FZ200 - First Light

Having already publicly stated that I don't need to upgrade to the FZ200 I have then read numerous articles and forum posts on how good this camera is, I've examined dozens of quality pictures with many taken in very challenging lighting conditions and still I've resisted the very strong temptation to invest.

But then I made the mistake of handling one in a local electronics store and the sparks flew! The ergonomics and grip of the camera are definitely an improvement for my big hands and I almost bought one on the spot. But common sense prevailed, for another few hours at least, because I knew I couldn't justify the expense to my partner. And then there appeared on DPR a brief forum discussion about Panasonic's current financial woes and how many product lines are facing the axe. Couple that with a 50 quid cash back offer and it was enough to convince her that there was no time to waste in getting one. But on the proviso that I have an exit strategy for my FZ150

So here it is.. first light with the new camera and a favourite target when I'm testing out new gear. Not sure of the settings because I was doing a lot of playing about with the camera but this is a JPEG from the camera with some minimal processing and cropping in PhotoScape and Picasa. The lighting was dull, overcast - miserable in other words and I wouldn't even attempt this shot with my M4/3 kit.

First impressions? Fast AF, sharp images, low noise, OIS is excellent and EVF is a big improvement on the FZ150 (but still a tad too small for my liking).

Obviously there's a lot more to do with my new toy to get the most out of it and find it's limits but I'm very pleased so far.



So thank you to those in the forum that have posted some excellent and objective appraisals of the camera that have helped with my choice - and if it all goes belly up I've got someone to blame.

Now .. Does anyone know where I can offload a very worthy FZ150?

Cluke