Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with CMOS Sensor and 24x Optical Zoom - Black

Confused About Bridge Cameras? You Should Be!Much of the entire camera review area is horribly redundant. By that, I mean you often have 1) a cut and paste of a Press Release followed by a "new article" 2) a "Hands on Preview" which once again regurgitates the press release, perhaps some add copy, and is a meaningless non-review. Finally, maybe, 6 - 8 months later you might have 3) a review, or not. Many cameras never make it to 3), for they are already discontinued and new models are announced, as in the case right now in several areas.The bridge camera is supposed to bridge the divide between pocket cameras and system cameras, more or less. Yet, there is no consensus as to what that specifically means.Right now, PC Magazine has the new $699 Olympus Stylus 1 camera as its Editor's Choice SuperZoom. It is called a SuperZoom, although it is only a 10.7x optical zoom camera. It replaced the Panasonic FZ-200 24x unit, that can now be had for $410 or even less. The Fujifilm X-S1 26x camera was beat out by the Panasonic. In October, 2012 (yes, way back then) the comment was "At close to $800 the X-S1 is prohibitively priced for many buyers, which prevents it from ousting the Nikon Coolpix P510 as our Editors' Choice superzoom camera." By the way, you can now pick up the Fujifilm XS-1 for $350 delivered, if not less.This is one example of many sure to either bewilder people, or convince people that PC Magazine (and other sources) are completely bewildered. How can a 10.7x camera, in 2013, be a "SuperZoom" compared to a 24x, 26x, or 50x unit? How can a camera like the Fujifilm that retailed at $799 for a short while be overpriced, yet now the short-range Olympus is the best SuperZoom you can buy? As fast as you can change your socks, the best SuperZoom went from a 42x Nikon P510 to a 24x Panasonic FZ-200 to a 10.7x Olympus. A 10x zoom range camera is no super zoom: that range of non-versatility is handily exceeded by dozens of 20 - 24 x eight ounce pocket cameras.WHAT IS A BRIDGE CAMERA?The idea of a bridge camera is to give you more versatility, features, and flexibility than available in a shirt-pocket camera with one lens array: with less bulk, weight, and cost than going the D-SLR or other system camera route. One lens array means the sensor and processor can be optimized for that one lens. One lens means the unit is sealed to a certain extent, so no dirt will cover your sensor when changing lenses for example. A bridge camera should also net you an electronic viewfinder, better battery life than a point and shoot, and should be a lot more fun to carry than a system camera.THE BETTER BRIDGE CAMERAS, AND WHYFujifilm X-S1The Fujifilm X-S1 is better built than most all of them, with a larger sensor than the common 1/2.33 arena sensors, and better image quality, in general, than small-sensor cameras. Currently, it is a screaming deal at $350 street. You might wonder why I don't use one, currently? Its images can be quite excellent:[...] . The barrier, for me, is its 2.1 lb. or so weight, just more than I want to carry all day. But, that's what you get if you want a larger sensor, lens, and metal dials and a tougher build. If the weight is not an issue, and a manual zoom appeals: it may well be your camera. The EVF of the XS-1 is comparatively huge at 0.47-inch, approx. 1440,000 dots. Many other popular cameras have dinky .21 inch EVF's . . . and that includes the Canon SX-50 and Panasonic FZ-200. The X-S1 is a case of "be careful what you ask for, you just might get it." We say we want better build quality (more metal, less plastic) and we say we want larger sensors. The X-S1 provides both. The catch is, larger sensors require larger, heavier lens arrays, and better build quality means more weight as well. The XS-1 gives a lot of folks want they said they wanted, but it weighs about 75% more than some other bridge-class cameras . . . the additional weight and bulk being the main detriment, at least for my uses.Canon SX-50The Canon fills the frame when other cameras struggle. While the impressive 50x lens isn't the brightest, its sensor is spectacularly good for a small sensor: or at least the sensor / processor combination. Competitively priced currently at $329, its somewhat plasticy (also noisy and slippery) build makes the camera more fun to carry at about 1.3 pounds. The weight difference between this unit and the X-S1 is substantial, for the Fujifilm unit weighs over 60% more.Panasonic FZ-200A great, bright, constant 2.8 lens and blazing fast shooting performance is why you'd want this camera (now down to $409 as of this writing). Its 24x zoom range (600mm max focal length in 35mm equivalent) is less than half of the Canon SX-50 and the bargain-priced Fujifilm SL1000 50x camera ($250 or so), but 24x handles a lot of shooting opportunities and the digital "Intelligent Zoom" gets you to 48x if needed while still capturing quite enjoyable images. It is one of those rare cameras that is very good for both still images and video. I'm asked if the FZ-200 is "okay for birding" and wildlife. Vickie has answered that for us on Flickr. The LCD has a 3:2 aspect ratio. If you shoot in the "7M EZ" mode you have an image size good up to an 11 x 14 or larger, but now you can enjoy about a 30x optical zoom (actually, 29.4x) or a whopping 58.8x "intelligent zoom." That's a 735mm (35mm eq.) focal length that covers a huge range of shooting scenarios, without resorting to the smart zoom / pure view / intelligent zoom versions of interpolation. For an SLR, a 600mm lens Nikon 600mm f/4.0G ED VR II AF-S SWM Super Telephoto Lens for Nikon FX and DX Format Digital SLR could set you back $9K or more. Not exactly an easy to carry, affordable option.CONCLUSIONAll three of these cameras (X-S1, SX-50, FZ-200) can be considered excellent. It isn't that one camera could be rationally picked as an easy winner, for all of them have the ability to do a fine job under many conditions. Price is invariably a factor, for you can always squander the extra cash on food, clothing, and shelter.If value is your primary concern, presently the $250 or so street price Fujifilm SL1000 is hard to beat. Its huge zoom range is the same as the bit more expensive SX-50, although the Canon is a slightly better unit for still images) if you need to fill the frame with a 1200mm 35mm equivalent focal length. The Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 16.2MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black) offers the most for the least dollars. In bright sun, there is no such thing as a truly great LCD. They all wash out to a certain extent, and an electronic viewfinder can save the day in those conditions. Surprisingly, the most inexpensive camera in this field, the Fujifilm SL1000, offers a 920K dot EVF and a 920K dot hinged LCD.The Fujifilm XS-1 has the best image quality in the field, and the best build quality as well. Now available at $350, it would be called a "no-brainer" by some. While I understand that, its roughly 2.2 pound weight is more than I want to carry all day and as I do take a lot of video, the manual zoom of the XS-1 is a negative for my purposes. It is the closest thing to a system camera replacement, unfortunately including weight and bulk.There is no right or wrong or "correct" answer for everyone, for you can have a lot of fun with all of these cameras. Although I still use a Canon SX-50 for stationary stills, the camera that does the most for me most of the time is the FZ-200. Here's why I prefer it.The FZ-200 is substantially lighter than the X-S1, it locks autofocus in extreme low-light situations (deer after sunset feeding in a field) where the SX-50 struggles. While its EVF is not as good as the X-S1, though small (.21 in.) it is far sharper than the SX-50 with 1.31 million pixels.The Panasonic FZ-200 spanks the SX-50 in video performance, focus speed, overall shooting speed and boot-up time, and has a panorama mode that the SX-50 (and Canon in general) refuses to implement. Its excellent video performance is complimented by excellent battery life (540 still shots). Video is invariably a big drain on batteries, as is cold weather, and both video and cold weather are common situations for me. The 120 fps 720p (lower HD) high speed video mode is superb. It is a 1/4 speed, smooth as glass, high-resolution playback. The same goes for the VGA (640 x 480) HS mode that is 240 fps: more than sufficient quality to analyze a golf swing with no post-processing.The constant F2.8 lens of the FZ-200 is no joke and it gives this camera the ability to function where other super-zooms cannot. Under well-lit conditions, there isn't much difference in image quality. Under ridiculously poor light, there is a huge difference.To compare, I took several pictures of an igloo-shaped doghouse in the snow after midnight using three representative cameras, all hand-held. A Panasonic FZ-60 lost its mind, and could not begin to focus. The Canon SX-50 whirred, clicked, struggled and told me to "raise flash." It took an unrecognizable, muddy black image of nothing discernible. The FZ-200, however, locked focus instantly and grabbed an ISO 1600 image of the doghouse, zoomed in to fill the frame, with no issues. In this somewhat contrived example, it was the difference between an instant, usable image and no image at all.Not surprisingly, the demise of the digital camera market has been under-reported by most review sites, if it has been reported at all. Reuters summed things up on December 30, 2013, noting that Panasonic's camera sales have plummeted 40 percent from April to September. IDC expects a further drop in the market for compact cameras in 2014 of 40 percent. Whether you are selling hot dogs or hockey pucks, drops of 40 percent are not sustainable. Industry analyst Yu Yoshida mentioned, ""Only those who have a strong brand and are competitive on price will last -- and only Canon, Nikon and Sony fulfill that criteria." Panasonic with its tiny three percent and change of the market, along with Olympus and Fujifilm, are all considered vulnerable.While smartphone sales have sizzled, camera sales have fizzled. Unfortunately, the Micro 4/3 system cameras have not gained much traction, another ominous situation for Panasonic and Olympus. Canon and Nikon own the SLR market, and powerful brand names (rightly or wrongly, perhaps sadly) is why many people buy what they do.The FZ-200, introduced over a year ago, is one of those rare cameras that won't go out of style anytime soon. The constant F/2.8 25mm-600mm lens is ground-breaking in a camera of this type, and remains so. Its 1,312,000 dot EVF is best of breed for a camera of this type and its video performance remains class-leading as well. Its 540 shot CIPA battery life is far best than most in this class, more than double of some. It is fast enough in focusing, fast enough in boot-up and shot-to-shot speed, with a fast enough lens to be able to capture images where most all bridge-type cameras cannot.It is the only camera that satisfactorily bridges three types of imaging devices: the simpler point and shoot, the system camera with multiple lenses, and the camcorder. Given unlimited funds, size, and weight you can of course find technically better imaging. Not so most could notice on a web page or an 8 x 10, though, and certainly not on shareable video files, either. It makes the FZ-200 its own class of camera: a very good class, to say the least. Though under many conditions, you can get quite pleasing images with several cameras, for a 1-1/4 lb. audiovisual standalone media powerhouse unit, the FZ-200 is the one to beat.Copyright 2013 by Randy Wakeman and Randy Wakeman Outdoors.For sake of completeness: I've always found Panasonic-labeled Chinese batteries to be a spectacular rip-off. I've been using Halcyon 1600 mAH Lithium Ion Replacement Battery for Panasonic Lumix FZ200 Digital Camera and Panasonic DMW-BLC12 and they are better than OEM. I also added the Panasonic DMW-LMC52 52mm Protection Filter for Panasonic Digital Camera multicoated protective lens.

Since I am obsessive about photography, I have tried the Olympus and Panasonics 4:3 cameras, the Nikon P510, and the Panasonic FZ200. Since I really don't want to be bothered with having to change lenses all the time, the super-zooms are attractive, and since I have been in love with my little Panasonic ZS5 for the past 3-4 years, I was hoping the Panasonic super-zoom would be an easy transition. I was not mistaken.After two weeks of using the FZ200 and taking about 1000 photos, I can confirm that it is a superior camera. This camera is FAST - you should see the photos of the PSU women's basketball games I have taken. And the F2.8 widest aperature applies throughout the huge zoom range - a super-zoom first. The colors are fantastically realistic - you should see the Happy Valley sunsets and sunrises I have taken. The focus is nearly instantaneous and precise - you should see some of the macros I have taken. The manual focus is easy to use and spot on - you should see some of the difficult close-ups over water and ice I have taken (it's hard for AF to focus with an ice background). The stabilization is the best I have ever seen - you should see some of the maximum zoom hand-held photos I have taken.It is light. It comes with a lens hood. The front of the lens if threaded so it will take filters and super macro add-ons. It allows you to store 4 custom settings. It had HDR. It feels solid and fits nicely into the hand. It has a 3" articulated, high resolution LCD. It has a large, high resolution view finder. It has 3 programmable function buttons. The battery seems to last forever. It has so many ways to correct or edit photos that you will be learning how each of these things works for years to come. It is quiet. It looks professional.As you can see, I could go on and on...and I'm not a Panasonic or Amazon employee.Now a few drawbacks; after all, nothings perfect.I'm replacing the FZ200 I got with a new one because when I make a lot of setting changes quickly it gets overloaded, locks up, and needs to be restarted - not a huge problem but irritating sometimes. As a previous reviewer said, it is strange that Panasonic didn't put a more detailed Quick Menu on this camera like the ZS5 has. Perhaps that's because a lot of those functions are located in buttons on the camera body. It takes a little effort to remember that you set the AF,Macro, and Manual focus on the lens barrel instead of in the software - different from little point & shoots. So far I have not found a case like they used to make for the old film SLRs. I'd rather have a case instead of a "bag" as advertised on the webpage. And...if you're coming from a small P&S, it's an adjustment to learn where all the controls are on the camera body.But it's worth it. This is a superior camera and Panasonic has set a very high bar in the super-zoom arena.EnjoyDecember 22-26, 2012 update:Yes, I will upload some photos after Christmas sometime. Here's what I have learned after at least another thousand photos:1. I continue to really like the camera. The 2.8 lens is terrific and this camera is VERY FAST - both the lens and the electronics.2. The electronic manual focus is tricky and takes some patience and practice. I think I would prefer a manual focus ring, but I guess I can't have it all.3. I still think the quick menu is helpful but hard to use. It improves with practice, but is not as good as the quick menu on my P&S SZ7.4. I have had to learn a new way of thinking about macro with the 2.8 lens. The large lens opening that the 2.8 aperture provides means a faster shutter speed and lower ISO, but it also means a very small depth of field. I've found that it helps to actually shoot macro in aperture mode and increase the aperture in order to increase the depth of field. Also...use one-area metering and change the size and location of the focus to where you want it - as described on page 96 in the manual. Exposure bracket to cover all your bases, and support your camera well or use a tripod. And...as always...macros are better on a cloudy day when you don't have a lot of contrast and shadows.5. The ISO quality is a great improvement over my P&S SZ7, but not as good as my wife's Nikon D5100. But then, I didn't want the hassle of a SLR. So that's that, I guess.6. This camera feels good in the hand and seems to be very well built.7. The "handheld night scene setting" is cool.8. So far, I have not found that the HDR is all that great. I think I would rather bracket and use those photos with a computer-based HDR program.9. If you shoot anything with action, or you like to do fast shooting, a Class 4 SD card isn't going to work for you. You are going to have to move up to a Class 8 or 10 speed to take advantage of this camera's speed. Class 4 will slow you down as you wait for the card to load.10. The new, smooth panorama is absolutely fantastic.11. I love being able to shoot both JPEG and RAW at the same time. I've always wanted to learn RAW, and now I can do so while having the familiar JPEG too. I use Photoshop Elements sometimes - typically just to crop, adjust the levels a little, occasionally adjust a color cast, sometimes clone to get rid of power lines and such, and then unsharp mask (very lightly).12. The two custom white balance controls are very, very convenient and very easy to use. Thank you, Panasonic.13. Having four - check that - four - custom setting is mind blowing. I'm in heaven.14. I'm a little surprised that the scenes menu does not have a snow or beach setting. However, photographing on snow yesterday proved to me that the camera does not seem to need it. Using Program did great, and I suspect iA would do OK too. I forgot to try it. If there is a slight color cast, you can quickly use the color cast correction in any photo touch-up program. But the exposure on snow and sand, which are difficult for most cameras, is great.15. I have found that the Case Logic DCB304 recommended here is too small if you want to carry anything more than the camera. I sent it back and bought the Lowepro Adventura 140 which works very well for me. It has room for the FZ200, my P&S ZS5, a little tripod, some filters and extra SD cards, and spare batteries for both cameras.It's still half the size and weight of the case my wife needs for her Nikon D5100 body and lenses.16. Dec 3, 2012 - Took a lot of photos at First Night on New Year's eve with the Handheld Night Photograph setting in the Scenes menu. I love it. What a fantastic option for nighttime photos. I also took a number of hand-held photos of lights etc. using the Program setting and they did quite well, though the ISO has to be set higher than 400 to do so. Then took a lOT of photos of a musical group at one of the local coffee shops under incandescent lighting, using both burst shooting and normal program mode. This camera does very well. It is fast - the F2.8 lens is really a great thing. I agree with other reviewers who say that this camera does not do as well with higher ISOs as the Nikon 5100, say. My wife has the D5100 and I can see the difference. But then, I'm not carrying around three lenses and a camera nearly twice as heavy and big as the FZ200. It's always a trade off and it depends on one's priorities. Just try to keep your ISO setting at 400 or below. (But see my additional comments below.)October 21, 2013: I've now taken 100,000+ images with the FZ200 and still love the camera. Some pointers: use the speed setting for long zooms and adjust the speed to the amount of zoom you are using. I find that adjusting the speed to 1300+ when zoomed to 600mm handheld nearly guarantees a sharp photo at that focal length. I shoot a lot from a rocking canoe, so it's not unusual that I need to set an even faster speed. I also set the exposure compensation about a full stop low and then bracket 2/3 of a stop. This gives me choices on editing and brings out the colors and reduces the ISO, which is important since this camera is noisy above 400 ISO. However...and I love this...the free program NoiseWare does a fantastic job of correcting the noise with my computer. With this program I don't worry much about noise. And...along the same lines...reduce the noise correction and sharpness correction to -2 in the Photo Style menu to reduce the occasional artificial look that comes from the internal software in this camera. You can play with the four setting in these menus to reduce some of the camera's unneeded internal software corrections.And listen up, Panasonic, if you monitor Amazon comments: You need to create a screen display item that reminds the user of the side lever setting. It's far too easy to set the focus for macro or manual and then leave it there when the camera is shut down. I've lost some good shots later because I didn't change the focus setting back to auto focus before shutting down and the lens was on the wrong setting. Another option is to reset the focus back to automatic upon shutdown as the default. It's easier to change the side lever than to remember the setting.PackJac