I was fortunate enough to get an invite to the Panasonic Digital Imaging event during the week which, since I was in London, explains my absence here on Wednesday. It was a very special day for me and I want to share some of it here with you.
The purpose behind the event was to introduce a select number of photography bloggers to the latest range of cameras in Panasonic’s armoury.
Available for us to use were both camcorders and stills cameras; I should say now that although I found the camcorders absolutely fascinating, I concentrated on the stills cameras.
The benefits of Panasonic’s Lumix range of compact cameras has been advertised frequently over the last 12 months or so, but comparatively speaking Panasonic is the new boy in the digital imaging market.
I played briefly with the DMC-L10 (DSLR) and a fine beast it looked. At 10.1 megapixels and with a host of impressive features coupled to a Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-50mm / F3.8-5.6 ASPH / Mega O.I.S. lens I’m sure it will compete well in the market place.
The majority of digital cameras sold in the UK are of the compact variety and it is two of these I will concentrate on.
DMC-FX500
Panasonic’s DMC-FX500 is both innovative and highly specified; this 10.1 Megapixel compact features a 25mm ultra-wide Leica lens with a 5x optical zoom, giving it a fine range of usability.
My first thoughts were that I found the camera very hard to deal with. The ultra compact format means getting to the menu options via the miniature buttons are difficult to access for anyone with hands/fingers as large as mine. Fear not... the 3 inch intelligent touch panel on the rear allows access to all the camera’s menu options and facilities. You can either use a finger, or the included stylus to drive through the menu options on the intelligent panel.
Manual Adjustments
White Balance can be set to Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Halogen / White Set White Balance Adjustment.
ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 1600; there is also a High Sensitivity Mode (Auto 1600 to 6400).
Exposure modes are Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual. Auto bracketing is available in 1/3 EV steps over 3 frames.
Metering is Intelligent Multiple / Centre-Weighted / Spot
Pre-set scene modes include Portrait / Soft Skin / Self-Portrait / Scenery / Sports / Night Portrait / Night Scenery / Food / Party / Candle Light / Baby1 / Baby2 / Pet / Sunset / High sensitivity / Hi-Speed Burst / Starry Sky / Fireworks / Beach / Snow / Aerial photo
Shutter speeds range from 60 Sec to 1/2000th Sec – yes, a full one minute exposure!
Let’s be honest though, this camera is aimed at the mass market and most people will use it in either Auto or Intelligent Auto modes.
Intelligent Auto with Intelligent Metering
I tested the camera quite extensively in this mode, which includes image stabilisation, face recognition, auto red-eye correction and auto scene selection; the camera behaved almost faultlessly. The exception to perfection occurred when a seagull appeared in the edge of shot as the shutter fired and the camera focussed on the bird rather than the building behind it!
The following images were shot on a Thames RIB river boat; for the most part the camera was held in a single paw while I hung on to the seat with the other!
Not bad are they? To sum up, I’d have to rate this compact very highly. Its diminutive size may appear to make the camera difficult to use, but that simply isn’t the case especially in the auto modes. I’d happily recommend this compact to anyone seeking a small camera to slip into pocket or handbag.
DMC-TZ5
Panasonic’s DMC-TZ5 has a specification not dissimilar to the DMC-FX500; for me though there are several advantages.
The DMC-TZ5 is a 9.1 Megapixel camera with a 28mm Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens and 10x optical zoom; a 28-280mm zoom on a 35mm film camera. How versatile is that?
The camera features the same Intelligent Auto with Intelligent Metering system as above and the results are just as impressive.
Manual settings are also broadly similar to the above, with the addition of Underwater and Multi Aspect pre-set scenes. Shutter speeds on this model are restricted to 8 – 1/2000th sec.
There is no intelligent touch panel on this camera, nor is one needed. The mode switch on top of the camera allows quick and easy switching between functions; the menu button on the rear gives access to all the various sub-menus.
For me, this is the better camera of the two and one I’d certainly be pleased to have in my possession. Given the camera’s small physical size and versatility I’d say this was pretty much the ideal tool to be taking on holiday this summer.
Again this camera is incredibly easy to use and the results are pretty staggering for such a small piece of kit. An excellent choice for anyone seeking a compact at the higher ed of the market.
We’ve all been aware of the quality of Panasonic’s home entertainment systems; now those clever guys at Panasonic have done it again!
