FZ20, FZ30 and Nikon D50

Today at lunch I got a chance to play with an FZ30. Of course all the enhancements such as improved EVF and controls were quite nice. But I found the zoom ring to be the coolest enhancement. I also played with a Nikon D50 and loved how much faster it could focus than the FZ20 and FZ30. This got me thinking. How many FZ owners also own DSLRs? What is the ration of shots you put through each?

Bill

It is not in the same ballpark. no fair to compare.

Going to the D50 route, expect to spend another 2000$ with lens
and accessories.

But for FZ30, the only accessories will be batteries and some NR software.
so it should be way under 200$.

If you need those DSLR experience and performance that good
for studio work ... that 2000$ extra is worthy.

However, if you are just a proconsumer, than the proconsumer king
fz30 should do everything you ask for .... but again you do need
to learn how to get the best from fz30 and avoid those known limitation.

alien

copperleaf said:

Today at lunch I got a chance to play with an FZ30. Of course all
the enhancements such as improved EVF and controls were quite nice.
But I found the zoom ring to be the coolest enhancement. I also
played with a Nikon D50 and loved how much faster it could focus
than the FZ20 and FZ30. This got me thinking. How many FZ owners
also own DSLRs? What is the ration of shots you put through each?

Bill

Click to expand...

copperleaf said:

How many FZ owners also own DSLRs? What is the ration of shots you
put through each?

Click to expand...

I have a D1X and and a bunch of lenses. Ratio of D1X vs. FZ30 ... I haven't shot with the D1X for a couple of months, (used the FZ20 and now the FZ30). Just have no desire to cart around my D1X kit ... getting old and lazy, I guess. Don't get me wrong ... there is no comparison between the D1X and FZ30 ... they are entirely different tools. Sorta like trying to compare an 18 wheeler and a pick-up truck. Seems, lately, a pick-up is all I need.
Regards
Karl
Karl H. Timmerman M.A.J.D.
http://www.karltimmerman.com/ramblings.html
http://www.karltimmerman.com
'The best part of taking the moral highground ...... is the view'.

I'm trying to compare. There are definitely pros and cons to both. I'm just trying to get a feel for how many people have both and those that do, how many use both.

I meant I'm NOT trying to compare...

--Bill,

Are you using the high speed focus mode, or the regular focus mode, on the fz30? High speed mode is just as fast as D50, especially with pattern (full frame) metering/focus.
I'm assuming that you knew there is a high speed mode?
-Kurt Horsley
Panasonic FZ30
Olympus C-2100
Transcend digital album

Previously owned:
Olympus E-10
Olympus C2500
Olympus C700
Canon D30
Canon S1-IS
Panasonic DMC-FZ10
Panasonic DMC-FZ20
Fujifilm F401
Fujifilm s602z
Toshiba PDR-M700
Casio QV-2300
Casio QV-R40
Olympus OM-10
Olympus OM-2000
Many, many others...

Actually no. I wasn't aware of the high speed mode of the fz30.

Check this thread: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=15106312

I bought the FZ-20 instead of an expensive long telezoom for my Canon 20D and it does it's job in that department well enough for me. I use the Canon 80% of the time but on holiday I tend to take the FZ-20 and a Ricoh R2 because they're both very light and I really dislike changing lenses in dusty conditions. I have an Olympus TCON 17 for the FZ-20 which takes the zoom up to 720mm.

--
Nick Spurrrier

$2000 may be a little excessive. Unless of course you're really demanding of your shots. The FZ30 comes in at about $600-$700. The D50 body alone costs about $850. The only difference in accessories are the lens kits because as much as you'll need a bag, battery, memory cards, lens filters, etc. for one camera, you'll need it for the other. Spending another $500-$1000 for lenses will surely get you what you want (for the most part). One other thing to keep in mind is that when your FZ30's busted, you'll have to get another one like it in its entirety... as in you can't just pop the lens and fit it onto another body like DSLRs.

Go FZ20!

I recently bought a D50 intending to sell my FZ20, however I've used the FZ20 more than the D50 over the last few weeks. If I do decide to keep it, I can see it getting a lot more use on holidays, family daytrips etc but when I want to do some careful, image quality all important landscape or portrait photography, or the lights bad or when performance is vital such as when I'm shooting my daughter playing soccer it'll be the D50. As others have said it's all down to the balance of what sort of photography you prefer.

copperleaf said:

Actually no. I wasn't aware of the high speed mode of the fz30.

Click to expand...

--Give that high speed focus mode a try. You'll be impressed by it's speed and accuracy. When I saw your post, I figured you probably didn't know about the high speed mode.
-Kurt Horsley
Panasonic FZ30
Olympus C-2100
Transcend digital album

Previously owned:
Olympus E-10
Olympus C2500
Olympus C700
Canon D30
Canon S1-IS
Panasonic DMC-FZ10
Panasonic DMC-FZ20
Fujifilm F401
Fujifilm s602z
Toshiba PDR-M700
Casio QV-2300
Casio QV-R40
Olympus OM-10
Olympus OM-2000
Many, many others...

I have had an FZ20 for the last seven months, and a 20D for
a little over a month. Bought both for long zoom, and shooting
birds, so my experience may be irrelevant to you depending on
what you use a camera for. Since I got the 20D, the FZ20
has been retired as my birding cam,
but I find that has freed me to use the FZ20 more
for casual shooting and macros -- my 20D is my dedicated birding
cam and the FZ20 for everything else (eg I rarely switch off
the 100-400mm long zoom lens on the DSLR for a 17-85mm,
instead using the FZ for that range of focal lengths).
Haven't done much low light photography, though the DSLR
handles a wider range of lighting conditions better (given my
current level of skills; others can probably do better).

I think that each person has to decide what combination
of features suits them best. DSLR has vastly better image quality
but at a cost in dollars and weight and inconvenience. The FZ's
do a lot in one package for a lot less cash outlay, but the noise
washes out details (in my photography, I see it in feather detail
of the birds that the DSLR captures and the FZ does not).

That's my experience. Other people shoot other things and
have different criteria. Just my $.02

--
emil
--



http://theory.uchicago.edu/~ejm/pix/fz20/bird_galleries_2005/
http://theory.uchicago.edu/~ejm/pix/20d/20d_birds/

Rick

Thanks for the info everyone.

I can buy a D50 body cheaper than a FZ30 in the UK.

Budget DSLR with kit lens are really in the same price bracket as an FZ30 in the UK.
Typical FZ30 =£460
D50 18-55 kit = £499

Bizarre pricing strategy by Panasonic UK if you ask me

I am probably going to buy a KM5D so I still have IS. £525 inc 18-70 kit lens. Not much premium over a FZ30 for vastly superior PQ (IMHO), and some other useful features like a proper flash system.

--
Regards
Lawrence

There's currently a £50 cash back offer from Nikon on the D50.
So a D50 with the 18-55mm kit lens is actually cheaper than a FZ30 in the UK.
--
Regards
Lawrence

There is a common missbelief that you need to spend $2000 to get the FZ30 equivalent on DSLR lenses,IMHO that is completely absurd. I have both FZ20 and Canon 350D and only took me to add a cheap Sigma 70-300 ($200) to surpass zoom range of FZ20 (and the 18-55 of the kit is much wider).

And please, dont tell me anything about leica quality and F2.8 constant, just crank up the ISO on the DSLR as needed and you are ok.

Now I just use my FZ20 when I dont want to carry much staff

Regards

--
http://www.pbase.com/daifreed