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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28K 10MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
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| Price: | $399.99 |
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Average customer review:
Product Description
Panasonic's new DMC-FZ28 boasts a premium 27mm wide-angle LEICA lens with an 18x optical zoom, ideal for tight indoor shots and long-distance action photos. The 10.1 megapixel digital camera also features an enhanced Intelligent Auto Mode (iA), with the new AF (auto focus) Tracking function, making it easier for photographers at any level to shoot sharp, well-focused photos, even when the subject is moving -- making it ideal for action shots.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #124 in Camera & Photo
- Color: Black
- Brand: Panasonic
- Model: DMC-FZ28 Black
- Dimensions: 2.96" h x 4.63" w x 3.50" l, .82 pounds
- Memory: 50MB
- Display size: 2.7
Features
- 10-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
- 18x wide-angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized zoom lens
- 2.7-inch high-resolution LCD screen; HD video capture
- Full SLR-like manual operations including aperture, shutter, program and full manual modes with Advanced Scene modes
- Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FZ28 digital camera boasts a premium 27mm wide-angle Leica lens with an 18x optical zoom, ideal for tight indoor shots and long-distance action photos. The 10.1-megapixel digital camera also features an enhanced Intelligent Auto Mode (iA), with the new AF (auto focus) Tracking function, making it easier for photographers at any level to shoot sharp, well-focused photos, even when the subject is moving -- making it ideal for action shots.
The AF Tracking function, the latest component to be added to Panasonic’s iA system, allows users to lock focus on a moving subject. The camera then automatically tracks the subject as it moves, keeping it in focus without the need to hold the shutter halfway down. AF Tracking makes it easier to capture moving subjects and spur-of-the-moment action shots. The AF Tracking technology also improves Face Detection (up to 15 faces), by providing continuous adjustment of the focus and exposure, even if the face is turned away from the camera.
In addition to the AF Tracking functionality, Panasonic’s other iA technologies include:
- Intelligent Exposure: Helps prevents photos from being under- or over-exposed by instantly analyzing the framed image and adjusting the brightness in areas that are too dark because of dim lighting, backlighting or the use of the flash. The camera will automatically adjust the brightness accordingly.
- Digital Red-eye Correction: This feature helps to eliminate the red-eye problem that sometimes results when taking flash shots at night. Incorporated into the camera, the built-in flash emits a small preliminary flash before the main flash, detects red-eye and will digitally correct it.
- MEGA O.I.S.: Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent hand-shake from creating a blurry image.
- Intelligent ISO: Determines if the photo subject is moving and changes the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly, thus giving a blur-free photo.
- Intelligent Scene Selector: Senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode. This intuitive technology, helps the consumer use the most common scene modes that are built into the camera, but often go unused, without making any manual adjustments.
- Face Detection: Detects faces in the frame (up to 15 faces), even if they are moving, and selects optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear.
- Quick AF (Auto Focus): Starts focus on the subject by just pointing the camera at the subject, thus minimizing the AF time.
The DMC-FZ28 also features High Defintion (HD) video capabilities with a resolution of 1280 x 720p at 30fps. Still photos can also be shot in a 16:9 aspect ratio for optimal full-screen viewing on a HDTV. Panasonic VIERA Plasma or LCD HDTVs also feature an integrated SD Memory Card slot, allowing users to easily view photos by simply inserting the SD Memory Card into the convenient SD Card slot built into the TV. Consumer can also enjoy watching videos in HD quality and view still images by connecting the DMC-FXZ28 via an optional Panasonic component cable (DMW-HDC2).
Additional features of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 include:
- Image Leveling: When a captured image "leans" to the right or left because the camera was held at a slight angle when the photo was taken, the Image Leveling function rotates the image to straighten it and crops the unnecessary edges. No computer needed!
- Scene Modes: The DMC-FZ28 offers a total of 37 scene modes to respond easily to any shooting situation. The new Pin Hole and Film Grain modes add unique, film camera-like effects and ambiences to images. Additionally, the actual effects of the scene mode can be viewed on the LCD before taking the shot.
- Flash: Reaches a distance of 8.5 meters at the wide setting and 5.4 meters at the telephoto setting (ISO AUTO).
- SILKYPIX Developer Studio 3.0 SE: Software application comes bundled with the DMC-FZ28 for editing and developing images in the RAW file format.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic camera! Incredible photos!
I have been using a Panasonic TZ1 for a little over two years. That's a nice 10x zoom pocket camera. But its ISO is a bit low for indoor use. The shutter lag of TZ1 also cannot keep up with my growing two-year-old twins. They move too fast for the camera to chase.
My main use for the new camera is to record my kids life. From time to time, I extend my artistic interest to scenes, buildings, animals, insects, flowers...
I've had this camera for a week and took over 1000 photos. It's simply fantastic.
Things I like:
1. The shutter response is much much better than my old camera. In most cases, it will focus quickly and accurately. I use iA mode occasionally. Most time, I set it at program mode with Fn(Function)button programmed to select different focus mode. Contrary to one of the reviewers, I feel it's very responsive. And Face Recognition really works on this Camera.
2. The lens is great. You can capture incredible photos far and near.
3. Wonderful IQ! I constantly mess around with different shooting modes and do comparison shot. I have to say that the iA(intelligent auto) mode in many cases is doing a better job in focusing, exposure, white balance, etc than I do(Hard to admit a machine is smart than I am. :-D). I'm still trying and learning. But I feel eventually I might give up and let the iA totally controls me.
4. The menu system is well-written. I'm only half-way through the manual(Probably I'll never finish the other half). But there's not a function I hesitate to use or feel frustrated when maneuvering through the menu system.
5. The lay-out of the buttons is well thought-out. I especially like the dedicated record/playback button. Why no one else thought about it. So convenient! Love it.
6. LCD. This is perhaps the brightest LCD I ever had. Everything is nicely detailed.
Things I think the next gen Panasonic FZ should improve:
1. ISO. I have very usable photos which are shot at ISO 400. But there are several times I hope the ISO will be even higher for low-light conditions.
2. Ghost-band(Purple/blue vertical lines) on LCD in strong direct light condition. This happens to many digital camera system. But I feel it shows a bit more on this camera.
I frequent dpreview. A few people there(Plenty never set their fingers on the camera) complain about the small EVF of this camera. I primarily use LCD for taking pictures. So I don't really care about EVF. But to be fair and objective, I tried EVF with about 100 photos. It's clear, bright and nice.
Conclusion: It's a fantastic super-zoom camera which can take incredible photos. A nice step-up from simple P&S. What are you waiting for? (Panasonic didn't pay me to say the last line)
Update 09/30/2008: I've been using this camera for about one month. Literally thousands photos taken. Again and again I'm impressed by this camera. This is truly a versatile camera. It takes excellent photos under a broad range conditions. It's hard to go wrong with this camera.
Update 12/27/2008: It's been four months since I got the camera. The more I use it, the more I appreciate its functionality, features and build quality. Best buy ever.
Update 04/14/2009: I found out that my computer/camera illiterate wife uses this camera much more than I do. (Of course, she spends more time with the twins too. )She was intimated by all the buttons at the time when I bought it. Now she just leaves the setting at AI and doesn't bother to mess with anything else. Photos almost always turn out to be perfect. Nothing says more of the camera than this. Great job Panasonic!!!
THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS!
UltraZooms have came to bridge the gap between Point-&-Shoot cameras and DSLRs. They may not be the easiest to carry in a pocket (especially in the summer) but offer much better lenses, sensors and features than their cell-phone sized cousins. This is what has came to be known as the CREATIVITY segment of the camera market - and the PANASONIC FZ28 is the its absolute leader.
For months now I kept borrowing my brother's FZ18 as I was researching the market for my own UltraZoom. Since this could not go on indefinitely (and my summer vacation was coming up), I decided on the NIKON P80. Although a very good camera I found it fickle and unpredictable if left on full Auto. My belief that NIKON would never put out an inferior product was confirmed but I am not a professional photographer: I missed the simplified perfection of my brother's FZ18.
Luckily the Internet merchant I had bought my NIKON from offers an upgrade insurance option: for a small percentage of the total cost I bought the option of returning the camera within 12 months (provided in perfect working condition) and having it replaced with a latest model (from the same merchant of course). So, when FZ28 became available, I did just that.
As with the FZ18, the Intelligent Auto (iA) setting is a dream! Perfect crystal clear pictures under (almost) any conditions, EVERY TIME. There are more tweaking options than one could desire of course, but elusive scenes often do not allow for minute setting fidgeting: a reliable Auto is a good friend in a tight moment.
The older model was reported to sometimes have a problem when there were intense sunlight and shaded areas in the same shot: nothing of this sort with the FZ28. I have posted some sample photos to illustrate exactly this.
The new features of FZ28 include a new sensor (10.1MP/2.33") coupled with the also new Venus IV engine; an enlarged high quality LCD (2.7" from 2.5"); a wider lens system (starting from 27 instead of 28mm - but also ending at 486 instead of 504mm); a new auto-tracking focus feature; an auto backlight compensation function (missing from FZ18) and (finally!) zooming while taking video.
The cherry on this cake: FZ28 comes also with a leveling function which helps align buildings or the horizon with the subject - even after taking the picture! (OK, essentially it is cropping but still...)
My only gripe: as with FZ18, FZ28's zooming control is counterintuitive! One zooms IN the picture by pushing in it, whereas zooms OUT by pulling back. Well, as with the FZ18, the direction of the zooming control is in the opposite directions. (If someone knows how to contact Panasonic-Japan by email please let me know, I would like to offer them my opinion).
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
An Excellent buy!
Let me state for the record that I am a Canon lover and I bought this camera just because I was looking for a high zoom camera and Canon just refuses to go higher! Sorry Canon, I still love you, but now I love my FZ28 better!
Here are my (more than) 2 cents:
Pros:
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>> 27 mm Wide angle - No more asking people to squeeze in so they can all fit in the frame! I have a Canon S5 IS too and I took shots of the same place with both cameras and the difference was striking! FZ28 wins hands down!
>> 18x Zoom - Yes its only 486mm, not that much of a difference as compared to S5 IS's 432mm, but if I choose the 3MP mode instead of 10MP mode, I get 32.1x zoom, i.e. 866 mm. That's just awesome. Yes, some of you will freak at "only 3MP resolution", but hey, my first camera was a Canon A80 at 4MP and I have awesome 8x10 prints from that camera, so for sizes like 4x6, a 3MP resolution is sufficient unless you want to crop the image.
>> HD movie recording with zoom - Note that the resolution is 720p and not 1080p. (FYI, I recorded a 4min 36 sec video today and it came to 735 MB. So its a memory hog, but with that resolution, you can't complain)
>> Light weight - Yes its bulky, but at least its light
>> The iA mode worked wonderfully! I took several low lighting shots without the flash and the results were amongst the best I have seen. Admittedly there was some noise (there always is at high ISO), but it was very bearable given the low lighting.
>> Face recognition
>> Orientation Sensor - I don't know why dpreview.com says 'no' for this. The camera DOES have an orientation sensor.
>> Minimum shutter of 60 sec - I can now take some night scenes at low ISO = low noise!
>> RAW mode
>> Smooth opening covers for all the ports. On the S5 IS, I had to pry them open.
Cons:
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>> No external flash - Not really a con for me because I don't use an external flash, but I know that many of you do, hence this comment.
>> No 2 second self timer in iA (auto) mode. The 2 second timer is available for other modes.
>> No flip out and twist LCD (Argh! I really like this feature on the Canon models)
>> Custom battery. I much prefer using standard AA batteries that I can buy easily and cheaply in case of a battery emergency
>> I took away 0.5 points for construction because I felt that the camera's exterior looked cheap when compared with that of the S5 IS. The buttons are very plastic looking and the shooting mode dial also doesn't look as sophisticated as that of the S5 IS although it functions just as well.
>> I also took away 0.5 points for ease of use because I felt the menus were more cumbersome to use than Canon menus. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference but I feel Canon has done better in this regard by simple things such as putting some commonly used features as buttons, for instance, the ISO selection button.
>> 2 GB limit on video recording - Argh! I still need to buy a camcorder!
>> MOV format for movies - Again, personal preference. I personally prefer avi.
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That's all folks. I will update this review if I find more things worth sharing.
Bottom Line:
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An EXCELLENT purchase!
