What you get when the best electronics meet the best optics
Written: Dec 25 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
| Battery Life: |
 |
|
| Photo Quality: |
 |
|
| Shutter Lag |
|
|
|
Pros: Lens, Zoom, Understated/undervalued quality
Cons: Proprietary Battery, won't squeeze into your back pocket
The Bottom Line: Heaven-sent
|
|
|
| travelmess's Full Review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10 Digital Camera |
Friends, I am a real estate development attorney. When I walk into a building, the first thing I do is look up, because if the ceiling is classy, trust me, the entire place will be. You know what I mean. If the ceiling tiles are cheap or show signs of discoloration from leakage from above, management is lax. So what does this have to do with digital cameras. Because when I pick up a camera, the first thing I am drawn to after getting passed the brand name, is the lens. You go into most stores and ask "who makes the lens" and if it's not imprinted on the lens itself, forget it -- sales won't know. As a consequence the entire Lumix line of cameras is probably one of the best kept secrets of the digital camera world because most prospective buyers have never heard of "Lumix" and many have never heard of "Leica". But here's the secret formula exposed: Lumix = Panasonic = [can't use the real name for some reason but let's say "Matsu" as a clue] + Leica = LEICA. Wow. The demigod of electronics meets the demigod of optics. Don't know anything about either company? Scratch the surface (NO NO NO sorry never do that to a lens but if you are going to spend over $50 for a digital camera you ought to do a little research) and you'll find that Lumix represents totally undervalued and understated quality. Needless to say, I grew up on Leicas. I've had several over the years. I've also used Nikons, Olympuses, Canons, Kodaks, and other "trusted" brand names. But in my mind there is NO comparison when it comes to Leica optics. If that's subjective, sometime take a closer look at the equipment credits in books and magazines, or just do some research. How can I get this across to those who don't know the name and either assume that Sony or Nikon must be better -- because Sony and Nikon are big names (like McDonald's and Jiffy Lube...). Sony's claim to fame was the Trinitron tube for TVs and the beta format for camcorders, but Matsu was the originator of much of the electronics as it is a mainstay supplier of much of the electronics behind other brand names you might buy today. Nikon? It started out as a Leica knock-off. So what does happen when you put the best and the best together? Magic, that's what happens. I'm sorry, yes, Canon, Olympus, Nikon, and even Kodak, all put out a decent product. But some don't use their own proprietary lenses, and if you're not careful about that, you're buying a pig in a poke. And then there's the zoom -- 12x WOW. How can that be??? And who cares? I do, because optical zoom is superior to digital zoom and I'd rather have 3x to 6x optical than ANY digitalX just about any day. And the only way that optical zoom of the FZ10 magnitude can work (12X - and equivalent range of over 400mm)is with the best optics. And on top of that at 400mm even the best photographer can shake a bit, so the Lumix FZ10 includes an image stabilizer!! When I first saw Lumix it was at an office supply store. Their digital cameras were right next to their checkout. While I was in line my eye was drawn to a 2.0 megapixel camera priced at about $200, which seemed really reasonable. Lumix -- never heard of it, but I picked it up anyway, because unheard of brand-names don't scare me. When I did, I felt like I had just discovered buried treasure -- there, on the lens, was a simple little word: "Leica". WOW. From that moment I quietly researched the camera line to discover that Matsu partnered with Leica to share their respective technologies: a perfect partnership. So far as I know, Japan is the only country that Leica will even allow to manufacture lenses for Leica because only Japan has the quality assurance that meets Leica standards. All I can tell you in the end is that if you can overcome the urge to follow the brand-name herd, you will wind up with a great product that may even outlast the next generation or two of digital cameras! A few pointers: For snapshots, I don't think anyone can beat the DMC 43 (simplified model numbering) because you get a truly compact body, Leica lens w/ over 4.0 mp resolution with 3x optical zoom (effective range up to about 100mm) under $300 and it runs on standard AA batteries. If you're more serious but still not pro, the FZ10 is the latest incarnation if you are willing to go into the $500 range (current pricing which I'm sure will drop as time passes). I'm not afraid of the 4 mp limitation either, in part because of the Leica lens system and the optical zoom. There are even Lumix versions (simple ones) in the $150 range with Leica lens systems at 1-2 mp. If you're the kind that wants SIMPLE, there's one for you too. The only drawback? Proprietary batteries on the FZ10. I hope Lumix will license that too, however. In the end, I think that if you choose the FZ10 in particular, you're getting double your value in comparison to the price.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 525
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
travelmess
|
|
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.