Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28EB-K

...will start by describing the Panasonic DMC-FZ28. It looks in its appearance very similar to a DSLR albeit much smaller, it has the excellent hand grip on its right handside (just like an DSLR) and on
top of this grip is the perfectly placed shutter release button. Obviously the DMC-FZ28 is no pocket sized camera, which you cannot expect with a camera that has an 18x zoom lens (I will cover this later and provide some pictures to show the ...
...inch 230,000 dot LCD screen. Panasonic have really chosen well with the LCD on this camera, the display is very sharp and is easily viewable in all light conditions.

The LCD also has an adjustable brightness and it can also be set to automatically brighten in bright light, another feature the LCD has is the high angle setting, this is used for taking pictures that
involve you holding the camera above your head for example ... more

Here is my review on the best digital camera I have owned. I have previously owned around 4 other cameras over the last five years and this one beats all the others by a massive amount.

I will start by describing the Panasonic DMC-FZ28. It looks in its appearance very similar to a DSLR albeit much smaller, it has the excellent hand grip on its right handside (just like an DSLR) and on
top of this grip is the perfectly placed shutter release button. Obviously the DMC-FZ28 is no pocket sized camera, which you cannot expect with a camera that has an 18x zoom lens (I will cover this later and provide some pictures to show the awesome power and quality of the lens). The camera feels nice and solid in the hand and the ergonomics are excellent.

I will now list the buttons/controls that the camera has on it.

To be honest the DMC-FZ28 isn't jam packed with buttons which is a good thing, on top of the camera is the mode wheel, I will start with the iA mode (Intelligent auto), in this mode the camera does
everything automatically, the focusing, exposure, aperture and also it picks up on the kind of picture you are wanting to take, for example, if I am standing close up to a flower , the camera automatically
selects Macro mode, if I am taking a picture of a distant view, the camera will automatically select landscape mode. I find the intelligent auto is the best by far of any automatic modes I have used on any
camera, I find it has a 90-95 percent success rate at detecting and using its automatic settings. In any of the modes I will go on to mention, if you notice in the top left of the LCD or the EVF a red
camera shaped symbol, this means that the camera needs the flash, you can risk taking the shot without the flash as the camera has an excellent anti shake system, but without the flash the picture may appear a little dark, anyway the red symbol I have mentioned is easily noticeable for when its indicative to use the excellent built in flash.

The next mode on the mode wheel is the P setting. With this setting the focusing, exposure etc are still automatically adjusted, but on this mode you can access other settings that you couldn't on the iA
mode such has, the intelligent ISO (this allows the camera to automatically detect and if needs be use some of the higher ISO speeds to get a picture that would maybe sometimes not be possible). The sensitivity setting, this allows you to take control of the ISO speed the camera uses from the list shown on the menu which go from 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, there is some higher settings available in the high sensitivity mode upto 6400, but at this rate the pictures would only be suitable for small prints, but it would allow you to get a picture that you would not ordinarily be able to get. The ISO is
basically the sensitivity the sensor works on, the lower the ISO the more detail the camera can capture, the higher the ISO the camera can capture lower light situations, fast moving objects etc. Also
adjustable on the P mode is ISO limit, this governs the maximum ISO the camera will use, the White balance, (you can set auto, sunny, cloudy, indoor, flash white balance, indoor lighting). Also adjustable
is the metering mode the camera uses to set its exposure, spot (which sets by using just the small spot in the centre of the frame), centre weighted (this adjusts in the centre of the screen and also
measures the whole frame evenly), multiple (with this setting the camera measures the most suitable exposure by judging the allocation of brightness on the whole frame automatically). I personally leave the camera on the Multiple mode and find it works excellently.

Also adjustable on the P mode is the auto focusing, there are seven different AF modes:

If you have the camera set on iA mode, the camera will detect what type of picture you are taking and pick the most suitable AF mode according to this, for example if you were taking a picture of a family,
it would automatically pick the face detection mode.

Face detection= In this mode the camera will pick up on faces in the frame and focus on the faces to provide sharply focused faces. This is ideal for family shots and the like.

AF tracking= In this mode the camera will remain focused/exposed even if the subject moves, this is handy for say you were wanting to take a picture of a show jumper or car at a motor racing event or
something similar.

Multi area focusing= I normally leave my camera set on this and find it picks up and adjusts the focusing perfectly on whatever I am wanting to take. This mode provides up to 5 focusing areas in the frame.

1 area focusing (high speed)= This mode will quickly focus on the subject that is in the centre of the frame.

1 area focusing= This works in the same way has the high speed setting albeit it takes a little longer over focussing.

Spot focusing= On this setting the camera uses a small (spot) to focus in the frame, this can be useful when you are taking a macro shot and only want/need a small area to be in sharp focus.

Still on the P mode and adjustable is the color mode, this allows you to choose either Sepia (an old browny/gold picture effect which pictures taken around 80-100 years ago used), black & white (self
explanatory). There is also a setting which allows you to take 3 pictures of the same scene with one been black & white, one been colour and the other been black & white.

Last but not least is the picture stability mode, this has two modes, mode 1 stabilizes only when the shutter button is pressed down to take the picture. Mode 2 stabilizes all the time, I personally have
the camera set on mode 2 and find it works best for me. If the camera is on iA mode the stability mode is automatically chosen depending on the type of shot.

On to the A mode on the mode wheel.

On this setting all the settings available on the P mode are available, but on the A mode you can adjust the aperture, for example when you are wanting to set the aperture higher to take a sharp focused
background or you can set lower to take a shot with a soft focused background.

Now onto the S mode on the mode wheel.

On this mode you can adjust the shutter speed, for example if you are wanting to take a picture of a fast moving object, you would need to select a fast shutter speed to capture it sharply . Or you can choose a slower speed and get a trail effect, depending on your preference.

Now onto the M mode on the mode wheel.

On this mode you can manually adjust the aperture, shutter speed. The M mode is very useful for when you are wanting to take long exposures, for example if you like to light paint, I have done a little bit
of this on the M mode and the results were (considering it was my first time) very good. Basically if you are wanting to take a picture that requires a long exposure, then the M mode is the setting for you.

Next on the mode wheel is the movie mode.

On this setting you can capture moving pictures and sound, also possible is the ability to capture high definition moving pictures with the optional HD lead. I have seen results of this mode and the
picture quality was fantastically sharp.

Next is the Scene mode.

On this mode there are 15 different scene scenario's. The iA mode will automatically select a scene mode according to the type of shot taken.

Party mode= This takes pictures just using available light to provide more natural colour under indoor lighting.

Candle light= This mode allows you to take expressing/more atmospheric candle lit shots without the flash.

Baby 1= This mode allows you to automatically enter the babies birthday and then display the babies age according to when the picture was/is taken.

Baby 2= Same as baby 1, this would be used for a second baby for example.

Pet= This is the same as Baby mode, whereby the age of the pet can be displayed.

Sunset= I have used this mode, you can take VERY impressive sunset/sunrise shots on this setting.

High sensitivity= In this mode the camera uses a higher ISO to reduce blurry images, for example fast moving subjects or indoor shots that you did not want to use the flash.

High speed burst= This basically allows you to keep the shutter button pressed down and by doing so continue taking shots until such a time that you released your finger, this is very useful to capture a few shots of the subject in a bid to getting the perfect shot. I recommend a fast SD card for this, do not purchase a cheap memory card has these will not allow you to use this feature to its full effect.

I personally use a Sandisk Extreme III (30 MB/sec edition) 4 GB SDHC. This card works flawlessly on the burst mode with it been a very fast card.

Flash burst mode= Same as the high speed burst but this time the flash is used.

Panning= This allows you to capture a fast moving object such as a car at a motor racing event.

Starry sky= This allows you to capture a starry sky in great detail, it is recommended to use a tripod on this mode.

Fireworks= This allows you to capture fireworks/firework displays in great detail.

Beach= In this mode the camera prevents the pictures from been over exposed by the bright sunlight.

Snow= In this mode the camera adjusts the exposure and white balance so as to reproduce the snow naturally and as white as it actually looks.

Aerial shot= This allows you to take pictures from through a air plane window clearly.

Film grain= This mode allows you to take pictures with a sand grain effect.

Also on top of the camera is the on/off button (self explanatory)

Next is the AF/MF button. This is the button that allows you to turn off the auto focus and use the manual, this can be handy if your subject is difficult to focus on.

Next on to the shutter release button, depressing this halfway sets the focusing and depending on your chosen shooting mode the exposure and aperture as well. Around the shutter release button is the zoom lever, rotating it clockwise zooms in on the subject, rotate anti clockwise will zoom out. I find the zoom lever has a smooth and small amount of adjustment when moved gently, this is useful when you need a delicate amount of zooming in to frame your shot. Rotating the zoom lever less softly will make the camera zoom in more quickly.

Now on to the back of the camera.

EVF/LCD button. This allows you to either use the LCD on the back of the camera or the EVF (electronic view finder) to frame the shot or to view the pictures you have taken. I have to say that the
EVF is the best I have seen, it provides a clear and sharp and bright image of the subject. It can be useful to use the EVF if you have difficulty viewing the LCD.

Next on to the LCD display. This a 2.7 inch 230,000 dot LCD screen. Panasonic have really chosen well with the LCD on this camera, the display is very sharp and is easily viewable in all light conditions.

The LCD also has an adjustable brightness and it can also be set to automatically brighten in bright light, another feature the LCD has is the high angle setting, this is used for taking pictures that
involve you holding the camera above your head for example in a crowd at a concert or similar event, this high angle setting makes it easier to view the LCD when the camera is held in the above head
position. Again I find the LCD is the best I have seen on any digital camera.

Still on the back is the Q Menu joystick. This allows you to select the most frequently used features such as, the image stabilization mode, metering mode, focusing mode/area, auto white balance, intelligent ISO on or off, auto ISO or selecting either 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 ISO, Intelligent exposure, setting the megapixel the camera will use, from the highest which is 10 megapixel through to, 7, 5, 3, 2,
0.3, last is the LCD mode in which you can chose from the LCD modes I have already mentioned above, i.e. auto brightness, high angle.

Still on the back is the display button. Pressing this changes the amount of information shown on the LCD or EVF, pressing once makes the display show no information only the picture, pressing again shows the grid lines (these can assist in the framing of your shot). Pressing again makes the display show down the right and along the bottom, the remaining pictures that can be saved on the card, the mode you have chosen on the mode wheel, flash mode, battery life.

Still on the back is the delete/burst shot button, in playback mode pressing this will delete the currently shown picture or delete multiple images when you mark them.

In recording (picture taking mode) pressing it will turn on or off the burst shooting mode, as I mentioned earlier burst shooting allows you to continue taking pictures until you release the shutter release button.

Still on the back is the cursor buttons, these are used for going up, down, left, right in menus. In the middle of the the cursor buttons is the menu/set button, pressing this gets you into the menus for
the various settings pressing it whilst in/on a menu option selects that option/setting.

Still on the back is the flash open button. Pressing this pops the flash out of the top of the camera. I find the flash is excellent, again Panasonic have got the flash performance spot on. The flash has a
range of 27.9 feet which is impressive and I have to say far better than my previous digital cameras. The flash modes available are auto red eye that makes the flash, flash twice to reduce red eye, forced flash, this is for when you need a flash to light your subject when ordinarily the flash wouldn't be fired, auto, this uses the flash when the available light is low.

Now we go on to the front of the camera. This is dominated by the absolutely superb Leica 18x zoom lens. Anyone who knows about optics will know that Leica are one of the best manufacturers of optics in the world. Panasonic have chosen a real gem of a lens here. The pictures image quality is absolutely superb, the results are pin sharp with excellent edge to edge sharpness, I cannot see any loss of sharpness on the edges of the image. I cannot praise this lens enough.

Still on the lens, I have to mention the excellent focal range of the lens, from the 27mm which is superb for wide angle shots right through to the 18x zoom, the power of the 18x zoom is astounding and I hope my pictures show this and will hopefully give you an idea as to what the power is like. Even on 18x zoom the image is still pin sharp, I cannot see any loss of sharpness from when there is no zoom used on the camera as to when the camera is using the 18x zoom, again this is down to the superb Leica lens.

Know on to the final part of this review.

When I take macro (close up) shots I find the results are fantastic, the results are well focused, sharply focused and perfectly exposed. I also find the tele macro mode useful. The tele macro mode basically allows you to stand 7 or so feet away from your subject and then zoom in and capture your picture, this is extremely useful for when you would be unable to get too close as you would scare the subject away, or if been too close would cast a shadow over the subject. I regulary use the tele macro mode and find its extremely useful and provides consistantly superb shots.

In use I find the camera very easy to use, the buttons are clearly labelled and also the menus are logical and easily navigated.

The battery life is suposed to be around 500 shots, which is better than a lot of other cameras, I find I can easily do a few hours of shooting and the battery level will only have went down on to 2 bars from the 3 it has when its fully charged.

The results I have gotten from the DMC-FZ28 have been very very impressive and have far excelled my expectations. The good thing about the DMC-FZ28 is that it can be as simple to use on the iA mode or you can be a bit more creative and use the other modes that are available on the mode wheel.

All in all the DMC-FZ28 is an excellent all rounder camera, it tries and succeeds to be a jack of all trades and is a master in them all. The DMC-FZ28 will cover any photographic situation you can throw at
it.

I defy anyone to not be impressed with the DMC-FZ28. If there is anything has a perfect camera, then I think the DMC-FZ28 is it. Panasonic, you have created a future classic with the FZ28 I am sure of it.

I just thought it may be useful if I mentioned the case I choose for the DMC-FZ28. The case I purchased was the Lowepro Apex 100AW. The DMC-FZ28 fits snugly into the Apex 100AW. The only room left in the case is for an additional memory card and a cleaning cloth. If you want to store accessories such as additional battery etc, then you would be better with the larger Apex 110AW or the larger still Apex 120AW.

The Lowepro Apex 100AW is useful if you are just wanting a compact case to store the DMC-FZ28, and that's exactly what I was wanting.

Here is a link to my FlickR site. I have provided this has the pictures that can be attached to the review, do not do the pictures justice. On my FlickR, you can see the pictures in all their glory. Just click on the Panasonic DMC-FZ28 set to view the pictures I have taken with this camera.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oncefatbastardnotnow/sets/ 

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