Anna
02-09-2007, 03:11 AM
Although this camera has been surpassed with more recent models, such as the FZ-30 & FZ-50, I had been wanting to own one ever since I saw my first review just after the initial release.
Around 6 months ago I finally had enough saved to make the purchase, and I am very glad that I did. This was my first camera with more than basic controls, and it took a bit of learning (still much more learning to do) to begin to use it in more than just point and shoot style. Even using auto mode though, it is difficult not to produce great shots. I found the auto mode produces reasonable crisp, clean, and colourful shots for the majority of applications.
Taking off into the wilderness for 3 months gave me a chance to really get down and dirty with this camera though. I also began to experiement with manual controls during this trip, and was highly impressed at just how easy the learning curve was. Within a few days of beginning to shoot manual, I began to use manual virtually exclusively.
The settings for displays through the viewfinder whilst lining up and focussing your shot provide a wealth of information, making it easy to produce a great result. I am a beginner in the world of photography, but the images I have been able to produce with this camera have received some impressive positive feedback in the places I have shown them.
Macro is my favourite kind of photography, and the macro features of the FZ-20 make it simple to produce stunning and crisp images. Even before buying extra macro lenses I produced a macro of a spider that a spider expert at one of our universities was convinced had to be much larger than the size I suggested.
What this camera does to a sunset is stunning, producing beautiful and brilliant colours, enhancing everything in the sky, while maintaining crisp focus on all areas of the image.
I am still very much learning my way around this camera, but the more I learn the more impressed I become. Not being any kind of expert, I am not going to go into technical aspects and such, but wouold highly recommend this camera for anyone that wants better than average shots. It can be purchased reasonably cheaply now, and often found for around $300, so it is quite an affordable little unit.
The only negatives I had found with it so far are that the display and viewfinder are very difficult to use at night, in darker settings. The f range is 2.8-8 and I would like to have something that goes a little more in both directions. With a desire to do a bit of stellar photography I find the maximum shutter at 3 seconds is not enough, and would like longer shutter openings.
Apart from that it is a great camera that anyone would find a breeze to use.
The image below was taken at 5.30am, with the sun just rising in the east, behind me, f2.8 exp 1/400 ISO 80 and gives one of the reasons why I like this unit. (Optimizing it for reduced size restrictions does not do it any favours, though still reasonably good)
Around 6 months ago I finally had enough saved to make the purchase, and I am very glad that I did. This was my first camera with more than basic controls, and it took a bit of learning (still much more learning to do) to begin to use it in more than just point and shoot style. Even using auto mode though, it is difficult not to produce great shots. I found the auto mode produces reasonable crisp, clean, and colourful shots for the majority of applications.
Taking off into the wilderness for 3 months gave me a chance to really get down and dirty with this camera though. I also began to experiement with manual controls during this trip, and was highly impressed at just how easy the learning curve was. Within a few days of beginning to shoot manual, I began to use manual virtually exclusively.
The settings for displays through the viewfinder whilst lining up and focussing your shot provide a wealth of information, making it easy to produce a great result. I am a beginner in the world of photography, but the images I have been able to produce with this camera have received some impressive positive feedback in the places I have shown them.
Macro is my favourite kind of photography, and the macro features of the FZ-20 make it simple to produce stunning and crisp images. Even before buying extra macro lenses I produced a macro of a spider that a spider expert at one of our universities was convinced had to be much larger than the size I suggested.
What this camera does to a sunset is stunning, producing beautiful and brilliant colours, enhancing everything in the sky, while maintaining crisp focus on all areas of the image.
I am still very much learning my way around this camera, but the more I learn the more impressed I become. Not being any kind of expert, I am not going to go into technical aspects and such, but wouold highly recommend this camera for anyone that wants better than average shots. It can be purchased reasonably cheaply now, and often found for around $300, so it is quite an affordable little unit.
The only negatives I had found with it so far are that the display and viewfinder are very difficult to use at night, in darker settings. The f range is 2.8-8 and I would like to have something that goes a little more in both directions. With a desire to do a bit of stellar photography I find the maximum shutter at 3 seconds is not enough, and would like longer shutter openings.
Apart from that it is a great camera that anyone would find a breeze to use.
The image below was taken at 5.30am, with the sun just rising in the east, behind me, f2.8 exp 1/400 ISO 80 and gives one of the reasons why I like this unit. (Optimizing it for reduced size restrictions does not do it any favours, though still reasonably good)