Matsushita to debut digital SLR camera

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Panasonic already had the best non-SLR Digital camera...

Lumix DMC FZ30, to which I just upgraded last week after two very satisfying years with its predecessor, the FZ10, so WHY NOT?

At a "street price" of roughly $500, nothing else TOUCHES the FZ30 in overall value, with a 12x optical zoom at F2.8-3.7 maximum aperature, 8 megapixels, two Mega Optical Image stabilizer modes, focus assist for low light, a rotateable high-resolution LCD screen and more features than you can shake a stick at, both "amateur" and "professional," with a maximum aperature of F11, which is high enough for most high depth-of-field needs.

There's been A LOT of debate on camera forums (I was in some of them) about whether to buy the FZ30 or go with something like the Canon Digital Rebel, and then still have to pay extra for HIGHLY EXPENSIVE stand-alone telephoto lenses to get the equivalent closeups.

YES, DSLRs DO deliver better picture quality, but for all but the most critical needs, the FZ30 is all I anticipate needing for the foreseeable future, and I've done my share of "professional" photography, and intend to do more in the future.

And frankly, now that Panasonic is coming out with a DSLR, if it also employs all the wonderful features available in the point-and-shoot models, my opinion is the ONLY reason they won't put everyone else out of business is simply that people are WAY TOO USED to THINKING Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Fuji and Olympus when they think "camera."

Handle an FZ30 for a few hours and you'll think DIFFERENTLY!

I can't WAIT to see this DSLR, although it may mean Panasonic has hit its limit with it's point-and-shoots (but then that's OK, since that will mean I bought the best it's gonna make in that line).

Listen, guys, when film was king I owned two SLRs, an entry-level Pentax K-1000 and the Prosumer PZ1, which I still have, but never use. It took GREAT pictures, but I can also remember MISSING pictures fiddling with changing lenses... When you have a HIGH-QUALITY Leica lens and computerized image stabilization that lets you hand hold shots ranging from 35-420 mm (equivalent), even in LOW light, and still get crisp pictures, just WHO NEEDS a DSLR???

Jeff Hayes
Spartanburg, SC

Posted by: Jeff Hayes   Posted on: 02/28/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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