DMC-FZ8
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Hands-on with Panasonic's line FX12, FX30, FZ8, LS70, LZ7, and TZ3
Although their SDR-S10 wasn't really doing it for us, we were more than happy to catch up with the rest of Panasonic's 2007 US camera line, including the eversexy FX series (the FX30 really caught our eye), and the workhorse FZ8. As you might expect, we didn't have nearly enough time to really learn the ins and outs of all these cameras, but we did get some gadget pr0n to satisfy you until all the digital camera sites start posting their full length reviews.%Gallery-2038%
Panasonic's DMC-FZ8 with 12x zoom reviewed
The improvements to Panasonic's DMC-FZ8 over its FZ7 predecessor are minor but welcome. The extra megapixel (up to 7.38 now) is of course the most noticeable change, and not a perfectly popular one, given the fact that it's just more pixels on the the same sized 1/2.5-inch sensor, but perhaps even more controversial is the Venus III image processor, which has gotten a bit of a mixed reception. The well-loved FZ7's main failing was its terrible noise reduction and the damage it did to images. Venus III doesn't seem to change that at all, but luckily the camera now outputs RAW image data, giving you more control over the image in the long run. Other notable improvements are an excellent electronic viewfinder and a higher resolution LCD screen. RAW mode naturally slows down the camera a bit -- 3 seconds shot-to-shot instead of 1.3 for JPEG -- but otherwise the shooter is amazingly responsive for its $50 cheaper pricepoint and convenient size. Most of the major wins of the FZ7 like build quality, the great lens and image stabilization have remained unchanged, and it's a bummer that Panasonic wasn't able to do much about its noise and noise reduction problems, but overall it sounds like the FZ8 is a worthy successor to the FZ7, and should do many a photography enthusiast / prosumer quite well, 'cause as far as DP Review sees it, "no one else is doing it any better."
Panasonic's DMC-FZ8 shoots 7.2 megapixels with a 12x zoom
Panasonic is kicking out their new 2007 Lumix camera lineup this morning. We'll brings you all of 'em later but let's get busy with the biggest news of the bunch first, the DMC-FZ8 -- heir apparent to the hotly reviewed DMC-FZ7. Positioned right in that gap between high-end compacts and DSLRs, the new FZ8 features Panny's Venus Engine III image processor and delivers a 7.2 megapixel CCD sensor, 12x LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, RAW file format support, ISO 1250 sensitivity, an SDHC memory card slot, and the ability to shoot 848 x 480 video at 30fps. It's at the ready with a 1.8 second startup time, 0.005 second shutter release lag, and a burst mode that shoots at a rate of 3 frames per second at full resolution until your memory card is full or the 380-shot battery gives up the ghost. Available in March for a righteous $349.[Via LetsGoDigital, Thanks David]
