written by russz on 13/06/2009
Good Points
the lens. good zoom. manual focus. battery life very good. accessories
Bad Points
contrasty pictures. low light. color tones a bit blue. fragile feel. macro focusing.
General Comments
first let me say this is just my opinion. its not meant to be running down the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ28. some will adore this camera.
again im searching for a all round camera to replace a D-slr due to cost and bulk. a
all in one "bridge" camera appeals to me for the convenience. i started off with a olympus c700uz when it first came out 2001. ive been very impressed with its features. earlier this year i purchased a Fuji s1000fd on a whim. i was very impressed with the camera on a whole. i read the reviews and thought they were a bit harsh .. as 6-7 out of ten was very mean. the camera was exceptionally good as a general purpose camera. the let down was no manual focus. well i sold the Fuji and spent the money on a Panasonic fz28. my very 1st impression on getting it out the box was how fragile it seemed. the whole thing seems like its made of the thinnest plastic. the zoom lever is very stiff and it hasnt matched the camera i sold. it kind of puts me in mind of my phone camera in a big package.
Picture quality wise its sharp. but again i found low light to be a burdon. the scene modes i thought were just for point and shoot hobbyists. nothing to get excited about.
macro modes were a bit temperamental. the results were ok but without a macro lens it could be better. i also found some flare along straight edges in one of my very first shots! this saddened me. as i said .. the overall quality is good. sharp pictures .. maybee a touch too sharp. it seemed to be fussy with exposures .. burning out the sky or darkening the shadows even with the nesc adjustments in the menu.
im not sure. the reviews were saying this fz28 was very good but it didnt do it for me.
verdict: fragile camera. good lens and zoom range. pictures can vary a bit. color balance a tad blue. low light not so hot. manual focus ok. lens accessories available. 7/10