Panasonic FZ150 (13 Viewers)

[Ptarmi]

Here are my first attempts, with the new Tele lens fitted, taken by my bird feeder tree ........ my comfort zone. |=)|

I particularly like the young Greenfinch photo.

Anyway, I can see that I'm going to have lots of fun with this.

Cheers,
Dick

 

[njlarsen]

These look quite good! I think they could take a little bit of sharpening in post-processing.

Niels

 

[Ptarmi]

These look quite good! I think they could take a little bit of sharpening in post-processing.

Niels

I haven't actually tried messing about on my iMac with any photos yet, but since you suggested it Niels, I thought I might as well give it a try.

So I added 10% Sharpness to them all.

I'm not sure if that's too much or not enough, or indeed if any visible difference will actually show up here, but just in case, here are the 4 portraits again.

Cheers,
Dick

 

[njlarsen]

Getting a feel for how much is enough vs how much is too much will take a little time. I only opened a couple of examples just now, but I think what you did has helped with your adult greenfinch.

Try look at the manual to get the focus point in the camera small, and then try to make sure that focus point is on the head of the bird instead of elsewhere.

Niels

 

[Ptarmi]

Getting a feel for how much is enough vs how much is too much will take a little time. I only opened a couple of examples just now, but I think what you did has helped with your adult greenfinch.

Try look at the manual to get the focus point in the camera small, and then try to make sure that focus point is on the head of the bird instead of elsewhere.

Niels

Mmmm ... I'm afraid I haven't quite got the hang of working the Menu properly yet on this new camera & although I've just found the section on making the Focus Point smaller, in the Manual, I'm blowed if I can find it in the actual camera ..... but fear not, I shall keep trying.

I tried a couple of long range shots of a Hooded Crow this afternoon - 2 fields away & was pleased with the clarity in the 1st shot, but in the 2nd shot, I was delighted to see how it managed to actually focus past the fence post & through the mesh wire fence & fix on the Crow itself.

Got a couple of quite nice ones of a Magpie by the feeders, too.

Cheers,
Dick

 

[scodgerott]

Ptarmi, when you are in autofocus, simply press the one touch focus button (on the side of the lens barrel) and the focus square will turn yellow. By rotating the little wheel at the top of the camera you can make it bigger or smaller.

 

[Ptarmi]

Ptarmi, when you are in autofocus, simply press the one touch focus button (on the side of the lens barrel) and the focus square will turn yellow. By rotating the little wheel at the top of the camera you can make it bigger or smaller.

Excellent .. Thanks Scodge.

Why can't they write those manuals in easy to understand language, like that!

Cheers,
Dick

 

[Ptarmi]

Ptarmi, when you are in autofocus, simply press the one touch focus button (on the side of the lens barrel) and the focus square will turn yellow. By rotating the little wheel at the top of the camera you can make it bigger or smaller.

Scodge, I tried that trick & yes, the focus square does turn yellow, but the only wheel I have on top of my FZ150 is the mode wheel & when I turn that, I just lose the focus square. ||

Cheers,
Dick

 

[jmepler]

Scodge, I tried that trick & yes, the focus square does turn yellow, but the only wheel I have on top of my FZ150 is the mode wheel & when I turn that, I just lose the focus square. ||

Cheers,
Dick

You need to turn the rear dial (number 9 in the illustration) to change the size of the focus area.

Mike

 

[scodgerott]

Mike is correct, I may have misled you when I said wheel, its the wheel (dial) at the top back of the camera, not the one on top.

 

[Ptarmi]

Mike is correct, I may have misled you when I said wheel, its the wheel (dial) at the top back of the camera, not the one on top.

No bother Scodge. I did try all the wheely things & eventually spotted that Mike's No 9 was of course the one, but I was actually on the smallest setting anyway.

So I can't blame the camera after all & I guess I'll just have to be far more careful with my placing of this focus square.

Thanks lads.

Cheers,
Dick

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi all

Sorry to ask a question that may have already been answered on this thread, but it is 17 pages long!!!

I would like to try either the Canon SX40 or the LumixFZ150, but as well as birds want to use it for macro. The Canon seems to have an almost zero focusing distance, whereas the Lumix is nearly 30cm. Will this cause me problems when taking real close-ups of Orchid flowers?

Which of the two would users recommend? It's just that I'm favouring the Lumix at present, but the macro is putting me off

Thanks

Sean

 

[jmepler]

Hi Sean,

When set to macro the minimum focus on the FZ150 is 1cm when the zoom is at its widest setting. The more you zoom the longer the minimum focus distance becomes, same as the SX40.

There is also a "Flower" scene that automatically sets you to macro focus (I believe).

Look at this link to get a better idea of the macro capabilities of the FZ150.

Mike

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Thanks Mike - very impressive!

To throw a spanner in the works, a friend who I went on a tripwith recently had a Coolpix p510, and I was very impressed with that.....anyone have any comments on that one?

Getting confused now....

 

[Ben Markham]

Thanks Mike - very impressive!

To throw a spanner in the works, a friend who I went on a tripwith recently had a Coolpix p510, and I was very impressed with that.....anyone have any comments on that one?

Getting confused now....

I was at first considering the P510 but in the end I figured that the extra zoom just isn't worth it. The SX40 and FZ150 can still take top quality shots at full zoom whereas the P510 seems to loose something at its full zoom. Also The P510 has some pretty old looking menus if you're bothered by that kind of thing. It also has the lowest battery life, 240 shots I believe. The FZ150 has 420 shots and the SX40 has 380 shots (off the top of my head)

The SX40 and FZ150 are both great choices, so either way I'm sure you'll be pleased. The FZ150 has the quickest auto focus and has a handy 5.5fps continuous shooting mode. The SX40 has a 35x zoom which is a great compromise in between the FZ150's 24x zoom and the P510's 42x zoom. Also both the FZ150 and SX40 have fully articulated fold-out screens which rotate 270 degrees whereas the P510's screen just goes up and down.

In terms of macro both are pretty much equal, if it helps here's my best macro shot with the SX40. I'm sure others have done much better but it's my best regardless.

EDIT: Just a couple more pieces of information, if anything the 12MP sensors on the FZ150 and SX40 help reduce noise in shots, and they both have good low-light performance. The P510's 16MP sensor doesn't increase picture quality by much at all and I believe has less noise reduction. Also the viewfinders on the FZ150 and SX40 seem to be better, and the P510 has a terrible continuous auto-focus during video (if you care about video) where it keeps blurring every few seconds trying to refocus.

 

[scodgerott]

I agree with Ben, I don't thinks there's much between the FZ150 and the Canon in regards to macro performance. I'm pretty sure that on both cameras you can only get really close to something with the lens at wide angle. As you zoom in you have to move further away to keep it in focus. A better was is to step back a metre of so and use the zoom. I am posting a pic here of a dragonfly I took with the FZ150 at full zoom. Also I have seen some images posted on the web with the Nikon and they don't have the sharpness of either the Canon or the Panasonic.

 

[Ptarmi]

Hi Dick
I only use my FZ150 with the 1.7 teleconverter attached and would wholeheartedly recommend it.
Hobbes

How about the DCR-2025PRO TELE?

2.2 instead of 1.7 - does that little extra, really make much of a difference?

Cheers,
Dick

 

[scodgerott]

How about the DCR-2025PRO TELE?

2.2 instead of 1.7 - does that little extra, really make much of a difference?

Cheers,
Dick

Hi Dick, I've made a reply about teleconverters to you on another page. I have a 2x TC and I never use it, as it doesn't give me a good an image as digital zoom. Other people have found this to be the case as well. I will admit that my TC may be a bit sub standard these days, as it has been dropped several times. However, even using Panasonic's own TC doesn't make much difference and in fact, on screen you won't see much difference unless you magnify the image up to a large degree. With regards to your question the difference between the 1.7 and 2.2 isn't that great. Save your money. Look up "ghough12" on YouTube and view his comparison using digital zoom and a TC on the FZ150.

 

[Amarillo]

Anyone know when the replacement for the FZ150 is due out? isn't it usually around this time

 

[jmepler]

Anyone know when the replacement for the FZ150 is due out? isn't it usually around this time

Traditionally on July 21st.

Mike