Excellent camera and an incredible deal
Pros:
Leica lens alone costs five times that much!
Cons:
relatively bulky
The Bottom Line:
A very good camera, incredible lens, a terrific deal.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
My background is mechanical and semi-automatic SLRs. My primary film camera is Minolta Vectis S-1, a semi-automatic APS SLR. There's also a Nikon FM-10 when I feel like B&W. I usually print pictures in standardt size, enlarge the ones I like. I would describe myself as an advanced hobbyist. Times being what they are, I've been looking for an advanced digital camera for the last year.
A digital SLR would be an overkill for my needs, an advanced P&S pretty much covers what I can do and am capable of doing. I always wanted to own a Leica lens, I've yet to see a broken Panasonic anything, hence FZ30. Bought online at B&H.
So far, I'm very impressed. The lens is just incredible; the controls are in exactly the right places. Windows 2000 come with a built-in USB driver, so I didn't need to install any Panasonic s/w. Start up time is very low, pretty much instant on. Excellent user interface, almost didn't need a manual (a good thing, considering the quality of the manual). Optical zoom and image stabilization are very impressive.
Gripes:
- wired remote only. How exquisitely quaint.
- manual is written in Japanese. Well, ok, it does use English words, but it's still Japanese.
- electronic viewfinder hurts my eyes
- relatively bulky.
There's a lot of noise about sensor noise in FZ30 reviews. I was able to reproduce it - set ISO equivalent to 400 and take a few pictures in low light. It is certainly a limitation to keep in mind, but by no means an issue it is made out to be. It would, obviously, be unacceptable if this were a $5K professional camera, but it isn't - it is a $500 advanced P&S.
