Is there anything your C750 can do which the FZ cannot?
I'd agree that the Olympus at its best will just shade the Panasonic (at its best it would require, IMHO, ISO 50, stopped down a bit from maximum aperture, good light to get a safely handholdable shutter speed - a combination which is NOT easy to come by in British "daylight"!!). But I find the Panasonic's image quality very close to the Olympus (as is its colour balance) and in my eyes, that's high praise. Sometimes I see slight jaggies on tiny diagonal details with the FZ10 - never do with the C750. I think the compression etc. algorithm is a little more primitive on the Panasonic.
Things the Olympus can do that the Panasonic can't come mainly from its smaller size and its very, very full specification with huge range for fiddling (hardly any other brand can beat that), so I'd say the list is (in no particular order):
Fits in a smaller bag(!)
75% metal outer construction, roughly (just the lens barrel shroud in metal on the FZ10)
Uses an IR remote control
Offers +
- 5 levels of adjustment, each, on sharpness, saturation, contrast
Saves uncompressed TIFF image files (slowly though!)
Offers 4 full camera setup memories ("MyModes"), with the option of the camera setup "outside" these memories to either reset to defaults on switchoff, or remember everything as you last used it
You can move the focus target around a bit, manually (dubious usefulness)
You can preset the zoom to go to a particular position on switchon (in MyModes) or it can remember where you last had it
Can lock the autofocus between shots to a particular point, without having to hold the shutter release (AF Memo)
Customise the menu shortcuts
Customise one button on the camera back to practically any purpose (at the expense of its default function, AE lock)
Do multiple (up to 8) spot metering readings, averaging them as it goes
Switch between numeric (+3, -3 etc.) and a graphical horizontal scale in manual exposure mode to show how far off correct you are
Meter all the time, i.e. have shutter speed and aperture displayed constantly on the LCD/EVF, rather than for X seconds after you touch the shutter button (always been an Olympus characteristic)
Live histogram even shows the centre spot's readings in green alongside the main area in white
Ability to set spot exposure metering or spot focusing separately (tied together in the FZ10)
Play startup and shutdown sound (or not)
Play an animated image, or a still you made yourself, on startup and shutdown, or not (!)
Manual focus scale also has distance figures (in feet or metres as required)
Turn off long shutter speed dark frame noise reduction if required
Do pixel mapping if the need arises
Eyepiece has a soft rubber cladding
EVF is larger
Fit a fully dedicated, TTL metering accessory flash (expensive though)
Small increments in playback magnification
Full playback mode available in quick review (shooting mode available at a press of the shutter release). The Panasonic's version of this feature is a somewhat cutdown playback mode
Probably plenty of other little things I forgot...
As far as actual, real life abilities go, I'd just say: the Oly doesn't darken the EVF/LCD screen past visibility in manual exposure mode if the current settings will give underexposure, as the Panasonic does, and its internal flash control seems to have a wider range, in that you can access correct, over and underexposed results, as you like, by setting the flash output accordingly within its operating range. The Panasonic seems more simplistic, running out of correct exposure range more easily (punier flash, mainly).
On the other hand, I note the following advantages with the Panasonic:
Much quieter operation (zoom, focus, flash popup)
Faster focusing and saving of image
Faster flash recharge
Ability to focus in lower light, and on faster-moving objects
Ability to focus more predictably and specifically when required
Eyesight correction is much wider-ranging and smoother to set
LCD monitor is much larger
Burst mode far more impressive than Olympus one
Zoom scale includes 1x-12x figures and appears as it should, during zooming (C750's appears just after you stop zooming!!)
Maintains maximum f2.8 aperture all through zoom range (C750 diminishes gradually to f3.7 at full tele)
Full aperture performance is better (no corner/side of image softness, less vignetting)
Slightly less purple fringing (neither has much) but more true CA (pale green fringe on one side, pale magenta on the other, particularly on out of focus areas at full tele)
Program shift available (a feature I've always missed on Olympus, Canon, Minolta - their 35mm SLRs have it, why not the digitals?)
Availability of IS (of course!)
Wider zoom range - 35mm-420mm vs. 38mm-380mm
Digital zoom actually usable (doesn't wreck image quality nearly as much), even though lower in absolute power at maximum (36x vs 40x) - also pauses before entering it when it's enabled - Olympus just goes straight on to it (don't like that). Also the screen is much clearer on the FZ10 in digital zoom - Oly pixellates
Manual focus with a ring (vs buttons) much easier, with that quick AF available on touching the switch - nice.
Enlarged portion of image in manual focus much clearer than Olympus, which pixellates too much. Can also be turned off in the FZ10, not the C750
Framing grid available if required
Clear screen (minimal data) available if required
Lens hood included
AC adapter included (charger acts in this capacity if you need it to)
Lens less wobbly, less vulnerable as less sticks out
Again, no doubt plenty of things I forgot too!
I have managed to get a small bird in tree shot that I know I couldn't have done with the Olympus, already (believe me, I've tried!!).
Hope that helps - sorry it's so long!
Helen
