[Recovered Thread: 82560]

[KENNETHD]

Ha ha....waiting for a new panny is worse than an expectant father in the delivery room. Me I don't care. I wannnnnt a bigger ccd....and MORE pixels. (and less noise...) I know, iknow, I'm dodging rocks and stones already for saying more MP's but what can I say, I love to crop. Look, you'd have to be from another planet not to have heard all the feedback. Panansonic surely must know many many of us will pay to get what we want. Er....but don't extort us...I hope they just blow the doors off everything current and come up with a mindbender of a cam. (mindbender...as in...something to blow your mind....in which case I'll quit shaving, drag out my 60's/70's duds from hiding, grow my hair long and light up a joint) Right dude?

Kd


Oh. yeah, an I'll untie Janis Joplin give'er some southern comfort, and bring'er outa my basement. Then we'll rock the casbah...!!!

[Manskow]

I am also very satisfied with my FZ30. I had the choice between Fuji S9500, Samsungs Pro815 and Pany FZ30. After a long way of comparization,I found this items to be winning :

• The combination of 2" LCD w/235K points and fully turnable (115K on S9500 and 235K on Pro815, but on a large 3.5") [/*]
• App. 400mm on tele (300 on S9500 was to less for me) [/*]
• The lens do not extend when zooming (S9500 extends moderately, Pro815 gets huuuuge) [/*]
• Image stabilizer (the only one of them) [/*]
• Best aperture at tele (3.5 against 4.6 on the others) [/*]
• 2 adjustment wheels (S9500 one, Pro815 two) [/*]
• Lightest weight (740g against 755 g and 1068 g)[/*]

I have only one serious issue to be fixed on a new model, and that is the noise. I only use ISO 80 and 100. 200 and 400 is practically useless, unless in emergency cases, to get the picture of the big elk just passing trough...

I have previous had two Olympus ultrazooms, the C700 and the C-750 and loved them. But the feeling with manual rings for zoom and focus is just great, along with the short startup time reduced from 5 sec. to 1 sec, due to no motor zoom.

So if I am going to buy the next FZ, Panny has to do someting serious with the noise issue. And as many of you says, it only means one thing: do NOT fall in the megapixel trap, stay at 8 MP, or reduce to 7 MP, and increase the sensor significant. Thake the challenge, Panasonic, and release a new FZ with stunning noice levels, leaving the others far behind and wipe out the arguments for going for dSLR.

-Trond,
Norway

[HarjTT]

Francesco

I seriously hope that Pana do not use the same 1/1.8" CCD and then add another 2MP to the '30s replacement. They should increase the sensor size to 2/3 - 1/1.6" and keep that at 8MP or drop it may be to 7MP and stick a larger lens on the cam but with a short zoom a 300-350mm. That would make the FZ an even better cam then it already is or how about sticking a 4/3 LIVEMOS CCD into the body!

If they just increase the MP count then I will give the 40 a miss and just look at the Sony R1/R2(if it arrives) or the DSLRs.

Cheers

HarjTT

:?

[zygh]

HarjTT wrote:

LIVEMOS CCD into the body!

You mean like the Oly E330? That is a dreadful dSLR! Too bad Panny decided to go on thatroute with their L1. I find it very unlikely the FZ30's successor willswing that way.

I just hope the CCD sensor of the FZ40 remains but increases in size and the megapixel count stays the same. Few really need above 8MP. But the main thing is, Panny should work on their in-camera noise handling. Looking at rival Fujifilm, I think they did an awesome job at it with their SuperCCD technology.

The R1 is a terrible camera. As expensive as an entry-level dSLR with kit lenses. I'd much rather prefer a dSLR to that weird experiment that is the R1. If the R1 sold under 600$, then it would be worth the price.

[HarjTT]

The ergonomics on the R1 may be terrible and it odes have other issues such as slow RAW and AF but within its 24-120mm focal range it is pretty special easily better than ever other digicam out on the market. the only digicam that cam produce just as good pics is the Pana LC1/Digilux 2 but then your comparing a 10MP cam and against a 2 year old 5MP cam. Every review on the R1 whether by Steve, Phil at Dpr or Dave over at Imaging resource have really praised the cam - the combination of that high quality glass and APS-C sensor is as easily as good as comparable DSLR's. Here's some quote from one of the reviews (you simply cannot compare an entry level dslr+kit lens to the R1):

"On the other hand though, achieving the optical performance of the R1's lens with a conventional removable-lens SLR would cost literally thousands of dollars in high-end glass."

"If you can live within its 24-120mm effective focal length range though, the combination of lens and camera can't be equalled for less than three or four times its selling price of $999."

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/R1/R1A13.HTM

"As an alternative to dSLRs, the R1 offers enthusiasts terrific image quality, good shooting performance and 10-megapixels of resolution without the complexities of interchangeable lenses and the inevitable presence of dust on a dSLRs image sensor. If the R1's fixed 24-120mm lens meets your image composition needs, you may have found the 2006 version of digicam nirvana"

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/r1_pg5.html

Regards the LiveMOS sensor - it may not be brilliant but it is better than the previous kodak developed 4/3CCD found in the E300/E500/E1 and upto ISO400 as good as the Canon CMOS and the Sony developed APS-C sensors found in the other SLR's. I doubt whether Pana would use the 4/3 CMOS but thought it could be a possibilty. A larger sensor would definetly be a must and at the same 8MP for any FZ30 replacement. There's still several months to go before the L1 arrives so I'm holding judgement until then. I've played with the E330 and its a nice DSLR but in my opinion too expensive for what it is.

Cheers

HarjTT

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