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Panasonic DMC-FZ8 review
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SPECIFICATIONS
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Olympus SP-550 UZ review
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SLR-type (12.6 oz battery and card)
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Type
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SLR-type (16.6 oz incl. battery and card)
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7Mp / 3072 x 2304 (4:3, 3:2, 16:9)
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Sensor
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7Mp / 3072 x 2304 (4:3 and 3:2)
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6 - 72mm (36 - 432mm) / 2.8 - 3.3
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Lens
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4.7 - 84.2mm (28 - 504mm) / 2.8 - 4.5
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100-1250 (Hi-3200)
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ISO
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50-1600 (Hi-3200 and 5000)
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3 fps (appr. 5 JPEG) / 2 fps (no
max)
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Motor drive
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1.2 fps (appr. 12 JPEG)
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2.5 inch (207.000 pixels) |
LCD
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2.5 inch (230.000 pixels) |
Full specifications |
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Full specifications |
8.0
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CONSTRUCTION
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9.0
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The
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 is smaller than expected. Compared to its competitor
SP-550, our silver version of the FZ8 is lighter, less solid and less appealing.
Its ergonomics are not as good as the Olympus. The camera is best operated
held with two hands. The Leica zoom lens does not extend out as far of the
camera body as the SP-550. There is little difference in the lens' length
when extended for wide angle or full telephoto. |
Body
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Olympus
has a long history of ultra-zoom compact cameras and the SP-550 sets a new
standard with its 18x optical zoom (28 to 504 mm). A big zoom lens extends
from a very solid body. It is made of polycarbonate, but because of its
surface structure, matte gray back and matte rubber front, it looks very
durable. The SP-550 is not only sturdy, but also has a very appealing design
that fits the hand like a glove. The camera has a perfect balance even with
the zoom lens fully extended. |
The
positions of the buttons are placed well but look a little fragile. Because
the camera is somewhat small, the thumb hovers unintentionally over the
On/Off button and the joystick. The shutter release is also not logically
placed under the forefinger. The camera is, therefore, not very well suited
for large hands.
The caps for both the AV-out and the battery/SD-card are easy to handle
and made of hard plastic, minimizing the chance of easily breaking them.
Unfortunately, the memory card can't be taken out when the camera is on
a tripod because it blocks the cover. |
Buttons,
caps and covers
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The
ergonomics are great and all the buttons are on the right places. Thumb
and forefinger can control the buttons while the other three fingers hold
the camera. The function of each button is well indicated and the four-way
control button works fine.
The covers of the memory card and the four AA-batteries are constructed
well and are made for daily use. The rubber cap covering the USB and AV-out
is difficult to open and close, as always. Why not a normal hard plastic
cover? |
The
FZ8 has a nice 2.5-inch LCD screen and is very clear. Despite the resolution
being lower than the SP-550, it is very sharp and bright. It has an acceptable
viewing angle and the refresh frequencies are so high that it can follow
the subject's movement in real-time. The electronic viewfinder works well
in bright sunlight; however, the quality is not as good as the SP-550. |
Viewfinder
and LCD
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With
its 2.5-inch size, the LCD screen serves well as a viewfinder and for replays.
It is bright and sharp, though not as good as the FZ8 screen. The view angle
of the LCD screen of the SP-550 is the same as that of the FZ8. The electronic
viewfinder of the SP-550 is more pleasing to use than the EVF of the Panasonic.
It is a bit larger and brighter, and shows more detail. |
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8.0
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FEATURES
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8.0
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From
its inception in September 2002 (FZ1), the Lumix FZ range is known for its
12x optical zoom with Mega Optical Image Stabilization lens. Never change
a winning combination, as the saying goes, so the FZ8 features almost the
same specifications. The Leica lens ranges from 36 to 432 mm and has a large
aperture, varying from 1:2.8 to 3.3. The zoom function is quite smooth.
With the Mega OIS, sharp pictures can be taken at 432 mm with a shutter
speed of about 1/100s. |
Zoom
lens
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As
mentioned earlier, Olympus has a history of setting standards with optical
zoom ranges for compact cameras, and the SP-550 is the next step with its
18x zoom. It starts at 28 mm and that is another milestone for this type
of super zoom camera. It ends with 504 mm. Although this is, further than
the maximum focal point of the FZ8, its biggest advantage lies in the extra
view range at wide angle. The 28 mm shows so much more than the 36 mm. Image
stabilization is a must for these high zoom ranges. Olympus claims it is
a dual IS. We noticed no difference compared with the Mega OIS of the Panasonic
FZ8. Both gain two or three stops in shutter speed. |
The
DMC-FZ8 has a whole range of exposure programs to suit the point-and-shoot
users, as well as the more advanced photographers. Together with three metering
modes, exposure compensation and full manual functions, every delicate exposure
situation can be tackled.
As with all digital compact cameras, noise became a problem when the pixel
count exceeds 4 or 5 million. The high sensitivity noise levels of the 7
Mp DMC-FZ8 are no exception to this rule and noise manifests itself from
the ISO-200 and higher range. Images at ISO 800 are still useable for small
prints. ISO 1250 is for emergencies and the hi-mode ISO (3200) is not worth
looking at and could easily be removed from the specifications. |
Exposure
and ISO
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The
SP-550 has all the exposure modes and programs to handle all kinds of light
situations. One can use it as a point-and-shoot camera using several scene
modes. It can also control exposures with the P, A and S programs, or even
full manual.
In the battle of large numbers, Olympus has added the ISO 5000 in the specifications.
As expected, this high sensitivity delivers no useable image. Not even at
low resolutions. This also counts for the ISO 3200 mode. Up to now, no compact
camera with a small sensor is able to produce low-noise images above ISO
800/1600 without degrading many details due to noise reduction. The SP-550
is no exception. |
The
auto focus works quite fast and catches the main subject correctly most
of the time. The higher the zoom, the slower the auto focus speed. The shutter
speed is sufficient to capture most common subjects and in low light situations,
the AF assist light is a helpful aid. Focusing is sometimes a problem at
the end of the focal range. The FZ8 has a macro mode and can be focused
manually too. In this mode, the center of the image is enlarged on the LCD
screen and focusing accurately can be achieved with the help of the little
joystick. You can choose several AF area modes and AF points. The FZ8 also
has a continuous AF. |
Focusing
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The
auto focus of the SP-550 is smooth and accurate. It is pretty fast in wide
angle, and just like the FZ8, it becomes slower the longer the focal range
becomes. It has a continuous AF and a predictive one for moving subjects.
The way to focus manually is the same as with the Panasonic, but does not
work as accurately. |
The
working distance of the Macro-AF is almost zero. This is nice in theory
but it blocks all the light to the subject. Keeping the subject at least
a few inches away from the camera, the FZ8 is very capable of producing
very sharp and impressive macro pictures. |
Macro
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The
camera has two macro settings, macro and supermacro. The Super macro of
the Olympus SP-550 allows one to get very close to the subject. However,
too close to be workable because the camera takes away the light from the
subject. However, if held a few inches away, the pictures can be breathtaking
indeed. The amount of distortion is average. |
With 3 frames per second, the Lumix is on par with a dSLR. The buffer however
is smaller and the write speed slower, making the camera stop for a few
seconds after 5 frames. At 2 fps, however, the number of frames is not limited,
and that is not bad at all. |
Motor
drive
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The
SP-550 shoots 12 frames in 10 seconds in its full resolution. That is not
as fast as the Panasonic, which does it in 3 frames per second. However,
the speed goes up in lower resolutions but the buffering and writing speed
of the camera is not so great. It has a high-speed mode at 1280 x 960 called
Pre Capture, with 15 frames a second so you do not have to miss a shot. |
The
Panasonic FZ8 makes great mov-movies (640 x 480) at 30 fps with sound. There
is even a 16:9 movie format. Although the image stabilizer keeps on working,
the zoom function is disabled because of the zoom motor's noise. The bright
LCD screen works fine as a real-time viewfinder. |
Movie
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The
SP-550 makes nice AVI movies at 640 x 480 pixels with 30 fps. Image stabilization
works but when sound is turned on, the zoom function is disabled because
of the zoom mechanism noise. Turning off the sound will enable the camera's
zoom function. Therefore, zoom and sound functions cannot be used both at
the same time. Using the LCD screen as a viewfinder does not work as nice
as the FZ8 because it is a bit less responsive. |
The
JPEG quality can be adjusted with the usual parameters, such as Contrast,
Sharpness and Saturation. The different levels of noise reduction can also
be adjusted. Besides automatic white balancing, the FZ8 has five presets
and two manual settings. The white balance can be fine-tuned in four directions,
namely: yellow, blue, magenta and green. RAW is available, just like the
SP-550, but AdobeRGB is not supported. There are different color modes available
such as Cool, Warm, BW and Sepia. Slideshow playback of pictures is possible.
Pictures can also be resampled, cropped, copied and the aspect ratio can
be changed. |
Misc
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Controls for Saturation,
Sharpness and Contrast of JPEG pictures are available. Noise reduction
has only two modes: on or off. Besides the automatic white balance, the
camera has six preset settings and a one-touch manual setting. White balance
can be fine-tuned from blue to red. There is no AdobeRGB but shooting
in RAW mode produces more detail and larger dynamic range (in theory,
at least). RAW is developed by the Olympus Master software that comes
with the camera. Playback provides the following functions: slideshow,
create a calendar view, resize, crop, change brightness and saturation,
fix red eye, and to view in black and white.
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8.0
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OPERATION
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8.0
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There
is a 4-way dial gives access to exposure compensation, flash mode and self-timer.
The little joystick helps set the exposure compensation and focusing point.
It also helps you navigate through the menus. The mode dial works nice and
handles well.
The camera's menu is simple and well organized. The manual is, therefore,
not needed to find the most important parameters and settings. Just like
the SP-550, the menu choice always starts at the top and this takes a lot
of navigation when frequently changing certain parameters. |
Parameter
setting and menus
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The
4-way controller gives quick access to exposure compensation, macro, self-timer
and flash mode. With the Function button in the middle, one can choose WB,
ISO, Drive and metering mode. Therefore, everything is within reach, ready
for the next picture.
Working with the menu is a bit frustrating. The menu button must be pressed
twice to turn it on or off. The initial choice always starts at the top
of the list with 24 items. There is a lot of navigation and pushing buttons
involved before the right parameter is reached. It takes getting used to
but it could definitely be a bit more user friendly. |
It
is not possible to save personal settings. |
Misc
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It
is possible to reset the menu and save your own set of parameters. |
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9.0
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PERFORMANCE
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8.0
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The
Panasonic DMC-FZ8 has the responsiveness of an average compact camera. Start
up takes some time while the lens is being extended. AF is pretty fast but
not as fast as a dSLR. Together with speed of zooming, metering and shutter
delay, the FZ8 is able to catch the most common subject. However, it is
not fast enough for sports and fast action shots. Writing speed and buffering
are good. Storing a RAW file takes only a few seconds and the continuous
drive of 2 fps keeps its speed until the memory card is full! |
Speed
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The
camera is fairly responsive but lacks the speed of a dSLR. Startup takes
two seconds while the lens is being extended. Furthermore, measuring and
focusing speed are sufficient to not miss a moment. Compared to the FZ8,
the writing speed is slower and the buffer is smaller. Taking pictures in
RAW demands some patience. |
Color
and exposure:
The colors of the FZ8 are naturally pleasing. They usually agree to an average
user's taste, although they can be modified to personal tastes, as
desired. Exposure is mostly satisfactory with an occasional clipped highlight,
but not annoying at all.
Sharpness:
The 7 million pixels in combination with the superb Leica lens catch a lot
of detail but due to noise reduction, images must be sharpened to some degree.
The FZ8 holds a nice balance and at lower ISO, the images result in beautiful
prints, up to 12 x 8 inches.
Lens aberrations:
The Leica lens of the Panasonic captures more detail than his Olympus opponent.
A difference is also the amount of chromatic aberration, which is less than
with the Olympus. Because of the smaller focal range of the lens, the distortion
at wide and tele angle is somewhat less heavy than with the SP-550.
Noise:
Until ISO 400, noise is reasonably under control, and compression, noise
reduction and sharpening are in balance. ISO 800 can be useful and ISO 1250
only in extreme situations. The level of color noise is lower than the SP-550.
RAW:
A compact camera with a good RAW format is still an exception. The Panasonic
FZ8 not only features RAW, but handles it relatively fast and comes with
a good RAW-converter, SilkyPix. This software has extensive controls and
with some practice, it is possible to obtain better image quality than the
JPEG straight from the camera. |
Image
quality
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Color
and exposure:
The colors of the SP-550 are very pleasing. The exposure is progressive
which results in bright pictures without disturbing blown out highlights.
With the different metering modes and exposure compensation, every light
situation can be easily handled.
Sharpness:
Sharpening is moderate and in combination with noise reduction and JPEG
compression, it does not degrade image quality too much. Sharpening can
be adjusted to suit one's taste or the selected output medium.
Lens aberrations:
A large focal range is nice, but has its repercussions. There is a serious
amount of distortion in the extreme zoom settings. In many situations, a
lot of green and red chromatic aberration is manifest. These deviations
do require some post-processing.
Noise:
Too many pixels on a small sensor result in a lot of noise and at this point
the SP-550 performs almost the same as the FZ8, the SP-550 showing some
more color noise. ISO 800 and 1600 are suitable for 6 x 4" prints.
ISO 3200 and 5000 are not useable.
RAW:
The SP-550 is able to shoot RAW, but becomes very slow. In addition, the
converter, Olympus Master, is not state-of-art and the conversion result
is not much better than the equivalent JPEG. |
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8.25
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CONCLUSION
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8.25
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Panasonic
and Olympus have earned their place in the top ten of camera manufacturers
and the Lumix DMC-FZ8 and SP-550 respectively confirm their positions.
Both cameras have some exceptional specifications and set benchmarks for
compact cameras. Their compact size, long zoom range, easy handling and
operation make them the ideal travel companion for novice and shutterbug
alike. The extreme specs also have their downside as too many pixels on
a small sensor results in higher noise levels at all ISO's. A zoom
range of 18 times on the SP-550 is nice, but it comes with distortion
and much chromatic aberration. Although the two cameras have almost similar
specifications, they do differ. The SP-550 is better built with very good
ergonomics and many features. The FZ8, though, is faster and has a slight
advantage in image quality with less distortion, color noise, chromatic
aberration and workable RAW. Looking at the plain figures, this match
ends in a draw. However, considering the price difference (the FZ8 is
over 100 dollar cheaper than the SP-550), the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8
wins by a nose.
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