[Recovered Thread: 82560]

[rduve]

HarjTT wrote:

Narmer

Interesting post and thanks for starting it. Personally, I would like to see an even faster lens f2.0 to say 3.3 at the tele end even if it meant it was larger - heck I've been asking for a bigger lens diameter for ages!

A larger sensor would be good - a 1" CMOS or CCD would be pretty unique @ say 7-8MP would produce less noise and give better shallow DOF. We'd loose the 12x optical but I'd bee happy witha 8x zoom esp with a noise free ISO400 and pretty good ISO800. As far as I'm aware nobody manufactures a 1" sensor, so that could be the next stage for the prosumers but Sony's R1 may have changed things for good.

I'm with squirrl on the Panasonic 4/3rds bit - if the cam's specs are as the rumours say it will be - 4/3 CMOS sensor, EVF (High res 0.5MP - 1MP) and will come with 3 Leica designed lenses I will be seriously looking at picking one fo those up come May 2006 when they go on sale. Obviously the lenses are not going to be top quality lecia glass ( no that would scare any prospective buyer) but they will be better than your kit canon, Nikon and perhaps even the Oly Zukio lenses. As Panas' going for an EVF we may have a smaller DSLR and smaller sized lenses.

There's more but I've been at work for 12hours and my brains fried and its time to go home.

Cheers

HarjTT

After just recently buying my FZ30 while still waiting for DSLR's to come down, I got a deal on ebay, I could not refuse: A Minolta Maxxum 5D including two zoom lenses (18-70 and 75-300 mm) + high speed 512 MB CF card + a large camera bag holding everything, all for $649. Now, I got both, the Minolta 5D and the Panasonic FZ30. The Minolta really has everything we are looking for: large sensor, CCD-based image-stabilization, unlimited lens range, TTL flash system, DSLR Image quality. Now I got two great cameras, and I don't want to give up either.

Advantages of the FZ30: a lot more compact than the Minolta with a long zoom lens. No need to switch lenses. Brighter, flexibleLCD screen. High image quality in well lit conditions.

Advantages of the 5D: larger, noise free CCD; smaller depth of field, resulting in a more spatial, 3D kind of view; faster, predictive focusing for fast action, no image freeze in the viewfinder. Abililty to expand lens collection. Good low light abilities with ISO up to 3200. In camera IS, avoiding the high cost of image stabilized lenses.

So, I just spent way over $1200 over thee last couple of months in cameras. I don't find that the DSLR "blows away" the FZ30 under most circumstances. However, there are moments where it is clearly superior, such as in action shots, where the camera keeps a fast moving object in focus even if it is coming toward you. That's a weak point on all non-DSLR digicams. And I love the background blur effect that can only be achieved with a larger sensor.

In any case, I don't know why we are waiting for Panasonic to develop a DSLR when Minolta created one that is already affordable with all the features one can dream of (other than the live LCD which was just introduced by Olympus)....

As far as the FZ line is concerned. It won't get much better than the FZ30, maybe a little less noise, but I think the FZ30 is a state-of the art camera.

[genece]

However, there are moments where it is clearly superior, such as in action shots, where the camera keeps a fast moving object in focus even if it is coming toward you. That's a weak point on all non-DSLR digicams. And I love the background blur effect that can only be achieved with a larger sensor.

Predictive autofocus and a cleaner ISO400 and ausable 800 , and a couple more external buttons (raw,ISO, digital zoom)would make the FZ30 about perfect in my opinion.

[armadilloshield]

Look like many users interested to see what FZ40 to be, hopefully Panasonic R&D team read this forum, and incooperate some new feature into FZ40 :idea:

[Narmer]

I agree, HarjTT.
The sad thing is that owing to the "more megapixels race" the camera resolution will be always too much pushed/ overpressed in comparison with the CCD size. FZ30 must be more noise free at 5Mp, and I am sure FZ20 is at 3Mp, although not really clean.

There is a tendency to "snob" the Noise issue on FZs saying it is not much above average.
There are really many reasons for which I d like to have a noise free ISO 80, comparable to Canon P&S @ iso 100 (although IQ is also else than noise, i.e. color accuracy, res, lack of CA...). And noise is easier to correct/remove than other umageissues.

If more people will lament about noise, maybe Lumix will TRY to get rid of it, instead of offering more and more MP.

RDUVE
I know what it means looking in an optical VF through the dSLR lenses. Great sensation.
Alos the 3D effects (less DOF and higher ability in defocussing FG or BG areas) and general more color accuracy and noise free images are a great thing.

The problem is always the portability, especially for me, in excursions where the more you are heavy the more the effort in walking and the care for an expensive kit...

Narmer

[hkj]

Now we know that FZ40 will have new processor (Venus Engine III) and that also means ISO 1600 or even higher than that. That also means faster and better AF, less noise on lower ISO, better battery endurance, propably 2.5" LCD, faster continuous drive, joystick from FZ7/LX1 and maybe all new CCD from Matsushita (I think Matsushita is part of Panasonic?). Because there is lots of new stuff in the camera I think we will not see it before August/September (maybe announced in July like FZ20 and FZ30).

I think it is going to be great camera!

[squirl033]

hkj wrote:

Now we know that FZ40 will have new processor (Venus Engine III) and that also means ISO 1600 or even higher than that. That also means faster and better AF, less noise on lower ISO, better battery endurance, propably 2.5" LCD, faster continuous drive, joystick from FZ7/LX1 and maybe all new CCD from Matsushita (I think Matsushita is part of Panasonic?). Because there is lots of new stuff in the camera I think we will not see it before August/September (maybe announced in July like FZ20 and FZ30).

I think it is going to be great camera!

how do "we know" this? have you seen some advance specs? i'd love to think Pany actually is doing somethingto seriously reduce noise, improve AF speed amd give us higher ISO options... and still keep the 12x Leica optics. does your crystal ball say anything about that annoying EVF freeze-up, or perhaps some sort of focus-distance indicator?

Actually, Matsushita owns Panasonic...

[hkj]

Based on TZ1 and other new models... So it is not fact but quite sure.

[zygh]

Panasonic is a Matsushita corporation trademark, as far as I know.

I also saw the specs for the TZ1 and, to be frank, I am quite blown away.
If the FZ40 will start from those base specs than the future is bright... as far as Pana camera customers are concerned.

Speaking for myself, I'd like to see some real night mode capabilities on the FZ40, something in the likes of the Sony DSC-V3's night mode function.
Other than that, I would as well like to see less noise at higher ISOs and perhaps better action shooting capabilities.

I can hardly wait to see what Panny comes up with for the FZ40!

[eddie_dane]

I'm really quite happy with the AF on the FZ-30, I'm finding it hard to imagine it improved. :?

[Narmer]

I only hope Panasonic won't deliberately cripple FZ40 in order not to concur with the new pseudo-dSLR 'Panalympus' camera.

Ans about the latter, although I know it's not serious to judge something without having tried it and without even knowing the specs, sincerely I 'd never but such a cam when there is Canon and Nikon, Minolta ... doing it from years...

FZ UZ are far better than Canon, but dSLR is another world