"John Navas" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:19:28 -0500, "Neil Harrington"
wrote in
:

"John Navas" wrote in message
. ..

Don't look now, but "prosumer" level compacts by Panasonic equipped with
superb Leica lenses are going strong.

I'm glad to hear it. Panasonic does make an excellent product. I've had an
FZ15 for a few years now and I agree, the Leica lens (probably should be
"Leica" in quotes, but still) is excellent. On my model it's 35-420mm
(equiv.) stabilized and f/2.8 *all the way* which is very nice indeed.

Since the lens is designed by Leica and built to Leica standards, I'd
personally say it's a Leica (without quotes).

Well, "designed by Leica" is one thing and "built to Leica standards" is
another. You think E. Leitz has real Leitz employees scrupulously inspecting
every "Leica" lens made somewhere in eastern or southeastern Asia?

But Leica or "Leica," it's an excellent lens anyway and I said so. Panasonic
makes good stuff.


Still, there's only so much you can do with that small CCD, and the very
best EVF you can get is no joy compared to a real mirror reflex viewinder.
These I think are the chief shortcomings of the "prosumer" compact
compared
to a DSLR.

Current EVF have gotten very good, and can now do things that can't be
done with an optical viewfinder, including 100% image, visible image in
very low light, and magnification while focusing, not to mention image
replay.

You bet. Now if they could only do half those things with anything
approaching the clarity of a real reflex viewfinder system, what a wonderful
world this would be.

Neil