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Convert to the FZ30



 
 
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  #11  
Old May 20th 06, 01:36 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
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Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30



F wrote:

On 19/05/2006 16:43 Grumpy AuContraire wrote:

Of course, the FZ 30 may have overcome some of these drawbacks


I'll know in around three weeks time as I'll be in Kenya with my FZ30.

--
Frank
(Beware of spam trap - remove the negative)




Look forward to hearing of your results and adventures..

JT
  #12  
Old May 20th 06, 06:32 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
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Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30

On Sat, 20 May 2006 00:35:26 GMT
Grumpy AuContraire wrote:



Paul Allen wrote:

On Fri, 19 May 2006 15:43:28 GMT
Grumpy AuContraire wrote:

Too slow in response and less-than-accurate auto focus.


Interesting. I would have put "too short a lens" first on the list.
I use an old Oly C700 with a long end equivalent to something like
380mm. For bird photography, I've wished for a lens two or three
times that long. Shutter lag and autofocus accuracy are also
problems, but the inability to get close enough is the killer for
me.


The FZ 10's 12x zoom fully extended is (I believe) over 400 MM. At
that focal length, there is some chromatic abberration that is
annoying. The problem is when shooting long, the auto focus can lock
onto an object such as a tree limb that is in the path thus blowing
sharp focus on the target.


Dpreview's writeup on the FZ20 mentions a little CA at the long end
of the telephoto with wide apertures. Stopping down a bit would fix
it, but I generally need all the speed I can get at the long end of
the lens. sigh

My C700 often locks focus on something not in the subject plane, and
I can't tell it's happening because of the low resolution of the EVF
and the LCD. I'd expect the FZ30 to be somewhat better in that regard
because it's got about 1.4x the linear pixel resolution on both the
EVF and the 2" screen. (Not more accurate autofocus, but more obvious
when it's messing up.)

Don't get me wrong, I like the camera (FZ 10) but the Leica M
rangefinder is quick and deadly accurate. The rest depends on
your "trigger" finger.


The FZ10 has a really sweet manual focus compared to the menu-and-
joystick contraption on my C700. What happens to the shutter lag
if you turn off the autofocus and use that neat ring on the lens?
I'm tempted to ask what happens if you switch to full-manual
exposure, but I guess trading the auto-exposure lag for fiddling
with the joystick might not work out well.


I did try manual focus when I first got the camera about a year ago.
I found it cumbersome with the digital viewfinder even with the center
focusing aid. I don't remember if it had an effect on shutter lag
though.


Hmmm... I borrowed an FZ10 a year or so ago and found its manual focus
to be delightful. Almost as nice as the split-prism focuser on my old
OM-2n. (But I also remember my wife fidgeting at having to sit still
while I fiddled with focus and exposure on that camera. :-) )

Of course, the FZ 30 may have overcome some of these drawbacks
but I'm not about to go our and get the latest version in order
to "keep up with the Jones'."


The FZ30 doesn't appear to have improved shutter lag timings over
the FZ20, but it does have convenient dedicated controls for
aperture and shutter speed that might make full manual operation
feasible. Dpreview doesn't appear to have a review of the FZ10,
for some reason.


Panasonic just is not accepted by the mainstream consumers as a valid
digital device. Some might call it snobish. I call it misguided.


I don't think Dpreview has that problem. They've generally liked the
FZ series. I'm pretty sure they had an FZ10 review at one time, but
something's happened to it. Funny, since the review of my long-obsolete
C700 is still in their archives.

For wildlife photography, I'll just revert to the
M2 with the 90MM and grab an image from a scanner.


Yeah, whatever works. I've got a friend who's dumped his digital
gear and now uses only medium-format film and a high-end scanner.
He's happy as a pig in mud. :-)



Yup... Even a Leica M with fine grain film will far exceed the
resolution offered by any digital camera. Yet, the digital sure is
handy as a point 'n shoot device for a lot of tasks. But, for fine
arts photography, I will revert to the M2 in a flash.. I purchased a
Firewire scanner back in 2000 that still fills my reflective scanning
needs. For slides, I simply bought two (plus one for spare parts) old
Polaroid 35 MM scanners on ebay. I can scan a slide high resolution
in just over 45 seconds including any alterations in PhotoShop.

Don't call me cheap... I'm just frugal!


You may call me cheap. I have yet to dive into the purchase of a
scanner. :-)

Paul Allen
  #13  
Old May 20th 06, 11:51 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30



Paul Allen wrote:

On Sat, 20 May 2006 00:35:26 GMT
Grumpy AuContraire wrote:



Paul Allen wrote:

On Fri, 19 May 2006 15:43:28 GMT
Grumpy AuContraire wrote:

Too slow in response and less-than-accurate auto focus.

Interesting. I would have put "too short a lens" first on the list.
I use an old Oly C700 with a long end equivalent to something like
380mm. For bird photography, I've wished for a lens two or three
times that long. Shutter lag and autofocus accuracy are also
problems, but the inability to get close enough is the killer for
me.


The FZ 10's 12x zoom fully extended is (I believe) over 400 MM. At
that focal length, there is some chromatic abberration that is
annoying. The problem is when shooting long, the auto focus can lock
onto an object such as a tree limb that is in the path thus blowing
sharp focus on the target.


Dpreview's writeup on the FZ20 mentions a little CA at the long end
of the telephoto with wide apertures. Stopping down a bit would fix
it, but I generally need all the speed I can get at the long end of
the lens. sigh

My C700 often locks focus on something not in the subject plane, and
I can't tell it's happening because of the low resolution of the EVF
and the LCD. I'd expect the FZ30 to be somewhat better in that regard
because it's got about 1.4x the linear pixel resolution on both the
EVF and the 2" screen. (Not more accurate autofocus, but more obvious
when it's messing up.)

Don't get me wrong, I like the camera (FZ 10) but the Leica M
rangefinder is quick and deadly accurate. The rest depends on
your "trigger" finger.

The FZ10 has a really sweet manual focus compared to the menu-and-
joystick contraption on my C700. What happens to the shutter lag
if you turn off the autofocus and use that neat ring on the lens?
I'm tempted to ask what happens if you switch to full-manual
exposure, but I guess trading the auto-exposure lag for fiddling
with the joystick might not work out well.


I did try manual focus when I first got the camera about a year ago.
I found it cumbersome with the digital viewfinder even with the center
focusing aid. I don't remember if it had an effect on shutter lag
though.


Hmmm... I borrowed an FZ10 a year or so ago and found its manual focus
to be delightful. Almost as nice as the split-prism focuser on my old
OM-2n. (But I also remember my wife fidgeting at having to sit still
while I fiddled with focus and exposure on that camera. :-) )



I'm just used to the M rangefinder and never really liked the focusing
attributes of most SLR's. I sorta wish that Leica would make a digital
M camera that works exactly like a manual system except that it has a
digital full frame sensor. Wow! That would take it to 20 to 30
megapixles which would approach that of film resolution...



Of course, the FZ 30 may have overcome some of these drawbacks
but I'm not about to go our and get the latest version in order
to "keep up with the Jones'."

The FZ30 doesn't appear to have improved shutter lag timings over
the FZ20, but it does have convenient dedicated controls for
aperture and shutter speed that might make full manual operation
feasible. Dpreview doesn't appear to have a review of the FZ10,
for some reason.


Panasonic just is not accepted by the mainstream consumers as a valid
digital device. Some might call it snobish. I call it misguided.


I don't think Dpreview has that problem. They've generally liked the
FZ series. I'm pretty sure they had an FZ10 review at one time, but
something's happened to it. Funny, since the review of my long-obsolete
C700 is still in their archives.


I still have (and use) my old Olympus D460 point 'n shoot that I
purchased back in 2002. Perfect for snapshots. I use the long life
batteries that you only have to change about every eighteen months.



For wildlife photography, I'll just revert to the
M2 with the 90MM and grab an image from a scanner.

Yeah, whatever works. I've got a friend who's dumped his digital
gear and now uses only medium-format film and a high-end scanner.
He's happy as a pig in mud. :-)



Yup... Even a Leica M with fine grain film will far exceed the
resolution offered by any digital camera. Yet, the digital sure is
handy as a point 'n shoot device for a lot of tasks. But, for fine
arts photography, I will revert to the M2 in a flash.. I purchased a
Firewire scanner back in 2000 that still fills my reflective scanning
needs. For slides, I simply bought two (plus one for spare parts) old
Polaroid 35 MM scanners on ebay. I can scan a slide high resolution
in just over 45 seconds including any alterations in PhotoShop.

Don't call me cheap... I'm just frugal!


You may call me cheap. I have yet to dive into the purchase of a
scanner. :-)

Paul Allen



If you're interested in 35MM slides (or have a sizable collection as I
do), and your computer has a SCSI interface, you can get a Polaroid
PrintScan 35 for under $50 on ebay. Very simple to use and the results
are pretty good.

JT
  #14  
Old May 20th 06, 03:49 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30

Grumpy AuContraire wrote:



Paul Allen wrote:

On Sat, 20 May 2006 00:35:26 GMT
Grumpy AuContraire wrote:



Paul Allen wrote:

On Fri, 19 May 2006 15:43:28 GMT
Grumpy AuContraire wrote:

Too slow in response and less-than-accurate auto focus.

Interesting. I would have put "too short a lens" first on the list.
I use an old Oly C700 with a long end equivalent to something like
380mm. For bird photography, I've wished for a lens two or three
times that long. Shutter lag and autofocus accuracy are also
problems, but the inability to get close enough is the killer for
me.


The FZ 10's 12x zoom fully extended is (I believe) over 400 MM. At
that focal length, there is some chromatic abberration that is
annoying. The problem is when shooting long, the auto focus can lock
onto an object such as a tree limb that is in the path thus blowing
sharp focus on the target.


Dpreview's writeup on the FZ20 mentions a little CA at the long end
of the telephoto with wide apertures. Stopping down a bit would fix
it, but I generally need all the speed I can get at the long end of
the lens. sigh

My C700 often locks focus on something not in the subject plane, and
I can't tell it's happening because of the low resolution of the EVF
and the LCD. I'd expect the FZ30 to be somewhat better in that regard
because it's got about 1.4x the linear pixel resolution on both the
EVF and the 2" screen. (Not more accurate autofocus, but more obvious
when it's messing up.)

Don't get me wrong, I like the camera (FZ 10) but the Leica M
rangefinder is quick and deadly accurate. The rest depends on
your "trigger" finger.

The FZ10 has a really sweet manual focus compared to the menu-and-
joystick contraption on my C700. What happens to the shutter lag
if you turn off the autofocus and use that neat ring on the lens?
I'm tempted to ask what happens if you switch to full-manual
exposure, but I guess trading the auto-exposure lag for fiddling
with the joystick might not work out well.


I did try manual focus when I first got the camera about a year ago.
I found it cumbersome with the digital viewfinder even with the center
focusing aid. I don't remember if it had an effect on shutter lag
though.


Hmmm... I borrowed an FZ10 a year or so ago and found its manual focus
to be delightful. Almost as nice as the split-prism focuser on my old
OM-2n. (But I also remember my wife fidgeting at having to sit still
while I fiddled with focus and exposure on that camera. :-) )



I'm just used to the M rangefinder and never really liked the focusing
attributes of most SLR's. I sorta wish that Leica would make a digital
M camera that works exactly like a manual system except that it has a
digital full frame sensor. Wow! That would take it to 20 to 30
megapixles which would approach that of film resolution...


Unlikely until new sensor technology is developed. Canon's full frame DSLRs
only go to 16.7, and you pay more than 6000 bucks for one of those.

Making a full-frame digital M that will work with the existing lenses is a
tall order apparently.

Of course, the FZ 30 may have overcome some of these drawbacks
but I'm not about to go our and get the latest version in order
to "keep up with the Jones'."

The FZ30 doesn't appear to have improved shutter lag timings over
the FZ20, but it does have convenient dedicated controls for
aperture and shutter speed that might make full manual operation
feasible. Dpreview doesn't appear to have a review of the FZ10,
for some reason.


Panasonic just is not accepted by the mainstream consumers as a valid
digital device. Some might call it snobish. I call it misguided.


I don't think Dpreview has that problem. They've generally liked the
FZ series. I'm pretty sure they had an FZ10 review at one time, but
something's happened to it. Funny, since the review of my long-obsolete
C700 is still in their archives.


I still have (and use) my old Olympus D460 point 'n shoot that I
purchased back in 2002. Perfect for snapshots. I use the long life
batteries that you only have to change about every eighteen months.



For wildlife photography, I'll just revert to the
M2 with the 90MM and grab an image from a scanner.

Yeah, whatever works. I've got a friend who's dumped his digital
gear and now uses only medium-format film and a high-end scanner.
He's happy as a pig in mud. :-)



Yup... Even a Leica M with fine grain film will far exceed the
resolution offered by any digital camera. Yet, the digital sure is
handy as a point 'n shoot device for a lot of tasks. But, for fine
arts photography, I will revert to the M2 in a flash.. I purchased a
Firewire scanner back in 2000 that still fills my reflective scanning
needs. For slides, I simply bought two (plus one for spare parts) old
Polaroid 35 MM scanners on ebay. I can scan a slide high resolution
in just over 45 seconds including any alterations in PhotoShop.

Don't call me cheap... I'm just frugal!


You may call me cheap. I have yet to dive into the purchase of a
scanner. :-)

Paul Allen



If you're interested in 35MM slides (or have a sizable collection as I
do), and your computer has a SCSI interface, you can get a Polaroid
PrintScan 35 for under $50 on ebay. Very simple to use and the results
are pretty good.

JT


--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
  #15  
Old May 20th 06, 04:36 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30



"J. Clarke" wrote:

Grumpy AuContraire wrote:




snip


I'm just used to the M rangefinder and never really liked the focusing
attributes of most SLR's. I sorta wish that Leica would make a digital
M camera that works exactly like a manual system except that it has a
digital full frame sensor. Wow! That would take it to 20 to 30
megapixles which would approach that of film resolution...


Unlikely until new sensor technology is developed. Canon's full frame DSLRs
only go to 16.7, and you pay more than 6000 bucks for one of those.

Making a full-frame digital M that will work with the existing lenses is a
tall order apparently.



I'm sure it is. Still, one can dream. After all, Kodachrome 25 is long
gone and in the old days was my mainstay for serious work.

But in retrospect, who would have dreamed of computers zipping along at
better than 2 Ghz with four gigs of memory high gigabyte capacity hard drives?

JT

(Who started out with a C-64 and thinks that it might be time for a belt
of Pinch..)
  #16  
Old May 20th 06, 07:07 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30

Grumpy AuContraire wrote:



"J. Clarke" wrote:

Grumpy AuContraire wrote:




snip


I'm just used to the M rangefinder and never really liked the focusing
attributes of most SLR's. I sorta wish that Leica would make a digital
M camera that works exactly like a manual system except that it has a
digital full frame sensor. Wow! That would take it to 20 to 30
megapixles which would approach that of film resolution...


Unlikely until new sensor technology is developed. Canon's full frame
DSLRs only go to 16.7, and you pay more than 6000 bucks for one of those.

Making a full-frame digital M that will work with the existing lenses is
a tall order apparently.



I'm sure it is. Still, one can dream. After all, Kodachrome 25 is long
gone and in the old days was my mainstay for serious work.

But in retrospect, who would have dreamed of computers zipping along at
better than 2 Ghz with four gigs of memory high gigabyte capacity hard
drives?

JT

(Who started out with a C-64 and thinks that it might be time for a belt
of Pinch..)


The first time I bought a 1 GB SD card I sat there chuckling at the thing
for about 20 minutes. I remember when several large mainframe shops put
together wouldn't have had that kind of capacity.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
  #17  
Old May 26th 06, 05:22 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30

J. Clarke wrote:

The first time I bought a 1 GB SD card I sat there chuckling at the thing
for about 20 minutes. I remember when several large mainframe shops put
together wouldn't have had that kind of capacity.


My "chuckle moment" was when I attended a vintage computer festival a
couple weeks back and trained my lens on a (still) fully operational IBM
System/3. The whole exhibitiion required multiple phased 30 Amp power
outlets specially setup in the exhibit area, and the system featured two
70MB Hard drive packs... gigantic monstrosities, each with two platters
that were 10 inches in diameter. It was also clear that head crashes
were potentially dangerous, as a service tag was affixed to each pack
where a technician could mark its status: Operational, Refurbished,
Needs Service, or "Unsafe to Operate."

I gleefully took photos of it with my Panasonic FZ-30, of which the OIS
logic alone probably had many times greater processing power than its
subject, all running on 3.3V of battery power and storing to a solid
state postage-stamp sized 1GB SD card. I haven't gotten around to
posting the images; I'll do so this weekend and pass along the link.

Of course in 20 years time, I could be exhibiting this same camera to
some gawking techie who will holographically image it with his
10-terapixel analyzer, running on a 5-year hydrogen fuel cell and
storing to a petabyte neural net.


--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.
  #18  
Old June 16th 06, 07:20 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30

Make sure read and consult with members of
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1033


wrote in message
oups.com...
I was a Leica M3 user, a Nikon Fm user, a (for Pete's sake) Koni-Omega
user... now I have a Lumix FZ30....oh goodness me....

would some kind soul tell me where to buy the accessories, remote
switch etc... and does the switch use a standard micro-jack which i
could just cobble together myself.

David



  #20  
Old June 25th 06, 11:45 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.zlr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Convert to the FZ30

I've had a FZ-30 for about 10 months and use it almost exclusively for
wildlife/nature photography. I am an armature when it comes to photography
but very active outdoors.

I've gotten some absolutely gorgeous photos from my kayak in constant
movement. I've got a telephoto multiplier (Olympus 1.7X) that I use when I
have to have a 750mm equal lens with mixed results. Overall the camera is
fine for 90% of my shots as is.

Love it!

Al


"F" wrote in message
...
On 19/05/2006 16:43 Grumpy AuContraire wrote:

Of course, the FZ 30 may have overcome some of these drawbacks


I'll know in around three weeks time as I'll be in Kenya with my FZ30.

--
Frank
(Beware of spam trap - remove the negative)



 




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