in general. The FZ18 was a successful product, touted as the best of its' class by many reputed review-sites (including cameralabs) so on discovering that it's being discontinued, people (who in most probability would be switching over to the FZ28 themselves) are simply to trying to cash in on whats suddenly become a rare item.

I don't think there will be a significant number of people who will feel strongly enough towards the fz18 to purchase it at a price higher than what it's upgrade is costing... Eventually, the sellers will realize this & the prices will fall back to an understandable level ($250 - $280, is my guess).

This manner of cost-manipulation can only work (and to a certain extant at that) on products that are truly discontinued. For example, if a year from now the LX-3 is declared the last of its series because it will be replaced by a new format (the micro four thirds for-example) then people might suddenly see the LX-3 selling for $500 again, and very probably higher still. (Note that in all probability the FZ50 will go through this exact scenario rather sooner as Panasonic is rumored to be releasing the FZ-50 upgrade in the way of new series of m4/3 bridge camera sometime in September itself)

Ok guys couldn't resist.

Just bought it at an absurd price of 439€. Multiply that by 1.51 and you have the price in US $

I just made a quick movie because there was some talk about the autofocus not working when zooming.... not true

This is from my messy livingroom, just got back from a worktrip from Italy.
The lego duplo box is about 6.5meters away (about 20 feet)
You can actually see the stabilisation working, as I said quick test

I also converted it to xvid not so high Q

http://luc.dommel.be/panasonic/fz28.avi

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Jacen, thanks for reassuring me that the market has not gone mad! Your comment below raises a new and interesting question...


The FZ50 seemed like a serious camera, but it had some problems (as the Camera Labs review pointed out). I wonder if the successor to the FZ50 would be worth waiting for as an alternative to the FZ28.

What would likely be gained or lost by choosing the FZ50 successor over the FZ28?

Fred

_________________
Frederick W. Chapman: Consultant & Scientist @ F.W. Chapman Solutions / Expertise in Web Design, Digital Imaging, E-Learning, Math & Comp Sci / www.fwchapman.com

Cameras: Oly E-P1; Pan G1, FZ28, LZ10 | FT Lenses: Oly 50mm f/2.0; Sig 18-50mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 | MFT Lenses: Pan 20mm f/1.7, 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6, 45-200mm f/4-5.6

Luc,

Congratulations on getting your new FZ28!

Thanks for posting that demo video. Concerning whether the autofocus works during zooming, I did notice when you zoomed in to the Lego box from across the room, it seemed like it zoomed first and then focused after you stopped zooming. It's pretty cool to watch the autofocus in action, and I imagine it could be used to great artistic effect (especially when punctuated by the right kind of scary music).

I'm wondering, though, are there different zoom speeds? If you zoom at the slowest speed, does the camera adjust focus continually throughout the zoom?

Fred

_________________
Frederick W. Chapman: Consultant & Scientist @ F.W. Chapman Solutions / Expertise in Web Design, Digital Imaging, E-Learning, Math & Comp Sci / www.fwchapman.com

Cameras: Oly E-P1; Pan G1, FZ28, LZ10 | FT Lenses: Oly 50mm f/2.0; Sig 18-50mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 | MFT Lenses: Pan 20mm f/1.7, 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6, 45-200mm f/4-5.6

Since I posted this question, I read a bunch of speculation on the web about a possible successor to the FZ50. A lot of people seem to feel that there isn't going to be one. The FZ50 has been out for two years. Panasonic just announced a bunch of new cameras this summer, and a successor to the FZ50 wasn't among them. Perhaps instead of a direct successor, there will be a new micro 4/3 camera of some kind, as Jacen suggested. In the absence of announcement from Panasonic, I don't think I'll wait for something which might not exist for quite some time, if ever.

After reading the Camera Labs review of the FZ50, I never gave any serious consideration to getting the FZ50. Why would a person choose the current FZ50 over the new FZ28 -- what would be gained or lost by doing so?

I am still sorely tempted by the LX3, though I can't help wondering if the FZ28 with a wide angle converter lens and a slave flash wouldn't do just as well as the LX3 for taking architectural photos (interiors and exteriors) which are meant to be posted on business websites rather than physically printed. Any thoughts?

Fred

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Frederick W. Chapman: Consultant & Scientist @ F.W. Chapman Solutions / Expertise in Web Design, Digital Imaging, E-Learning, Math & Comp Sci / www.fwchapman.com

Cameras: Oly E-P1; Pan G1, FZ28, LZ10 | FT Lenses: Oly 50mm f/2.0; Sig 18-50mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 | MFT Lenses: Pan 20mm f/1.7, 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6, 45-200mm f/4-5.6

Good question.

Before I answer, I must point out that the FZ50 successor that I'm implying is still a "rumor". Let me also apologize for such a long post, but it's 3:30am for me & I think my editing skills diminish considerably around the 3am mark...

So the facts are these, The FZ50 "ought" to have had an upgrade a long time ago, as its' two generations behind. Panasonic is (along with Olympus) launching the micro four-thirds camera system. Panasonic has invited (in certain select markets only) camera-journalists for the launch a scintillating new camera before Photonika. And finally Photonika is happening in September, and Panasonic & Olympus (either, or both) need to have some form of a working model available for Photonika.

Now its all this (and a whole bunch of other rumors) is what leads me & others to believe that there is going to be a micro four thirds successor to the FZ50.

Right...
Now why you should or shouldn't be waiting for this basically comes down to the same argument on why you should or shouldn't be getting a four-thirds dSLR (like the excellent E-420 by Olympus) instead of the FZ-28.

[Please note, personal opinions & biases may follow]

What the micro four thirds successor would allow, would be vastly improved IQ over the fz-28, at a cost of... well just "at a cost" should suffice.

You would need to invest heavily in lenses, and I can promise you that if Panasonic's dSLR record is any indication, the camera itself will cost a small fortune.

For me personally, the decision to go for the fz28 (or the bridge segment altogether) was based on two factors...

First off, I wanted a camera that I could happily take with me wherever I went. Carrying a backpack full of lenses & converters & filters & a significantly large dSLR for a walk 'round the block just didn't allow me that sort of freedom. Secondly, I needed something that could allow me to grow in my appreciation & capability as a photographer without it costing an obscene amount of money that I would feel guilty over not recovering... (and getting hand-held stabilized lenses that would equal the 27mm-486mm range of the fz28 would indeed be an obscene amount for a hobby, IMO)

So while the micro four thirds potentially eliminates the first of my problems, I am rather certain it would multiply the second tenfold. I have seen many images from the fz28, along with earlier fz series cameras & other popular bridge cameras & I don't consider them too inferior to dSLR shots & a'least in developing my skill, I don't think I need a dSLR (full frame, standard, four thirds or micro four thirds).

And finally,
*IF* Panasonic actually does release a micro four thirds for Photonika, it would be a first generation camera with little to no third party support or industry standard benchmarks to test its' mettle against. In 2-3 years, if I do still enjoy photography as much as I presume I would, then I would love to indulge myself with a 2nd or 3rd generation variant of the micro four thirds offering by Panasonic or Olympus (or even Leica, if some rumors are to be believed)... but as it stands today, unless Panasonic launches a $500 micro four thirds with 27mm-200mm kit . . I won't be biting my words & regretting my decision.

I hope something in all the above managed to come across cohesively enough to help you Fred... If not, let me know I'll try to go through it again sometime in the morning.

Regards

Jacen, thanks very much for all your analysis and advice -- I definitely found it helpful. I think the micro 4/3 business is not something I want to get involved with, for all the reasons you mentioned. I guess my choice once again comes down to FZ28 or LX3.

I just noticed that the LX3 allows for a hotshoe TTL flash, but those are really expensive. I could get the Olympus FL-50R TTL flash (which is supposed to be fully compatible with the Panasonic DMW-FL500 TTL flash, both with Guide Number 50 meters), for under US$400 (instead of over US$500 for the Panasonic). For that amount of money, I could get another camera (the FZ28)!

Are TTL flash units really worth the considerable expense compared to, say, a slave flash unit like the DigiSlave 3000 (Guide Number 110 feet = 33.52800 meters, US$130)?

Fred

_________________
Frederick W. Chapman: Consultant & Scientist @ F.W. Chapman Solutions / Expertise in Web Design, Digital Imaging, E-Learning, Math & Comp Sci / www.fwchapman.com

Cameras: Oly E-P1; Pan G1, FZ28, LZ10 | FT Lenses: Oly 50mm f/2.0; Sig 18-50mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 | MFT Lenses: Pan 20mm f/1.7, 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6, 45-200mm f/4-5.6