FZ30/FZ7 anybody have both?

[Badtz57]

Dumb question of the day. I have both of these cameras. My spouse uses the FZ20. I don't want or need both the FZ30 and the FZ7 but I can not decide which one to sell. Need the money, don't need three cameras for two people.

FZ30 - steep learning curve for me but am finally getting some very decent shots some of the time. LOVE the controls. Weight aggrivates my pre-carpal tunnel symptoms often, and I have to use a wrist brace.

FZ7 - "seems" sharper right out of the box and seems to have truer color. Feels jumpy at the long end of the zoom, but shots usually come out OK. The joy stick is a PIA.

All just my humble opinions. Thoughts anyone? I know which way I'm leaning, but I could wake up tomorrow and lean the other way.

 

[Dick Stevens]

I have all 3 cameras. The FZ20 is collecting dust, and should really find a new home. The FZ30 was my main camera for awhile - the zoom ring is a plus.

But, now that I have the newer FZ7, both the larger FZ's are sitting idle. The FZ7 is small and compact, yet has all the major features of the others. Small enough that it's always with me when a photo op comes up.

My wife is happy -- this is the first time I haven't been chomping at the bit for a new camera within 6 months. I keep my eyes open, but so far nothing has come along to equal the FZ7 - for my needs.

My sweet little "mini-fluzzy" is doing just fine.

**** Stevens, FZ20, FZ30, FZ7, H1, etc.

 

[Frumious]

I too have both the FZ7 and FZ30. My daughter (far away in college) has my old FZ20.

Here is what I am finding: I use the FZ7 much more than the FZ30.

Yet I resist selling the FZ30. Why? I keep thinking that I may want to use its hot shoe for my Sunpack 383 flash for low light interior or portrait shots. I may get around to that this winter when the daylight and cold chase me back indoors (I live in Alaska).

However, while there is plenty of daylight outside I have no need for the FZ30. Indeed, as you found, the FZ7 takes sharper pictures with more pleasing color rendition than the FZ30. The only signficant FZ30 features lacking in the FZ7 are the hot shoe and manual focus ring. In day light I don't need the hotshoe (in fact the FZ7's flash is good enough for indoor shots at close to medium range) and the FZ7's autofocus is so reliably dead-on accurate and fast that I don't miss the focus ring much. Plus the FZ7 gets better low light pictures without flash. It takes shots at ISO 1600 - albeit these look a bit like impressionist paintings. (If you like Renoir, you'll love shooting at late dusk at ISO 1600)

The FZ7's big plus is its size - or lack of it. It is much smaller and barely a third the weight of the FZ30. Yet, it "feels right". The controls are marvelously easy to use (except the manual focus feature of the joystick which is - as you accurately described - a PIA). As a result of its size, this camera stays close to me - in my car glovebox. I grab it frequently and have taken many thousands of shots. This has made me a better photographer.

The FZ30 is nice - very, very, very nice (quick first shot, high res EVF and LCD, built like a tank...). But if I were forced at gunpoint to pick one camera over the other. I would go with the camera I use the most - the FZ7.

I'll be curious to hear which camera you keep.

--
Frumious



http://frumious.smugmug.com/

 

[Badtz57]

Thank you both! (whispers to self...I'm not crazy after all...I'm not crazy after all)

Every weekend I've been almost ready to throw the FZ30 on Ebay and be done with it. I've kept stalling because so many people love theirs so much I kept thinking...iit must be me. Are the shots really sharper?? Will I regret it?? Ponder, ponder ponder. I've taken some nice shots with the 30, but I'm using the 7 far far more. I can easily carry it every where I go. I'm very tickled with this smaller camera.

I appreciate all the thought that went into your replies. I wasn't sure I would find folks who used both. Very well thought out responses. Great job articulating what was kind of lurking in my mind as half formed thoughts or feelings.

 

[Adam-T]

The FZ7's big plus is its size - or lack of it. It is much smaller
and barely a third the weight of the FZ30.

This is why I bought one, if I wanted to carry a camera the size of a D50, I'd carry the D50 / 28-200 combo and have it clean up to ISO1600 with more resolution (I shoot RAW with DSLRs) it doesn't have IS but only because I didn't buy or need the 18-200VR ...... the FZ7 is coat pocketable, takes excellent pics from end to end (sharper at 432mm than my FZ20 ever was), it's a bit noisy but I'd rather have that than NR - great buy at current UK prices!

--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

 

[colliewalker1]

Having had right carpal tunnel syndrome some years ago I had simple surgery on a 'walk in walk out basis' which cured it completely - has this this been suggested for you?
--
Denis Boisclair
(Cheshire, UK)

 

[glitchbit]

I only have the FZ7 and I never thought I would miss not having a hot shoe(new comer to taking photos) but 4 months later I realized I wish I had a hot shoe but oh well... syncing with an external flash via pop up flash isn't that bad of a deal as long as I diffuse the pop up with a alcohol bottle and some aluminum tape inside.

Of course I wish I had a manual focus and zoom ring but for the price that was something I told myself I can deal with as long as I have some control for that stuff via the joystick.

And the only reason I can think for the FZ7 being sharper than the FZ30 would be that the FZ30 has 2 more megapixels, but I had thought they did not share the same sesnor and that the FZ30 sensor was larger.... maybe I do not remember correctly.
--
glitchbit: getting rid of the glitch bits



my image gallery will be up soon

 

[DStan]

I have a DSLR and wanted a smaller all in one megazoom with OIS for those times that I didn't want to lug a bag of tricks like Felix the Cat. I started with the FZ7 but after two weeks I returned it and exchanged (plus more $$$) it for an FZ30 which I'm happy with. I felt that the EVF in the FZ7 was too small and lacked the resolution for manual focus and the adequate evaluation of image details. I do miss the smaller size of the FZ7 but still prefer the FZ30 as I can still use it without a bag of tricks or a small one for filters. I also prefer the zoom and MF focus rings on the FZ30. I did find it slightly easier to change a couple of settings on the FZ7, like WB if I remember. As far as IQ goes I didn;t think there was a loss going to the FZ30, maybe a tad more noise, not sure though. Since you already have both you're in a good position to compare them and decide which appeals best to you. Good luck in the decision.
--
Stan ;o()



In the spirit of Occam’s Razor one should embrace the less complicated formulation or simply put, less is more.