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View Full Version : Jeff Keller to review FZ20

Jim Zim
09-24-2004, 05:06 AM
I'm looking forward to reading Jeff's upcoming review of the FZ20. I have a feeling he'll like it. What's not to like?

One comment, though... Jeff usually pooh-pooh's the idea of a proprietary battery versus standard rechargeable AA batteries. But I think Panasonic was smart to not use AA batteries on the FZ series. The included battery is about half the size and weight of 4 AA batteries... and it seems to me that it lasts longer than NIMH AA batteries do.

One of my previous digital cameras used 4 NIMH AA batteries... and I liked the idea at the time... but I now see why Panasonic went the other way. The battery in the FZ series is a winner. I've never even found the need to buy a second battery, and I've owned both an FZ10 and an FZ20.
George Riehm
09-24-2004, 06:55 AM
I'm looking forward to reading Jeff's upcoming review of the FZ20. I have a feeling he'll like it. What's not to like?

One comment, though... Jeff usually pooh-pooh's the idea of a proprietary battery versus standard rechargeable AA batteries. But I think Panasonic was smart to not use AA batteries on the FZ series. The included battery is about half the size and weight of 4 AA batteries... and it seems to me that it lasts longer than NIMH AA batteries do.

One of my previous digital cameras used 4 NIMH AA batteries... and I liked the idea at the time... but I now see why Panasonic went the other way. The battery in the FZ series is a winner. I've never even found the need to buy a second battery, and I've owned both an FZ10 and an FZ20.

I have a tendancy to agree. The last 3 cameras I have bought use proprietary LiIon and they are vastly superior to fubling with 4 batteries, and the chargers are very compact. Also NiMH batteries have an irritating tendency to self discharge over a relatively short time where the LiIon does not have this tendancy.

Buying a spare LiIon battery costs about the same as 4 good NiMH AA's and a charger. With the excellent battery life in most new DC's I think it's time to give up the negative cast on proprietary batteries.