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Trouble with FZ30 photos (pix)

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Kate,

Please get another copy and stop QA while time is running out on return.
Anne G from Canada has similar experience, that she got a good copy
afterward and love the fz30 ever since.

Good luck,

alien :)
KateRK said:
Hi, I bought an FZ30 this week and have had nothing but trouble
with the images I am getting from it. Most of them appear to have a
gray overcast, even under different settings, aperatures and
shutter speeds.

Previously I have, very happily, worked with my FZ20 for over 6
months. If you would like to get an idea of my skills with that
camera, please visit my gallery:

http://katerk.smugmug.com/

OK, so that said, moving to the FZ30 should not have been too much
of a reach. Or at least that's what I thought. To get a fair
evaluation of my new camera, I left everything on its default
settings and started in P-mode. I went to a local garden and park
where I have taken many pictures and know the light and conditions
very well.

I could tell right away that I wasn't getting the color and quality
that I did with the FZ20: (NO post-processing on any of these
images)



ISO80, F5.6, S1/125

The images I'm getting are dull, noisy, with a grayish overcast to
most of them.

Here's a few more at the standard settings, then I'll tell you what
I tried to overcome this:



ISO100, F4.0, S1/200

After a number of P-mode shots, I switched to Aperature mode:



ISO100, F3.7, S1/80.

So after loading these up on my laptop and seeing the VERY
disappointing results, I reset the camera to the same settings that
have worked for me on the FZ20. Low contrast, high sharpening, low
saturation, low noise reduction. Didn't work. Here are the examples
from that day's shooting:



ISO80, F5.6, S1/200 -- Note, purple fringing on the trees?

This rose should have pink & cream tones throughout:



ISO100, F4.0, S1/1300

Also, studying this shot, I think I am seeing vignetting and this
is at 92mm:



ISO100, F3.2, S1/500

Interior shot:



ISO200, F3.6, S1/25

So, HELP! Did I get a lemon? At this point, I have no choice but to
return the camera. I love using it but won't waste my time and
money on images of such poor quality.

Thanks.

-- Kate
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for checking that. I also tried some post processing and got to the "this is ridiculous" stage. That first shot was at standard for all settings. And, thanks for reminding me, I did do a reset before the second session and it didn't get any better. Actually, it got worse as I set everything to low as some people recommended here.

On the FZ20, I usually set saturation to low and then add a little color back in during post-processing if necessary. Especially any pix with red or yellow in them.

I really think something is wrong with this unit.

-- Kate
 
I'm getting a fuzzy feeling. My 3-day old FZ30 has the same S/N range as yours, G5SS00439 R. I do not have sufficient number samples to conclude that its IQ is as unusual/marginal as your. I examined your original and cannot pinpoint anything that is user or set-up related.

In my own samples so far, flash and low-light/indoor incandescent-lit PICs are OK. I only have a few sunny-day PICs and those lack punch. As I said, it's too early to tell but, by the end of the weekend, I'll know for sure.

=================
johnimage
 
I forgot about that. Some others have reported similar problems so there is probably a manufacturing problem somewhere.

Just my luck to get a bad one. I'm happy with the FZ20 for now so I will wait a while before I order it again. I have some great photo ops coming up in the next few weeks so I wouldn't want to risk them.

I'll wait for Panasonic to get their problems straightened out.

Thanks.

-- kate
 
Let me know how you make out.

I'm also really concerned about the vignetting in the birdhouse picture. 90mm is not at either extreme of this lens.

-- Kate
 
Kate, I looked for a sample pic...my serial number isn't that far from yours, and the closest I could find (sunny day green grass) was this
http://www.pbase.com/image/49702688

P mode -.3 EV. Contrast, saturation, sharpening set to low; this was cropped as-is except I boosted the shadows as they were dark.

So obviously something on yours snuck by their inspection, or it got banged around, or something.
--
Gary
Photo albums: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse
 
... wants to be a pilot when they grow up?

Definitely better greens, especially with low saturation. And a bluer sky. Nice, bright colors on the child.

Thanks for checking. I'm glad you got a good FZ30.

-- Kate
 
KateRK said:
Hi, I bought an FZ30 this week and have had nothing but trouble
with the images I am getting from it. Most of them appear to have a
gray overcast, even under different settings, aperatures and
shutter speeds.
Click to expand...
Hi, Kate. I read all the posts and looked at all the pics. There were so many, I'm not certain if a conclusion was reached. It looked like a case of underexposure to me. I shoot an FZ20 and post everything in Elements. Wouldn't dream of using pics right out of the camera...any camera. I took the rose pic down and ran brightness up +26, contrast +24, Saturation up +27 and hue -2. Got a beautiful rose just as you described it should look. Maybe you have a rotten tomato there but I'd look carefully at exposure before I kicked it out the door. Don't know about the vignetting.
Henry Clements
 
I'm new to digital, so pls take these thoughts with a grain of salt. Pics lack saturation; maybe OVERexposed? They look very much like badly overexposed slide film (slide shooters generally try to nail a -1/3 EV exposure for just a little saturation boost).

If I do the math on exposure settings, only the rose picture seems to have exposure set for bright sunlight. Other settings are 2-4 stops overexposed assuming bright sunlight. But you said it was late afternoon so perhaps light WAS fading and exposures were appropriate. If so, and if the rose was shot at the same time, it was badly UNDERexposed. I'm puzzled though. If pics are over or underexposed, wouldn't they be too dark or too light as viewed here unretouched, or is there something in camera or your software or this website that causes pictures to disply here at average brightness?

Your original 4MB shot (first pic; large file) also seems to have soft focus, doesn't it? best focus seems to be on nearest flowers (or maybe in front of that?), but the tree leaves in distance aren't as sharp as I'd have thought they should be from DOF, and yes, they seem to be showing some fringing, or at least lack of contrast (could be partly lens flare also I guess).
 
KateRK said:
... we've had beautiful weather here for several weeks. Same place,
taken on 9/6/05 below. This picture shows the lighting very similar
to what it was when I took the FZ30 pix. Note the washed out blue
skies in several of those as compared to the one from the FZ20
below:



-- Kate
Click to expand...
Sorry Kate but pictures shows completelly different lighting. Look at the shadows of FZ30 shoots and FZ20 shoot. It's huge diff.
 
Kate I have posted this on the thread I started, don't know but it might help you.

Sorry everyone, but I live in Wales in the UK and it was late so I went to bed.

My serial No is H5SS03324.

I run some test photos this morning, they were the same no bite to them, it is sunny and spotted a lot of dust on my new skylight Hoya filter, also bought a new rubber folding lens hood, the dust must have come off the lens hood when it was folded.

Well, anyway took a series of shots without the filter and they are now ok, no better than my FZ20.

Cleaned filter tried a few more and they are back to photos with no bite.

What filter works with this camera?

Thanks.
 
Kate,

I am not even a FZ owner but had seriously considered one. However looking at the 2 pictures (The first one with the FZ30 and the 2nd with your older FZ20) and there is indeed a VERY BIG difference in lighting. The sun was much stronger in your fz20 shot...and the shadows on the ground prove it! It is not the "dull fz30" that made the shadows soft...it is the sun! Plus the shots were taken at different times of the day...again look at the shadows.

I strongly believe that your FZ30 is capable of that fz20 shot!

--

Brian - KM 5D!!! Canon s10-sold and still working! Canon S400-a great point and shoot!
My picture page:
http://www.pbase.com/cleanmaxx_brian/

My 91 Nissan Sentra SE-R
http://www.jbl.com/car/featured/installs/sentra.asp
 
dean_interrupted said:
After reading this thread I'm glad I kept my FZ20. dSLR will be next.
Click to expand...
Seems like a curious statement given all the people that have had great results with their FZ-30's. Are you just looking for a reason NOT to get one, or decided you didn't want one and now want to feel justified?

There's certainly no need to upgrade if the FZ-20 is filling your needs, in fact it would be sensible not to; but using a thread where someone's having clearly non-typical problems as an excuse seems pointless. Do you think all or most of us are just getting drab dull images and accepting it?

There's a thread with somone's new FZ20 that the lens is stuck; would that be a reason to avoid the FZ20 also?

--
Gary
Photo albums: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse
 
Just stating my opinion, as have so many others here and elsewhere ad nauseum. I don't justification or reinforcement for my decision. I stand by my statement, senator.
 
dean_interrupted said:
Just stating my opinion, as have so many others here and elsewhere
ad nauseum. I don't justification or reinforcement for my decision.
I stand by my statement, senator.
Click to expand...
Well, good for you. And your wallet, since there will never be any camera, DSLR included, that someone doesn't have problems with or get a bad one. Just go to the forum a week or two after its release and you'll find that message that tells you what this thread did. Voila, instant reason.

But if you had already made your decision, and don't need justification, then what does this thread have to do with it? Someone got one that doesn't work and that's good?

--
Gary
 
Hi Kate,

Thanks for raising the issue. I conclude my FZ30 (S/N G5SS00430 R) suffers the same green-blue hue/color-punch defect as yours. I bought mine from Amazon and just imitated a replacement-swap. Hope to get a clean one in a couple of days.

In the mean time, I'll see if I can diagnose the defect more.

==================
johnimage
 
Come on people.....am I the only one who can see these are taken with 2 VERY different lighting scenerios???

The FZ 30 shot - My guess very hazy sun, lots of cloud cover (look at the sky) and a different time of day (shadows in different directions).

FZ20 shot - STRONG sun either early morning or later in the day. Very nice and clear day with a very nice sky;) ... Notice the strong dark shadows.

Your FZ30 will take a better shot if the lighting was the same!!!!!
--

Brian - KM 5D!!! Canon s10-sold and still working! Canon S400-a great point and shoot!
My picture page:
http://www.pbase.com/cleanmaxx_brian/

My 91 Nissan Sentra SE-R
http://www.jbl.com/car/featured/installs/sentra.asp
 
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