Very nice camera - excellent pictures! Very easy to use, too!
Reviewed by: PaulD, Review Date: 2010-01-09
I am an advanced amateur user of expensive film cameras for many decades and purchased this as a gift. I am blown away by the quality of these digital images. This is a really nice camera and easy to use - small and compact, too. Although the camera has various settings, the automatic feature on this camera will try to automatically select the setting appropriate for the scene (i.e. backlit subjects that you don't want to come out dark, come out perfectly exposed). I can honestly find nothing wrong for a camera in this price range. And, don't let he price fool you - you get a very good camera with additional settings (should you need them) for a GREAT price and can you believe it even comes with a tripod socket! Kodak has done a nice job with this camera...kudos to them! And, Amazon has great prices - keep up the good work Amazon and I will return.
Nice little camera
Reviewed by: C. Wells, Arizona, USA Review Date: 2010-02-25
Although this camera is not designed for children, I bought it for my 4 year old grandson for Christmas. I was able to get in on Amazon at a price not too much more than cameras that ARE designed for children. Those children's cameras are quite sturdy looking, but they had so few mega-pixels and the viewer so small, so I decided to give this one a try. He took to it right away! The little grip area helps him to hold it and he's able to reach the buttons. He has taken some actually pretty amazing pictures with this camera. It goes through the batteries pretty quickly, but he's taking photo after photo after photo much of the time he uses it. Not sure how it would do under more "normal" use. I got a wrap around always on case for it that fit nicely and helps protect the camera.
Great, inexpensive camera
Reviewed by: G. Forster, Atlanta, GA Review Date: 2010-05-02
I bought this camera to use for my work in the home improvement business. I didn't want to spend a lot of money and wanted good photo quality and a large video screen. I needed an SD card to work with my laptop, and AA batteries so that I could use my NiMH rechargeables. I also wanted a thicker body, to make the camera easier to handle while on the job.
This camera had all of the features that I wanted, plus it has a great price at Amazon. I believe that the 3" screen is an exclusive feature in this price range.
I saw several reviews mention short battery life. This didn't matter much to me, as I always carry spares. But in the 3 weeks that I've had this camera, I've used it every day, taking over 300 photos without having to recharge or change the batteries yet. So far, I can't find anything wrong with this one!
I got a Lowepro Rezo 20 case for this camera and it's perfect for my needs. The interior is exactly the right size for the camera, and the front pouch has room for 4 spare batteries and a spare SD card. The belt loop is ideal for use in the field, and it comes with a shoulder strap (which I haven't used).
Amazon sold me the camera, case, and 2GB SD card for less than $100, which included shipping. You can't go wrong!
Great Little Camera!
Reviewed by: M. Carlisle, MegaAgentRealEstate.com Review Date: 2010-06-15
I purchased the Kodak EasyShare C182 for my 6 year old as a reward for perfect attendance at school this year. He loves to take pictures, and we have tried cheaper cameras that are glorified toys that take terrible pictures, don't last, or are hard to use. The C182 gives a ton of bang for the buck and is very easy to use. My 6-year old has figured out how to use the basic functionality, and I have started using this camera over an inexpensive Kodak that I purchased about a year ago. Large preview screen on the back, easy modes to choose from, and video included. It's a little bigger than some cameras, but still easily fits in a pocket. A great choice for this price range!
Amazed with this camera!!
Reviewed by: Courtney Stacey, Houston TX Review Date: 2010-06-03
We bought the Kodak C182 for my daughter-in-law as a replacement for her broken Samsung. We mainly bought the C182 because it was on sale for a ridiculously low price... but I have to tell you, I am very impressed with this camera.
The Kodak is super easy to operate and takes excellent pictures in most normal situations. The video quality is better than expected as well. If it lags at all it is in low-light conditions, but even then it is much better than I would expect from a sub one hundred dollar camera.
The best feature of the Kodak is the screen. It has a very large looking 3" screen that is exceptionally smooth and vibrant. It is a great screen for passing around and sharing with friends and family. Screen visibility in daylight is actually not bad.
So far we have had no problems with this camera, though we really haven't had it long enough to judge durability. Build quality seems decent; good for this price range.
Conclusion: I have a two year old Canon Powershot that I use as a backup/convenience camera to my DSLR. I love that anyone in the family can operate it and that it takes very good pictures in a wide variety of situations. But I have to say that so far, the much cheaper C182 has performed almost as well as my Powershot, and definitely better than the Samsung it replaced. I have bought and used several cameras in the around $100 price range (including Canon, Sanyo, Nikon, Samsung, Fuji, Olympus) and so far this is by far the best value.
PROS: Ease of use, Good Photo Quality, Nice Video, Beautiful Big Screen (really love that screen), Great value.
CONS: Low-light only okay, Battery Hog
It may be Canon's slimmest Digital ELPH, but it's selection of photo-friendly options is undeniably wide. From full HD movie capture to peak performance in even the most unforgiving shooting conditions, this digital camera is on the cutting edge of point-and-shoot picture taking. One-year warranty. Model SD780IS.
12.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
3x optical zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer
HD movie shooting capability plus HDMI output
2.5-inch widescreen PureColor LCD II screen; Face Detection
Compatible with SD/SDHC, MMC/MMC Plus/HC MMC Plus (not included)
Reviewed by: U. Wilkins, San Jose, CA USA Review Date: 2009-03-16
I just purchased this Canon on a whim, earlier today at Best Buy. I have been tinkering with it for the majority of the evening. My previous SD300 is still working like a champ, however I have been considering a video camera for some time...after some peering at the video camera counter I wandered over to the point and shoot table... what initially drew me in to the SD780IS was its appearance on the display stand. The sleek matte-black body is very eye-pleasing...then I looked at the specs. and realized that it shoots video in HD! (1280x720) Then all the other attributes made me realize that it was time to update my "everywhere, anytime" camera.
I proceeded to check out some of the other Canon SD cameras. The SD960 became the other candidate...it has a little more glass(4x)zoom, over the SD780's (3x)zoom. The SD960 has an appealing f2.8 apeture over the SD780's f3.2. The SD960's screen is more tailored for the HD video capture as it has a 16:9 ratio LCD panel. (Kinda nice for instant viewing ON THE CAMERA)
After some thought I went with the SD780 for these reasons:
1. The HD video capability is awesome and comparible with the SD960. It has a HDMI jack. The traditional 4:3 screen does not bother me, because the video is ultimately going to be viewed on a HD TV.(There will be an upper and lower bar on 16:9 playback through the SD780's LCD).
2.The weaker 3x zoom is not a big deal as this camera is for general shooting(out w/ freinds, bars, random afternoon at the beach, mountain biking, etc.)and with this camera EASLIY fitting in my jeans pocket or camelbak, the portability is what gives me the opportunity to document those moments, that would otherwise be missed. The SD960 is a little bulkier(but still small). I do also shoot with a Canon 40D, accompanied with L optics, but the weight and bulkiness do not lend to certain shooting circumstances. (as mentined above)
3. The user interface on the SD780IS is like most (if not all?) preceeding SD cameras. While there is not much control in the way of shooting settings, feature buttons like flash override, AE lock, AF lock, and exposure compensation are present on the camera body. The SD960IS has two buttons and a jog wheel, which lend to swims in the menu. I'm sure the new interface on the 960 is intuitive, but I liked the 780 due to its similarity to my old SD300.
I am very happy with the results produced thus far with the SD780IS. The HD video is excellant, however it should be known that once recording you can only zoom digitally. Low light cabilities and sound in video mode are excellent. The stills I have taken look great. Also, to the budget-minded who are upgrading from older digital point-and-shoots, a class 4 minimum 4GB or 8GB SDHC card would be well suited due to the demanding memory of the 12.1 million pixels, and HD video. Also, most old card readers will not process the the SDHC cards so you may have to purchase a new card reader as well.
I have to mention it again...the small size of the Canon SD780IS is mind-blowing...and the functionality actually mirrors its beauty.
Revolutionary! Beautiful and Powerful
Reviewed by: W. Chan, New York City Review Date: 2009-03-24
OVERVIEW
Canon SD780IS is the perfect travel/everyday camera. It weighs a little over 4 ounces. The size of the camera is astonishing. It is smaller than my iPhone 3G and my wallet. I love the new 720p video recording HD feature on the 2009 Canon P+S line. The image stabilization for video/image stills is a winner. The clips are sharper and clearer than the clips from the Creative Vado HD and the Flip Video MinoHD.
PLAYBACK ON COMPUTERS
For video playback without choppiness on the computer, you need to have at least a Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz or higher processor on Windows (Vista/XP SP2/XP SP 3) or Core Duo 1.66 GHz or higher processor on Mac OS X (v10.4-v10.5)
MEMORY CARD
You should get at least 8GB Sandisk Extreme III SDHC (Class 6 or higher) memory card for the camera. 4000x3000 resolution images can quickly fill up your 2/4GB SD memory card.
CONCLUSION
+ Quick Continuous Snapshots
+ 720p HD Video Recording with Image Stabilization
+ Lightning Quick Startup
+ Ultra-Compact Point & Shoot Camera (Thin + Light Combo)
+ Beautiful Design
+ Great for Beginners (Very Easy To Use)
+ Bright LCD Screen
+ DIGIC IV Technology
+ Blink Detection
+ Can Edit Video Clips on the go
+ Scene Detection Mode works Flawlessly
- No Optical Zoom in Video Mode while Recording (You can Digitally Zoom)
- Monotone Sound in Video Mode
- Only 3x Optical Zoom for image stills
- View Finder is Useless
- Little Noisy/Grainy when Using Higher Than ISO400 but Acceptable
SCORE/VERDICT
09/10: Recommended
Amazing Things Sometimes Come In Tiny Packages
Reviewed by: George D. Gates, Dallas, TX USA Review Date: 2009-05-02
After researching ultra-compact cameras for 2 weeks, I had narrowed down my choices to this camera, the Canon SD880 IS and a couple of models from other manufacturers (though I knew in the end I'd choose a Canon). As with most electronic purchases I make, it was an agonizing process. Every camera had a feature that I wanted, yet none of them had everything that I wanted. I would have liked a bit more zoom, and other cameras have wider lenses. In the end, the three features that won me over were the amazingly small size, the ability to capture HD video at a resolution of 720p, and the HDMI out.
As for the performance, I couldn't be happier. Many of the reviews I read before purchasing mentioned a high amount of noise, but in my experience it only occurs at higher ISO's, is not very noticeable, and seems to be in line with other compact cameras that I've used, no more, no less. I would NOT let this be a determining factor if I were considering this camera.
This is my first camera with image stabilization and it's works very well. On a recent trip I took over 500 pictures (and filled up less than 1/4th of my 8-gig card at the highest resolution), and not one of them ended up blurry. The AUTO feature has also proven to be much better than I had anticipated: it changes between 18 settings automatically, such as macro, bright sunshine, etc., and so far, it's been right on the money. Another complaint that I've read is that viewfinder is useless. While it is quite tiny, I have actually used it, and I find it to be quite serviceable. At some point, a camera gets so small that it's difficult to squeeze everything onto its surface area. Kudos to Canon for even including the optical viewfinder at all.
My complaints are few, and none would be a dealbreaker for me. The small size and smooth, symmetrical shape sometimes make it hard to tell which side I am holding onto when I take it out of my pocket. When attempting to push the power button, I will often realize I am pushing on the bottom of the camera. I have to actually look at it to tell what I am doing. Also, as stated previously, the HD video takes a pretty beefy CPU to play back smoothly. My PC is 4 years old and has a hard time keeping up. The easy solution to this is to play back directly to the monitor/TV with an HDMI cable. It seemed improbable to me that a video made with a camera this small would look good on a 55" HD television. I was stunned at how sharp it looked.
The bottom line is that anybody looking for an ultra-compact camera is going to be extremely satisfied with this one. It doesn't take the pictures that a digital SLR is going to, nor does it have the same features. But anybody looking at this camera realizes that already. I went to an arts festival last weekend and was AMAZED at how many people are lugging around DSLR's these days. It seemed like every other person had one. When looking at performance vs. convenience and portability, I'll take the SD780 any day.
With such great power comes great resp- ..video?
Reviewed by: Kent T. Hambrock, Reston, VA USA Review Date: 2009-04-12
As many have already left HUGE reviews on this camera I will try to be quick about it, but I did have to review this camera. This camera is great. When I say that I mean it. I work for a camera store and everyday I'm reviewing cameras to people's faces and when this one came out I took one look at it and the features and told my boss "Oh yeah, we'll be out by tomorrow" and we were. It sells FAST. Why? Because it's a GREAT camera.
The form factor can't truly be captured in a picture, you have to feel this thing in your hand to know what everyone's talking about. 9 out of 10 people I show the camera to decide to buy once they've held it. It's small, it's REALLY small. It's just a sexy form. The 2.5 isn't screen isn't because they wanted to be cheap, it's because they couldn't put a bigger screen on there without making the camera a good deal bigger. Same for the 3x zoom.
The Digic IV processor and iSAPS technology means this camera is fast and accurate. It's constantly focusing and letting you know what it thinks you want to take a picture of. It's facial recognition is so fast and accurate, it can track someone running quickly across the screen with a box around their face the whole time. And it picks up faces on magazines, ads, anything that has a human face on it. The iSAPS is constantly changing the mode to better suit what you're shooting and it'll show you the mode you're in while it's doing it(upper left hand corner of the screen).
The 720p high-def video is the one that seals the deal. You know it's fast. You know it's accurate. You know it's easy. But the video, always catches you of guard. "Wait you mean to tell me this camera smaller then my blackberry curve can take high-def video as well as pictures??" Oh it can do more then that. Canon always has a few things thrown into video mode for the fun of it, like color Accent, as in taking away all but one color. Allowing your friend in the red shirt to be the REAL center of attention. And seeing that on the big screen only makes the camera more interesting.
And I even sold myself on buying the camera, with it's sleekness, speed, accuracy, and high-def I just couldn't resist. I'm not telling you to get the camera, but if you do, you won't be disappointed.
More Than Expected!! Superb Photos!
Reviewed by: H. Mera, Houston, Texas Review Date: 2009-05-05
CONS: Poor Low-Light Performance, some noise in low light, tiny viewfinder, mini-HDMI to HDMI cable not included, SD/SDHC storage card not included
Amazon has the best price at under 250 bucks. Most sites are charging full retail since this camera is so popular.
High Definition video is very good at 720p. This will not replace a full size camera or the 5D Mark II for video quality. But, it is a lot better than most including the original Flip video camera.
An HDMI cable IS NOT INCLUDED with the camera. You will need it to watch HD video directly from the camera on an HDTV. I bought a 3 ft miniHDMI-to-HDMI cable online from Monoprice for 8 bucks including USPS first class shipping. They have quality cables for the lowest price on the Monoprice site.
UPDATE: I am very happy with the mini-HDMI to HDMI cables. They were so inexpensive that I bought 2 of these at 3ft long: one for the iMac, the other is for my travel bag. I bought a 6ft mini-HDMI to HDMI cable for the HDTV in the first floor family room. I should have gotten a longer cable since you have to control the video start/stop/next buttons on the camera. You have to get up often to start the next movie clip. I also bought a small 1x3/4inch miniHDMI to HDMI adapter to carry everywhere I take the camera which is everywhere!
UPDATE: The small cover that protects the miniHDMI and USB ports feels a little flimsy. The hinge stretches. I have to force it slightly beyond my comfort to insert cables. I can see this covering breaking off with a lot of use.
An SD storage card IS NOT INCLUDED. They are available at low cost, under 15 bucks, on the net. Check the Dealnews site for the latest sales. I used a 4GB SD high capacity (SDHC) card which will hold about 30mins of video.
Some complain 2.5inch is too small for the LCD. There is no place to put a larger 3inch LCD on this camera without making it a touch screen like the iPhone or increasing the camera size. Plus, 2.5 inch is common on a lot of cameras. I have no problems with it.
TINY VIEW FINDER: It was hard peering through the small hole. I mainly use the LCD screen about 95% of the time. So, NOT A PROBLEM.
Got this camera to try out the 720p HD, face/blink detection and other features. They all worked great.
I was surprised by the small size since I only saw this camera online and never tried it out at a store. It is slightly smaller than my average size business card and about as thin as a new deck of playing cards. I'm female, but, I never bought an ELPH-size Canon camera because they seemed too small. I was concerned I would not be able to comfortably operate the buttons or it would slip out of my hands. I don't have that fear with the SD780. The brushed metal finish provides some friction. The buttons are placed well. Also, the wrist strap is always available as protection against dropping the camera.
SMART AUTO feature is great! I use it often to take closeup (macro) shots or when I don't have time to adjust the settings. I hold the camera about 4 inches from an object and the camera self adjusts the settings. It amazing to watch it work. I partially press the shutter button to see where the camera is focused and move it to focus on my area of interest. The camera selects of the pre-programmed 18 modes to find the one that creates the best image.
As many stated, the images are superb thanks to the 12.1 mega pixel resolution, Digic 4, and the image stabilizer (IS) function. You should not live without IS unless you are into the artsy blurry pictures. It takes great pictures of kids who don't sit still. Great if you don't have steady hands. Images are crisp, clear and can be easily seen in the beautiful 2.5inch LCD.
I noticed the noise in some of the photos. Did not have too much problems with it.
The 3X optical is fine. Best for the photographer to move in or out to zoom/out on the subject matter and not worry about the camera lens zoom when just taking photos. Zooming during filming would be better. Hopefully, Canon adds this feature to future powershot ELPH models.
Overall, a great camera that is thin enough to hide in a small purse or pocket yet still deliver superb photos for it's size!
(I have owned 7 Canon cameras including 5 digital cameras. I have used this camera for about 1 week.)
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Panasonic DMC-FH20 Digital Camera Features
The DMC-FH20 sports a powerful 8x optical zoom lens (35mm camera equivalent: 28-224mm). This gives you highly natural expressions from people and animals that you can't get close to. And its slim, compact, pocket-sized body can easily go wherever you do for both everyday snapshots and traveling.
28mm Wide-angle Lens The 28mm wide-angle lens* lets you easily capture large groups of people indoors or expansive architectural structures and scenes with dynamic width and rich perspective, even from short distances. * Converted to standard 35mm camera equivalent, at the maximum wide position.
Powerful 8x Optical Zoom The DMC-FH20 sports a powerful 8x optical zoom lens (35mm camera equivalent: 28-224mm). This gives you highly natural expressions from people and animals that you can't get close to. And its slim, compact, pocket-sized body can easily go wherever you do for both everyday snapshots and traveling.
iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode When you don't know which mode will give you the best shooting results, or when a sudden photo opportunity pops up and you don't have time to make any settings, simply choose iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode by simply pressing the dedicated button and let the camera do it all for you. You just choose iA Mode, aim at your subject, and shoot. 4 detection and correction functions are simultaneously activated to optimize the settings, so you get stunning photos every time.
HD Movie Recording (1,280 x 720 pixels at 30 fps in Motion JPEG Format) The DMC-FH20) can record motion images in high-definition (1,280 x 720 pixels at 30 fps in Motion JPEG format). The pixel mixed readout method enables bright motion-image recording even in low-light settings. The DMC-FH20 can also record full-size motion images in WVGA (848 x 480 pixels at 30 fps) or standard motion images in VGA (640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps) and QVGA (320 x 240 pixels at 30 fps)
Decidedly slim and sleekly refined the PowerShot SX210 IS packs a feature set that reads like a wish list.The 14.1 megapixel CCD joins a 14x 28mm wide angle zoom for imaging power to spare.Frame your shots in the bright 3.0 inch widescreen PureColor System LCD with the Low Light mode for sharp images in dimly lit situations
Powerful 14x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer; improved Dynamic mode for enhanced image stabilization
14.1-megapixel resolution for high-quality prints up to 16.5 x 23.4 inches
28mm wide-angle lens; 3.0-inch wide PureColor System LCD
HD shooting capability at 720p with stereo sound plus HDMI output
DIGIC 4 Image Processor with evolved Face Detection Technology; new scene modes
Reviewed by: Stephen, Southern CA Review Date: 2010-04-06
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RBW5FATHST40A Update: 7-19-2010 The video that I posted today is to answer questions about the camera's cycle rate. It is not an overall camera review but a demonstration of how long it takes the shutter to fire and a demonstration of the "wicked fast" continuous mode. I posted the continuous mode photos on my Google Picasa account which can be viewed by going to my Amazon profile page.
I am a professional motion picture camera assistant and an advanced hobby photographer. I own a Nikon D90 and several other compact cameras. There are times that I wanted to bring a decent camera but didn't want to haul my SLR kit around with me. I have always felt like I had to make a big compromise until now. This camera captures amazing images for such a compact device. If wanted it also allows for full control of all aspects of your shots including ASA, shutter time and aperture. The HD video it captures is fantastic and it does this without the need to hand focus like my D90.
The first thing that you will notice when you get the camera is that it is very small. It is the size camera you can put in a belt case and forget you have it with you.
Controls - I am use to more direct access to the controls but anyone who is familiar with SLR photography can easily navigate the controls without a manual. Amateurs or those unfamiliar with SLR controls have two great options, Auto or EZ mode. You can put this camera into the hands of an inexperienced photographer and if they can compose a shot, and have fundamental consideration of lighting, they can get technically great pictures.
Colors are accurate with excellent black detail for this price range camera. This camera achieves a level of image quality that was available only from professional SLR cameras a few years ago.
Once you turn on the camera, you are going to be impressed with the wide end of this cameras lens. For vista shots, it does not show wide lens distortion. For close wide shots, it does show an acceptable amount distortion that is fun to shoot with. When I took this camera on a family trip, I was easily able to hold the camera myself and get all 4 of us in the shot. The only issue that I have with this wide mode is that it will not fully translate in a standard 4X6 print. You will loose the sides of the pictures when you print. I hope that the 16X9 HD ratio will become a standard for future photo prints. Of course you can set the camera to shoot a standard 4X6 print
The long end of the zoom is equally amazing. The image stabilization seems as good as Nikon's VR system.
The SX210is focuses almost as quickly as my SLR Nikon D90 in still mode.
Contunuous Mode- The camera can record 2 FPS in continuous mode. It is a lot of fun to record action sequences or take a series of photos if you have the need to grab a lot of shots in a short time. I posted a few series of shots on my Google Picasa site that can be viewed through my profile page, or paste:
[...]
Movie Mode - The camera really shines in video mode, it focuses quickly and tracks action well. This Canon camera can continuously focus the image rather than having to press the button halfway to activate focus.
In video mode, the exposure shifts in steps rather than gradual transitions. In other words, the exposure could be good for a particular scene and as it transitions to a different lighting scenario the exposure clicks to the proper exposure. Dedicated video cameras transition more smoothly between different lighting conditions than still camera shooting in video mode.
It shoots 720p movies that rival a dedicated video camera. The optical 14X zoom is amazing. This camera could take the place of a stand-alone video camera for many people. The audio quality is good but not fantastic. You can notice the steady shot while shooting videos. It works well until you get to long end of the lens where you will notice that the image jumps around when you try to hold a steady frame. In reality, you would never want to shoot zoomed in all the way.
Con's- I'm getting picky here but you should know...
I would have liked a viewfinder. Shooting in bright sunlight can be difficult with the LCD screen. I also find that resting the camera against your head helps steady shots.
I wasn't really crazy about the exposed LCD screen. The screen is made of glass rather than plastic, which is nice. If placed LCD side down it does not rest flat on the screen. It instead rests on the mode rotary dial and the opposite corner of the camera. I wish manufactures would engineer a slightly raised screen bezel to prevent scratches to the screen.
I think it could have been better if the microphones were in front of, rather than on top of the camera. There isn't enough separation between microphones to realize stereo sound capabilities. The microphone is very susceptible to wind noise.
Low light mode is still slightly noisy compared to the D90. Don't expect a miracle low light camera and you won't be disappointed. Still it is a lot better than other compact cameras. Please see the low light photo I posted.
The pop-up flash for the camera is positioned where your left index finger would typically grip the camera. I keep forgetting to relocate my fingers when I turn on the camera. It works well for illuminating snapshots. I have found that it is a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it gracefully lights shots and other times it performs as a typical compact camera flash.
Conclusion:
I really love the camera and would purchase it again if I manage to destroy it or loose it. The zoom range is amazing and very useful. The color this camera captures is realistic and detailed. It is compact, easy to use and fun to shoot. It is not equal to a quality SLR camera but is clearly better than all of the compact camera's I have used. My impression is it's in-between quality in a compact body. It definitely sets a new standard.
If you have any questions or want other information that will help improve this review, please leave a comment. I'd be happy to repost any improvements.
My review is intended to give a overall consumer impression of this amazing little camera. I could have gone on for pages and there are plenty of professional reviews on the internet if you want to find out very specific information.
Don't forget to order a case or SD card when you order this camera as it comes with neither.
SD CARDS
I tried SD cards that ranged from a class 2 Panasonic to a class 10 SanDisk 30MB/s. It didn't make a lot of difference in the cycle rate the camera was able to shoot at.
BATTERIES
If you get a spare battery get the OEM Canon Battery. I was tempted to save and bought the Lenmar replacement battery. I would suggest you save your money. After the first few cycles it would read full on the camera's battery indicator but not be able to power the camera.
CASES
The Canon PSC-3100 PowerShot Case for Canon SX200IS Digital Cameras is really too large for this camera. See the posted pictures on Amazon's consumer photos. I went to an electronics store and tried all of the cases. I liked the Lowepro D-Pods 20 best. Amazon sells it for $9.23 and it's Amazon Prime too. This case is snug fitting and offers spare battery and card storage. I posted some snapshots and a video.
Avoid the temptation to put a compact camera unprotected in a jacket pocket. The dust and dirt contained within can work itself into the camera and optics. There is no easy way to address this.
I posted a video review there also.
Lowepro D-Pods 20 Camera Case (Black)
Lowepro D-Pods 20 Camera Case (Black)
Some sample photos are at my Picasa account that can be found in my profile page.
Had to give it five stars
Reviewed by: Iowadad, Iowa City Review Date: 2010-04-10
I put a lot of thought and research into picking out a camera this time. I was looking for an all-around family camera for someone who really likes photography and shares a lot of photos. Ultimately, I want a DSLR to get those perfect, professional quality archive photos to blow up and hang on the wall. I knew that the SX210 wouldn't achieve that but, only being able to buy one camera this year, it still seemed the best all around choice. It does what it does well enough that I'm just excited to have it.
A lot of reviews of this camera will just say that the image quality is Fantastic and Perfect and such. My review is based on knowing that there are other cameras that could ultimately produce better pictures but that this one is worth getting anyway.
First off, the image quality is quite nice. Right out of the box, using the auto setting, I've been impressed. I have taken some difficult backlit pictures of my kids that were surprisingly beautiful. My old Elf would have been baffled by the light. I shot some flash pictures in near darkness while zoomed across the room and the amount of detail is impressive. I did this in Low Light setting, letting the camera focus with the little red light and hitting the shutter at the right moment. You could actually get usable shots that way. Daylight photos, as expected, are rich and vividly colorful. I've posted a backlit photo taken on auto setting, zoomed across the room. I also included a 'tilt zoom' photo. That seems like it could be a fun effect from time to time.
And then there are all of the manual controls. I can tell that one could put the effort in with this camera and become skilled at producing better and better shots. I haven't had access to manual focus, aperture and shutter speed since my old 35mm days. It's not quite the same to handle as that but the same principles apply. A real photographer could stay busy with this.
Once I saw that the image quality is acceptable for an expensive point and shoot, the rest of it is a no-brainer. Having all that room to zoom really changes your perspective on the shots you can get. I prefer candid shots of people rather than posing and telling them to smile. This is the perfect stealth camera for that. My youngest daughter got into the habit of posing all the time. You pull out the camera because she's doing something priceless but as soon as you're pointing it at her she stops to ham it up. Now I'm taking natural, candid shots of my kids playing in the yard from all the way across the yard. It's awesome. The only way to do it with my old Elf would have been digital zoom which produces terrible pictures.
And then there is the video. This thing may cost a lot for a point and shoot but it's not so much considering that I really don't need to buy a video camera now. At a recent school event with my daughter on stage I was in envy of the parents with video cameras. But, of course, if they wanted to shoot pictures, they were carrying two cameras. With the SX210, I could zoom in for a perfectly framed, HD shot from the back row. And you don't even need to switch to video mode. Just hit the red button. Very cool. I was so glad to see that they updated the video function from the SX200. (I owned one of those for a couple of days before returning it.) 14x optical zoom while shooting video is unbelievable. You can track moving objects all over the place. It's really fun.
Yesterday was my first full day of shooting with this. I took my daughter to the museum and the park and the SX210 fit pretty comfortably into my front pocket. I recommend using the strap all the time to avoid drops. To me, it's not ideal in terms of handling. I liked the feel of the SX200 better, for example. But it's a good tradeoff when you consider the functions and how much camera you're able to put in your pocket.
Changing the annoying pop-up flash so you can snap it shut was a big improvement from the SX200. It gets it out of the way, for good, when you're shooting in daylight and I like being able to shut it off without going into the functions. There are some situations where you're not allowed to use flash and it's nice to know for sure that it's not going to fire. With it snapped shut, you know for sure.
I imagine the Panasonic and Sony superzooms that compete with the SX210 have their charms as well. But I don't care about having GPS and I trust the Canon not to be beat in its class in terms of color and overall image quality.
When I saw that Canon had raised the megapixels, probably, too high for the size of the sensor in this camera, I was prepared to be annoyed. It seems gimicky. 10x zoom and 10 MP wouldn't have been enough? But, the image quality is still decent and I find myself using all of the zoom. It's definitely a gimicky camera but they're fun gimicks. The pictures aren't DSLR quality but even entry level DSLRs still cost more than this and you can't stick them in your pocket for a day of touring around. For the price, I'm happy with it and I don't see anything out there that would have been better for me.
Best Canon PowerShot I Have Ever Owned!
Reviewed by: sevenzeroseven, new york Review Date: 2010-04-13
I waited for a while to see what was up with Amazon's release date. I have a huge European vacation coming up in a couple weeks, so I couldn't wait much longer to get used to a new camera. I surfed on over to Best Buy and there it was...with Free Shipping and I am loving this camera! Best point-and-shoot I have ever owned.
This is now my third Canon PowerShot. I am by no means getting rid of my SD750 though - great camera, but there is 2x's the pixel and zoom in the SX210IS. I never thought that I was going to have a point-and-shoot with image stabilization like my Nikon D90 has. The red-eye correction works best if the setting is to reduce DURING the photo taking.
The 3" LCD is so clear and so the colors are bright. The video capability is just uhm... WOW! I thought the SD750 took amazing video, but the video this camera takes is mind-blowing. I filmed some of us at our softball training tonight and if I could - I would show you how amazing the videos came out. I am using a 16GB Transcend Class 6 card and the download time was pretty fast. I had about 17 minutes total.
Zoom zoom zoommm (did that sound like a Mazda commercial?) The zoom was also tested at my softball game. I zoomed in on my friend out in left field and the Red Sox logo was CLEAR! There was a bit of grain, but when I say 'bit' - it was so minimal.
Day photos - vivid, clear, and overall superb quality. Low-light - great quality and the best that I have seen in any point-and-shoot - just let it do the right focusing and you have some decent photos. Night - it was pretty dark before softball was over tonight. I walked over to the dugout and just started randomly taking shots at some objects where it was pitch dark - they came out like it was DAY! I the arranged a softball, bat bag, and glove about 60 feet away from me and zoomed, well - the photo came out clear, bright (but not overdone) and way better than I ever expected.
I now joke that this camera has higher MP than my DSLR. My Nikon D90 is a 12.1 and this is 14.1 - I honestly never thought that I would have a non-DSLR that had these options, but Canon surely has made a great choice in this area!
Overall, I am extremely happy with this camera. It was well worth $350 for a compact point-and-shoot. I will be looking forward to seeing more reviews since there are only six (including mine) as of now.
Hope you enjoyed my review & hope you choose this camera!
Very Impressed with this Camera!
Reviewed by: K. Lowe, Memphis, Indiana United States Review Date: 2010-04-25
I purchased this camera on April 17th and have taken 200 photos in the last week. My battery indicator still has a full charge. The low light and natural light photos are great and I am very happy with my purchase. I was concerned that you only get a basic printed manual and the rest is on a CD. However, after reviewing the manual on my computer, there weren't any sections that I felt I needed to print out. The on screen menus are easy to follow and the pop-up flash, while somewhat annoying, hasn't been a problem for me. I do what another reviewer suggested and hold my finger over it when I turn on the camera. It appears to be more fragile than my Fuji Finepix J10 and I find myself being extra careful and gentle with it. But it may just seem so since it cost so much more. I find myself wanting to go on vacation or to the zoo so I can take some really cool photos to compare with my other two cameras (the Fuji and a Panasonic DMC-FZ30). All in all, I am very pleased.
For those of you wanting a hard shell case to protect this camera, I finally found the right fit in the Case Logic SLDC-202 Compact Camera Case. It will fit your camera perfectly with a hard shell on both front and back, and there is a front pocket for a spare battery and memory card.
Overall good.
Reviewed by: Journeyman Dan, Review Date: 2010-06-14
I'm quite pleased with this purchase. The SX 210is is worth the pennies you put into it. Has pretty good AI for a point and shoot, fair low light pictures and amazing HD movies. I rarely use the flash since it degrades the true-to-life perception in photos, and it performs like a champ. In bright daylight the pictures are extremely crisp and full of color. In low lighting you do notice some noise since the ISO is ramped up to compensate. Using manual settings you can get crisp non-action shots even in low light. Rarely get blur when using the flash even with fast action shots.
This camera takes amazing video. I've used it in the home, and out and about. The focus is a little slow if your moving from close to far objects but the detail is really worthy of being called 720p. It has tons of options for effects and manual control. Quite impressed with the technical abilities of the camera. Definitely has captured memories in detail that I haven't had with previous cameras.
I have a Canon fs11 camcorder and the SX 210is takes better quality video in my opinion (fs11 is much faster from turn on to a record though).
A few cons:
Low light can produce noise and blur when taking pics. Videos are slightly grainy/noisy but nothing game breaking. Still great detail, its 14mp for crying out loud.
The focus during videos is a little slow. The manual focus option can actually work faster if you know what you're doing.
The Mic doesn't function well in a windy environment, but works great otherwise. Stereo sound isn't awesome unless things are to the far right or far left and then you can really hear it.
The guy that posted about the dark shadow in the lower right is truth. But I've only personally found it when taking a macro picture with the flash. Taking a macro you're better off using natural light or background light anyway.
For entry level or just needed a good P&S this is a great camera. And for those comparing this to entry level DLSR's, there's no comparison. Apples and oranges. Just depends on your take of photography. The SX210is is VERY portable (carry it in my pocket most of the time) and has highly detailed pics and vids every time.
58 New — prices too low to display (click "More Info" or "Add to Cart" button to see prices)
9 Used from $85.00
12.0 Megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches
3.6x Zoom-NIKKOR Glass Lens has a versatile zoom range from 37mm to 134mm telephoto coverage that gets you close to the action while capturing expansive landscapes
Big, Bright 3.0-inch LCD makes it easy to compose and share your pictures with a wide-viewing angle and anti-glare coating
Easy Auto Mode with Scene Auto Selector simplifies your picture-taking experience by letting the camera automatically select the best setting to get great picture
High Quality TV Movies with Sound records 640x480 at 30fps movies for easy in camera playback or on your computer
3-way VR Image Stabilization System 1. Electronic VR Image Stabilization minimizes the effect of camera shake 2. Motion Detection automatically detects moving subjects and adjusts shutter speed and ISO setting to compensate for cameras hake and subject movement 3. Nikon's original Best Shot Selector (BSS) automatically takes up to 10 shots while the shutter is pressed and saves the sharpest image
ISO up to 1600 capability helps give you sharper results when shooting in low light or capturing fast-moving subjects.
Smart Portrait System includes: 1. Smart Portrait Mode makes sure you'll always catch the decisive moment when your subject smiles. 2. Blink Warning, when activated alerts you that the subject may have blinked and allows you to retake the photo. 3. In-Camera Red-Eye Fix™ automatically fixes, while shooting, most instances of red-eye in the camera. You may never see red-eye again 4. Face-Priority AF Nikon's face-finding technology that automatically focuses on up to 3 faces
AA Batteries for ease of mind with long battery life plus easy, anywhere replacement
16 Scene Modes
Macro shooting as close as 2”
5 Color Options for special filter effects. Choose from: standard color, vivid color, black-and-white, sepia and cyanotype
EXPEED Image Processing ensures
12.0 megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches
3.6x Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens (37mm to 134mm); bright 3.0-inch LCD
Easy Auto Mode with Scene Auto Selector; capture 640 x 480 movies with sound at 30fps
Reviewed by: A. White, Mississippi Review Date: 2010-04-03
I bought this camera after reading all the + reviews on several web sites. This is a very good camera for the price.
Pro's: price, simple to use, slips right into you shirt pocket or purse, very good pictures, bright LCD (sorry Kodak), uses AA batteries, good video.
Con's: none! I highly recommend this camera.
Ease of use
Reviewed by: Gardengirl, Troutdale, OR USA Review Date: 2010-04-29
I am no "techie", but this camera is user friendly and takes beautiful pictures. It does all the adjustments automaticly. If you want a "point & shoot", no-brainer I recommend this camera. AND it is "pretty".
simply cool
Reviewed by: P. Craig, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, US Review Date: 2010-04-29
The camera is very good in quality and small in design. It meets all the requirements I was looking for and does a beutiful job that lives up to its ads. I have always enjoyed Nikon cameras and the zoom fits in perfectly for my needs.
Freaking awesome!
Reviewed by: C. Pitt, Review Date: 2010-06-03
I love this camera. It just came in today and I've been playing with the macro, and all I have to say is, HOLY CRAP IT IS AMAZING! I like to take really close shots of small things and this camera is perfect for that. I had the L18 until I completely killed it, and the buttons are pretty much the same but in different places. The menu is really easy to follow, and the screen is a good size for the size of the camera. Let me just say WOW this camera is shiny! I'd definitely recommend getting a case!
Perfect Gift!
Reviewed by: Bean Counter, Maine Review Date: 2010-05-17
I bought this camera for my 70 year old mother hoping it would prove easy to use and non-intimidating. It was perfect. She loved the look of it, how small it is and the large viewer. She was able to load the software and start using it immediately. Picture quality was great, too. Haven't gotten into the more advanced features but for an entry level introduction to digital photography this is a great choice.
Canon's storied S Series gets a revitalized new leader in the slimmer, lighter, PowerShot S90, the perfect everyday camera for people who are serious about great photography. Image quality is superb thanks to the new High Sensitivity System and higher ISO speeds, plus an exceptionally bright f/2.0 lens that makes portraits and low-light shots come to life. Photography enthusiasts will love the new control ring at the base of the lens barrel, designed for intuitive, pro-style manual control.
FEATURES:
10-megapixel sensor coupled with Canon's DIGIC 4 Image Processor - The PowerShot S90 employs a 10-megapixel High Sensitivity System by combining a powerful CCD sensor and Canon's DIGIC 4 Image Processor. Thanks to this technological advancement, the S90 is dramatically more sensitive than cameras with identical megapixel counts, and delivers spectacular images with minimal noise. Increased sensitivity demands a higher ISO speed, and the PowerShot S90 delivers with a new maximum setting of ISO 3,200. Blur and camera shake are notably reduced for the ultimate in sharpness and clarity.
Compact and pocket-sized camera for everyday use for the advanced amateur - Serious photography buffs never want to miss a shooting opportunity, and that means keeping a high-quality camera on hand at all times. With a robust feature set that meets an advanced amateur's exacting standards, the compact PowerShot S90 fits the bill. The S90 boasts an incredibly slim profile and lightweight body for pocket-sized convenience, yet packs in advanced capabilities that make every image memorable. It's the perfect take-along complement to your camera collection.
Bright f/2.0 lens, great for shooting in low light conditions or using a shallow depth-of-field - The S90 sports an f/2.0 aperture, perfect for creating enticing portraits, by drawing attention to t
New 10-megapixel High Sensitivity System; DIGIC 4 Image Processor
Improved low-light image performance, plus a Low Light scene mode for ISO settings up to 12,800
Customizable control ring for easy access and operation of manual or other creative shooting settings
Reviewed by: Randy Benter, Kansas City Review Date: 2009-10-11
I bought this camera on 10/9, which is the first day it was available here in Kansas City. I have already taken a couple hundred shots with it comparing images side by side with my G10 at various settings. This review is of my initial impression based on the short time that I have had it. I was anxiously awaiting the release of this camera. I own a Nikon D90 DSLR, but there are many times when I prefer to just take a compact. In the past the Canon G10 has served that purpose, but the S90 boasts improved low-light performance and smaller size.
The first thing I wanted to test was image quality and noise at high ISO settings. Most photography hobbyists and pros know that low light performance is the number one factor influencing camera and lens prices. This is the main reason an f/2.8 zoom lens costs 3-5 times as much as an f/3.5-5.6 zoom. The S90 performs superbly in this regard. RAW images from the S90 set at ISO 800 were equal to or better than RAW images from the G10 set at ISO400. Both luminance and chrominance noise were lower in the S90 images. This represents a 1 stop improvement, which is what I was hoping for. These comparisons were made with all noise reduction disabled in camera and in the DPP software. I tested all other ISOs and found the S90 to be better at all ISO settings above 100 and the 2 cameras demonstrated equal IQ at the base ISOs of 80 and 100.
Canon also boasts about the S90 having a faster f/2.0 lens compared to the f/2.8 on the G10, but this part of the camera did not impress me. The lens only has the 1 stop advantage at the absolute widest setting and the max aperture closes down fast from there. The G10/G11 lens is faster at the telephoto end and the difference is negligible at all zoom settings in between. Both lenses are equally sharp throughout their zoom ranges.
The ergonomics of the camera will take me a while to get used to. I was looking for a smaller camera and the S90 definitely fits the bill. But now that I am using it, I wonder if it might be too small. I hope that it will become more comfortable in my hands as I get used to it. On the G10, I could operate all of the controls on the right-rear of the camera with the thumb of the hand holding the camera. With the S90 there are fewer controls that I can operate one-handed and at times I feel like I might drop this camera, because I just can't get a good grip on it. Other ergonomic concerns are that the rear control ring turns too easily and I have found myself unintentionally adjusting settings because of this, which was never a problem on the G10. I think I might miss the external ISO and Exposure Compensation dials on the G10, but I have set the front control ring to adjust the ISO setting and I would honestly need to use it more before I say the controls are not easy to access; again this should improve with more use. None of the concerns I have about the size and controls on the camera would dissuade me from the purchase; the trade-off is worth it for the smaller carrying size and improved performance.
The camera ships with a newer version (3.7) of Canon's Digital Photo Professional software. There is not much difference compared to older versions, but there is one nice improvement: the lens aberration section is enabled for images taken with the S90. This allows for correction of vignetting, CA and distortion. I do not understand why the same controls are not available for RAW files taken with the G10. There is still no straighten function in the software, which is a disappointment. Another disappointing factor about the software is that Canon has not yet released a new RAW Codec; the current version (1.5) does not support the S90 or G11. This allows raw files to be viewed in Windows and for thumbnail images to be created in Windows explorer. I am sure they are working on an update, but I wish they had this ready by the time the camera was released.
I went step-by-step through the menus and features of both cameras during my comparison and most functions are very similar. The S90 has fewer AF options and no remote control, but I do not think I will miss either of these.
I considered giving this camera only 4 stars because of the couple of hits I mentioned above, but then decided that would not be fair. The title of "Best Compact" has been debated feverishly on the web, with most votes going to the G10 and LX3. But now, I think Canon's new release of both the S90 and G11 will put a quick end to these debates. There is no question in my mind that this pair sits above all competitors. Therefore a five star rating is the only logical choice. I highly recommend this camera.
My Powershot S90 Has Arrived, and It's Fantastic!
Reviewed by: Ray, Review Date: 2009-08-29
Early Impressions
I was delighted to have finally received my Powershot S90, and without further adieu, let me say that this is one heck of a camera. It's not perfect -- you can take truly terrible pictures with it just like you can take terrible pictures with a D700 -- but when used properly, the camera turns out remarkable shots that make us find it hard to accept the images are coming from a camera that fits in your pants pocket.
What struck me first upon using it? First, it's size. This thing is small, and it's light, too. It's a bit smaller than my Panasonic TZ3 and TZ5, and it's lighter, too. (The camera uses a front and back metal construction with plastic on the top and bottom, but the Panasonic's, while also using metal, use a thicker gauge steel which adds a feel of sturdiness but also adds some weight, as well). The camera also has a high-quality feel to it. The buttons click and depress well (although the rear wheel is a bit too easy to turn, in my opinion). It has a rounded shape, so it feels comfortable in the hands, and when you stick it in your pocket, it will slide right in and out without snagging. The screen on this thing is simply gorgeous: why can't every camera have a screen like this? It's large, bright, and pretty high in resolution (461,000 pixels). You can't help but admire the camera's design once you get looking at it and using it.
Next, the camera seems to perform well in terms of speed and overall operational use. The screen has the typical lag when taking shots, but you can adjust this somewhat in the menu system to speed things up, and quite frankly, every small camera I've ever owned exhibits this behavior. It is easy to use most of the camera's functions, and you may have heard about the programmable control ring around the lens on the front of the camera. It's operation is easy, solid (the ring "clicks" with detents at different positions), and, to boot, there is the standard programmable "S" button that the Powershots "S" cameras have typically had.
But of course, I'm interested in high ISO operation, and so I immediately took it into the livingroom where it was quite dark, and just started shooting. I was quite surprised at the results. You are not going to necessarily submit these to win any contests, but for the most part, the camera took nice shots even in that bad shooting environment, and the vast majority of the photos came out quite well (I will post a few with this review). The camera is the first (along with the Powershot G11) to deploy Sony's new ICX685CQZ sensor, a 9.31mm diagonal sensor with high performance specifications. With a little post processing, many of them look quite good. As the ISO crept into the very high ranges (800 and above) some sensor noise became apparent, but this is certainly the best low-light performance I've seen in a non-DSLR so far. (See my explanations, below, to see why this is possible). Surprisingly, some shots as high as 1600 ISO seemed to be acceptable as long as you are not a "pixel peeper." I was quite surprised when I discovered that a few of the shots had been taken at this high ISO 1600 level -- I've never had this experience before with a point and shoot camera.
Outdoor operation is fantastic. My outdoor shots for the most part have come out very well, with rich color, great detail, and little sensor noise. Like most Canon portables, these images seem to respond well to post-processing (you can sharpen them quite easily, and Canon now uses a standard meta-data tagging format that is readable by virtually all photo editor programs.) I even turned the EV down -2/3 while outside, and the sensitivity of the camera is so good that, even with this reduction in EV, my shots came out sharp and clear. Again, I will post a few shots with this review.
The camera TRULY excels at macro photography. The macro shots I've taken thus far are clear, sharp, and have great depth of field. In a word, they are superb: this camera is a macro shooter's delight. (A nice touch, too, is that in AUTO mode the camera automatically shifts into macro mode, without having to press any buttons!) The functionality just begs us to keep shooting macros over and over again. I've been able to take macro shots that I only dreamed of before, and the camera makes it easy to do so.
And although this is not an objective measure, the camera is just plain fun to use. It works smoothly, is light, has a beautiful screen, and seems to keep cranking out one nice shot after another. Wow.
Early Pro's and Cons
-- PROS --
1. Exceptionally small and lightweight (100 x 58 x 31 mm and 175 g)
2. Increased sensor size for a portable with a lower megapixel count (Sony's new ICX685CQZ sensor, 9.31mm diagonal)
3. Reasonably large zoom factor (28-105mm, approximately 3.8X zoom)
4. Wide end is very wide for landscape shots, vistas, group photos (28mm)
5. Fast f/2 lens permits high levels of light passage in low light situations
6. f/2 lens makes shallow depth of field shots incredibly effective - this camera is a macro shooter's delight
7. Two types of highly effective shake reduction technologies
8. Design makes lens cap unnecessary
9. Extremely high image quality for a pocket sized camera
10. HUGE 3 inch LCD screen with 461,000 pixel resolution and 100% coverage of the shot you wish to take
11. RAW mode allows for highest image quality and post processing
12. Virtually every camera setting is user adjustable (ISO, shutter speed, aperture, EV, white balance, etc.)
13. Ring-based control implementation one of the best on ANY current camera
14. Reasonable cost for a camera of this ability (but watch the prices climb as the camera stays in and out of stock)
16. Metadata being properly written to the file so they can be read by photo editing software (a problem with earlier Canons and some other brands)
17. SDHC flash card is highly standardized, and is coming in larger and faster formats (necessary if you are taking many RAW shots)
18. Extremely attractive physical design
19. High quality construction apparent on first use
20. Reasonably good battery life - most people are reporting about 300 shots (without flash) between charges
-- CONS --
1. Zoom ends at 108mm (3.8X zoom), which may be a deal breaker for some
2. Does not take HD videos (but does shoot 640 x 480 at full 30fps)
3. LCD screen not at the highest current resolution as seen in some DSLR's (but is great, anyway)
4. Proprietary battery is an expensive proposition, as two or three are needed for daylong trips
5. Camera case not included, and is expensive to purchase afterword
6. No prices below retail due to the high demand of the device
7. May be difficult to initially acquire due to high demand
8. Still no "universal standard" RAW mode file format - the camera manufacturers need to address this soon!
9. Mechanical noise when setting focus and moving between bright and dimply lit areas - this is the aperture being adjusted, but it can be annoying
Some Other Things I Can Tell You about this Camera (and the Powershot Line in general)
Canon's reinstatement of the venerable "S" series within the Powershot line is a welcome move to thousands of photographic enthusiasts. Although the S90 announcement a few months ago caught the photographic community by surprise, the announcement was greeted with overwhelmingly positive reactions. As a person who had been greatly impressed by my older Powershot S80, a phenomenal camera for its time and a pleasure to use, I was one of them.
Read the online posts of virtually any photography forum, and you'll quickly see there is no shortage of individuals, many of them longtime professional photographers, who have tired of carrying around anywhere from four to ten pounds of photographic equipment simply to get a few shots while out on a trip. (I think it may have been Scott Kelby who said, and I paraphrase, "The best shot is the one you take," and if the weight and size of your equipment makes it so that you end up not bringing your camera with you, you won't take any photos at all! This is a corollary to one famous photographer`s statement that there is an inverse relationship between the amount of photos you take and the amount of equipment you bring.) The problem has generally been, however, that the smaller you make the camera, the worse the image quality of the photos the device can produce. This has set up a tradeoff between image quality and camera size, and, more specially, image quality and sensor size, which for years has forced photographers to take a stand with one side of the equation or the other, and then defend to the community why they made such a choice.
Without going into too much detail here, the problem in manufacturing a compact camera that takes excellent images under a wide range of environments essentially boils down to the sensor, the electronic device that takes the place of film in older cameras. The larger the sensor, the more surface area for light to fall, and the higher the density of the sensor (in megapixels) the higher the sensor's resolution. Camera manufacturers have excelled at developing ever higher densities in sensors of the same physical dimensions -- many 12 and 14 mexapixel cameras are using sensors sized no larger than those on previous cameras possessing only 3 or 4 mexapixels -- but where they have fallen flat on their faces is in the development of sensors that have good resolution AND low noise. And the most direct impact of increasing mexapixel count on a sensor that remains static in size is the increase of electronic "noise" (also known as the "signal to noise ratio," a term used for describing all electrical circuits, whether photographic in nature, or not), resulting in photos that have a grain like appearance with miniscule spots of white and color spread throughout the entire image, spoiling the photo's clarity and diminishing its overall appearance.
The problem is that when more reactive pixels are crammed into a sensor of a fixed size, the size of the pixels themselves must be decreased to accommodate more of them within the same sensor size. But as pixels are made smaller, they also tend to emit more unwanted electrical emissions (called "noise") along with the desired output (called "signal"). As consumers have somehow mistakenly equated megapixels with quality (and the camera manufacturers have done little, if anything, to dispel this misunderstanding), camera manufacturers have released successive waves of new cameras with higher and higher resolution, but with essentially the same sized sensors. These "upgrades" have driven noise levels higher, and have resulted in more cameras capable to taking "good" photos only in full sunlight where the signal from the sensor easily overpowers its noise. (This phenomenon is best seen when taking a picture in a low light setting, say inside a building, and the photo, if it comes out blur free at all, is laden with noise spots, making the photo generally unappealing in appearance and lacking in detail and clarity.)
The approach to this problem has typically been to apply "noise reduction" processing algorithms to the image before it is written to the flash card, similar to techniques used by computer software image editing programs. And although this "after the fact" noise reduction approach can help, the truth is that, for most situations, there simply is no way to repair a photo so laden with noise: you can remove the noise, but the cost is a loss of detail, making such photos appear slightly soft and blurry, with little detail. Some cameras produce so much noise that noise reduction algorithms appear in all photos, not just low light shots, where even full sunlight shots present noise reduction artifacts in the resulting picture.
That preamble may have been a bit longer than was expected, but it is an important background to the Powershot S90, a camera that attempts to tackle the problem of low light image quality in a manner few manufacturers have generally attempted:
1. increasing the physical size of the sensor to a size larger than most point and shoot cameras
2. reducing the noise generation inherent in the hardware sensor pixels
3. increasing pixel size by reducing the number of pixels on the sensor
4. using a "fast, bright" lens with a very wide aperture (f/2 at its widest zoom level) that allows a great deal of light to pass through to the sensor
When these four approaches are employed, the result can be a portable camera that, under some conditions, can rival the performance of most entry level DSLRS, and do so in format that fits in your shirt pocket.
The Powershot S90 has just now been released, and most all initial reviews seem to be extremely positive, including my own here. Functionality on the camera is praised, particularly with Canon's implementation of a very old, but generally discarded control mechanism: a ring around the diameter of the lens element serves as a selector for variety of user-defined functions in conjunction with a small function button on the top of the camera. The unit itself is diminutive in size and weight (100 x 58 x 31 mm and 175 g , respectively) and makes use of a matte black finish with smooth curved edges that maintains the generally rectangular shape.
What is the price we pay for such performance? The primary one (and this may be a deal breaker for many) is that the camera zooms only from 28 105mm, making it effectively a 3.8x zoom, too little to be able to compare with compacts such as Panasonic's DMC-TZ5, which starts at this same wide end but (incredibly) zooms to 10x. But if we understand what the S90 is designed to do, which is to take high quality images even in less than desirable lighting conditions (at dusk, inside a cathedral, in museums, etc.), we can see Canon's strategy: don't worry about a lens that zooms across the football field and concentrate on developing a fast lens that transmits lots of light and excels at the wide end. In fact, the S90 is marketed as a camera that is particularly well suited to depth of field shots, where only one item in the frame is in focus, and the rest blurred, and in macro shots where the subject is less than 2 inches away. In this sense, we can say the camera's zoom is not a deficit in the design, but a strategy that helps the camera achieve its goals.
My Canon Powershot S80, a camera I purchased many years ago, took pictures of startling clarity and quality. While possessing similar lens characteristics to the new S90, the S80 had no anti-shake technology, could hold only up to a 2Gb SD card, and had an optical viewfinder that wasn't too accurate. But none of that mattered: the photos that came out of the camera were some of the best I took in those years, and, to boot, the camera was constructed in a quality manner that distinguished itself from all other portables at the time, and was simply a pleasure to use. Early reviewers of the S90 are reporting these very same qualities, but now with a camera that is designed to push the boundaries of portable cameras into a new standard.
COMPARE
Canon Powershot S80 8MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Zoom
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
a non-photographer's opinion
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Stanley, Wichita, KS United States Review Date: 2009-12-05
I'm a very amateur camera user. I understand the basic terms and settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed, image stabilization, exposure) but I am impatient and like to get things set and just use the camera.
I bought this camera because I wanted the ability to use the camera indoors in low light without a flash. Due to the relatively high price, my expectations were high.
My cam was delivered just last week, and having used it at an event in a local bar the best word I can use to describe this camera is "magic". This camera takes in so much light it really seems like magic.
The event I was documenting was in a very dimly lit room. The only lighting sources in the room were incandescent chandeliers dimmed as low as they would go.
I set my iso to 1000 in aperture priority mode, f2.0 (this level is only available in the widest zoom), adjusted white balance for incandescent, and took some shots. Most of the shots used 1/6-second shutter speed, which was just fine due to the image stabilized lens. The IS performance is improved over my last Canon compact. I don't have steady hands, and I like to take quick sloppy shots. If the IS in this cam can handle my hands, a very-careful steady shooter could probably get away with 1/4 second. The resulting images were so bright and had such great color everyone that saw them was in awe. The resulting images appeared more bright and colorful than with a naked eye. Shooting with such high ISOs is like having night vision built into the camera. Noise levels were low enough and color was so good that I can easily print very nice 5x7s from this night.
I took a few candid shots of people in motion at the bar, so I had to bump the ISO to 1600 to get a faster shutter speed (at ISO 1600 I got about 1/30sec in the dimly lit bar). At ISO 1600, color is still acceptable and very nice 4x6 prints, web postings, and email will be no problem. ISO 1600 on this cam is comparable to what most compact cams produce at ISO 400. I've never seen a compact cam take such great shots using high-ish ISO settings.
I am just as happy with the results as when using my EOS 20D digital SLR. A critical professional may argue that this cam isn't as great as an SLR, but for normal-sized prints and digital sharing, this camera makes images that are as good as a consumer SLR.
My last compact was a Canon SD800is. I love that camera, but images are mostly unusable above ISO400, due to muted color, and grain. The S90 goes two full ISO stops beyond what can be done with a typical $300 compact camera. Combine high-ISO performance with the f2.0 option and you can take great shots in 1/3 of the light required for most $300 compact cams.
Adjusting camera settings is a dream. I am just as in control as I am with my EOS 20D SLR. I've used friends' canon rebel SLRs, and the controls on this compact are even better than them. Between the front ring, rear dial, and shortcut button, you have instant control of three camera functions without even really looking. All of the controls are customizable. If you've ever used other canon cameras in the past, you won't really even need to use the excellent printed manual (yes! a printed manual!).
I've not taken enough shots with it to test whether the battery can actually deliver 200 from a charge, but 200 isn't really great battery performance and I bought a backup battery from an Amazon marketplace seller for longer outings (under $30 shipped).
I also highly recommend the Canon compact leather case. This camera easily fits in any pocket, but I'm pretty sure that pocket lint and dust is what did in my last compact camera. The Canon compact leather case for the S90 mounts on your belt and offers light protection away from keys and pocket lint.
The body is comparable in size to Canon elphs. My SD800 elph is 1/2in shorter, but the height and thickness is identical (not counting the lens ring, which makes the overall thickness of the S90 slightly thicker). I posted comparison pics between the SD800 and the S90 in the gallery.
The rear display is really sharp and is viewable outdoors. I haven't bought a new camera in over three years and the display blew me away compared to my other cameras. I really can't compare the display to newer cams.
Simply judging by the way it feels in the hand, the build quality is just average.
The only real performance weakness is continuous shooting. Continuous shooting is really really slow.
If you want a compact and think you'll ever want to photograph dimly lit subjects without a flash, this is THE camera to own. The price is 40% higher, but it takes in 300% more light. Unless you're shooting a lot of action, this cam is probably a better choice for people considering consumer-level SLRs like the Canon rebel line.
I can't imagine anyone regretting buying this camera. It beats other compact pocket sized cameras by a wide margin.
Canon S90 vs. Canon G11: A Matter of Personal Preference
Reviewed by: G. Gilbert, Review Date: 2009-11-30
Canon S90 vs. Canon G11: A Matter of Personal Preference (I'm posting a very similar review under both the S90 and the G11.)
I've been trying to find a 'carry everywhere' camera to always keep on my person so that I don't miss the amazing things that make up the events of everyday life (like tomorrow when I actually get to get off the R train at Cortland Street in Manhattan, something I haven't been able to do for years due to construction). I wanted something that was (1) Small and (2) Had the ability for full manual controls for shutter speed and aperture. The two cameras that fit this bill very well were Canon's S90 and G11 - Canon's top of the line point and shoots in their respective series (S and G). But which one?
The two major things that the cameras have in common (in addition to the above mentioned manual controls) are:
1. The same image sensor (same size, etc)
2. The same image processor
Anyone who's written a comparison of the cameras will point this out quickly - because normally 'which camera' would come down to these one of these two issues. In addition to these things, there are dozens of other features that both cameras share: this makes it very difficult to decide "which camera?" Having owned both of them (but ultimately deciding to go with the G11 and returning the S90) I would like to make a short list of positive/negatives which I think could be deciding factors when trying to choose between these two excellent cameras. Instead of listing both positive and negative points by each camera, I'll simply point out the positives of each that the other model does not share - I hope that this is helpful in your decision!
S90: Advantages
- Very compact: quite a bit smaller than the G11, it would easily fit in pockets and cases that the G11 never could. If you're into Pelican cases like I am, you can fit the S90 in the Pelican Micro Case 1010 with room to spare.
- More efficient controls: the ring around the lens is amazing and an excellent idea. Especially when in manual mode, this makes setting aperture and shutter speed a snap (it's more awkward on the G11 - you have to use the small back dial and then toggle between aperture and shutter speed with a separate button which can get to be messy when you're trying to shoot quickly).
- The f2.0 lens: a full stop faster than the G11's 2.8 lens. This is a LOT of light, and especially important when you want to take photos in low-light situations (note though that the lens on the S90 doesn't zoom in far as the G11 if that's important to you - both lenses are the same focal length when zoomed out).
G11: Advantages
- Hot shoe: but on a compact? Some people will say "it's pointless to use an external flash on a compact camera - the whole point is to be compact!" That's a valid critique, but at the same time there are times when it's nice to be able to throw a flash on a compact if you really need one. I own the 430EX and the 580EX II (both compatible) but I picked up the newish 270EX with the G11 and it works fantastically with the camera without adding a lot of weight. Both the camera and the flash fit perfectly into the Pelican 1060 case side by side but with enough room to stay padded with the foam insert. And hey - if I want to throw the nearly-twice-as-big-as-the-camera-itself 580EX II on the G11 I can do it! Yet I can also do without it - the camera is versatile this way in a way that the S90 is not.
- Vari-Angle LCD: which at first I found annoying. The screen adds just enough bulk to the camera that it does not fit in smaller cases which it otherwise would. When I first got the camera I was really rather annoyed by it in fact - not only because of the bulk but because it is actually smaller than the LCD on the S90. I had to read another review to realize that it was a much better thing than I realized - because it allows you to hold the camera at all sorts of different levels and angles while still allowing you to see what you're shooting. I really enjoy doing photography with the camera low to the ground (I have an angled viewfinder for my DSLR) and so this works perfectly for what I need. As others have pointed out, the Vari-Angledness of the LCD allows you to flip it while in storage so that it's even more protected.
- Remote Shutter Release: you can use one! I love doing night photography and that the G11 allows me to use a cable release really seals the deal on the S90 vs. G11 for me personally (granted on the S90 you can always use the 2 second self-timer). Good news too if you use a Canon Rebel DSLR - it's the same cable release.
Both the S90 and the G11 are beautiful, well made cameras that will serve any photographer well when you're looking for something that's not DSLR sized.
S90 x G11 - Making the right choice
Reviewed by: Frederico Junqueira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Review Date: 2010-02-17
I've agonized about which compact camera to buy, the G11 or the S90 for a couple of weeks. In the end I bought the S90 and some of the reviews really helped me, so here's my contribution to the people making that decision today:
Do you own a DSLR? Definitely go with the S90.
Are you looking for a camera to take in your pocket? No doubt about it, go with the S90. I've used the G10 and G11 and, believe me, there's NO WAY you are taking them in your pocket!
The big differences between the two, which I'm fairly sure you all know by now are:
- The focal length (105mm for the S90 and 140mm for the G11)
- The manual controls
- The size
- The hot-shoe (only the G's have them)
- The flash
Well, let me start by addressing one of the main complaints I've been reading about, the fact that the rear wheel is "loose"and that you can change your definitions without noticing it. It was a concern when I bought the camera and, to my surprise, it has NEVER been an issue while shooting. I don't have small hands and I don't know how other people hold a compact camera, but for it works like clockwork, no problem whatsoever. I even dare to say that if it was a bit harder to move it, it might take from the easiness of changing your controls before shooting the picture.
The difference in focal length doesn't bother me. Would it be nice to have more on the S90? Yeah, sure. But is it a concern? No, not for me. I'm strictly against using the digital zoom, but on the few times I tried just to see the result, I confess I was a bit surprised (on the good side) by it.
The manual controls are exceptional, the combination of frontal ring, back ring and shortcut button make it easy to change configurations and control the camera. And for those of you wondering about the speed in doing it, I can say that I've been taking pictures to make a book about the life guard service here and it's all about speed. Sometimes I take the S90 to the beach instead of the big DSLR's because people won't even notice me taking pictures with it, and the DSLR's always cause a fuss, specially when people are being rescued and are ashamed to be seen in that light...
As for the size, I bought it to have a everyday camera always with me and this is the perfect one for this. A couple of friends decided to buy one after seeing mine (one of them is abandoning his G10 for it). And I was very, very pleasantly surprised by the image quality and camera quality I got with the S90, I never regretted choosing it and now, after having handled a G10 and a G11, I think I would be mad with me if I had chosen the G11 instead of the S90.
Some reviewers have questioned the built quality of the S90, but I don't have any complaints about it, and it has been living in my pocket for over a month now, receiving some fairly rough treatment sometimes. As for the shutter release on the S90, yes, it is in a bit awkward position to be sure, but after one or two days with the camera you'll adjust to it. Is it a serious problem? Not even close!
Regarding the hot-shoe and flash: well, I own two DSLR's, so if I want to put a big flash on top of the camera, I'll take the big one. It might be different for people who are buying this as their only camera. I hate flash and avoid using it always, even bumping the ISO to the moon, but, on the occasion I used the in-camera flash I was amazed by it's power.
When I'm shooting "professionally" I tend to go with the RAW + JPEG mode, but sometimes I prefer to use the strict JPEG mode and it has a very interesting color control that helps eliminate the need for working the files later on. Anyway, you can change that configuration in about 2 to 3 seconds if you need to (the RAW/JPEG, because the colors are even faster).
A lot of reviewers and photographers talk about the S90 exceptional AutoWhite Balance, but I don't really like it, I tend to prefer choosing presets all the time (I don't like the auto WB in my NIkon's DSLR's either), but that is also very easy and fast to do in this camera.
Well, that's about it. I'm sure there are other reviews discussing the technical details more deeply, but I've been a VERY HAPPY S90 owner for the past month or so and I'm sure glad that I chose the S90 instead of the G11. To tell you the truth, I don't see much reason in buying the G11, as it is not a compact camera, it is not a DSLR, it is not lightweight, so it's a middle everything. But the S90, and I've been hearing the same opinion from others for the past weeks, seems like the queen of compacts for now (I hope the manufacturers start a "fully manual compact" cameras war now).
I believe that, for most buyers, the S90 will always be the smart choice!
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Corrective power for visibly clearer zooming.
Hybrid still/motion images with POWER O.I.S. and an 18x optical zoom
AVCHD Lite Beautiful HD movies, extended shooting time
The FZ35 records HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It uses the AVCHD Lite format (MPEG-4/H.264) to achieve higher image quality while storing less data than the conventional Motion JPEG. Plus, the FZ35 is equipped with an HDMI output terminal for direct transmission of digital image and sound signals. Just connect the camera to an HDTV using a single HDMI mini cable (optional) for fast and easy slideshow enjoyment.
Creative Movie mode: You can adjust the aperture and shutter speed any way you like. This mode gives you a wider range of expressive possibilities to explore in your movie making.
Zoom-in movie: You can zoom in and out while shooting movies.
Stereo mic: This camera features Dolby Digital Stereo Creator, which records dynamic, true-to-life audio to bring out the power of your HD images.
IA mode (Movie): You can also use iA mode to shoot movies, and let the camera do all the work for you.
High-speed response for truly intuitive shooting
Enjoy high-speed 1.2-second start-ups, AF speeds of approximately 0.3 second, and up to five consecutive shots at 2.3 frames per second with full resolution. You can also take up to 470 photos with a single battery charge (CIPA). This comfortable level of performance lets you capture even the most fleeting shutter chances.
Wide-angle 27mm LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens and 18x optical zoom
The bright F2.8 LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens ranges from 27mm wide-angle all the way to 486mm telephoto. Combined with the double* corrective power of the improved POWER O.I.S., this makes it possible to capture subjects clearly without hand-shaking, even in the telephoto range.
*Panasonic comparison
12.1-megapixel resolution
27mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens; 18x optical zoom with POWER O.I.S.
HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution; AVCHD Lite format
2.7-inch TFT LCD screen
Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
Reviewed by: J. Holdahl, South Dakota Review Date: 2009-09-23
As a serious amateur, I've been fortunate enough to own a number of point and shoots including Panasonic, Fuji, several Nikon's, & a couple of Canon's. All have had their strong points and I'm not a brand loyalist by any means, but after a couple of weeks, I must say I absolutely love this camera.
My first impressions were ones of pleasant shock. The camera seemed smaller than in the pictures and if it seemed smaller, it seemed doubly more so in terms of weight. Compared to my SLR this thing is an absolute lightweight but very well built and certainly heavier than the smaller 'in your pocket' point and shoots. A great balance...although I wouldn't want to drop it. Some strategically placed silicone on the housing would make this a bit more rugged without much if any impact on cost. Powerup is about as fast as you can bring the camera up to your face - amongst the best of the point and shoots. Controls are easy to use and I like the mini joystick for making on the fly adjustments in manual and scene modes. The menus are fairly well laid out although some items I had to resort to the manual to find their location for the first time.
The iA or Intelligent Auto function gave consistently above par picture quality, although I was always able to tweak it better myself (this could have been as much preference as anything). The AVCHD and HD movies worked absolutely flawless with my Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]. (NOTE:Make sure you lowlevel format these SDHC cards a COUPLE of times BEFORE first use). I do wish that you could use the normal shutter release instead of the dedicated movie button on the back face when in movie mode. I kept forgetting and tried to stop the movies using the shutter button instead of the record button. Minor nuisance, but will be overcome as I get my brain wrapped around the change in button locations.
The battery worked well past 300 stills and about 35 clips, so I am very pleased with it with the LCD display being used for most of the shots. I purchase another spare battery;Lenmar DLP006 Lithium-ion Digital Camera/Camcorder Battery Equivelent to the Panasonic CGR-S006A Battery, also available here at Amazon, and it appears to be working about as well as the original Panasonic (a great buy). The EVF or Electronic View Finder was very handy, although most of the overlaid information is very hard to distinguish in the small EVF. I CAN'T BELIEVE PANASONIC DIDN'T INCLUDE A RUBBER BOOT FOR THE EVF! Please someone, anyone, make it as an accessory.
The EZ or Extra Zoom function is quite handy. Using this feature, you can shoot at lower resolutions and get more effective zooming power out of the camera...over 30x and it works very well. The LCD screen is clear and crisp, but its performance in high ambient light is about average. Thank goodness for the electronic view finder mentioned above.
Image stabilization is the absolute best amongst my camera collection and is especially noticeable in low light and full zoom. I was pleasantly surprised how well I could take indoor pictures at night with a simple tweak of the exposure. Far better than any of my other point and shoots, although nowhere near my SLR.
The standard 3picture burst mode was fairly standard and unimpressive, but the 10pics per second for speed priority and 6 pics per second in image priority burst mode worked well for catching difficult shots like geese landing on the water and children jumping out of swings, but I still wish the resolution and picture quality was better in these modes. Still, for a point and shoot, it's ability to catch the fast action is at the top of it's class.
The lens cap interferes with zoom, but the camera will kindly remind you that you have left it on with a 17,000 volt discharge...just kidding...it will tell you on the LCD screen.
UPDATE: A new megazoom runoff was conducted by Digital Photography Review in June of '07 and can be seen here: [...] or you can cut to the results here: [...]
To say the FZ35 stacked up well would be an understatement, but as they point out in the above review, you will likely not be disappointed with any of the other fine cameras in the pack. The review, however, will help you to pick one that works best for your needs and preferences. (I'm still super happy and winning contests with my amateur photos).
LIKES: Ease of use, picture quality, zoom and extra zoom, HD movie, lightweight, stop action. BEST Point and Shoot I've ever owned ! ! !
DISLIKES: (all minor) No eyepiece boot for EVF, lens cap interferes with zoom, tripod mount interferes with battery/memory door when in use. Only 10 sec. max on the built in timer.
Small but Mighty
Reviewed by: S. Hock, Bethlehem, PA Review Date: 2009-10-15
I previously purchased the Canon SX20is and used 2 weeks. I found the images just a bit too soft for my taste. Too bad because all other facets of the camera was great. But, to me image quality is everything. If it can't produce a crisp image, I don't want it. Perhaps I was spoiled by the excellent SX10is I was switching from.
Desperate for an inexpensive Hi Def video camera for a client project, I decided to give the dual Panasonic FZ35 a try. I had used a Panasonic LX2 for several years and liked it, so I figured why not even though Panasonic is not a manufacturer one would normally think of first for a high quality still camera.
So far, I have been pleasantly surprised!
What I like about the FZ35:
1. The super sharp Leica lens! Having 18x zoom in such a small package.(Sharper than SX20is)
2. Metal tripod mount
3. VERY Reasonable price for all the features included. Seems a bargain to me.
4. The fact you also get very nice HD video in one package is a bonus.
5. Excellent macro mode. If you like macrophotography you'll like this camera.
6. Relatively simple controls/interface once familiar. (You do have to read the manual)
7. Has 46mm filter threads for add ons.
8. Full time battery indicator.
9. Optional wide angle and telephoto lenses are available if desired.
10 Better than most image stabilization system.
11. Many focus & exposure options.
What I'm not so crazy about:
1. Buttons & switches are quite small and seem rather delicate.
2. Manual as PDF (what a pain). I'll take mine paper, thank you.
You might as well print it out right away. You're gonna need it!
3. Smallish Electronic ViewFinder (Not just this one either. They all leave me wanting.)
4. Construction and light weight give a slight feeling of cheapness.
5. Proprietary Panasonic battery.
6. Location of media card in battery compartment.
Is it perfect? Nope. Are any of them? Even the $5,000 ones?
What do I miss most when switching from my NIKON? That bright, super clear viewfinder.
Will it clip highlights? Sure, if you don't set it up right. They all do. High dynamic range is not usually a feature on most consumer cameras.
Can it take a sharp picture? You Bet! In macro especially, you'll love the clarity of the image.
Newbies purchasing this ... make no mistake, this is a complex little piece of gear. Sure, you can use it on intelligent AUTO if you want, but what a waste. You have to LEARN this camera to get the most out of it. And don't expect to learn it in a day or even a week. Used properly it will yield beautiful, sharp images. Buy it and shoot, shoot, shoot and you'll get the hang of it. Why not? The "film" is cheap!
By the way, purchase a Class 6 SD card right away. That way if you want to play with the HD movie function you can. Some cheap SD cards can't write fast enough for HD video use. If you have a hi def TV you'll love it.
Beware though, HD video files get HUGE fast! Uploads to YouTube (or anywhere else) can take quite awhile. A 1 minute, 36 sec. clip equals 491 MB and over 4 hrs to upload via DSL.
If you get serious about HD video, or enjoy doing critical focus photography, PLEASE, buy a decent tripod and USE it. Camera movement is the main enemy of sharpness. At the low ISO settings required to get the most out of these small sensors, keeping the camera still is extremely important. Don't expect stabilization systems to entirely solve "jitter" problems at very low shutter speeds!
High end users take note: In the Custom controls there is an separate adjustment for contrast, saturation, noise reduction and sharpness. YEA ! Somebody is listening.
Nov. 5, 2009. I've made nearly 1000 shots with this camera and I'm impressed and still very happy with it.
First impressions of the DMC-FZ35
Reviewed by: Michael A. Duvernois, Minneapolis, MN United States Review Date: 2009-09-03
This is the first of the Panasonic Lumix superzooms that I've had an opportunity to use extensively. I regularly use both small point and shoot digital cameras (Canon SD550 and a waterproofed Canon S100) and digital SLRs (Canon 5D and Rebel XTi), but this is definitely a different sort of beast. It's nearly the size and weight of a DSLR with a lens that is noticeably long in use. It's sold as straddling the line between the two categories and it initially seems that way. But the more that I think about it, the more I think this camera really fills a different niche. If you're a serious photographer, a DSLR is really the way to go. You get full control over the images, a large sensor size, a selection of lenses, and filter options. If you're that person, this is hardly a replacement, and for the compact point and shooter this is a massive camera. Where this camera wins out is for a very simple kit covering wide angle (27mm equivalent for a 35mm camera) and the stunning 18x zoom. You'll be able to do most everything passably with this camera and with no additional lenses. Maybe this is the camera to put in the glovebox of your car? It'll always be there, and you can get most any shot with it. No preparation needed. Okay, enough thinking about who wants the camera, how does it work?
Well, it works pretty darned well. The image stabilizer seems to work extremely well, especially at moderate zoom (say 50-150mm equivalent), the battery lasted about 300 shots with some flash use in there, and image quality (subjective, not measured scientifically) was quite good. The camera was a bit slow to react at times though and the face detection works only occasionally. Still, that leaves this a solid camera for what I think is a quite good price. If you're not going to take advantage of the DSLR capabilities, this is a good functional camera for you. Or an excellent second camera for simplicity.
Pros: 18x zoom with a genuine wide angle, solid construction, good battery life, image stabilization that works, one size might well fit many
Cons: big for a point and shoot, slow acting at times, gimmicky features are, well, gimmicks
Very good camera for the money; very convenient to use
Reviewed by: Cop3, Savannah, GA Review Date: 2009-10-28
I've had the FZ35 for about 3 weeks now. I have found nothing of substance to gripe about yet. The camera has a lot of features and since I have a day job it will take a while to really learn how to get the most from this camera, but the effort is worth it. Getting started is easy with the simple booklet that comes in the box; yes, it would be nice to have the entire manual in print but I downloaded to my laptop and read a little more each week as I fiddle with the camera, so slowly but surely I'm getting the big picture, so to speak, of how to operate the fz35.
I finally got around to using the supplied video cables tonight and learned I could hook the camera up to the hdtv. This past Sunday morning was sunny and inviting so I went into the yard and took pictures of flowers and assorted closeups mostly, in the fish pond, butterflies, even a hummingbird, using the different settings and priorities, the flash, and so forth. Tonight I watched a slide show of all the pictures on my hdtv, complete with music (it's programmed into the camera in several different styles). The picture quality on the tv was incredibly good; several photos were extreme closeups of a butterfly on the ground and the particles of dirt below the butterfy's wings were clearly visible on my 37" screen.
Picture quality and features aside, this camera is easy to use for the beginner who can gradually improve their skills by using the shutter speed/aperture priorities or manual mode, or automatic, or choose one of the many scene modes depending upon the situation. The camera boots up quickly and the delay between shots is acceptable, if not blazingly fast. (There is a setting for taking several shots in quick sequence, if needed.) The flash is strong and recycles fairly quickly. the camera won't fit in your pocket unless you're Captain Kangaroo, but with its accessories it'll fit into a small camera bag. I purchased the wide angle and exta zoom lenses because they came on sale, but really, you don't need them given the range of the supplied Leica lens. The controls are fairly easy to use and intuitive; I really like the design of one convenient button to toggle directly back and forth between the lens finder and the lcd screen on the back of the camera; all digital cameras don't feature that.
Sure, not much is perfect in life, but this camera is close enough for me.
.
Excellent Camera & Excellent value
Reviewed by: Charles F Ferrara, Review Date: 2009-10-30
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 is exceptionally versatile. I am a serious photographer and I was looking for a quality point & shoot that was more portable than an SLR. This camera has filled this need splendidly. Years ago, I would have needed a bag of lenses and a tripod to get some of the shots that it successfully took with little effort.
During a recent trip, I put the image stabilization to the test with extremely low expectations. On a very overcast day, I took several fully zoomed telephoto shots of the landscape (at 12 MP resolution) from a moving car - on an interstate. Although a few were blurry, most of them came out exceptionally sharp. I was pleasantly surprised how well the camera held up under these circumstances, where shooting is normally impossible.
Another important feature for me is the filter threads (46 mm) so I can use a polarizer on outdoor shots (which is a must for any serious photographer). This was the only camera in its class to offer threads. With most of the competition, only their SLR's offer this. Additionally, a UV filter is always a good idea to protect your lens.
There are a few cons, but I consider them to be minor - especially considering the price I paid:
1) Vignetting at full wide-angle when using a polarizer. NOTE: I recently solved this problem using the the manufacturer recommended polarizer that was made for this camera (Panasonic DMW-LPL46 46mm Polarizing Filter). I had been using a third party Tiffen polarizer, which was much too thick. The Panasonic polarizer is linear and not circular, but it works fine & does not affect the autofocus. It's also a bit pricey, but it's a safe option.
2) Smallest aperture is f/8. A neutral density filter would be needed to slow-down most waterfall shots.
3) No bulb setting for night photography
4) No hot shoe for flash
Reviewed by: B. Massey, TX United States Review Date: 2009-09-06
Let me start off by saying that I'm not a professional photographer. My decision to purchase the SX20 IS was based on a desire to get an excellent still shot camera, with high capacity zoom, that also had HD Video (720p) capabilities. So, I began my research and spent many hours scouring the web to make an informed decision. I had narrowed my choice to the Canon SX20 IS and the Panasonic DMC-FZ35.
Here are some of the key specs of each camera:
Optical Zoom (Canon: 20, Pana: 18)
Still image files (Canon: Not Raw, Pana: Raw)
Articulating LCD (Canon: Yes, Pana: No)
720p HD video per 2 GB (Canon: 10 min 33 sec, Pana: 15 min)
Video file format (Canon: .mov, Pana: AVCHD Lite)
Battery Type: (Canon: 4 AA, Pana: Li-ion rechargeable)
Stereo Audio (Both)
SD Card Storage (Both)
[...].
In the end I decided to go with Canon for a few key reasons:
#1. The articulating LCD (pull out, tilt/move) was a key factor, as I wanted to be able to shoot from many different angles. It came in handy very soon--the second time I used the camera--I was able to whip out the LCD and get some decent shots at a football game when I had to raise the camera high over my head to shoot over the folks standing in front of me.
#2. The ability to easily share video files. The .mov file format is a more widely accepted format, which can easily be shared (without processing/conversion). The files are accepted on sites such as You Tube. The files can be played with Quicktime and other media players (e.g. VLC). Although the Panasonic camera uses a format which is more compressed and allows more data to be stored on an SD card, the file format is not as wide spread and not as easy to share with others, without converting the file.
#3. Consumer Reports rankings for last year's model: Canon #1, Pana #5 (SX10 IS & Pana DMC-FZ28). I suspect the SX20 IS will follow the same trend this year when Consumer Reports releases their test results for 2009.
#4. Canon takes AA batteries. This makes the camera slightly heavier, but you'll always be able to get economical batteries in a pinch, without the need for buying a proprietary lithium ion battery. May I recommend Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries. I bought some new on Amazon. They are excellent. I haven't charged them yet and I've taken 120 pictures and 40 minutes plus of 720p video. I've also played back the pictures and movies on my TV/Projector and transferred all files to my computer, using the same batteries, without charging them. And they are "..still going..."
Here are some sample pictures taken with the SX20 IS. Keep in mind that Flickr doesn't display the full, original picture which was taken in maximum resolution (in auto mode). [...].
I've taken some great up-close family shots and macro shots. They look great and are very detailed. I took some night/action pics (with the flash) and adjusted the shutter speed and ISO settings and the pictures looked great, given the conditions.
[...].
I apologize for the camera jitter in advance as I didn't have a tri-pod and I was in a tight area in the Stadium when I took the shots.
I must admit that I am thoroughly impressed with the video quality/resolution. I shot sample video from my 1 year old camcorder (Panasonic SDR-H40, a standard definition hard drive camcorder) and shot the same footage with the SX20 IS. The difference in quality was amazing. Not only was the Canon much sharper, but the richness and vibrance of the colors was so much better. I sold my SDR-H40 on Ebay within two days. I now will have only one camera to shoot stills and 720p HD video--the Canon SX20 IS. The videos from the SX20 IS looked awesome--on both my 32 inch 720p LCD and my 100+ inch screen via a 720p DLP projector. I connected the camera with an HDMI cable and bam, I was ready to watch great video and view still shots "on the big screen." See the above referenced links for video footage yourself. If I were given the opportunity to watch a football game shot in standard definition by ESPN or an HD version of the same game, shot with the SX20 IS (on a tripod, without my hand jitter), I'd pick the latter in a heart beat.
No buyer's remorse here! If you are looking for an SLR type camera, that does awesome stills and great 720p HD video (both zoomable at 20x optical), you'd be hard pressed to get more bang for your buck then the SX20 IS on Amazon.
One minor issue I've noticed is that when zooming in/out while shooting video, you can here a slight "click" when you initiate the zoom and when you stop the zoom. There is NO noise heard while the lens is zooming/telescoping in/out; the "click" is only heard when the zoom is initiated and when the zoom is stopped. The "click" is not that noticeable. I had to shoot footage in silence, after the kids had gone to bed, in order to distinguish the "click." In most shooting environments I don't expect it to be much of an issue.
Best of luck with your purchase decision.
P.S. By the way, the owner manual states that you must use the Canon software to transfer images/movies from the camera to a PC, else movies will not transfer (frames will be dropped) correctly and images shot vertically may be transferred in the horizontal orientation. So, don't just do a copy/paste of the files them self from the SD card. Keep this in mind as you view sample video on the web.
I bought the SX20 because I had good luck with the SX10
I shoot all kinds of stuff with all kinds of cameras. I am a working photographer who shoots for advertising and corporate client as well as to make images for my own books about photography. Over the last two years I've been using small cameras like the Canon G10 and the SX10 for more and more of my work. In the studio, shooting set up shots or small products these cameras shine by dint of their easy to use Live View and increased depth of field. When I bought the SX 10 it was for the long range of the zoom lens which meant I could shoot anything from a construction site to tight shots of the cabins at the top of the construction cranes. I've done some portraits with studio lights and an SX10 and they were also very usable. I wish the SX 10 and SX 20 had raw file capability but they don't. That just means I have to be a bit more careful about WB and exposure. I've used the SX10 at outdoor swim meets and found that the lens performs better than expected right out to the end.
So, why the SX 20? Recently I've been asked to do more and more little video snippets for clients and for my publisher and while I like the results from the SX10 I wanted real HD video for the times that a medical practice has asked for video clips for both their website AND for power point and other uses. I wanted the extra detail for the times that they use the clips in projected presentations. The price point works.
I've spent a couple days testing the SX 10 and the results are very, very good. The front mounted microphones are of very high quality and the sound for most applications is very acceptable. Would I like a mike input? You bet! Does that sour the deal? Not in the least.
The image quality of the stills is just as good as the SX 10 at low ISO's and about 1/2 a stop better at 200 and 400. I'll chalk that up to the new digic processor.
All in all the build quality and the easy operation make the camera a winner for me. These days clients are more interested in using images and video in a wide range of multimedia and the SX 20 is a great tool for anything that's headed to the web. I still own traditional DLSR cameras and use them but left to my own devices I find the smaller sensor cameras to be highly competent and very usable.
With an SX20 and a G10 I feel like I can handle just about anything except shots that call for narrow depth of field. Traditional photographers may not want to hear that video is becoming a required skill but that won't make it go away. This camera is a cost effective way to get your feet wet, find your way around and get your feet wet. I like it.
Use The Foilage Setting For Best Color Pics
Reviewed by: S. Barcomb, New York Review Date: 2009-09-12
I received the camera a few days ago. I wanted a good quality camera for all-around, basic shooting. The main features that attracted me were the wide angle/zoom lens and the video option.
I am not an expert, or even an experienced amateur. I just want to be able to point, shoot, and take decent pics and some occassional vidoe.
In my opinion, the best eye-pleasing pictures are those that show the vibrant colors and color variations - all other things being equal. I've experimented with various settings and taken the same shots with those various settings, and compared shots taken with Auto, Landscape, Portrait, etc. against the Foilage setting [SCN/Foilage], and the Foilage setting is by far the best for bringing out the colors (which it is meant to do anyway). Compared to those pics taken using the Foilage setting, the ones taken in the other settings are dull - not that they aren't decent pictures in the other settings, just compared to the Foilage pictures they are dull(er). So for basic shots, I will probably use the Foilage setting most of the time for all-around shooting - the pictures are beautiful. One problem I expect with this, is to get to the Foilage setting, you must use the top dial set to SCN, then using the free-spinning dial on the back, select foilage. Problem is, after taking shots and letting the camera hang against your body, the free-spinning dial may be prone to be moved to select another setting...
One of the issues I do have, is not being able to choose to set the Auto-Focus frame to the center of the screen for many settings - such as Auto... I'm not crazy about the "smart focus" which chooses which subject(s) that it thinks is the main subject(s) - in my case of shooting mostly non-people so far, this "smart-focus" has been wrong. I think most of us non-pro photographers usually center our subject anyway, and even if we don't, we should still have the option of keeping the AF frame in the center... One other thing that hasn't worked for me is connecting it to HDMI on my TV. I'm going to take it to Best Buy and try it there. If it still isn't working, I hate to send it back because it is a good camera, but I would like the HDMI feature to work to see my videos in true HD.
In summary, the wide-to-zoom feature is great, takes very good pictures (especially in Foilage), takes excellent video. The video option is excellent - you can take pics while filming, and you can simply press the video button in the back to start taking video even if you're in a picture-taking setting - very nice feature.
If you're not a pro photographer and want to have a great all-around camera, this is definitely a good buy. I hope I can get my HDMI/TV feature to work so I can keep my camera...
Best out there shy of an SLR
Reviewed by: pax lingua, Kihei, HI Review Date: 2009-09-19
I reviewed the PowerShot SX200 IS a short while ago on Canon's and Amazon's website and rated it very highly. Nonetheless, I decided to return it in exchange for the PowerShot SX20 IS.
This camera offers the following additional advantages: a viewfinder; HD video recording with optical zoom throughout the zoom range plus stereo sound; a form factor much more like that of an SLR: it is on the heavy side, but easy to hold and the viewfinder allows you to hold the camera against your body which adds extra stability, and thus better focus, especially when zooming in; diapter adjustability means I don't have to wear glasses when using the EVF; the LCD display can be closed so it faces the camera - no need to worry about smudging or scratching it.
Those who are considering the purchase of an SLR need to keep in mind that you'll need at least three different lenses to get a comparable zoom range. You'd be lugging around quite a bit of weight, and faced with the delay in changing lenses depending upon what you want to take a picture of.
Some question the quality of the pictures it takes. Keep in mind that this is not a camera designed for amateurs who insist on fully automatic features. In other words, the best possible pictures may only be obtained when you make needed adjustments ranging from setting the scene yourself to fully manual ones, or else by using a photo editor.
So far, I have taken perhaps one hundred test pictures and ten minutes of video. Unless you intend to print or view the pictures beyond 11" x 14", I doubt that you will notice any difference between the results this camera produces and an SLR. I've owned the Olympus e-510, and can say that you'd have to magnify or crop to a degree that most users simply don't in order to notice a difference. The quality of the videos is much better than that of my standard definition Canon DC230 mini-DVD camera. The downside is the weight of this camera, which makes extended filming somewhat difficult (for me, at least).
I highly recommend the camera for those who are looking for the characteristics I have highlighted. It is probably one of the best, if not the best, super-zooms on the market today.
Best superzoom camera yet
Reviewed by: mba2007, Review Date: 2009-09-16
Having tried over a dozen digital cameras I've found the features and picture quality of the SX20 IS to be the best yet in this size and weight. Naturally everyone wants better low light performance and while this could still be better, its the best I've seen in cameras other than digital SLRs. Feature set is unmatched by Olympus or Nikon as neither have video or picture quality as good. Stereo audio quality really does sound like the CD sound Canon advertises. I was amazed as usually those small microphones overemphasize the high frequencies. People's voices, birds and even the background rumbling noise that is typical of a large city were very accurately reproduced. This camera takes good photos with its default settings, but by learning a little about it's features most people will quickly be taking professional quality photos.
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25mm Ultra Wide-angle Powerful 12x Optical Zoom LEICA DC Lens Featuring Intelligent Resolution Technology and Built-in GPS
Ultra Compact 25mm Lens and 16X Intelligent Zoom - Easily bring your images closer without losing picture quality in an ultra compact camera
AVCHD Lite HD Movie Recording - Record HD quality movies
Travel Mode with GPS - Access your images easier by automatically recording location and time of each photo
25mm Ultra Wide-angle Lens The DMC-ZS7 features a 25mm ultra wide-angle* 12x optical zoom f/3.3-4.9 LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens (35mm camera equivalent: 25-300mm). Incorporating Panasonic's advanced optical technologies, this lens system is comprised of 10 elements in 8 groups, with 2 ED (Extra Low Dispersion) lenses and 2 aspherical lenses / 3 aspherical surfaces while preserving compactness. This lens system enables a remarkable 25 to 300mm range of focal length in this compact body. The powerful zoom of the DMC-ZS7 can be freely controlled even when shooting motion images. Inheriting the fine rendering and outstanding quality of the LEICA ELMAR lens, this easy-to-carry camera delivers beautiful images any time, any place. * Converted to standard 35mm camera equivalent, at the maximum wide position. The 25mm ultra wide-angle lens* has about twice the shooting area as a standard 35mm lens. This enhances all kinds of shooting situations, like when you're photographing a group of people at an indoor party or shooting a large structure or sweeping landscape while traveling. * Converted to standard 35mm camera equivalent, at the maximum wide position.
16x Intelligent Zoom / 23.4x Extra Optical Zoom Thanks to the newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology, the Intelligent Zoom is available with the DMC-ZS7 which extends the zoom ratio by approx. 1.3x maintaining the picture quality even combining a digital zoom. Th
12.1-megapixel effective recording
12X optical zoom (4X digital/48X total zoom)
Built-in GPS function lets you keep track of your photos by location
Reviewed by: Photo-Am, Brooklyn, NY USA Review Date: 2010-03-19
I've got my ZS7 today - the camera is just great! A superior Leica lens with a high-resolution sensor, advanced image processing, and plenty of sophisticated features in a small but very solid and stylish body.
PROS:
- Solid metal body, stylish design, nice dark-blue color
- Very convenient one-hand grip, unusual for such a small pocket-size body
- Short startup time (1-1.5 sec), no shutter lag, fast auto focus
- A dedicated Movie-button for instant recording
- Big 3" colorful "juicy" display visible even in direct sunlight
- Intuitive menu plus very convenient Quick-menu with a dedicated button
- Excellent quality Leica lens: sharp and contrast in the entire zoom range
- Wide 25mm (35mm equiv.) is very convenient for indoors
- Huge 12x optical zoom (up to 300mm equiv.) in such a compact design
- Two-speed of zooming - fast/slow controlled by the lever
- Smooth and silent auto focus and optical image stabilization
- Best in the industry "iAuto" mode - you can really trust it!
- New "Intelligent Resolution" feature greatly improves the image quality
- Creative Aperture- and Shutter-priority and full Manual modes
- Three independent scenery modes including "High Dynamic" range scene
- New GPS feature for those who travel a lot
- Very good movie quality in 720p AVCHD mode looks like a full 1080 HD one
- High-quality stereo microphones
- Accepts SD/SDHC and new SDXC huge capacity memory cards
CONS:
- A mechanical lever for switching between shooting and playback modes
- Some soft "sh-sh-sh" noise while zooming in and out (but no "clicks")
- I wish more sensitivity for low-light shooting
BUILD: The ZS7 camera looks and feels as good as it's predecessor DMC-ZS3. The design is almost as the same, just the power switch and the mode dial exchanged their places. One significant addition - a GPS mark on the top, right above the lens. The blue color is not that dark as on TZ5 and not so striking bright as on ZR1. A slight dent on the back with some prominence on the right side makes a very convenient grip to operate with one hand. A metal body looks pretty solid, however it is not that heavy.
PERFORMANCE: The new camera has a pretty good performance: the startup time is a little bit more than 1 sec and with almost zero shutter lag. Taking into account a new very quick "Sonic Speed" auto focus, which takes about 0.35-0.4 sec, you will be able to catch virtually every spur-of-the-moment photo. And a dedicated movie button allows starting video recording at any time without any preparation.
LENS: Leica lens is just excellent: unusually big for a so small body 12x zoom starting with the very convenient for indoors shooting 25mm up to telephoto 300mm (equiv.) plus a quick and precise auto focus (however might be somewhat slower in low-light), and good optical image stabilization in conjunction with the digital one which allows you to take sharp pictures in the entire zoom range and at the very low shutter speed around 1/8 and even 1/4. The auto-focusing and optical image stabilization work in absolute silence, and the only zooming produces some soft "sh-sh-sh" noise. Good news - without any start/stop clicks on the footage :).
DISPLAY: A large 3-inch high-resolution LCD monitor with 460K pixels has a very good contrast and saturation - the pictures look very "juicy". The brightness also is high enough to be seen even in a direct sun-light (just a bit darker) and in a wide angle of view. All that allows to share photos and videos immediately with other people.
MENU: For those who used the Panasonic P&S cameras before the ZS7 menu looks very familiar, just some new items added. Also there is a Quick-Menu button which is very helpful for a quick access to the most frequently used settings. The new camera has such a luxury as the Aperture, Shutter speed, and Manual modes and there is a new Exposure button (next to the video one) which allows to set manually the aperture using the Left-Right buttons and the shutter speed with Up-Down buttons.
AUTO SETTINGS: The best in the industry Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode is getting better with each new model. Actually it's a whole bunch of sophisticated algorithms which help to take really nice pictures with minimum efforts. They are worth to be aware about so here is a brief list of most effective of them.
"Intelligent Scene Selector" - It quickly analyzes the light conditions as well as focusing results and selects either portrait, scenery, macro, night portrait or night scenery. It also displays a small icon of the chosen scene in the top left corner. The feature is extremely helpful when you need to shoot very fast on spur-of-the-moment.
"Intelligent ISO" - If camera detects that your subject is moving, it raises ISO and shutter speed to take shots without motion blur, otherwise it will try to keep the lowest possible ISO to reduce noise and to get nice clear pictures.
"Intelligent Exposure" - it's a kind of a small brother of the High Dynamic Range feature. If the camera sets the correct overall exposure but some areas happen to be too dark, this feature automatically increases the brightness of the dark areas to make the entire picture to look more balanced. It also pretty effective for the backlight conditions - instead of getting just a silhouette of your subject against the bright sky it makes the subject normally exposed but without washing out the nice blue sky.
"Face Detection" - is another great thing for taking good-quality pictures of people. It happened to me a number of times in the past that a presence in the frame of a more contrast element somewhere behind the person I'm taking picture of was making the camera to adjust focus at that unimportant distant object and therefore made the major person out-of-focus. The same way if there is a bright background behind the person then the camera will measure the luminance of that background while the person's image will be pretty much underexposed (dark). The Face Detection feature identifies the human faces and tells the camera to adjust focus and exposure for the faces first so the people on the picture will be looking well exposed, clear and sharp.
ADVANCED FEATURES: I guess the most interesting and advanced is a new "Intelligent Resolution" feature. Actually it combines a sophisticated noise reduction with a new picture enhancement algorithm. This feature automatically identifies the 3 type of the picture areas: outlines, detailed textures, and smooth gradation panes and provides an optimized handling for each of them separately. As a result the photo looks sharper at the edges and more clean in between. Many old P&S cameras had pretty fast picture quality degradation at the ISO around 300-400 and higher. The shots taken by ZS7 even at ISO 400 look pretty good on the small and even medium-size prints.
IMAGE QUALITY: Imagine on a sunny day you take an outdoors picture of a wall made of the new brown bricks with a $3000 DSLR and a small P&S camera from the distance about 6-8 feet. How could you recognize by which camera was taken a certain shot? The subject is plain so no Depth-of-Field is involved into comparison. However in this example the two characteristics will help to distinct the cameras: 1) The edges of bricks will be well outlined on DSLR shots and a kind of fuzzy on the P&S ones; 2) The new bricks do not have any structure on their sides, they are just plane and so exactly that way they will look on the DSLR shots, while on the P&S ones their sides will show more or less amount of noise. If you perform the same test for an evenly cut line of bushes (again DOF is not involved) you will see the same result plus the internal structure of each leaf will be more clear on the DSLR photos. So to make pictures taken with your P&S camera looking like the DSLR ones the P&S camera should make the outlines sharper, clean the noise on the plane or soft gradation areas, and slightly emphasize the internal structures, if any. That is exactly what the new "Intelligent Resolution" (IR) feature tries to do.
The "iAuto" mode in ZS7 is organized the way that you will have decent, good photos in virtually any situation right out-of-the-box. The several hundreds shots I took by now look good on my 24" display and so they will on the similar size prints. But if you look at them at 100% crop (magnification) then on many of them you might find some areas which do not look natural. If the IR-algorithm decides about a certain low-contrast part on your picture that it's a plane area then it will remove all the noise altogether with all the subtle details from that part of the picture. If you take a picture of a big tree with hundreds of branches (but without leaves) against a bright sky the IR-feature will treat it as a structured area and will slightly sharpen it to look clearer. But when you take a landscape picture with many distant trees in front and behind, those hundreds of crossing branches will create a low-contrast pattern which together with internal sensor's noise might look for IR-algorithm as just a noisy plain area and so it will obliterate all the details leaving only some average color in that part of the picture and so making it looking very unnatural. The thing is that unlike the previous models the noise reduction in ZS7 is pretty strong. I would not call it "aggressive" but it's really strong.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS: There is a way how to get the best out of this camera while shooting landscapes on sunny days. Here is a recipe for experienced amateurs:
- Switch the mode dial to the program "P" mode.
- Press the Menu button and select the lowest ISO 80 instead of "Auto" (this is the key-point! If there is no enough light to set that low ISO it will not work).
- Make sure you have the "Intelligent Resolution" feature on!
- Find on the 4th page of the shooting menu the item "PICT.ADJ." and press the right button to go inside. You will see the 4 pictures attributes:
CONTRAST
SHARPNESS
SATURATION
NOISE REDUCTION
- A default value for each of them is "0". Set "-1" for contrast (to reduce the clipping of highlights), "+1" for sharpness, leave the saturation unchanged, and most important set noise reduction to "-1" or even to its minimum "-2". Take this advice as a starting point and try to play with the SHARPNESS and NOISE REDUCTION settings and see what looks more appropriate for you, because some people prefer more sharpness while the others are more concern about noise visibility, so try different settings and choose which one looks better for you.
Those settings will allow you to take the most sharp and detailed pictures of landscapes, architecture, etc. if you like that. However you should be alert and check periodically the quality of pictures and if something is going wrong then switch immediately to "iAuto" mode. The ZS7's intelligent auto-mode is very sophisticated and might take into account the parameters you're not even aware about. For example, if you apply the full zoom then the aperture drops to a small F/4.9 value giving much less light for the sensor and additionally at that huge focal length 300mm (equiv.) the impact of your shaking hands might be as so much that the optical image stabilization can not completely compensate it and so the camera will have to increase the shutter speed to have the picture un-blurred. In that tough scenario the only high ISO around 300-400 might satisfy all those conditions and the camera will normally set it in auto-mode. But if you keep shooting recklessly at ISO 80 without getting the feedback such kind of pictures might be spoiled in some way. So, use this recipe only if you know what you're doing.
Update: Having using ZS7 for a while I've identified the 3 major types of pictures depending what is most important for you on those shots: 1) The main part are the areas with soft gradations like human faces, petals of flowers on macro shots, etc; 2) Mixed content of plain areas and patterns with no central subject; 3) Landscapes with plenty of trees, branches and leaves or small flowers. The above proposed recipe is most effective for the last category - it will give you the sharpest pictures with no low-contrast areas smeared by the strong noise reduction and on the other hand the higher level of noise will be effectively hidden by the complex image structure. For the 2nd category it would be wiser to decrease noise reduction just to -1 (not -2) to make the noise less visible on some plain areas, and for the 1st category it seems better to keep the default neutral setting since to have less noise on the human's face is much more important than lack of minor details around. Anyway you'll still have the advantage of less noise at minimum ISO.
I did some comparative testing of ZS7 with my Nikon D90 to find out how much that new IR technology and the above mentioned recommendations could help to improve the overall picture quality. I've uploaded some pictures and put a link into my comments dated 04/24/2010 with the title "Compare to Nikon D90". Don't assume, just take a look - you might be a bit surprised :-)
LOW LIGHT: Recently I performed a brief comparative test of my P&S cameras: Panasonic ZS7 and Sony TX7. Shortly - their low-light performance (in normal mode) is very similar. The medium-size 8"x10" prints without much cropping look good up to ISO 400. At ISO 800 there is a noticeable drop of the image quality of both cameras and at 1600 the shots look decent only for 4"x6" prints. Generally the Sony TX7's shots look smoother because of more aggressive noise reduction while the Panasonic ZS7's ones display slightly more details along with a little bit more noise. So it's the matter of taste to decide which shots look better. I would admit that at ISO 1600 while the Panasonic's shots became much more blurred because of the increased noise reduction strength, the Sony's shots became poured with much coarse noise which got even stronger at ISO 3200 making the pictures completely unusable. So neither of these cameras could be considered as great low-light performers.
In case when the shots become too dark because of big lack of light you can select the "HIGH SENS." (sensitivity) scene. The camera will automatically choose a high ISO in the range 1600 - 6400 and decrease resolution to 3MP (it was stated 3200-6400 but in some tests my camera set ISO 1600). It will not provide better quality but at least will allow to increase the picture's brightness.
NOTE! This camera is great outdoors, but if many of your pictures are indoors or in low-light environment then you'd better look for some other cameras like Panasonic LX3 or GF1, Canon S90 or G11, Fujifilm F80EXR, etc. which were designed especially for those conditions. The original model name of this camera is "TZ" which stands for "Travel Zoom" i.e. it was designed for travel outdoors, not for indoors.
DYNAMIC RANGE: means the difference between the most light and dark areas on the picture. If you're taking the shots of your friends on a sunny day with a bright blue sky above and some bushes with green leaves aside and those bushes happen to be in the shadow of a nearby building then the difference between brightness of the sky and the bushes will be thousands of times. On the shots taken by a camera with narrow dynamic range only one element - your friends might look good, but the sky will be completely washed out to white and the bushes will be almost black. For the cameras with a decent DR like ZS7 at least two elements of that picture will look good i.e. either your friends with a nice blue sky while the bushes will be very dark, or the friends and bushes good but the sky pretty much wiped out. The new Panasonic ZS7 has the two solutions to help in such situations: the "Intelligent Exposure" feature and the "High Dynamic (range)" scene.
Although both solutions aim at the same goal they work in a different way and should be used in different situations. The "Intelligent Exposure" feature once it is activated via the main or quick menu puts its white icon to the lower left corner and starts constantly analyzing the picture. If the difference in brightness of some significant areas of the picture exceeds a certain threshold then the icon becomes yellow and that feature decreases the overall contrast of the picture. Since that threshold is very high that feature would be mostly useful on the bright sunny days. Its effectiveness is not that big but it still can be helpful and anyway it's better than nothing so you can have it turned on all the time. The "High Dynamic" scene should be used only in low light conditions because even in a bright sun it will unconditionally set ISO 400 (or even higher) and decrease the shutter speed. Such a high ISO will greatly increase the amount of noise and therefore will cause a more aggressive noise reduction which will actively obliterate small details. That scene provides much more effective dynamic range compression but at the cost of significantly decreased picture quality. If you're shooting in a low-light condition you have nothing to loose, but if you're taking pictures on a nice day with a plenty of sunshine the loss of quality might greatly disappoint you, so that scene should be used only for the low-light shooting.
MOVIE MODE: By now I tried only the advanced AVCHD movie mode - it looked very well. Apart from the processing the still images in this model Panasonic applied their new "Intelligent Resolution" feature to video recording as well and the result is just gorgeous! Because of that special processing personally its 720p HD looks even better than from my Sony TX7 with its full 1080 HD resolution.
So this new Panasonic ZS7 camera is a very good device for taking nice still pictures and advanced video recording.
Improves on the already great ZS3!
Reviewed by: A. Sanders, SF, CA Review Date: 2010-04-05
I just replaced my trusty ZS3 with the new ZS7 and, so far, I am very pleased with this camera. The output is much cleaner and smoother than the ZS3's, much more refined. Compared to the ZS7, the ZS3 produced images that look brittle and over-processed. As with virtually all small-sensor cameras, the ZS7's images are a little noisy (even at base ISO) if you look close enough. But noise is far less objectionable than ragged edges and smeared details, which is what I usually got from the ZS3. The images I'm getting from the ZS7 look surprisingly good even at 100% on-screen enlargement; whereas the ZS3's output was virtually unusable at this magnification. The improvement is dramatic. Considering that the ZS7's resolution has also increased from 10 to 12 MP (it's actually a 14 MP sensor that is masked to create different aspect ratios), I'd say that Panasonic has done a really good job here.
The ZS7 improves on the ZS3 in several ways; but for me the most important new feature is Picture Adjustments, which let you turn down the amount of sharpening and noise reduction that are automatically applied to every image. Photographers who do their own post-processing will appreciate the ability to apply their own preferred methods of sharpening and noise reduction.
The next most important new feature (imho) is the addition of aperture/shutter-priority shooting modes. There isn't much latitude for adjusting the f-stop in most small-sensor cameras because of defraction effects; but it's great to be able to control the shutter speed manually.
The ZS7 also adds GPS, which can (thankfully) be turned off. Leaving it on shortens battery life.
Other improvements that I appreciate include (1) improved image stabilization, (2) new Venus processing engine, (3) High Dynamic mode, and (4) the LCD now has a good anti-glare coating.
All things considered, the ZS7 is an impressive upgrade that is easily worth the price.
Almost Perfect 4.9 stars!
Reviewed by: K. Wheaton, Napa Valley, CA United States Review Date: 2010-05-17
After using this camera for a few weeks I am amending my rating and giving it 5 stars. This camera is truly incredible. The intelligent automatic is amazing---I only move it to manual for a few special situations. The only real complaint is that I occasionally inadvertently hit the video button. Otherwise it is simply amazing.
It handles difficult situations with grace. Sunset with sky and foreground properly exposed. Delivery room newborn with no flash and low ambient lighting. Black and white is fantastic. Couldn't be happier.
This is a great camera for a beginner---Point and shoot. Lots of control for advance photographers. I'm sorry to say I don't lug around a camera bag and tripod anymore. Just slip this in my purse.
I waited a long time to upgrade from the first generation Panasonic Lumix TZ1 (complete with dangling lens cover & 5MP) Glad I did. The best improvements are the quick power-up and lack of a shutter delay for catching fast action. If you leave it in the completely automatic mode it does an impressive job---and if you need control there's plenty and then some. Lots of programs plus aperture and shutter priority or complete control.
Other notable improvements are in the macro end of things where capturing very fine close-ups are greatly improved---my TZ1 was always focusing on the background if I could get it to focus at all. This does an incredible job! Almost too much detail (if that's possible) Every speck on the petal of a flower is exposed. This camera is slightly smaller and has a larger display screen. Most of the functions and dials are similar and I find easy to use but that may be because they are familiar.
Flash is improved over the first generation.
The zoom on the original was 10X. 12X even better. I took incredible photos of bullfrogs 15 feet away. Unbelievable detail.
This camera isn't perfect and no camera will ever be. It would be nice to have a more powerful flash and nice if you could shoot in lower light with less noise without flash and it would be nice if it had a 20X optical zoom and a faster lens but for what it is its an incredible piece of engineering. AND don't forget the Leica lens which is just plain beautiful.
All cameras have limitations and this is no exception. However it will get you a great photo most of the time. The wide angle to long telephoto range is why I bought my first Lumix. This flexibility makes for great travel photos. I did side by side comparisons of a Sony, Canon, Nikon and the first Lumix in the store and then we printed them out on the spot. No comparison. No ghosting, better color correction, better macro. And I like the ergonomics. I always place the wrist band over my wrist and hold onto the camera with fingers and pad of thumb and it feels secure. Some of the ultra small cameras are almost too small for me. (Didn't compare to current models)
What is truly awful about this camera is that the manual is on a disk and covers this camera and its 2 predecessors making it a bit (if Not totally confusing at times). It also does not come with MAC compatible editing software which is really not a big deal for me. One person asked if it is MAC OSX 10.6.3 compatible and it is. The only problem I've encountered is in using Aperture (a MAC program)it doesn't want to import directly into a project that has other images from my other Lumix camera. Make a new project and problem is solved but irritating. (Manual software and downloading from card to MAC is compatible)
Haven't tried uploading video yet.
DO purchase an extra Panasonic Battery DMW-BCG 10PP. Make sure it has the PP (It won't work without it) Also you'll need a SD Card. It's not necessary to go to the Class 6 cards unless you are shooting HD video. A SDHC 4GB card will hold 700+ photos at full MP.For most people this will be more than adequate. I carry two cards in case one goes south. You can always find them on sale for under $20. I also like the Caselogic TBC-302 Ultra Compact Camera Case for under $8.
A Great Little Camera
Reviewed by: King Tut, Texas, USA Review Date: 2010-03-27
First; I loved the ZS3 after I tried the demo display at the local Fry's store, then the ZS7 got announced with tons of improvement over the Zs3, then Canon announced the SX210 with 14X Zoom but it comes in unattractive colors and strange buttons layout. After all reading tons of reviews and comparison charts, and live demos; the Winner is the ZS7.
ZS7 Improvement over the ZS3:
Manual settings (ZS3 is only auto w/o manual settings), 1/2.33" CCD processor, 16X Intelligent Zoom/23.4X Zoom at 3 Meg resolutions, Sonic speed AF, Venus Engine HD II, Color Mode, Video divide, Happy & Custom Mode, Travel Mode "GPS", and more important Panasonic has moved the shutter button to its natural location (the ZS3 has the mode dial button placed closer to the finger, and the shutter button was somewhat far)
Panasonic ZS7 vs. Panasonic LX3 vs. Canon S90:
Panasonic LX3 and Canon S90 both offer better low light images due to lens opening at its widest aperture of f/2.0 that allow significantly more light versus the ZS7 f/3.3, also they offer RAW format and better light sensitivity, the ZS7 don't. However when it comes to the zoom power; LX3 offer only 2.5X and the S90 has 3.8X zoom, where the ZS7 has the best zoom in a compact size camera of 12X Optical, 16X Digital, and 23.4X extended zoom at around 3 mega pixel resolution. So it really depends on your needs and preference.
The ZS7:
This is a beautiful eye-catching camera; the all metal deep black color is Majestic, compact size but sturdy solid feel, you will love the astonishing 460K DPI 3" wide LCD display. The camera has a very fast focus with auto tracking, almost no shutter-lag (0.006 of Second), flash recharges quickly and always ready to shot right away. The main attraction of this camera its 12X zoom, but it also can extend to 16X digital zoom with little or no loss of quality picture (see the first few pictures on the customer's images to see a real life zoom example and other modes). The GPS is nice but it consumes battery life even if the camera is turned off!! The good news is that you can turn if off if you don't need it. The camera has 15 MB internal memory, Stereo (right and left) microphone for recording and play back, faster 2.3 fps continuous shooting. The buttons and controls layout is easy and every thing makes sense; the dial has the auto, manual, and even custom setting for creative users, also there is a separate button for recording HD 720P video. Other features; Macro zoom, Panorama assist, Clipboard, ability to Zoom while recording movies, play back slide show with music, face detection, O.I.S., digital red-eye removal, and auto back light compensation. There a lot to mention about this camera, but I'm sure more experts reviews to follow. The only negative would poor low light images without the flash, the lack of mini HDMI cable to play back on HDTV, and the tiny little user guide is useless. A screen protector for the LCD screen is definitely recommended for any buyer.
Finally, this is an Elegant, Sexy, and Powerful Camera that is sure to Satisfy.
Progress is fast
Reviewed by: iestyn Bleasdale-Shepherd, Seattle, WA USA Review Date: 2010-05-16
I bought the original camera in this line (the DMC-TZ1) three years ago and have absolutely loved using that camera. I have taken over 60,000 photos with it and couldn't be happier. I never suffered any kind of technical problem with it - I only decided to get the ZS7 (or TZ10, as it is known in Europe) because the new features I read about were so enticing! In just 3 years, this line has raced through 4 generations and the improvements are amazing - despite which the price has stayed exactly the same.
Before I go into details, I should be clear as to what I personally am looking for in a camera, so that you may judge how relevant this review is to you. Things that I care about:
- I take photos everywhere I go, often at a moment's notice, so it must fit in my jacket pocket and be quick to use
- it must have a good zoom since that gives me the freedom to frame subjects tightly and remove them from context
- it should be good at macros since I love taking macro shots
- it needs to take photos with as close to SLR quality as possible, given that it's a compact
If you care about other things, like the packaged software (which I never use) or the various peripheral 'features' (e.g. face recognition, which btw does work - though sadly not on my cat ;) ), then this review may not provide the information you're most interested in.
Anyway, here's what I've found in my first few weeks using the ZS7.
Everything that I loved about the TZ1 is present in the ZS7, but in improved form:
- it's now even smaller and lighter
- I can get even closer for macros (down to 3cm!)
- I can zoom in even further (19x optical!)
- the awesome macro and zoom features now combine in the incredible 'telephoto macro' mode, which lets me focus on objects just 3 feet away at maximum zoom (the depth of field is simply gorgeous in these shots; bokeh like an SLR!). Definitely my new favourite feature!
In addition, I have been enjoying these lovely enhancements:
- image quality is improved along every axis:
-> noise: in addition to generally lower noise levels, 'noise reduction' can now be turned OFF and the overall improvements to image quality are fantastic - the ugly 'grunge' in the pixel noise that the TZ1 had was probably its single worst feature, and that is now completely gone.
-> dynamic range: images taken in bright sunlight are far less contrasty now, and I can take pictures of objects against the sky without ugly fringing and chromatic aberration around their silhouettes (as long as I get exposure right of course!)
-> colour balance: automatic white balance is in a new league compared to the TZ1. I was constantly changing the custom white balance settings for the TZ1, but with the ZS7 I'm happy to just leave it on automatic white balance 99% of the time (quite a relief!). Overall, colours look much more natural - they match how the scene looks to my as well as the SLRs that I have used.
- the new image stabilisation is absolutely UNBELIEVABLE - all but the most major jolts are smoothed out. This has a huge impact on the clarity of my shots when at max zoom or shooting in dim lighting (which let's face it is not the forte of these small-aperture compacts), and the jittery videos you'd expect from such a light camera are now smooth as butter. Really, really impressive.
- speaking of video, the HD video is absolutely STUNNING. You could shoot cable TV on this thing.
- minor but very welcome improvements:
-> in-built lens cap (yay!)
-> support for SDXC memory cards (I used to empty my TZ1's 2GB card every few days; my first 64GB card for the ZS7 isn't even a third full yet!)
-> JPG compression artifacts are noticeably reduced
-> the new program/aperture/shutter modes give me a little bit more control under certain circumstances (though not that much, given the small lens you get on a compact)
-> the new UI is very streamlined (the quick menu is extremely useful and photo browsing is much quicker)
-> GPS works well, and it's nice to have my photos automatically register on the world map once I upload them to Flickr.
Just so I don't give the impression that I'm gushing uncontrollably, I should also mention the things that I don't like:
- I wish the quick menu was customizable (e.g. I'd like to be able to use it to change aspect ratio and set custom white balance)
- I'm disappointed that zoom+scroll in review mode isn't any quicker than before
- I really don't like losing the 'review' button (review 'mode' resets the lens after a couple of seconds, to frequently irritating effect)
- auto-focus isn't noticeably faster (one of the big general down-sides of compacts, unfortunately)
- there is the occasional encoding error when shooting videos, which Panasonic needs to fix in a firmware update
Those are pretty minor complaints, compared to all the great new features I'm enjoying. My old camera, beloved as it was just a couple of weeks ago, is already languishing on a shelf, all but forgotten! Before getting the ZS7, I would have whole-heartedly recommended the TZ1 to anyone that cares about the same things that I do (portability, flexibility and image quality), and the ZS7 stands head and shoulders above it in every regard. What more can I say? Get one!
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Panasonic DMC-FH20K Digital Camera Features
28mm Wide-angle Lens The 28mm wide-angle lens* lets you easily capture large groups of people indoors or expansive architectural structures and scenes with dynamic width and rich perspective, even from short distances. * Converted to standard 35mm camera equivalent, at the maximum wide position.
Powerful 8x Optical Zoom The DMC-FH20 sports a powerful 8x optical zoom lens (35mm camera equivalent: 28-224mm). This gives you highly natural expressions from people and animals that you can't get close to. And its slim, compact, pocket-sized body can easily go wherever you do for both everyday snapshots and traveling.
iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode When you don't know which mode will give you the best shooting results, or when a sudden photo opportunity pops up and you don't have time to make any settings, simply choose iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode by simply pressing the dedicated button and let the camera do it all for you. You just choose iA Mode, aim at your subject, and shoot. 4 detection and correction functions are simultaneously activated to optimize the settings, so you get stunning photos every time.
HD Movie Recording (1,280 x 720 pixels at 30 fps in Motion JPEG Format) The DMC-FH20) can record motion images in high-definition (1,280 x 720 pixels at 30 fps in Motion JPEG format). The pixel mixed readout method enables bright motion-image recording even in low-light settings. The DMC-FH20 can also record full-size motion images in WVGA (848 x 480 pixels at 30 fps) or standard motion images in VGA (640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps) and QVGA (320 x 240 pixels at 30 fps).
Extended Battery Life The energy-saving Venus Engine IV image-processing engine and the efficient, rechargeable lithium-ion battery which has been slimmed down to fit into thinner camera bodies work together to extend the shooting time of the DMC-FH20. This lets users take approx. 300 shots on a sin
14.1-megapixel effective recording
8X optical zoom (4X digital zoom/32X total zoom)
2-11/16" LCD screen
Optical image stabilization
Sonic Speed AF for quick focusing on moving subjects
Having used only 35 mm cameras and definately not being a photo-pro by any means, I decided to get a digital camera. I was overwhelmed and confused by the information on so many makes and models and became frustrated by contradicting reviews of same-type features from both Consumer Review Reports by professional photographers, as well as customer reviews.
About to give up, I came across a review from a professional photographer (a dedictated Canon user) who tested the Panasonic and gave it's performance an excellent review from all aspects.
I purchased this and haven't looked back. It's excellent. It feels substantial when you hold it; it's easy to use and priced right. The pictures are extremely clear and sharp regardless light conditions or movement. The video is also excellent. Friends who have other makes and models admitted they were highly impressed.
What more can you ask for in a camera. I highly recommend this camera and couldn't be happier with my purchase.
Exactly what I wanted - and expected
Reviewed by: Don in ATL, Atlanta, Georgia Review Date: 2010-04-15
I purchased this camera specifically for a vacation to Rio de Janeiro. I also have a Nikon DSLR that I adore, but didn't want to risk carrying it around Rio. I wanted something I can easily put in my pocket and pull out to quickly take pics.
I investigated several different point-and-shoot cameras, and they all suffer that is pretty much standard issues with Point and Shoots - not dealing well with low light, blurry when compensating for low light, lag time, etc. These things are pretty much a fact with point and shoots.
After playing with a few different camera's, I opted for the Lumix DMC-FH20. The main reasons where the zoom - 8x optical, and then up to 32X digital with the right settings.
On my trip, this camera did not disappoint. Sure I had to play with the settings a little bit to get the desired effect, but I pretty much only used the Auto, Landscape, Nighttime landscape and Macro settings. All of these worked perfectly.
In low light, I had to stabilize the camera on a bench or fence, but that's expected, and not a downfall of the camera.
Overall, I love this camera and considered it well worth the price I paid (about $180us). I feel it far exceeds any other camera I have played with (around the same price point).
I would buy this same camera again - without question.
Amazing camera!!!
Reviewed by: Maria Villafane, Miami, FL Review Date: 2010-05-04
I bought this camera because i wanted a small camera that was easy to carry around for a 4 day trip to Disney World. As the owner of a panasonic lumix fz50, I was very excited to see this small and compact camera, since my other lumix is bulky (10MP, 12X), When i saw the price for this camera, a 14mp, 8X I knew i had to have it. I took it to my trip to disney with a full charged battery and the battery sustained up to 14 hours of continuous photo sessions in different places around the park, it never died on us, but we charged it every night to make sure the next day it would last the same. The pictures are great, they do have some noise in dark places but that is to be expected. The image stabilization does an amazing job at getting pics without flash that are taken in the dark, i was surprised with that. We took some really awesome pictures with this camera. It weights close to nothing and it fits right in my pocket, it was the best purchase i ever made for the trip. I do have to say i am not particularly impressed with the video quality, except for the HD. the HD is pretty cool, but you need an sd card with massive storage to get a good recording time because it takes a lot, a lot of space. I bought an 8gb sd card which held about 1200 pictures at 14mpx, but i took my pics at 10 mp since i don't think i will be printing this pics at a large size. Overall i think this camera is amazing, it also has a pretty awesome lcd which is big enough for you to know what you're doing, and there's no viewfinder, which i like to use every now and then, but i can live without. I love this camera!!!!!!!!
Elegant but surprising
Reviewed by: Joseph N. Scudder, Review Date: 2010-04-19
I bought this camera for times when I cannot easily take my larger equipment. Although it is made in China,the quality seems remarkably great on the outside. Since I have only had it for a few weeks, it has not had a chance to stand time yet.
I have not been so attracted to a small camera since my wife purchased my first Elph years ago. It has quite a few features that one sets by the menu system. I found that I need to reduce the exposure compensation at least one full stop or it overexposed most of my outdoor pictures. Also, most people will probably want to set the ISO at 400 so that pictures are not blurry.
I do miss the Nikon software on my digital SLR that allows me to save the picture in RAW format and a smaller JPEG to mail people at the same time. Surprisingly, it doesn't take a long time for a 14 megapixel file to save to the card. I am using class 4 memory cards with no problems.
I bought another battery through Amazon. You have to use the actual Lumix battery. Panasonic says this is for your safety, but I think it really is for their bottom line. They run around $30. My replacement battery, however, was made in Japan instead of China and had more power than the original. You need to have a spare battery because you just can't find these everywhere. Just figure this into your cost.
The 8x zoom is all I need in this type of camera. It is amazing that an 8X zoom will fit in a camera that is about 1 1/8" deep, 2 1/4" wide, and 3 7/8" long. I
give Panasonic a minus five for not giving accurate dimensions anywhere. As with most products from Asia these days, the instructions and information about the product is far from stellar.
Now they just need to come up with a great extended warranty to give people more peace of mind.
Very effective point-and-shoot
Reviewed by: N. Stevens, Twin Cities, MN USA Review Date: 2010-05-15
We bought this camera for a trip to Japan, and couldn't have been happier with how it performed - an all-around fantastic point-and-shoot camera. It's small, so it fit in a pocket or snugly in a knapsack. The default settings were perfect for posed shots with people as well as scenery, and the automatic stabilization meant that ZERO pictures came out blurry (this impressed me since my pictures always seemed to blur with my previous camera). The most impressive thing wasn't even a feature we bought the camera for though - while on Odaiba (an island in Tokyo bay) at night, we had an excellent view of the lit-up Tokyo skyline and Rainbow Bridge. We decided to take a picture using the Night Scenery setting, not really expecting much but willing to give it a shot. WOW. Easily the best picture this total photography neophyte has ever taken. Clear and vibrant like we were still there. Very, very happy with this camera!
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