I own the FZ200 and want to buy a DSLR...stick with Panasonic...maybe the G6?

I love my FZ200; however, I believe I would like to give a DSLR a try. Would you recommend that I stick with Panasonic? I have my eye on the G6. Perhaps I should take a look at some other brands...Nikon, Sony? What would be the advantages of sticking with Panasonic? Please be objective as possible.

Hi rcjim,

I had an FZ28 ... and got a huge step up with my G3: photos almost always succeed, beautiful to use, etc. But then there must be a huge gap from FZ28 to FZ200, and then, I do regret to have to change lens (I have a 14-42 + 45-200)

Pete

Get a refurb Nikon D5100. Is a G6 a DSLR?

I also own a FZ200. It is my first advanced camera. I have learned a lot from it. The reach is great, but the sensor is horrible!!! I just realized this after purchasing a Nikon D50 w/50mm 1.8 for $200. This 6MP camera from 2005 seriously blows the FZ200 out of the water when it comes to image quality! I was so concerned about not being able to crop with only 6MP and wow, was I wrong. SOOOOO much more detail its unbelievable. Now, it only shoots 2fps, only goes to ISO 1600 (but its actually useable unlike ISO 400 from FZ200) And well, I only have 50mm.

In short, try something new. Yes the FZ200 is a great camera, but it is not that great.

I have the FZ200 and have considered buying a G6, which I think is an excellent choice in the m4/3 line up. I haven't gone down that path, although I may. The main advantages of the G6 over say a bigger DSLR, is that its lenses are smaller and its much more compact, in fact the actual body is smaller than the FZ200 body (excluding the extended lens). You will also be pretty familiar with a lot of the menu settings, so you should be able to get pretty good at using it quite quickly.

As you don't have any lens, such as Canon or Nikon, sitting around waiting for a body, you are not locked into buying a particular brand, you have the opportunity to start fresh. They are probably all as good as each other, but the new Canon 70d, that has just come out, has had good reviews.

rcjim said:

rcjim wrote:

I love my FZ200; however, I believe I would like to give a DSLR a try. Would you recommend that I stick with Panasonic? I have my eye on the G6. Perhaps I should take a look at some other brands...Nikon, Sony? What would be the advantages of sticking with Panasonic? Please be objective as possible.

Click to expand...

A dslr is a commitment to a lens system and lenses, often many more and at much more expense than first envisioned.

Body and lenses need to suit the kind(s) of photography intended.

You're just going to have to do a lot of research, reading forums of the various brands for example, to learn which lines/models have the strengths you need and the weaknesses you want to avoid.

Be aware that good lenses (look at DxO reviews) each one may cost more than the body. So expect to spend a fortune to get that better IQ. Depending on your preferred subject matter, you might find the LX7 gives you a better combination. Go to a store and handle potential purchases. Certainly buy mirrorles and not a traditional dSLR or you will suffer a major shock not having usable Liveview.
Good Luck
--
Stuart
Also at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselgolfer/
Mr Ichiro Kitao, please upgrade the FZ50

I was also considering a SLR but decided on the FZ200 because I do not want to spend a fortune on lens and then carry them around. My son had a Canon SLR with several lens that cost 5-10 grand. He took many excellent pictures but sold them all for 2 Bridge cameras and a Canon Rebel. He does a lot of hiking in the mountains and on flat ground. He was just in Wyoming hiking for 9 days and camped out. He did not want to lug lens around so he took a smaller camera with a 30x zoom. There is a place for both cameras but make sure of the route you want to go. The FZ200 is an excellent camera for those that want to take excellent pictures without a lot of extra lens.

I've never had an FZ200 only an FZ60/62. I now have a G6+14-140.

The IQ of the G6 is, without doubt, superior to the FZ60 but then it should be - £950 V £200!

The G6 is smaller than a DSLR but if you are fit and healthy, I don't think you will really notice the diffference - the DSLR will have a longer lens, that is all & both of them need carrying on a strap over your shoulder.

The main reason I got the G6 instead of a DSLR was the liveview information in the viewfinder that you don't get with a DSLR. The other reason was the Panasonic £150 cashback deal and the fact that over 4 years I get back 20% of the remainder in tax relief because it is used extensively for my business and that bought it.

the g6 looks great, but I have a friend that's a good wildlife photographer, shoots with Nikon d7000 and a 300.2.8 vr11 $7000 lens and the fz150 . he constantly sends me photos from both cameras with no data and I can rarely pick which camera was used . as he said to me you have more cropping room with the slr but if you frame your subject correctly the fz150 is hard to beat.

cheers don

The Sony A58 is a cheap entry DSLT which means you have liveview as well as having the fast phase detection focusing active all the time. You can get very affordable lenses also if you are not after top quality. The Tamron 70-300 and the 50mm f1.8 are extremely cheap in the UK as is the 30mm macro lens. I switched out of m43 as it can be pretty expensive getting all the lens you want and the new bodies are expensive.

Possibly worth a look.

rcjim said:

rcjim wrote:

I love my FZ200; however, I believe I would like to give a DSLR a try. Would you recommend that I stick with Panasonic? I have my eye on the G6. Perhaps I should take a look at some other brands...Nikon, Sony? What would be the advantages of sticking with Panasonic? Please be objective as possible.

Click to expand...

At the current clearance prices, you might consider buying the G5. Using Dxomark sensor comparison tool, the G6 shows no improvement over the G5. So the only reason to purchase the G6 would be for the added features.

A Sony DSLT is a good choice as well, where it maintains the live view experience. Image quality is better than m43. A DSLT will be heavier and the best lens are more expensive.

I own a Sony SLT-A57 and a Panasonic G3. As a senior citizen, i am beginning to feel the weight of the DSLT with heavy glass and I'm slowly transitioning to m43. I own a FZ150 as well and you will be pleased with the increased image quality from a larger sensor camera.

I've gone "all Lumix" after using Nikon 7000 for several years. Given that you have a FZ200 (as do I), the menu system is virtually the same on all Lumix cameras, and that helps a great deal, believe me! For a not very expensive "coat jacket pocket camera" I have the very nice LX7: takes great photos and a camera you can always have with you. And then there are the mirrorless cameras from Panasonic. I'm sure that they aren't any better than Olympus, but sticking with a brand has its advantages. A G6 would be fine (I have the GH3), but where you'll spend Big Bucks is on lenses! For an all purpose lens, the new (not the old) 14-140 would be great. I love the 12-35 and 35-100 by panasonic. But we are talking Real Money! Still, go with the best lenses you can afford: you can always upgrade the body. Good luck!

I bought a Sony A57 (new model A58) with a Sony 35mm 1.8 & a Sigma 18-250mm. I chose the Sony over Panasonic's GH3 & G6 due to it's better performance at higher ISO's, a must for shooting hand held indoors without flash.

While I like Panasonic's designs and features better than the Sony, the higher ISO with less noise, plus a greater and sometimes less expensive selection of lenses made me go with the Sony. I chose Sony over Nikon or Canon because of it's 100% field of view & live view EVF vs. the less than 100% optical viewfinders on most Nikon's and Canon's.

In most reviews of 4/3 cameras, noise becomes an issue at a much lower threshold than any APC dslrs.

rcjim said:

rcjim wrote:

I love my FZ200; however, I believe I would like to give a DSLR a try. Would you recommend that I stick with Panasonic? I have my eye on the G6. Perhaps I should take a look at some other brands...Nikon, Sony? What would be the advantages of sticking with Panasonic? Please be objective as possible.

Click to expand...

I think there is an important distinction that needs to be made...

A Panasonic G6 is NOT a DSLR. It is a Micro Four Thirds (m43).

There are significant differences between a Panasonic or Olympus m43 camera and a Nikon or Canon DSLR. And more significant differences between Nikon / Canon DSLRs and the Sony NEX DSLRS.

Others have mentioned the expense of lenses. It is important that you are comfortable with the system you choose, not just the camera, because you will want to be able to use the lenses you buy on your next camera. They are not interchangeable from system to system.

If you are serious about doing this you probably want to consider reading some of the recent threads in the specialized forums here for each of these systems.

You are talking about a significant expenditure of money and you don't want to regret an uniformed decision later.

Your first step is to decide what kind of photography you do and what kind of photography you think you might want to do. The answers to these questions will have a significant impact on your choice of systems.

--
Florida

G6 is a great camera but more importantly you can now change with quality lenses!

i guess you wont be disappointed by the performance

You cannot go wrong with Nikon, Canon or Sony.

I use a Nikon D7000 (among other cameras) and love it. It's not particularly heavy, it's very responsive and the image quality and high ISO performance are great. The 7000 has been replaced by the 7100, also an excellent camera.

I use 3 or 4 lenses. All do a good job. None were very expensive.

DW

v11f said:

v11f wrote:

Hi rcjim,

I had an FZ28 ... and got a huge step up with my G3: photos almost always succeed, beautiful to use, etc. But then there must be a huge gap from FZ28 to FZ200, and then, I do regret to have to change lens (I have a 14-42 + 45-200)

Pete

Click to expand...

I also have the same scenario as you Pete, going from the fz28 to the G3 with the same lenses. I definitely don't regret the move. I got fabulous shots with the fz28 but the low light capabilities was poor.

Rcjim, if you're looking for better low light capabilities then the move will be worth it. If you have a little extra cash you might want to consider the GX7 since it has IBIS. You can use any lens and feel comfortable knowing the image stabilization is right in the camera. One thing I don't like about the GX7 is that the screen is not fully articulating, it only tilts up and down. Advantage over a DSLR.... Lenses are much smaller.

rcjim said:

rcjim wrote:

I love my FZ200; however, I believe I would like to give a DSLR a try. Would you recommend that I stick with Panasonic? I have my eye on the G6. Perhaps I should take a look at some other brands...Nikon, Sony? What would be the advantages of sticking with Panasonic? Please be objective as possible.

Click to expand...

There are a lot of things to consider here. I use several Panasonic cameras including a GX1 and LX5. The advantage I find in sticking to Panasonic is that there are similarities between the controls and the menus on the cameras which makes it easier moving from one to another (however, the controls and menus are not identical by any means, so you still have to cope with some differences).

Also, I shoot in raw and use Silkypix (free with Panasonic cameras) for processing. This works very well for Panasonic cameras but I'm not sure how well it works for other brands.

Just to mention a more general point, the GX1 does give significantly better image quality than the LX5, but images from the LX5 are still very good and for many common photographic situations the differences in image quality will only be significant to pixel-peepers. Your FZ200 will give lower image quality than the LX5, but I don't know exactly how much difference there is.

The main advantages to me of the GX1 (and other MFT cameras) are the added versatility of being able to use a variety of lenses. I use several lenses suitable for portraiture (to blur the background nicely, which is difficult to do with compact cameras) and also the wideangle lenses go far wider than the LX5. Also, the low light capabilities of MFT cameras are greater than compact cameras (and FF DSLRs even more so).

It is worth noting, however, that the very long zoom of your FZ200 will be expensive to match on any MFT camera and very much more so on any FF DSLR. Unless you have a deep pocket and strong arms, the FZ200 will remain your camera of choice for the long end of the zoom.

I have the FZ200, love it. Sold my Nikon DLSR and bought the Sony NEX-6 and -7. Like a DLSR but smaller, easy to carry around, and have different lens to use. Also less to carry, check it out.