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(More customer reviews)I am updating this review constantly so check back every so often to see any additional updates or new material has been added to this review. Also any new links are posted in the first comment following this review.
First, let me tell you I have read every single review about this camera on the Amazon website. I was torn between this camera and the Canon SX30IS 14.1MP Digital Camera with 35x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 Inch Wide LCD and the new Fujifilm FinePix HS20 16 MP Digital Camera with EXR BSI CMOS High Speed Sensor and Fujinon 30x Wide Angle Optical Zoom Lens. I also looked at the Fujifilm FinePix HS10 10 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 30x Wide Angle Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD, but didn't like it because after the picture was taken it takes 3-4 seconds to process before another picture can be taken. I currently own the Panasonic DMC-FZ35 as well, and used it as a comparison camera with the DMC-FZ100. I am still in the process of comparing photos of both cameras with the settings exactly the same, and so far the FZ100 wins.
This camera has a an excellent 25mm Ultra Wide-Angle Lexica DC Vario-Elmarit lens w 24X optical zoom, high speed Venus Engine 3 core processor, full HD movie recording at 1920 X 1080 resolution at 60 frames per second, High Speed Video recording at 220 frames per second, the fastest level of burst shooting of any bridge camera at 2,5,11 (2, 5,and 11 fps at full 14mp resolution),40, and 60 fps, shutter release lag of 0.008 seconds (WOW!), 14 mp resolution, and the camera's quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities together with the Sonic Speed AF (auto focus). Thanks to newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology, with the Intelligent Zoom turned on, the DMC-FZ100 has a camera zoom range of 1 - 32X, or a 35mm camera equivalent of 25-780mm at maximum 14mp picture size! No one makes a camera like this one! No one even comes close!
I have been in photography for many years. I've done wedding photography and sold some of my photos on line and to some local shops. I had a photography studio in my basement. I currently use a Nikon D90 as a DSLR camera. I enjoy the ease of taking a bridge camera with me instead of hauling the huge camera and bag full of lenses. I use the Panasonic cameras strictly for taking photos for myself as the quality is not the same as with the Nikon D90. Don't get me wrong. It takes a great picture! But you just can't compare a bridge camera to a DSLR. You can't compare the price either. MY D90 cost me almost $1000 and the lenses are just as expensive. Some cost way more than the camera body. Have you bought a 25-780mm lens for a DSLR camera lately? If they were available they would cost thousands of dollars! That's the lens equivalent of the Panasonic DMC-FZ100 with I-Zoom ON!
The Panasonic DMC-FZ100 is getting a lot of negative reviews about picture quality. I decided to buy the camera anyway and see if it could be useful to me. I liked the 35X zoom of the Canon SX30IS, but there are lots of negative reviews concerning its picture quality as well. The Panasonic DMC-FZ100 has many qualities and features that puts it above the Canon, but the 35X really pulled on me. I will explain the qualities of the FZ100 in a minute. The new Fujifilm Finepix HS20 really caught my eye! The main reason I decided against that camera is the zoom is manual and the price tag is much higher than the FZ100. The zoom being manual makes any video jerky while it is being zoomed. I looked at some of the videos taken with it on YouTube. Just do a search on that site.
The PDF manual for this camera can be downloaded from the Panasonic web site. Just do a search for it in Google. I put the link for the PDF in the comments section in case you want to download it.
I gave the camera an in depth checkout and came away totally pleased with it. Let me tell you all the benefits and features of this great camera:
What I like:
It has threads for filters. It takes a 52mm filter and they are readily available. Zeikos makes a 52mm polarizing filter Zeikos ZE-CPL52 52mm Multi-Coated Circular Polarizer Filter. I bought one for my FZ35 a while back. I also bought a more expensive Hoya polarizing filter and cannot see any difference between the Zeikos filter and the Hoya filter. Save your money and get the Zeikos.
The lens hood is included and uses a slot instead of screwing on. It is much faster to install or remove.
Some of the above cameras charge extra for the lens hood.
The camera takes JPG or Raw pictures or Both.
In the Video Mode, single still pictures or burst pictures can be taken just by pressing down on the shutter release button while taking the video. It takes a 3.5mp picture or pictures, up to 40 per video. To set up the burst mode just select it on top of the camera next to the main dial and set it up before taking the video. Page 110 in the manual.
In the Video Mode you can normally zoom to 24X. However if you select and turn on I-Zoom the camera will zoom to 32X. I-Zoom gives you 1.3X the normal zoom. The setting also gives you 32X in the Picture Mode (at 14mp picture size). It makes the camera in both picture mode and video mode equivalent to a 35mm camera 25-780mm lens! The picture quality in video or photo is not diminished in this mode. It says it on page 58 and 145 in the manual.
To turn I-Zoom on, just go to Menu, REC MENU, Page 3 (Change pages up by moving the zoom switch right, and down by moving the zoom switch left) , select I.R I.Resolution, then select I Zoom. After that, when using the Video Mode, instead of zooming to 24X, the camera will zoom to 32X. In the picture mode, the zoom goes from 24X in the 14mp Mode to 32X. If you set the camera in the 10mp picture size, the zoom goes from 24X to 37.9X. Now the camera is actually zooming in more than the Canon SX30IS! The best part! Using the I Zoom and Extended Optical Zoom does not degrade picture quality at all! Go to the manual on page 58 and 145. It tells you that right in the manual!
I-Zoom = Multiplier of 1.3X
Extended Optical Zoom with I-Zoom ON
14mp = 32X
10mp = 37.9X
7mp = 45X
5mp = 54X
3mp = 67.4X
I used the camera at 3mp (67.4X) with the Olympus 1.7 teleconverter to get a total zoom of 118X, and took a picture of the moon with just a monopod. It filled the whole screen without cropping. It can be seen at the web site listed in comments. The picture looks great! I will be taking another with a tripod when the moon is full, and will post it as well.The camera has a live Histogram which the FZ35 has as well. To turn it on, go to MENU, SETUP, Page 3, HISTOGRAM, and turn it ON.
The camera will take 5 quick flash shots! To do that, just put the top main dial to SCN Mode, and select FLASH BURST, which is on the second row! The FZ35 does that too. While we are in the SCN Mode, in a dim setting like inside at night, select the CANDLE LIGHT Mode, It really brightens up the picture! Better yet, at night in tough lighting, select iA Mode (Intelligent Auto) with the camera main dial. It does a great job in dim light, but you will sacrifice some noise! Also note in SCN mode, go to the second page of the menu and select HS Mode for High Speed Video to take those fast action videos that you want to get great slow motion detail in. The speed is 220 frames per second!
460,000 pixel 3 inch LCD, which extends and swivels. You can even take a picture of yourself and see what it is going to look like before you take the shot. Just extend the screen and rotate it 180 degrees.
DIFFERENT COLOR MODES = Page 132 of manual
The camera has several different color modes.
STANDARD: The standard setting
DYNAMIC: The saturation and contrast are increased.
NATURE: Brighter red, green and blue. Enhanced beauty of nature.
SMOOTH: The contrast is lowered for smoother and clearer color.
VIBRANT : Higher saturation and contrast than DYNAMIC.
Makes the colors snap out at you!
There are a couple of others.
To Set the COLOR MODE go to P or A or S or M mode on the main dial, press MENU, then FILM MODE, then push the right button on the MENU SET switch to cycle through the various color modes. Once in a mode, scroll down and set the CONTRAST, SHARPNESS, SATURATION, and NOISE REDUCTION. Once set, press the MENU button again to save it.
By going to the FILM MODE (MENU, REC MODE, Page 1, FILM MODE) you are able to customize your setting of CONTRAST, SHARPNESS, SATURATION, and NOISE REDUCTION and set it on a custom menu. Just select your settings and continue scrolling down to Memory and set your custom menu there. It has a flash shoe, and uses Panasonic Flashes. There are three to choose from but they can get real expensive! Panasonic DMW-FL360 External Flash (GN36) for Panasonic L1 DSLR and FZ50 Digital Camera, Panasonic DMW-FL500 TTL External Flash for Panasonic L1 DSLR and FZ50 Digital Camera
AVCHD Video, either 1080i, or 720p, 60 frames per second, or Motion JPEG. The video in 1080 or 720 AVCHD can be processed and played in Windows...Read more›
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 24x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black)Panasonics Lumix DMC-FZ100 features a newly-developed Leica DC Vario-ELMARIT lens with powerful 24x optical zoom. As Panasonic's first hybrid compact digital camera with a MOS sensor, the Lumix FZ100 can record full 1080p High Definition (HD) video--giving you a powerful hybrid that can shoot video and still photos with ease and professional-like quality.The Lumix FZ100 has an incredibly fast burst shooting in 14.1-megapixel full resolution at 11 frames per second with a mechanical shutter, and increases the frames per second to 60 in 3.5-megapixel recording. Additionally, the Lumix FZ100 features continuous Auto Focus up to five frames per second at full resolution for great action shots. It also features Intelligent Burst shooting. The digital camera judges the appropriate shutter speed to suppress the motion blur according to the movement of the subject, rising as high as possible, activating the high sensitivity recording.FEATURES:Intelligent Auto (iA) mode - Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) mode, a hallmark on all Lumix digital cameras, now includes Motion Deblur mode. By updating the motion detection (Intelligent ISO Control) and brightness control (Intelligent Exposure) users can gain the highest shutter speed possible. Combined with the outstanding brightness of the lens and the POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), the Lumix FZ100 prevents any blur created from a handshake or a moving subject. The iA suite of technologies include: POWER O.I.S., Face Recognition, Face Detection, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure. Panasonic's iA is also available while shooting video. Free-angle 3.0-inch LCD - Featuring a free-angle 3.0-inch large 460,000-dot high-resolution LCD, the Lumix FZ100 features wide-angle viewing with Face Recognition functions that automatically remembers registered faces for future recording.Intelligent Scene Selector - The Intelligent Scene Selector automati
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