image quality: FZ5 vs canon G6 or...

[Bryan]

Reviewers understandable don't compare short zoom to ultra zoom cameras-however-I am considering getting a FZ5 instead of a Canon G6 or other highly rated short zoom camera-The G6 is 7 mp but I often need to crop on my other short zoom cameras-so...How would the image quality on an uncropped 5pm FZ5 shot be compared to a somewhat cropped G6 or comparable camera? Do the images on the FZ5 (or 20) compare in terms of sharpness, artifacts, distortion etc?
Do these ultra zoom lenses compare to shorter lengths?
Thanks,
Bryan

[John_Reed]

Reviewers understandable don't compare short zoom to ultra zoom cameras-however-I am considering getting a FZ5 instead of a Canon G6 or other highly rated short zoom camera-The G6 is 7 mp but I often need to crop on my other short zoom cameras-so...How would the image quality on an uncropped 5pm FZ5 shot be compared to a somewhat cropped G6 or comparable camera? Do the images on the FZ5 (or 20) compare in terms of sharpness, artifacts, distortion etc?
Do these ultra zoom lenses compare to shorter lengths?
Thanks,
BryanIf you're thinking of "somewhat cropping" a G6 image to grab what the FZ5 can capture at full zoom, the math goes against the G6. Test: Shoot a full-zoom FZ5 image (2560 X 1920 image at 432mm equivalent FL). Now, stand in the same place and shoot a full-zoom G6 image (3072 X 2304 image at 140mm equivalent FL). Obviously, the G6 will be capturing a wider angle of view than the FZ5, but if you want to crop the G6's image to just the amount of info that the FZ5 captured in its 5MP field, the resulting crop gets multiplied by the FL ratio in both dimensions, so that the G6 crop would yield 3072*(140/432) X 2304*(140/432) = 996 X 747 pixels, or 744K pixels. Care to discuss how the quality of a 744 kilopixel image would measure up against that of a 5 megapixel image? No comparison.

[Bryan]

Granted a full zoom uncropped versus a heavily cropped image is not comparable-
any thoughts on the lens quality itself?
what about a non cropped image taken at 100mm equivalent-and blown up to 8X10 or perhaps 11X14- using best jpeg on Panasonic vs rough equivalent on G6-maybe second level down to get similar file size-
is the G 6's lens/noise/clarity etc going to be superior or does the panasonic lens hold its own?
thanks
Bryan

[Don]

G6 zooms 4 times.
Fz... 12 times.

When using the Fz only in the area 1...4 the G6 wins.

Two different camera's.

Better comparing the Fz's with the new Canon S2.

[Balrog]

not so zoomed - the lens would likely hold it's own (it's a Leica, after all :) ) but the sensor probably wouldn't .. a 5MP 1/2.5" sensor would have relatively more noise and less dynamic range than a 7MP 1/1.8" sensor. Of course, whether that's worth the increase in focal length range is something for you to decide .. I suggest you check out sample shots from both cameras and see ...