Note: Updated Review – The editor of this amazing Web site has kindly allowed me to revise my review of the Panasonic FZ35 camera. In hindsight, it needed a bit of a brush up!

Some people, using a digital SLR, find it a hassle to continually change lenses when shooting a wide variety of subjects. Frankly, it goes with ‘SLR-territory’ (digital and film) and is the price you pay to enjoy the improved image of an interchangeable lens, reflex camera.

In reality, unless you’re very demanding and continually shoot magazine quality pictures, most times you’re better off with a fixed lens digicam with an extended zoom range … like this one.


Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

This Panasonic model has a modest 18x optical zoom that runs from 4.8-86.4mm or, in 35 SLR equivalence, 27-486mm. For many people this is long enough … many people have found handheld ultra long zooms pulled full out to maximum tele give serious problems in steadiness. Tripod territory.

Its amazingly tiny CCD measures 10.9mm in the diagonal, but is still capable of capturing a 12.1 million pixel image, leading to a maximum image size of 4000×3000 pixels.

This camera is capable of RAW capture as well as JPEG … and of course RAW+JPEG simultaneously.

Coupled with this attractive factor, the FZ35 also shoots High Def movies with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and stereo sound using the AVCHD Lite (MPEG-4/H.264) codec, which seems not to have been taken up by other makers.

AVCHD Lite offers a considerable saving in file size: it’s half that of full AVCHD. You can also select lower movie quality settings: 848 x 480, 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 … the latter useful for Web transmission.

The FZ35, unlike many other digicams, has the ability to use the optical zoom while you’re shooting movies. The FZ35’s movie zoom operates in a gentle fashion — not jerky — and adds to the viewer enjoyment of movie clips. Another nice touch is that stills and movie shooting each have dedicated buttons.

When it comes to download time the FZ35 provides a USB 2.0 port, through which you can also export composite video and sound as well as a mini HDMI port, to which you can attach an optional lead to a High Def TV set. If you have one of the company’s VIERA TVs, you can control the camera’s playback functions with a VIERA remote control.

In their wisdom, Panasonic has simplified the optical stabiliser to two modes: off and on. I’ve always found the company’s stabiliser to be an excellent one but you may find it’s best to cancel it when the camera is on a tripod — one fights the other.

Memory

40 MB of internal memory is useful for a short shooting spree but when you need a card you can load up an SD or SDHC, with the latter as preferred card for movie shooting; I had some early advice that it is OK use a Class 4 card with the camera; this info has since been revised to Class 6 or better.

Archibald fountain tele 2.JPG

Gloria 2.jpg

Viewing: the camera has two LCD screens, one mounted in the turret above the lens and the other at the rear, a 6.9 cm screen. Frankly, whilst the former is preferable for bright daylight shot lineups, the resolution is so poor, in most cases you’re better off to persevere with the large, higher res rear screen. Besides, the camera auto adjusts the rear screen brightness according to ambience levels … I found it quite easy to line up, zoom in, then shoot, even with sunlight falling directly onto the screen. Well done!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 Features

The FZ35 has a useful range of exposure modes — auto, Program AE, aperture and shutter priority and manual — plus a battery of scene modes for the adventurous photographer’s without the skills to drive the camera in ‘manual’.

Metering options for both stills and movies include multi zone, centre-weighted and spot readings.

Of course it has face recognition and can also recognise faces registered from previous shots, so focus and exposure are optimised.

A plus is the FZ35’s ability to shoot movies with manually adjusted aperture or shutter speed as well as colour effects — B&W, sepia, a coolish or a warm rendering — as well as scene modes. My advice is to use these with care and try to shoot a run of shots using an effect to comprise a whole sequence — and not shoot the occasional random shot.

 
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Test shot: ISO 80 f8 1/10 sec.

ISO 400 f8 1:50 sec.JPG
Test shot: ISO 400 f8 1/50 sec.

ISO 1600 f8 1:200 sec.JPG
Test shot: ISO 1600 f8 1/200 sec.

In my assessment, the camera’s ISO 400 setting is very useable for ordinary photography. It’s only when you reach ISO 800 and above that the noise begins to be a problem. A very good performance.

Startup Time

I could start shooting just two seconds after power-up, with follow on shots coming in at about one second intervals.

Distortion

I was surprised to find the lens exhibited no distortion at either end of the zoom range. Top lens!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 Verdict

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the FZ35. It’s compact, easy to use and, with its 18x zoom, a powerful image capture tool.
The camera handled flare particularly well, snaring bright, well-coloured and sharp shots. The exposure systems were noticeably accurate.

A perfect camera for the traveller.

 

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 Specifications

  • Image Sensor: 12.1 million effective pixels.
  • Metering: Averaging; centre-weighted; spot.
  • Effective Sensor Size: 10.9mm diameter.
  • Memory: SD and SDHC cards.
  • Image Sizes (pixels): 4000×3000, 4000×2672, 4000×2248, 3264×2488, 3264×1840, 3264×2176, 2560×1920, 2560×1440, 2048×1536, 2048×1360, 1920×1080, 1600×1200, 640×480.
  • File Formats: JPEG, RAW.
  • ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 1600.
  • Flash: Auto, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction slow sync, first and second curtain sync, forced on and off.
  • Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, AC.
  • Dimensions: 117.6×75.8×88.9 WHDmm.
  • Weight: Approx. 367 g (minus battery).

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