Review posted for Panasonic DMC-FZ15
By
Dave Etchells
(Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 15:45 EDT)
Panasonic has been making a name for themselves in the long-zoom digicam category, in part thanks to their optical image stabilization technology.
After much delay, we've finally gotten our hands on an eval sample of a Panasonic camera, in this case the 12x zoom 4 megapixel DMC-FZ15. On the whole, I was very favorably impressed with the FZ15. It has an attractive case, a nice "feel" in the hand, an excellent image-stabilized lens, great versatility, and very good image quality. Its biggest limitation is a very slow shutter response, although it's very fast from shot to shot when manually focused, or in continuous-shooting modes.
Image-wise, about my only quibble is that it tends to render skin tones a bit more pink-looking than in real life, something that some users may actually prefer. Rather than repeat all my personal observations again here, I'll just refer interested readers to the review itself.
Bottom line, the DMC-FZ15 is a very capable camera that brings a touch of pro quality to a high-end consumer digicam, with an excellent 12x zoom lens, and optical image stabilization to boot. With a full range of exposure control modes, including a full manual setting and no less than nine preset "Scene" modes, the DMC-FZ15 is an approachable camera for both novices and more experienced users alike.
Recommended, and a "Dave's Pick" for the long-zoom category. Check it out!
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