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

Panasonic FZ150 (1 Viewer)

Folk, just wee bit of advertising...I have a LNIB FZ150 for sale in the BF "Classifieds - For Sale" forum. Take a look! Great camera & I wish I could keep it but circumstances say otherwise. Thanks!
John
 
Just ordered one :)

Any thoughts on which TC to get, are there any differences between tcon-17 and the pana (DMW-LT55E)? One is heavier than the other? The tcon, as said, seems a bit hard to get.

//Björn
 
Just ordered one :)

Any thoughts on which TC to get, are there any differences between tcon-17 and the pana (DMW-LT55E)? One is heavier than the other? The tcon, as said, seems a bit hard to get.

//Björn

Hi Björn
There are users of both the TCs you mention on the forum. In my opinion, both produce good results. When I was using my superzoom, I had the DMW-LT55E, which I was very pleased with. ChrisKten uses the TCON17 and gets equally good results. Hope that helps,
Hobbes
 
Mm.. seems they are quite equal uality wise. Saw someone here that said it would be quite front heavy with DMW-LT55E, but the same might be true with TCON-17 as well?

Btw, which adapter is used with the TCON? LA5 as with the pana?.

//Björn
 
redpolls

some photos of redpolls taken with the fz150
 

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some photos of redpolls taken with the fz150

Great quality images Terry. This camera does give good results. Just a query. Have you had any problems with the auto focus? Specifically this - sometimes when I shoot birds, the auto focus seems to go into limbo. It doesn't do anything, the little white focus square just stays the same. I think when you 1/2 press the shutter button, the camera focus square should go green or red depending on whether the camera can achieve focus or not. My camera has this 3rd option of not reacting at all. Its like I haven't pressed the button. I'm wondering if its a fault, or whether its part of the problem of the camera being pushed too hard to focus on small fast moving objects. I tried it with my old FZ18 yesterday and a couple of times it did much the same thing, so it might be part and parcel of the camera's performance.
 
After reading this thread in its entirety, I ordered the FZ150 the other
day from a dealer in NYC, and just received it.

What an awesome Camera, and can't wait to get out in the field and
start using it.

I've heard talk, that there are Bald Eagles over at a local reservoir,
and going heading over tomorrow morning. Hope I get lucky.
 
After reading this thread in its entirety, I ordered the FZ150 the other
day from a dealer in NYC, and just received it.

What an awesome Camera, and can't wait to get out in the field and
start using it.

I've heard talk, that there are Bald Eagles over at a local reservoir,
and going heading over tomorrow morning. Hope I get lucky.

Its worth looking at this review site on Amazon, where a guy by the name of Rolla Gravett has put together an amazing list of things about the FZ150. A lot of the stuff there may not be relevant if you're not using particular software on your computer, but there is heaps of good stuff about how to best set the camera up for its best performance. Check it out - here is the site
http://www.amazon.com/review/RTNYP0...&newContentID=Mx1HHRU72ARIHC9#Mx1HHRU72ARIHC9
 
Re FZ150 - what is the best way to process the RAW(.rw2) files which come out of the 150.Any cheap(i.e free software options other than that packaged with the camera?
Thanks in anticipation.
Russ
 
Not free but currently less than $100 for ACDSee Pro5 where you get a top notch photo organizer included

Niels

I should have mentioned you get a free test run for a month
 
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On the AF settings you can adjust the point of focus to a tight spot,but it does not stay in that setting next time the camera is switched on. I am sure i have read about this somewhere but now cannot find it. Is there a way of keeping this setting as a default without having to change it every time ?

Hi JD, there is no way of keeping the focus setting after you turn the camera off, it always defaults back to the second smallest focus square, with one exception. I have tried many ways to get round this, but have failed. I also tried setting it up in a custom setting, but that didn't work either. There is one way you can stop it and that's by setting the camera's focus to one of the other focus options, such as the 23 point setting. Then that will become the default setting. This is what you get as the default setting in iA. In that setting it doesn't matter if you change it to the centre point focus, after you turn off the camera and turn it back on the 23 point setting will be back again.
 
Fz 150

Hi JD, there is no way of keeping the focus setting after you turn the camera off, it always defaults back to the second smallest focus square, with one exception. I have tried many ways to get round this, but have failed. I also tried setting it up in a custom setting, but that didn't work either. There is one way you can stop it and that's by setting the camera's focus to one of the other focus options, such as the 23 point setting. Then that will become the default setting. This is what you get as the default setting in iA. In that setting it doesn't matter if you change it to the centre point focus, after you turn off the camera and turn it back on the 23 point setting will be back again.

I just discovered this forum and since I purchased an FZ 150 last week have thoroughly read through all the comments in this thread. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to contribute. I hope to do the same as I learn to use the camera. For the time being, I too have the question rergarding developing the RAW images. Since I have not done it before, I am finding the Silkypix software a little daunting. Any suggestions as to the easiest way to proceed? Thanks.
 
Lynx17, welcome to Birdforum!

I am not using the FZ150 but the bigger brother, GH2. I have tried Silkypix only once or twice and found that the Raw converter in ACDSee mentioned above so much easier. If you prefer Adobe products, then the ACR in the latest Elements should also accommodate your camera.

When I used a superzoom (the fz18) I never bothered with Raw, the saving time was too long for it to be usable (I like to take series of shots, not single). Is that improved much in FZ150?

Niels
 
I just discovered this forum and since I purchased an FZ 150 last week have thoroughly read through all the comments in this thread. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to contribute. I hope to do the same as I learn to use the camera. For the time being, I too have the question rergarding developing the RAW images. Since I have not done it before, I am finding the Silkypix software a little daunting. Any suggestions as to the easiest way to proceed? Thanks.

There is a program called Adobe Camera RAW, which is free and I believe to be very good, although I haven't used it. I don't use RAW myself with the FZ150, mainly because it takes longer for the camera to process the files after you take your shots. I think its probably faster than the FZ18, but still takes up valuable time, that you might need for that never to be missed bird shot. My understanding is that if you take 12 shots at 12 fps then you are looking at around 15 seconds of processing before you can take another shot, whereas with the jpg files you can start shooting again immediately after the 12 shot burst.
 
Thanks Niels and scodgerott. I was already seeing that shooting RAW was slowing things down quite a bit and perhaps not something I would choose to do very often. So your comments in this regard confirm this for me. I do think I will still give RAW a try just for the experience of it, so will check out the Adobe Camera RAW. Thanks for the input.
 
My understanding is that Adobe Camera RAW is only free if you already have a shell from which to run it, in other words a recent issue of Elements, Lightroom or CS.

Niels
 
My understanding is that Adobe Camera RAW is only free if you already have a shell from which to run it, in other words a recent issue of Elements, Lightroom or CS.

Niels

Yes Neils, that is correct, its not a stand alone program and needs something else for it to work.
 
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