Panasonic FZ100 - Best Advanced Point and Shoot Camera
In this group, the FZ-100 is the most expensive camera and the one with the best combination of features. Price-wise, it is less expensive than a good entry-level DSLR. It has many features that are competitive with the DSLRs:
14.1 megapixel resolution and the 24x zoom. It doesn't have the highest zoom factor in this group but 24 times zoom is still pretty respectable. A lens with an equivalent zoom factor in a DSLR would be very large and very expensive.
Full HD video at 60 fps. It is the only camera in this group that provides full HD video. The best DSLRs provide 30 fps while this camera provides double that.
The best LCD Viewer in this group. It isn't quite at the level of the good DSLRs but it is good for a camera at this level.
Variable angle LCD screens are the norm in this group and that includes the FZ-100. There are still many DSLRs on the market that don't have this feature.
It has external connections for a stereo mic and an external flash. It is the only one in this group with both of those features. There are still many DSLRs that don't provide an external mic capability.
It is the only camera in this group that can produce RAW format pictures in addition to JPEG. RAW format provides the picture as it was seen by the sensor without any processing. This lets the photographer choose the type and amount of post-processing to apply to the image.
It uses AVCHD format for video. This compresses the video more effectively than other methods. As a result, it uses less space and less battery power for the same amount of video.
It has a terrific burst mode that can capture 11 frames per second at a full 14 megapixel resolution. This isn't only the best in this group but it is also better than virtually all of the DSLRs.
On paper, this is an unbeatable package. What is the "real-life" experience of reviewers and users. Here are some key quotes:
It’s an all-around well-built camera with an intuitive yet powerful control scheme.
Video buffs will appreciate that the high-def videos take up almost the entire (LCD) screen, without the typical black-bar sandwich seen on standard 4:3 screens.
The EVF is high-res and is free from the pixelation seen on cheaper EVFs.
It’s snappy and intuitive, yet still chock-full of creative potential. Start-up is very quick, autofocus is fast and accurate and shutter lag is barely noticeable once the focus is locked. The zoom extends and retracts quickly, though less so in video mode. Image stabilization is quite effective at the telephoto end, though blurriness due to hand-shake is inevitable every few shots.
One of the FZ100’s marquee features is the 11-frame-per-second burst mode...Though it doesn’t re-focus on every shot, it does re-focus five times per second, so if your object moves unpredictably, the shots are still relatively crisp and blur-free.
Shots at 400 are still almost noise-free...Noise really creeps in at ISO 800 and shots at ISO 1600 are quite messy.
The FZ100’s low-light shots are among the best you’ll get from a superzoom.
Panasonic really paid close attention to the details on this one.
If image quality is your main concern, you’re better off spending your $450 on an entry-level dSLR kit, like the Canon XS or Pentax K-x. The zoom range on a kit lens is very limited and entry-level feature sets are relatively light, but there’s no substitute for dSLR photo quality.
The last comment highlights the key choice that a consumer has to make. A "super-zoom" like the FZ100 provides a wealh of features for a pretty reasonable price. The one thing that it can never do is take pictures that match the quality of a DSLR. For most people, the quality from a camera like the FZ100 is good enough. For family photos and landscape shots, most people will be happy with the result. For more serious photographers and those who intend to do large prints, a DSLR will be a better choice. For the serious photographer who uses different cameras depending on the situation, the FZ100 may still be a good choice for its video and burst capabilities.
