Best Buy for the Long Zoom!

12X Optical Zoom, Image Stabilization, 5MP for less than $550....you are not going to beat the Panasonic FZ-20. Is it a perfect camera? Obviously not! Is it as good as a digital SLR? Obviously not! But for the serious amature photographer wanting manual controls, a long zoom (400mm +) and a hot shoe flash, the Panasonic FZ-20 is a big league contender in comparison with similiar products offered by Canon, Nikon, Fuji and others.

First of all...my background in photography is limited. I never used any film cameras aside from basic point and shoot cameras. The FZ-20 replaced my Sony DSCS30, which was a great 1.3mp camera, but very antiquated by today's standards. As an amature photographer, I am interested in using a camera for all around use...family events, vacations, school use (my wife and I are teachers), nature shots and macro photography. The FZ-20 is my first camera with extensive manual controls, and it must be stated that I am still learning and exploring. So...for a lot of technical details, I suggest reading Howard Creech's review, and other posted reviews. I will just share my observations after using the camera for five weeks.

The major advantage of the FZ-20 is the lens...it is great to be able to zoom in and frame the shot that you want. The image stabilization is very helpful....doesn't always do the trick, but it certainly makes more shots possible without a monopod or tripod. There are lowlight issues with this camera as there are with most non-SLR digitals....but you can certainly learn to work within these limitations. For indoor use, my first experimentations with my Sunpak 383 flash added to the camera have made me so happy that I chose a camera with a hot shoe. Bouncing a flash does provide superior light distribution, and the flash range is so much better than the built in flash.

But...what about the pictures? You can get great pictures from this camera. For the most part, the P mode (automatic) will give you good pictures that you can print right away and enjoy. But to really get the best from this camera, you have to learn how to use the various modes and settings available, and learn some basic photography. If you want a simple point and shoot with a great lens...check out the FZ-20's cousins, the FZ3 or FZ1. The FZ-20 is better suited for the person interested in studying photography. Secondly, this camera really produces excellent images via post processing. My best prints are the result of some tweaking in Paint Shop Pro 8 and/or some noise reduction using Neat Image. I'm not saying that you have to post process to get good pictures...but the results you can get with post processing are fantastic. If you want more than this camera can produce, you will have to move up to a digital SLR and spend some serious money on the camera and lenses! (Yeah...I would like to do that in the future, but I can wait for the prices to drop while I learn a lot more about photography with the FZ-20!)

The potential buyer should also be aware of the size of this camera...it would be considered a compact SLR size camera, i.e. you won't carry it in a pocket. I find it to be easy to hold, and easy to operate once you have learned to navigate the menus. The camera does require a special battery. I bought a second "off-brand" battery from Eagle Importers via EBay, and have found it to be equal to the stock Panasonic battery. The battery recharges in about 90 minutes. The stock SD memory card is useless (16mb), and have upgraded to a 512 high speed Kingmax card, and will eventually purchase another 512 so I have plenty of storeage for vacation use. The high speed cards are essential if you want to take advantage of the burst mode on the camera (fast multiple shots).

Bottom line...in the long zoom digital camera market (non SLR), the Panasonic FZ-20 is hard to beat for the price. Compare the cameras that are available...each will have it's pros and cons....it's up to the photographer to use the camera to create the picture!