Should I go with the FZ30

[quibble]

Hi,

I'm looking at purchasing the Panasonic Lumix FZ30. The reason I want this camera is because I'm going to be doing a lot of hiking and going to airshows and it's in my budget. Do you think this camera would be good for these sort of activites? If not could you recommend another one?

Cheers,

[JTL]

Features galore and high resolution...but lots of image noise. I personally wouldn't compromise, but most people who own it seem to think very highly of it. Check out sample images...and play with it in person.

[AnalogueToDigital]

I'd say try it and compare it to a bottom of the range DSLR. I was considerind the FZ30 and the Fuji S9500/9000 - they both look great on paper but when I tried them, the focus much slower than DSLRs and don't handle as nicely. I was happy the moment I picked up my DSLR:D

[insertnamehere]

I was looking at the FZ30. But when I actually played around with it, I found that I didn't like the handling and the EVF. So I bought a dSLR - better image quality, optical viewfinder, and interchangeable lenses, even if the Panasonic lens is pretty awesome. Try it, but it won't shoot low light in a way that could be blown up.

[quibble]

Thanks all for the feedback.

Do any of you guys have a recommendation for a DSLR?

[JTL]

A DSLR/SLR, if you plan to get some quality lenses, is an investment in a system. The two leading systems are Canon and Nikon. So I would look at the Nikon D50 or D70s and the Canon Rebel XT/3500D or 20D. My preference is for the Canons for reasons too multitudinous to articulate here (even though I own Nikon SLRs and a bunch of lenses), but clearly discernable in side-by-side comparisons. Both Nikon and Canon are in-fact great systems. But, specs are only one part of the equation...nothing can help you decide more than handling the cameras in person...

[quibble]

Thanks all for your feedback.

I've been looking a DSLR and it's just over my budget. I can get a FZ30 for really cheap so I'm going to go with that.

Thanks again.