You might find this interesting

[genece]

It is what Simon at DPreview stated yesterday in regard to the recomended rating of the FZ30 in his review.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=15079732

Our reason is simple - the FZ30 has 60% more pixels than the FZ20, and at dpreview we expect increases in pixel count to improve quality, not simply introduce more noise. Yes, the FZ30 is capable of capturing higher resolution when shooting a high contrast test chart, but at any ISO over 80 much of the advantage is lost to noise reduction. If you - the buyer - are paying for 60% more pixels you should be able to use all those pixels to produce greater enlargements, and if you can't, what's the point of paying for them?

Basically, as the review stated, the FZ30 improves on the FZ20 in every way possible, and is without a doubt the best 'super zoom' camera on the market for anyone serious about photography, but it doesn't give you anything like the full benefit an additional 3 million pixels might imply when it comes to picture quality. It's better than the FZ20, but not much. A year is a long time in this business and DLSR prices are falling fast, meaning cameras like the FZ30 will be judged more harshly than those tested 12 months ago. We'd rather see Panasonic working on tying it's excellent hardware and optics to a CCD that can deliver better overall picture quality than mindless oneupmanship in the ever decreasing returns of the megapixel race.

I personally can 'highly' recommend the FZ30, and i am still using it, but it is disappointing that some aspects of the picture quality are such that it cannot justify a Highly Recommended rating in 2005.

S

--
Simon Joinson, dpreview.com

[Anex]

Yeah, read the review; he said exactly what jeff should've said. It's a great improvement for functionality, without a doubt in a class all its own, but the sacrifice in picture quality is just too great. Even with the additional cost of lens, it would still be best to buy an entry level DSLR; the Pentax *ist DS is definitely a great example of what you can do with them.

I guess I'll just wait to see what 2006 brings. In the meantime, this may benefit the FZ20 in that it will be lower in price and without a doubt the best bang for its buck. I can live with its flaws for this price...I know I definitely could not say the same at the FZ30 price.

Too bad, it had such great potential. It's still a very good camera, no doubt, but it's unfortunately more of a disappointment...

[meillana]

read it as well..... and i'm hanging on to my fz20. :)

[Medic1210]

He makes perfect sense... I agree completely. I personally don't understand why so many people on the PanaTalk forum get so bent out of shape over the rating. You would think they had a personal hand in the design and build of the camera. It's like they take the rating as a personal insult or something. I don't get it. If they like the camera, then that's all that matters. It could be rated as a not recommended, and it wouldn't make a bit of difference in how the camera works. You would think that some of these people have stock in Panasonic and are worried that the "Recommended" rating is going to hurt Pana's sales, and their stock prices or something. Either that, or they are just worried about all the junk talking that is sure to ensue from all the DSLR owners lauging at all the "fools" for rushing out and buying the FZ30 before seeing how "poorly" it was rated. Personally, I never planned on upgrading from my FZ20 to the FZ30. However, had it been available back in January when I was about to buy the FZ20, I would have been all over it. It has all the features I wished the FZ20 had (except for all the extra pixels crammed into that small sensor). It's an awesome camera, and I can't wait to see what it's replacement is next year.

Mike

[Phill D]

Yep I decided to hang on to my FZ20 as well but read the review anyway & haven't changed my mind. If I was going out now to buy a new camera from scratch though I'm not so sure.

Bye the way I did notice that in the review most of the pictures were taken around f5.6 anyone know if this is a particular sweet spot for this camera or is it a coincidence and more relevent to me now if it is a sweet spot does the FZ20 have a similar best aperture range?

[genece]

The FZ30 does seem to pick F5.6 a lot in good light and it does a much better job of metering than the FZ20 at least in my opinion and the focus is so good I can not tell if it really is a sweet spot.
I would guess it is, as the FZ20 has a sweet spot at F 4.6 to 5.2.

Yep I decided to hang on to my FZ20 as well but read the review anyway & haven't changed my mind. If I was going out now to buy a new camera from scratch though I'm not so sure.

Bye the way I did notice that in the review most of the pictures were taken around f5.6 anyone know if this is a particular sweet spot for this camera or is it a coincidence and more relevent to me now if it is a sweet spot does the FZ20 have a similar best aperture range?

[StanStan]

The FZ30 does seem to pick F5.6 a lot in good light and it does a much better job of metering than the FZ20 at least in my opinion and the focus is so good I can not tell if it really is a sweet spot.
I would guess it is, as the FZ20 has a sweet spot at F 4.6 to 5.2.

Gene:
Kind of off subject! But-

How do low light images from the FZ30 print at say 8 x 10?

I need to buy a printer and you recommended the iP4000. Now there is a iP4200 but with chipped tanks! The iP4000 has three colors + black. Do the other Canon's that have more color tanks print any better?

When at Panasonic headquarters I saw beautiful large enlargements of images taken in bright sun. They didn't show any low light FZ30 prints.

Really wanted to buy the FZ30 but 'on the fence' now!

Stan

[genece]

Stan I really do not see a problem with noise.
If I were to print some special photos I may run NI on them but I see no need for that under most circumstances.
Stan here is a link to some low light photos I took the originals are there as is the exif .
I do not think you can imagine how dark it was when I took these photos ...the ones indoor I needed the FA light to see myself.
and the last one out side I could see nothing.
And all the ones outside I wanted to take photos of some deer that are usually in the weeds there but if they were it was too dark to see them with my eyes.
http://imageevent.com/grc6/fontsize3fz30font/lowlight


And I have not used one of the Canons with 5 or 6 cartridges but the one with 4 work very nice.
And I would not worry about the chips as I buythe ink on the internet and use canon ink about 10 bucks a cartridge and they last a long time ..not expensive.

I suppose you got the Idea that I like this camera much more than the FZ20.

[Steve82]

Gene, I liked your moon shot. How does it look when you crop it?

Have you used one of the EZ modes on a moon shot?

[genece]

If its clear tonite I may try some moon shots I just did that one to show how dark it really was. If you read the exif you would see that moon shot was taken just before the last 2 outdoor shots. It really was dark.

[StanStan]

Gene: Thanks for answering. I see that you like the '30. I have been price shopping and find $566 shipped as the best price.
I can find the iP4000 for about $90 and the iP4200 at $110.

Thanks
Stan

[genece]

Go for it Stan ...I'll bet you will be pleased with both the camera and the Printer.

Buydig has the FZ30 $561
and that seems to be the price for those printers.