Did I make the right decision? My heart was set on Pana. FZ

[mweb]

dsuds wrote:

mweb wrote:

That's like saying a Ferrari is just like any other car if you discount the 12 cylinder motor. :lol:

I have an Pana FZ3 and love it, but I wanted to try and present a fair picture about the C770 as well. I think I did that without being biased one way or the other. Arguing "my brand is better than your brand" does no one any good, especially loriehall, who was looking for re-assurance that she made a good choice (and I think she did).

If i reverse your logic the Panaz20 is like a glorious V12 stuck in a Ford Pinto!:-)

[dsuds]

Thon,

I agree completely about the state of current digital cameras. You pretty much "get what you paid for" with the few better/worse than average units thrown in. And I would group both the Olympus C770 and the Panasonic FZ20 in the "better than average" category, which makes them both a good deal even at their current street prices.

Unfortunately, the reveiw sites only show the shots from the cameras in excellent conditions. Heck, anybody can get good shots on a bright sunny day with a $50 camera. If you want a real test, try shooting indoor basketball photos where even minor adjustments to the camera have a major impact on the quality of the photo. I have a feeling that a lot of manufacturer's hype would be uncovered in a head-to-head under these conditions.


mweb,

My whole point was that the saleman at your local camera shop was not giving you the whole story. Either that or his views are very biased. There are more features than just the Leica lens & IS on that separate the FZ20 from the "average compact". Full manual control including a real manual focus, 3 burst modes with fast processing, AF assist light, and many others make the FZ20 much better than the "Ford Pinto" in your analogy.

[mweb]

dsuds wrote:

mweb,

My whole point was that the saleman at your local camera shop was not giving you the whole story. Either that or his views are very biased. There are more features than just the Leica lens & IS on that separate the FZ20 from the "average compact". Full manual control including a real manual focus, 3 burst modes with fast processing, AF assist light, and many others make the FZ20 much better than the "Ford Pinto" in your analogy.

Actually i agree with you the z20 has a lot going for it, its just the UK price of £400 puts it in prosumer territory where i think it struggles?

[dsuds]

If you are comparing the FZ20 to prosumer cameras, then yes, it will not compare very well. But here in the US, most of the prosumer cameras are priced at least $200 higher (and approaching DSLR territory).

Example prices (USD):

$599 for Panasonic FZ20
$799 for Canon Powershot Pro1
$899 for Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2
$899 for Olympus C8080
$999 for Sony Cybershot DSC-F828
$999 for Nikon Coolpix 8800

[mweb]

dsuds wrote:

If you are comparing the FZ20 to prosumer cameras, then yes, it will not compare very well. But here in the US, most of the prosumer cameras are priced at least $200 higher (and approaching DSLR territory).

Example prices (USD):

$599 for Panasonic FZ20
$799 for Canon Powershot Pro1
$899 for Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2
$899 for Olympus C8080
$999 for Sony Cybershot DSC-F828
$999 for Nikon Coolpix 8800

The best price example i can give you relating to the above is that the Fuji s7000/s20 pro is £100 less than z20 and the f828 is only £100 more!! stiff competion.

[NickTrop]

You will regret your decision, and you know it. Doesn't matter how good the other camera is... Once you have your mind set on something, and you "settle" it will nag at you everytime you use the camera or not. Every flaw of the new camera will be magnified. My guess? You'll wind up selling it on eBay, taking a loss, any buying the Z-20 within 6 months. It's bugging you enough already, and you are paying the difference in mental anguish for "your deal", which - when framed this way, isn't really such a deal now is it?

This isn't a "camera" thing... widget A's price/spec vs widget B, and the object is inconsequential. This is a psychological issue... and one that can only be rectified by satiating your desire for object "A" by getting it... Object "B" - that you settled for, has the unenviable task of "winning you over". It won't be able to do that. You will know it the first time you miss a shot where a 12X zoom with image stabilization would have come in handy.

You blew it... Use the money you saved to buy kleenex to dry your tears, and you'll know better next time. You didn't "get the girl", and settled for her cute, nice, A-OK in every regard best friend... But, you'll never be able to shake the desire 100% for the woman you wanted, till you get her.

[Thon]

NickTrop wrote:

You will regret your decision, and you know it. Doesn't matter how good the other camera is... Once you have your mind set on something, and you "settle" it will nag at you everytime you use the camera or not. Every flaw of the new camera will be magnified. My guess? You'll wind up selling it on eBay, taking a loss, any buying the Z-20 within 6 months. It's bugging you enough already, and you are paying the difference in mental anguish for "your deal", which - when framed this way, isn't really such a deal now is it?

This isn't a "camera" thing... widget A's price/spec vs widget B, and the object is inconsequential. This is a psychological issue... and one that can only be rectified by satiating your desire for object "A" by getting it... Object "B" - that you settled for, has the unenviable task of "winning you over". It won't be able to do that. You will know it the first time you miss a shot where a 12X zoom with image stabilization would have come in handy.

You blew it... Use the money you saved to buy kleenex to dry your tears, and you'll know better next time. You didn't "get the girl", and settled for her cute, nice, A-OK in every regard best friend... But, you'll never be able to shake the desire 100% for the woman you wanted, till you get her.

This is a bit too much.

My best advice will be to maximize the use, if it really cannot perform to your expectation, then sell it or return it. In most cases, for the average casual photographer, the C770 is a decent piece of equipment. And I won't go on with the my camera is better than your camera routine... which some viewers might have.

I'd also wait a few more years then get a similar type of camera as a proper upgrade. By then the shutter lag and other nagging issues that you know today (and maybe got used to), will be a thing of the past. At least that's what I hope.

Thon

[ukcameraman]

Why do you think you made the wrong decision? It's still a camera capable of taking good shots. The real quality of the picture is not in the number of pixies inside or the colour of the strap, it's the brain behind the viewfinder.

The greatest photographers that ever lived used cameras that were thrown away by the thousand and replaced with ones with batteries. For me, that's Henri Cartier-Bresson but other people have other ideas.

Get out and take pictures and show yourself that actually, the quality of the sport is in what you do with it.

It's quality, not quantity.

Good luck, Steve