advice on Panasonic FZ30 ...

forbairt

Background:
I'm interested in photography have your run of the mill olympus point and click camera and am quite happy.

I've wanted to get a dSLR for a while but the price is a factor (and how much I'll use it)

I've a chance to buy said camera (Panasonic FZ30) secondhand from a mate for €230. (its 2 years old)

I know the camera would be in good nick and there are no issues with it.

What would peoples opinions be. Should I go for it ?
Now I can go read all the rave reviews about it ... or the newer cameras but as an intro to dSLR cameras at a price that seems right to me would it be good ?

Thanks for any advice,
James

Edit: The lens with it would be a Leica 12x Optical zoom lens with Mega Optical Image Stabilisation

Saggitarius

forbairt wrote: »

Background:
I'm interested in photography have your run of the mill olympus point and click camera and am quite happy.

I've wanted to get a dSLR for a while but the price is a factor (and how much I'll use it)

I've a chance to buy said camera (Panasonic FZ30) secondhand from a mate for €230. (its 2 years old)

I know the camera would be in good nick and there are no issues with it.

What would peoples opinions be. Should I go for it ?
Now I can go read all the rave reviews about it ... or the newer cameras but as an intro to dSLR cameras at a price that seems right to me would it be good ?

Thanks for any advice,
James

Edit: The lens with it would be a Leica 12x Optical zoom lens with Mega Optical Image Stabilisation

I think enough only once to if you try a dSLR then you don't want more a P&S camera. Leica make good quality optics BUT so big zoom working only with compromisses! Yes of course at normally light you can do "good" pictures but try in a normal room or a bit darken place without flash! I'm also had a good kind of bridge camera a Sony DSC-F828 with all manual zoom and Zeiss lens. In whole camera the lens was the best and the uniq laser hologram focus assist.
The image stabilisation not a wizzard, only a small help, one stop more you have also not to much, better if you have a tripod or monopod. And the last: I think so not to much expensiver a second hand dSRL, like THIS new, on Ebay "buy it now" priced.

fguihen

i used to have the panasonic FZ7 ( smaller version of the fz30) and it was/is a great camera. remember its not a dslr though. its all about what you want.

the fz30 has a huge zoom which although versatile, wont be as good as a dslr with 2-3 lens to cover the same zoom range. theres a reason why dslrs use 2-3 lens to cover the 18-300 range, because doing it in one lens is quite a compromise on image quality ( quite a bit of distortion in images)

Also the sensor is smaller so more prone to noise at higher ISO values.

This camera has quite a bit going for it also.
smaller sensor make it much better for macro work( with a close up lens) than a dslr with a 300mm lens with a close up lens. trust me on this, i have come nowhere near the quality of the macro i took with the panasonic at 300mm, and im using a dslr at 300mm. to equal or better it il have to buy a dedicated macro lens for 300-400 quid!

also, with a dslr you will have to carry a few lens's at all times to get the focal range of this camera. if your one to leave/forget lens's at home all the time you could miss out on good shots. its better to have caught the shot on a moderate lens at 300, than not have the image at all with a tack sharp 55m m lens.

also, the distortion from the panasonic is not that bad. nothing photoshop cant fix. there is quite a bit of purrple fringing at times, but you can learn to deal with that.


this camera also has a focus ring like on a dslr which is a godsend.

so, decide do you want to carry around a bag of lens's at all times to get the 18-300 focal range, if not, this is a terrific compromise. i would happily use one of these again if i had to get rid of the dslr.

Saggitarius

fguihen wrote: »

so, decide do you want to carry around a bag of lens's at all times to get the 18-300 focal range, if not, this is a terrific compromise.

For this reason use many nontechnical hobby photographer the P&S cameras and over the time discover why use many non prof. a dSLR.

forbairt

fguihen wrote: »

i used to have the panasonic FZ7 ( smaller version of the fz30) and it was/is a great camera. remember its not a dslr though. its all about what you want.

Cheers for that fguihen ... I'm obviously showing my lack of knowledge here in all things camera.

fguihen wrote: »

so, decide do you want to carry around a bag of lens's at all times to get the 18-300 focal range, if not, this is a terrific compromise. i would happily use one of these again if i had to get rid of the dslr.

I basically want something that works ... that has a lack of extras I've got to bring around ... apart from maybe a spare battery pack which I'll look into.

I read through some of the reviews on the grainyness / noise of the camera at different ISO levels ... (not fully understanding .. so more reading to do) .. and well I'd hope I'm fairly decent with photoshop (though having read one or two tutorials on photo touch ups there a hell of a lot more for me to know)

Guess I'll pick it up monday from my friend if its still available

Cheers for the help / review,
James

Saggitarius

forbairt wrote: »

Cheers for that fguihen ... I'm obviously showing my lack of knowledge here in all things camera.



I basically want something that works ... that has a lack of extras I've got to bring around ... apart from maybe a spare battery pack which I'll look into.

I read through some of the reviews on the grainyness / noise of the camera at different ISO levels ... (not fully understanding .. so more reading to do) .. and well I'd hope I'm fairly decent with photoshop (though having read one or two tutorials on photo touch ups there a hell of a lot more for me to know)

Guess I'll pick it up monday from my friend if its still available

Cheers for the help / review,
James

The ISO levels thing simplest than you think. This ISO absolute same as you find on a normal photo film. Check it out. An usually film density (ISO level) are 100 or 200 sometimes 50 only. A 400 ASA film is rarely used 'cos have visible grain. Also ISO and ASA are same. If interest you HERE a link about this.
All camera what have smaller than APS-C size picture sensor -without any exception- are noisly, doesn't matter is a cheap or expensive. Thats is physic. HERE about the image sensor sizes.

forbairt

Cheers for that Saggitarius

Saggitarius

I'm ready to help everybody, giving advice, any knowledge and experience what I have but I'm not a professional, only a not too young amateur photo fun.:D