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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

FZ18 vs DMCTZ5 (1 Viewer)

Buddhist Vegan Birder

Buddhist Vegan Birder

wrong place, wrong time
Hiya,

looking into buying my first digital camera. I don't have a scope yet (not for another year or so) so can forget the digiscoping aspect of any camera specifications for now and focus (no pun) just on regular photography in the field.

How does anyone think the Panasonic DMCTZ5 compares with FZ18? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Links to both below...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-D...TF8&coliid=I1MS74SZH2DFVF&colid=3IVTEA3549NGJ

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-L...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1214069498&sr=1-1

thanks,
Lisa x
 
The reach of the TZ5 is just more than half of the reach of the FZ18, and it is lacking the viewfinder, which was one of my reasons to go with the FZ18. If you are looking for a birding camera more than anything else, then you will probably regret not getting the maximum reach possible, even at the cost of a more bulky package.

Review of the TZ5 http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonictz5/; same site has a review of FZ18.

My two cents
Niels
 
Hiya Niels,

thanks for your reply. I didn't realise the TZ5 didn't have an optical viewfinder... thanks for pointing that out! I had thought that the longer zoom of the FZ18 would be better in the field, especially if not digiscoping, but had wondered about the higher number of pixels giving a better quality image, but I suppose there isn't really that great a difference between the two. Looking at some of the images people have taken with the FZ18 on the forum, I think that is the one I would be going for.

thanks for your advice,
Lisa x
 
Buddhist Vegan Birder said:
but had wondered about the higher number of pixels giving a better quality image
Click to expand...

Hi Lisa,

It is a common misconception that more pixels = better image quality. Unless you are planning to make poster size images of your photos, the number of pixels is pretty much irrelevant to image quality. On your computer screen, you would not be able to tell the difference between a photo taken with a three megapixel camera and one taken with a 12 megapixel camera. In fact, more pixels can often create problems in that it can introduce higher amounts of "noise" into the image.

Best,
Jim
 
No experience with either of these but used FZ20 for sometime and it was a great camera, initially regretted moving onto Canon 400D as I felt I got as good shots with Panasonic. Not now though after adding a non kit lens, but I still find some circumstances that I use the FZ20. Think I would go for x18 optical zoom of FZ18 as I found the x12 good extra reach sounds great. Whatever you go for have fun and enjoy digital photography.
 
Hi again,

FZ18 is obviously looking like better choice out of the two. But, now I've come across Nikon Coolpix P80! :-O This seems to be very similar to Panasonic FZ18 in spec and price (at least on the Amazon links below). Any thoughts/comments/experience?

Panasonic FZ18...
http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/539719/index.html?trackInfo=true
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=139045791&pf_rd_i=468294

Nikon Coolpix P80...
http://www.europe-nikon.com/product/en_GB/products/broad/1596/overview.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-Coolp...TF8&coliid=I3AXBV9AR25VY2&colid=3IVTEA3549NGJ

thanks for your time in advance! :cat: (edit: or should that be "thanks in advance for your time!")

Lisa x
 
Last edited:
Buddhist Vegan Birder said:
Hi again,

FZ18 is obviously looking like better choice out of the two. But, now I've come across Nikon Coolpix P80! :-O This seems to be very similar to Panasonic FZ18 in spec and price (at least on the Amazon links below). Any thoughts/comments/experience?
Click to expand...

This review of the P80 (http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/06/30/nikon.coolpix/index.html) suggests that while it is not a bad camera, it really has no advantage over the FZ18 for bird photography purposes. In fact, it has less zoom and a smaller maximum aperture at high zoom, so it appears to be inferior for bird photography. The review also notes slowness in focusing. This is also bad for bird photography, though I do not know how its speed compares to the FZ18 in that respect.

Best,
Jim
 
Thanks for posting that review Jim! I have found that very useful. Speed of focussing, start-up etc, was not something I had considered, but obvious thinking about the software usage of digital cameras. I linked off from that review to the Olympus SP-550 and again found reviews again saying about slow focussing, start-up etc. Obviously not ideal for unpredicatable wildlife!

I think I have made up my mind with the FZ18 and, having done some overtime over the last couple of months, think I can treat myself at last! My new bino's arrived yesterday which I am really happy with (Opticron Verano 10x42), so when I have the FZ18 too, I have a few days out planned!

Lisa x
 
I don't think you'll be disappointed with your choice Lisa. I have had the FZ18 since November and am really pleased with the results I'm getting. Take a look in my sig for a link to my photos on Flickr. Nearly all the ones in the Scotland folder are taken with this camera in sometimes rather wet conditions. Also most of the ones in the India folder are taken with the FZ18 (a few are digiscoped with a fuji).
 
Kittykat, if I can get some images as half as good as yours (and of some of those birds too!) I'll be very pleased! It's good to see images taken with the camera, shows what's achieveable! Thanks!

Lisa x
 
J. Moore said:
This review of the P80 (http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/06/30/nikon.coolpix/index.html) suggests that while it is not a bad camera, it really has no advantage over the FZ18 for bird photography purposes. In fact, it has less zoom and a smaller maximum aperture at high zoom, so it appears to be inferior for bird photography. The review also notes slowness in focusing. This is also bad for bird photography, though I do not know how its speed compares to the FZ18 in that respect.

Best,
Jim
Click to expand...

The tech data at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_cpp80.asp says that the P80 lens is f2.8-4.0 (versus f2.8-4.2 on my FZ18), so slightly faster lens at its longest (but its longest is shorter than the FZ18's longest). I would expect the other issues mentioned by Jim above are correctly described; DPreview does not have a review at this time.

Nothing beats having a camera (or binoculars) in hand before buying, and second best is personal recommendations from people actually using the camera for the same thing you expect to use the camera for.

Niels
 
njlarsen said:
The tech data at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_cpp80.asp says that the P80 lens is f2.8-4.0 (versus f2.8-4.2 on my FZ18), so slightly faster lens at its longest (but its longest is shorter than the FZ18's longest).
Click to expand...

Hi Niels,

Both the review I linked to and the info on the Nikon-UK site, linked to above, state F2 .8-4.5 for the aperture range. So those figures would make it a slower lens than the FZ18 at maximum zoom. I do not have hands-on experience, but I would guess the DP review site is incorrect and is just giving preview information that changed once the model actually went into production.

Best,
Jim
 
You might need to be quick buying the FZ18; there are suggestions that it may be about to be discontinued. (See the dpreview Panasonic forum). This could mean that an upgrade may be out soon, but with digital cameras the upgrade isn't always the better camera and the FZ18 may be set to become a "design classic" like the Fuji F30/31, which were not bettered by the replacements in their range (F40/50), which were considerably inferior in some ways... The megapixel race often seems to take precedence over things like noise reduction, low light performance, speed of focus etc

Sean
 
I've stopped deliberating and placed an order on Amazon this evening for FZ18, case/bag and 4MB sdhc card. Expected arrival date possibly this weekend!

Thanks for your advice everyone! I'll soon be annoying you all with more questions and dodgy photos on ID threads! :-O

Lisa x
 
No problem. Always happy to help out a fellow FZ18 user- Also the Panasonic forum on Dpreview.com is a great community with lots of FZ18 users who regularly share their work and provide advice. So I would seriously suggest you join us there as well.
 
J. Moore said:
Hi Niels,

Both the review I linked to and the info on the Nikon-UK site, linked to above, state F2 .8-4.5 for the aperture range. So those figures would make it a slower lens than the FZ18 at maximum zoom. I do not have hands-on experience, but I would guess the DP review site is incorrect and is just giving preview information that changed once the model actually went into production.

Best,
Jim
Click to expand...

Sorry if I quoted from incorrect information. DPreview normally are pretty good, I thought, but not this time ;)

Niels
 
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