Olympus 8080 vs. Panasonic FZ20 ??

Hello all,
I've narrowed down my decision between the two cameras. I like the
Olympus because of the 8mp and the quality seems to be good, but the
zoom isn't quite there. I like the Panasonic because of the zoom but
it's only 5mp. I do some cropping but not too much and I do like to do
some Photoshop adjustments.

Any comments either way? A friends has the 8080 and I've tried it and I
like it but again, the zoom isn't there. I think I can add a lens but I
believe that would sacrifice quality.

I'm not really a manual, do it yourself shooter, just a notch or two
above the typical P&S.

Thanks for the help

Paula

Paula Sims wrote:
Hello all,
I've narrowed down my decision between the two cameras. I like the
Olympus because of the 8mp and the quality seems to be good, but the
zoom isn't quite there. I like the Panasonic because of the zoom but
it's only 5mp. I do some cropping but not too much and I do like to do
some Photoshop adjustments.

Any comments either way? A friends has the 8080 and I've tried it and
I like it but again, the zoom isn't there. I think I can add a lens
but I believe that would sacrifice quality.

I'm not really a manual, do it yourself shooter, just a notch or two
above the typical P&S.

Thanks for the help

Paula

I think you have the differences well summarised. The Olympus has a
semi-swivel LCD and a coverage nearer the wider end, the FZ20 (and
particularly the FZ5) is a lighter and perhaps more compact camera biased
towards the longer end of the zoom range. The Olympus can do bigger
movies, but only at 15 fps. The linear pixel density is only about 26%
greater in the 8MP camera.

If everything else is equal, you might try both cameras in the shop and
see which you like the feel of best. I tried the Minolta A2 but didn't
like it - I'm delighted with the Panasonic FZ5 I currently have.

Cheers,
Davud

Even as a happy 8080 owner... if you want the telephoto end, go for the
Panasonic - the extra length plus IS creates a clear winner for long
shots. I've had a brief play with the panasonic, and seen it's results
in the hands of a good shooter for surf photography, and they were very
good indeed. It doesn't feel as bulletproof as the Oly, but it is
still a very solid and nicely built camera.

If you are not so fussed about the telephoto stuff, and want to print
sharp stuff larger than 11x8, then the Olympus has the advantage...

Paula Sims wrote:
Hello all,
I've narrowed down my decision between the two cameras. I like the
Olympus because of the 8mp and the quality seems to be good, but the
zoom isn't quite there. I like the Panasonic because of the zoom but
it's only 5mp. I do some cropping but not too much and I do like to do
some Photoshop adjustments.

Any comments either way? A friends has the 8080 and I've tried it and I
like it but again, the zoom isn't there. I think I can add a lens but I
believe that would sacrifice quality.

I'm not really a manual, do it yourself shooter, just a notch or two
above the typical P&S.
Thanks for the help Paula

Paula, I've kicked around the same interest/concerns in both of these
cameras. I just saw the post today in this same NG on the upcoming
Panasonic FZ30 camera. Pretty much a dream camera for me (just looking
at the specs). Now if Panasonic could just find a way to put the FZ30
in a nice magnesium chassis like the Oly 8080, that would be my
ultimate camera. Good luck, TR