Is the FZ35 inferior to the FZ28?

[dman777]

I want to sell my FZ28 and upgrade to the FZ35. Why? Because the auto focus takes half the time and I(an amateur) use mine mainly for concerts(Especially at night) and this will be a great benefit to me. But before I do, I need to know....sometimes a new model will be inferior to the old one. Is this the case with the FZ35? I want to make sure Panasonic retained the same picture quality the FZ28 had.

[Lazy Lens]

There are numerous threads on the FZ35 over on dpreview.com with a few featuring comparison pics between the two models of the same scene. The consensus appears to be that the FZ35 is just as good as, and better than in some respects, the FZ28.

If you shoot video at those concerts, you'll probably appreciate the 35's enhanced audio. Some people say the FZ35 is noisier (pic wise) than the 28; others say it isn't.

Check the pics up at flickr.com and compare.

You might try to find a dealer that will let you return it if you don't like it -- you'll be out shipping cost if mail ordered, obviously, and perhaps a restocking fee. Better yet, take an SD card to a local shop that has the 35, if there is one, take some pics with it and check 'em out at home.

I've also considered upgrading from my 28, but I may just wait it out till next year and see if the next FZ model, if there is one, will offer even more enhancements, such as true HD video.

[dman777]

i always thought anything over 400 iso was to noisy. if i'm this sensitive to noise, is the fz35 going to make me wish i kept the fz28? what is your personal opinion on the noise and the fz35 as compared to the fz28?

and most importantly, i like the z28 because i love the color characteristics/personality that the fz28 has. does the fz35 keep these same characteristics?

[Lazy Lens]

I find that ISO 400 is too noisy for my taste with non-dSLR cameras. Even ISO 160 on my FZ28 has noticeably more noise in low lighting than ISO 100. From what I've read, the FZ35 is about the same, with most owners recommending shooting at ISO 80 or 100 whenever possible. That said, the consensus seems to be that the FZ35 does very well with video in low lighting, outperforming the Canon SX20, for example. As usual, YMMV.

Some people prefer Canon's trademark color qualities, while others prefer a toned down look. Personally, I prefer my images to look closer to what I actually see with my own eyes, and I find my FZ28 is very close to that. I don't know why so many people complain about faded colors and having to bump up their saturation on the FZ28. I leave my saturation at 0 and the colors are vibrant when the subject's colors are vibrant. I did get a very late batch FZ28, just before the model was discontinued, so perhaps the firmware was tweaked a little in later batches.

I don't (yet) own an FZ35, so I can only go by what I read and images I view online. The 35 seems a capable camera and most people seem happy with theirs. If the price drops to around $250-$275, I'll probably buy one myself. I'm assuming we'll see the lowest prices around Christmas time.