Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8

Viewfinder (7.25)
The FZ8 has an electronic viewfinder that is framed in a hard plastic eyecup. The frame may look cushy because of the rounded curves, but it isn’t comfy enough to cram a cheekbone against. Users probably won’t want to do that anyway because even though it protrudes a half-inch from the camera body, noses still rub on the LCD screen. The viewfinder’s best quality is its size; it is much larger than competitors’ equivalent components. Most ultra-zoom cameras have 0.2 or 0.3-inch electronic viewfinders; the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 has a 0.44-inch viewfinder. It has decent resolution of 188,000 pixels. This looks good, but it isn’t as smooth as some other finders.
The electronic viewfinder shows a 100 percent accurate view of what’s being captured. For photographers who want to shed their glasses, there is a diopter control on the left side of the finder. It isn’t the easiest control to adjust: it’s set a bit far into the camera body, making it difficult to rotate. Users shouldn’t have to adjust and readjust often though. The diopter control dial rotates smoothly in one fluid movement rather than clicking into positions. The camera’s specs claim a -4 to +4 range.

Users can choose from a variety of display options. Beneath the joystick is a display button that cycles the screen through the choices: blank, shooting info overlay, shooting info overlay with histogram, shooting info with smaller preview, and composition guide lines. In the setup menu, users can choose to have the recording info and a histogram appear atop the guide lines. The composition guide line pattern itself can be changed from the rule-of-thirds tic-tac-toe style to a pie-like pattern divided into eighths with all lines intersecting in the middle.

The viewfinder has a decent refresh rate, so moving subjects don’t look choppy When an image is captured, the finder blacks out for only a split second. Overall, the electronic viewfinder is a helpful component; it is large, has decent resolution, and provides an accurate view.

LCD Screen (7.0)
Users can switch from the helpful viewfinder to the LCD screen by pushing the EVF/LCD button directly to the right of the viewfinder. The 2.5-inch LCD screen also provides a great live view: it has the same 100 percent accuracy, good refresh rate, and quick reboot after shots are taken. The viewfinder’s display options can also be accessed on the LCD screen.

The polycrystalline TFT LCD has 207,000 pixels, which is more than its predecessor but less than what the recent competition is offering. The Panasonic FZ7 has a 114,000–pixel,2.5-inch screen, but most recent models are coming with 230,000 pixels. The resolution isn’t crystal clear, but it is sufficient in most cases. The color and contrast of the screen look good even in sunny lighting.

When shooting outdoors or under bright lights, there is a Power LCD mode, which is accessible by pushing the display/LCD mode button down for about a second. This mode limits the viewing angle significantly – it must be viewed straight on to be seen – but ups the contrast and color so it can be seen clearly in harsh lighting. This button also accesses the High Angle LCD mode: this can’t be seen in bright lights but allows users to view the screen from almost any angle above, below, and to the left and right of the eyes. When in the High Angle mode, the screen looks washed out if viewed straight on: this mode is meant for tall tripods and shots from the hip.

If users want to brighten the screen but can’t or don’t want to use the Power LCD option, there is a standard +/- 3 brightness adjustment in the setup menu. Overall, the Panasonic FZ8’s LCD screen is adequately sized and has decent resolution, but, on a sunny day, users will have to decide between a wide viewing angle or a contrasted image.

Flash (7.5)
The DMC-FZ8 has a flash unit that must be manually popped up with a push of the button, located to the left of the viewfinder on the back. The component is very sturdy with two legs on the sides and a stiff spring. There isn’t a hot shoe, so users have to rely solely on the included flash unit.

The flash can reach 0.98-19.7 feet when the lens is zoomed out and shortens by 2 feet when the lens is zoomed in. The effective flash can be adjusted to output +/- 2; this works very well and provides a wide range so users can activate the flash whether photographing bugs or houses. The flash compensation range is accessed by pushing the exposure compensation button and is adjusted in 1/3 increments.

The flash modes can be chosen by pushing the right side of the multi-selector. Users may choose from the following modes: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync with Red-eye Reduction, On, and Off. Overall, the flash component is very impressive. It has even coverage, the flash compensation is helpful for a variety of situations, and it doesn’t add much lag time.

Zoom Lens (8.0)
Like other Lumix ultra-zoom digital cameras, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 comes with a 12x optical zoom lens and a dual mode optical image stabilization system. The lens measures 6-72mm, equivalent to 36-432mm in the 35mm format. This doesn’t provide a very wide angle, but is on par with the Sony H5 and Canon¬¬ S3 lenses that both zoom as wide as 36mm. It is also the same lens that is included on the Panasonic FZ7 and FZ50. If consumers need a wider angle on an ultra-zoom digital camera, the Olympus SP-550UZ zooms out to 28mm.

The FZ8’s lens is branded “Leica.” It is constructed from 11 elements in eight groups --at includes three aspherical lenses and three aspherical surfaces to minimize distortion. Barrel distortion is still evident when zoomed out and shooting close-up, though.

Zooming in on faraway subjects is the FZ8’s specialty. The camera comes with “extra” optical zoom: this works like digital zoom but only when the image size is reduced. It also doesn’t degrade the quality of the image like digital zoom does. The amount of extra zoom in different aspect ratios and images sizes is as follows.

4:3 – 14.4x for 5-megapixel images, 18x for 3-megapixel images and smaller
3:2 – 18x for 2.5-megapixel images
16:9 – 18x for 2-megapixel images

There is also the standard 4x digital zoom, but it degrades image quality.

Zooming in and out is accomplished by pushing the zoom ring around the shutter release button. When pushed to one side or another, a horizontal bar appears across the bottom of the LCD screen with “W” for “wide” on the left and “T” for “telephoto” on the right. The zoom ring is very sensitive to touch: it moves slower or faster depending on the amount of force applied. Even at its fastest, though, it wasn’t incredibly speedy. Its sensitivity is laudable, though: the lens stopped at about 80 different focal lengths throughout the 12x range, which is quite impressive.

The Leica lens is quiet when it zooms and it doesn’t backfire or take long to settle into a chosen focal length. The camera focuses well whether the lens is zoomed in or out, which is a plus. The camera also comes packaged with a lens adapter and hood that fits on to shade the lens in sunny conditions and even gives it a more sophisticated look. Conversion lenses can also be added to the included adapter.

This lens is complemented by Panasonic’s Mega Optical Image Stabilization system, which has two modes. The mode can be chosen with the button atop the camera with the shaking hand icon next to it. The image stabilization can be turned off or to the ambiguously titled “Mode 1” or “Mode 2.” Mode 1 only activates when the shutter release button is pushed halfway; it is more energy efficient. Mode 2 continuously functions for the live preview and the final captured image. Both modes work as they should and the system as a whole works well. It keeps video steady and reduces the occurrence of blur in images.

Unfortunately, the optical zoom freezes when recording videos. This is too bad considering that the lens is the main feature on this camera – it should be available at all times. Other Panasonic ultra-zoom models have this flaw, but many of the FZ8’s competitors can use the zoom in the movie mode. The Canon PowerShot S3 IS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 both have 12x optical zoom available while shooting movies and image stabilization systems, too. If consumers are looking for an ultra-zoom digital camera with hybrid capability, the Panasonic FZ8 may not be the best pick.

The highlighted feature of the Panasonic Lumix FZ8 is its ultra-zoom 12x lens, which has a lot of good things going for it. It zooms quietly, focuses well, has an optical stabilization system to steady it, and is sensitive to its control. It can’t be used in the movie mode, but works well for still images.

Physical Tour Page 4 of 14 Design / Layout Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 Digital Camera Review Navigation