want ultra zoom and great macro

[onewheeler]

Is there such a camera available? I have been searching for weeks for a camera that will meet my needs.

I had a Fuji 5100 and was not satisfied with the finished product when I cropped and the 8 x 10's just were not clear enough for me. Perhaps I am just too fussy. :confused:

I take a gazillion pictures of my roses, over 200, plus my gardens. I am also very interested in taking pictures of the birds at the feeder and along the shore so I need the zoom to get close enough to get a decent picture.

Two of the cameras that I have found are the the Panasonic Lumix dmc FZ5 and FZ20 and the Canon S2 IS. I would like to have at least 5 mega pixels at least with a 10x optical zoom or more.

My budget would allow for $600.

I am a hobby photographer with very few skills setting apeture and shutter speed but am willing to learn. I do not do the video parts and don't care much one way or another if I have that feature or not.

I would love it if either of these cameras would put up with an ameture using auto and producing great results till I get the manual read and study the manual modes.

Another camera that caught my eye but I cannot find any reviews on is an Olympus 500 UZ, 6 megapix it seems to suit my needs. I have the two xd picture cards that I can use with this camera rather than buying new ones for the above mentioned cameras.

Any help at all making my final decision would be appreciated, even suggestions for some other camera.

TIA
Valerie

[jcon]

I would strongly suggest the Panasonic FZ20. Its got all the zoom you need and with the Nikon 6T close up lens its great at macro shots! Go over to the Panasonic Forum on this site and do some searching and you will see some excellent macros with the above mentioned combination. You wont be dissapointed with the FZ20! BTW.. I am selling my FZ20 and accessories on eBay to upgrade to DSLR. If youre interested let me know, I can help ya out! I also have the Nikon 6T close up macro lens too.

[ReF]

the s2 IS can get you extremely close in macro mode! check out the review here on this site. i personally don't see all that much difference in the quality of output between most of the fixed lens cameras in the last 2 years. i only see some that have worse picture quality because of jamming too many pixels into a tiny sensor or lenses that are too tiny and are not sharp. however, out of the ultrazooms i remember one being different: pana z20 having a sharper than usual fixed lens. that's kinda old news though and i haven't been keeping with the fixed lens cams so it's totally possible that they've all caught up. a dslr might be worth looking into if quality is a big deal. it won't be cheap though.

[onewheeler]

Thanks so much for the replies, I was leaning strongly towards the FZ 20 and your comments have lead me to search out the retail outlets near me for this camera.

I don't want to buy it till I have it in my hands and check out all the controls and what-nots. I have problems with my hands, stiff and hard to push tiny little buttons in awkward places so I really need to hold the camera and play for awhile before deciding, this more than price will determine whether it is the camera for me.


Valerie:)

[TampaJim]

FYI - If you decide on the FZ-20, Vann's (www.vanns.com) sells it for $399. Free shipping and no sales tax. They do have a 15 day return policy with full refund. You may be able to find it for less from someone else, but maybe not someone this reputable - so I thought to post it for you.

Nice camera - you should enjoy it.

[Severin]

It is closer to your upper limit, but I would go for the FZ30 over the FZ20 if you are looking at panasonic. I use my S2 for both of these types of shots and am generally happy with the results, however I don't make many prints and almost no 10 inch ones when I do a print. The FZ30 is 8 megapixel and if you are looking for super quality on big prints I would think it is the best way to go. If you are not concerned with features/moviemode/battery/camera size etc and are mostly concerned with picture quality I would say go for the FZ30.

[ReF]

according to the review here: http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/panasonic/dmc_fz30-review/index.shtml

it's got above average noise which is more noticeable in big prints. noise reduction software suggested

[JTL]

It is closer to your upper limit, but I would go for the FZ30 over the FZ20 if you are looking at panasonic. I use my S2 for both of these types of shots and am generally happy with the results, however I don't make many prints and almost no 10 inch ones when I do a print. The FZ30 is 8 megapixel and if you are looking for super quality on big prints I would think it is the best way to go. If you are not concerned with features/moviemode/battery/camera size etc and are mostly concerned with picture quality I would say go for the FZ30.Hmmm...I usually print 13x19" shots from my S2 and they are gorgeous...

Is there such a camera available? I have been searching for weeks for a camera that will meet my needsFor macro/ultrazoom combo, IMO the S2 is really the only way to go. But don't take my word for it...seek out sample photos on this site, pbase and around the net...

[kbm]

hi
what about the new FZ30?
cheers kev