FZ 20 lcd or evf in low light and shutter release for FZ20

[Julian Flavell]

Tapachula, Mexico

I'm considering buying the Panasonic FZ20 for otter photography . Some photoes will be in low light conditions. I have read that tyhe EVF and LCD do not gain up. Will I be able to see my subject in low light conditions, eg moonlit nights, dusk or dawn? Also, is a shutter release available for FZ20My oher choice is Canon S2 IS but I believe the FZ20 produces better images and performs better in low light conditions. Any comments welcome.



Gracias !

[genece]

As much as I like the FZ cameras ..you can not take photos of otters in the moon light.




And you could not do that with any ultrazoom .





Dusk and dawn Maybe , but your asking a lot.

[pgomes]

Panasonic makes a wired shutter release for the FZ20. This is what it looks like:
http://www2.panasonic.com/static/models/dmw-rs1.jpg

You can buy it from their online store for $15.56. Go to:
http://www.pasc.panasonic.com/Epartr...ListChoice.asp
...and enter "VYC0913" for the part number (no quotes).

I got mine from them and had it in less than a week.

If you think Phayee is a cooler brand, you can get theirs:
http://www.b-300.com/cable.jpg
...for $17.50, here:
http://www.b-300.com/fz10ac.html
This same site sells a 40" (12 meters) extension, that works with either cable, for $10.

As far as low light shots, I agree with genece, you're probably wishing for too much. Unless you're talking about a long exposure, with a tripod...

[fmoore]

Julian Flavell wrote:

I'm considering buying the Panasonic FZ20 for otter photography . Some photoes will be in low light conditions. I have read that tyhe EVF and LCD do not gain up. Will I be able to see my subject in low light conditions, eg moonlit nights, dusk or dawn?

The gain-up (or lack of it)issue does not come into play until you half-press the shutter button to lock exposure and focus. At that point the lcd/evf goes dark. Until you do that, you can see the subject okay in the available light. Obviously the shutter speed is going to be quite slow. Let's hope the otters are as well.

[squirl033]

fmoore wrote:

Julian Flavell wrote:

The gain-up (or lack of it)issue does not come into play until you half-press the shutter button to lock exposure and focus. At that point the lcd/evf goes dark. Until you do that, you can see the subject okay in the available light. Obviously the shutter speed is going to be quite slow. Let's hope the otters are as well.

when you half-press the shutter on the FZ20 in low light, the display dims slightly, but doesn't go dark; you can still see through it, almost as well as without pressing the shutter. the only time it really goes dark is when you snap the picture; it blacks out while the camera records the image. this is a problem with pan shots, etc, but is not an issue with still photography.