Lens kits?

[cjvitek]

I just got a Panasonic FZ7 a couple of months back. I love the camera, it is perfect for what I use it for.

I was thinking today about buying some lenses and/or filters for it. Thinks like a polarizing filter, UV filter, wide angle, etc. I don't want or need anything professional quality - I am just looking for things that might make some picture look better and might be fun to fool around with.

I have seen a number of "kits" that included these items (and tele lenses, and wide angle with macro, etc) from Ebay as well as stored like South Bay Photo, Underbid.com, and Digital Innovations.com. They seem to range in price from about $69 to $120. The ebay dealer I have seen mostly is...Saini Digital or something like that.

As I said, I am not looking for top of the line equipment. I don't want to spend that much, and it's quality would be wasted on me (at least right now). I have included some links for the items I am looking at, but I have no idea what to look for - what might be good or bad. Any suggestions from these (or other places you can think of)? Any comments on these vendors or kits I am looking at? Any help would be appreciated.

http://underbid.com/action/display/item/1058489873/sku/3x-dl-fz7.html

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/southbaycamera/items/item.aspx?itemid=9259457

http://underbid.com/action/display/item/1058489816/sku/5x2-tftc-fz7.html

http://www.digitalinnovationsny.com/items/Item.aspx?itemid=5364435

http://underbid.com/action/display/item/1058489964/sku/5x2-bk-fz7.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=005&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=150063640774&rd=1&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=005&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=150069797479&rd=1&rd=1



Thanks again!

[gilly]

I've got an FZ20 and ended up with a raynox wide angle conversion lens and a nikon 6T closeup filter for macro and I'm really happy with the results from both - unfortunately not in your price range though.

If you haven't got a lot to spend on this I'd suggest you only buy once you have seen plenty of sample images and therefore know the results that you can expect from the cheaper glass.

Look at the sharpness, distortion, and vignetting - particularly in the corners of the sample images.

[genece]

Let me say this.....A linear polarizer can be a useful filter to have.....and a UV filter can protect your lens from scratches and such, but it serves no other purpose on a digital camera and can cause problems such as lens flare and ghosting if its not a decent quality filter.

And I would not purchase those lenses you linked to......I have seen no 2 or 3 power telephoto lens that worked on the FZ cameras.......

I would avoid those lenses and try to get somthing decent, its not that the Image quality will be a little less than a good lens, the photos will be much worse.
Here is a site that will give you an idea of the ones that will work.
I realize its for a FZ30 but the lens on all FZs are very similar.
http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-Guide/FZ-30/

[cjvitek]

Thanks for the input.

I will take a look at the website.

In regards to buying a lens - the FZ7 came with a adapter tube and hood - can I use that tube to attach lenses, or do I need to buy a new adapter? I believe the tube works with a 52mm ring size, which is the same ring size as the actual camera.

Thanks!

Chris

[genece]

You can use that adapter as long as the lens your using is not too heavy....or there is a Company called Pemeraal that makes an aftermarket adapter.

http://www.pemaraal.com/fz7ac.html