Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30By: Dave EtchellsPanasonic's latest in the Lumix lineup, with an eight-megapixel sensor and high quality long-zoom Leica optics. <<Intro and Highlights :(Previous) | (Next): User Report>> Page 2:Comparison with Earlier Panasonic DMC-FZ ModelsReview First Posted: 01/18/2006 |
Comparison With Earlier Panasonic DMC-FZ Models
As of this writing (in early January 2006), Panasonic currently has several long-zoom, optically-stabilized digicams on the market. While there's a steady progression of sensor resolution as you move up the line, other features are not so consistently distributed. Here's a table showing how the features of the different "FZ" models compare:
| DMC-FZ3 | DMC-FZ15 | DMC-FZ20 | DMC-FZ30 | |
| List Price (At introduction) |
$399 | $499 | $599 | $699 |
| Megapixels (Effective) |
3.2 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| CCD Size | 1/3.2" | 1/2.5" | 1/2.5" | 1/1.8" |
| Size | 108 x 68 x 85 mm 4.3 x 2.7 x 3.3 in |
128 x 87 x 106 mm 5.0 x 3.4 x 4.2 in |
128 x 87 x 106 mm 5.0 x 3.4 x 4.2 in |
86 x 141 x 138 mm 3.37 x 5.54 x 5.44 in |
| Weight (With Batteries) |
323 g (11.4 oz) | 556 g (19.6 oz) | 556 g (19.6 oz) | 746 g (1.64 lbs) |
| Body Material | Plastic | Metal | Metal | Metal |
| Lens Zoom | 12x | 12x | 12x | 12x |
| Lens equiv. Focal Lengths |
35-420 mm | 35-420 mm | 36-432 mm | 35-420 mm |
| Max. Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Manual Focus Option |
No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Supports Conversion Lenses | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LCD Size | 1.5" | 2.0" | 2.0" | 2.0" |
| LCD Pixels | 114,000 | 130,000 | 130,000 | 235,000 |
| Stated Flash Range (Auto ISO) | 4.6 meters | 7.0 Meters | 7.0 Meters | 7.0 Meters |
| External Flash Connection | No | No | Hot Shoe | Hot Shoe |
| ISO Options | Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400 | Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400 | Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400 | Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400 |
| Image Adjustment Options | Sharpness | Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness | Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness | Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness |
| Scene Modes | 9, One "SCN" mode setting |
9, Two "SCN" mode settings |
9, Two "SCN" mode settings |
14, Two "SCN" mode settings |
| Noise Reduction Adjustment | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shot to shot cycle times (Full res JPEGs) | 1.56 sec. | 0.54 sec. | 0.86 | 1.20 |
| Sound Recording | Yes | No (Some question on this, but our eval unit didn't seem to record sound clips) |
Yes | Yes |
| Included Memory Card | 8 MB | 8 MB | 16 MB | 16 MB |
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