Before I purchase Panasonic DMC-FZ30..

[chee_keon]

hi ,

i'm newbie.. hahaa.. believe ClubSNAP is a fun place.. rite..?

well, before i purchase the FZ30.. i need u guys’ advise..

i’ve been holding the compact PowerShot A70 for years.. and now feel like to upgrade to prosumer (i judge myself still got a long way to go DSLR :sweat: ).. after reading several review sites, i think FZ30 should meets my expectations..

chked the price tdy, a brand new FZ30 costs S$950, free 1 x 512MB SD card & 1 x Panasonic FZ30 sling bang.

actually, i’m almost there to buy.. but is there any other models you guys could recommend me..?

i’m fine to purchase with a 2nd hand camera too.. is there any..? but before that, I must state, it must be in a reasonable offer.. ;p

thanks in advance..!

 

[Dan]

Plus another $200+, you get a nikon D50 DSLR with all the freebies..

hi ,

i'm newbie.. hahaa.. believe ClubSNAP is a fun place.. rite..?

well, before i purchase the FZ30.. i need u guys’ advise..

i’ve been holding the compact PowerShot A70 for years.. and now feel like to upgrade to prosumer (i judge myself still got a long way to go DSLR :sweat: ).. after reading several review sites, i think FZ30 should meets my expectations..

chked the price tdy, a brand new FZ30 costs S$950, free 1 x 512MB SD card & 1 x Panasonic FZ30 sling bang.

actually, i’m almost there to buy.. but is there any other models you guys could recommend me..?

i’m fine to purchase with a 2nd hand camera too.. is there any..? but before that, I must state, it must be in a reasonable offer.. ;p

thanks in advance..!

 

[greenieadi]

Plus another $200+, you get a nikon D50 DSLR with all the freebies..

But with that extra $200, U don't get

1. Mega OIS or VR (for Nikon) or
2. "Free" Telezoom up to 400+mm (f2.8 ~ f3.5)
3. 8 Megapixel (if you are into the MP thing)

Trust me, with DSLR you need to spend time (and money) on the technicalities of photography. If you get one (in the future), be prepared to pressure yourself. I mean - buy Body + lens $1-2k, then anyhow take picture. Results not so good. Prosumer like FZ30 minimize (not eliminate)the technicalities of that.

Plus, it keeps your wallet in check. At most you get one Teleconverter lens- eg. Nikon TCON17, one Wideangle Lens - eg . Olympus WCON08, one ISO hotshoe flash, one Close-up filter - eg. HOYA +4 and 2-3 screw in filters like Circular Polarizer, UV fliter, etc...etc. If you think thats a lot of stuff, DSLR stuff is more than that.

I had the FZ5, incredible camera. Decided to upgrade to a DSLR, after some months still not enjoying photography like I used to with a PnS. End up buying MORE lens to justify the purchase. Some more, cannot share it with ppl like family coz the dials and knobs too complicated for them. No shoik take picture in AUTO Mode / AUTO WB right? Someday I will get a hang on it, but most probably will miss alot of candid shots/moments of family and friends first due to changing lens, adjusting settings. Such priceless moments will not come again.

BUT, If you intend to be a photographer, then go ahead. Get yourself a DSLR.BUT, if you only just want to take pictures, good quality at that, just get a FZ30. Save yourself the headache (and money)

In the end a camera is just a tool.

 

[sORe-EyEz]

Extra $200 buy ext flash. ;p

 

[Hexlord]

But with that extra $200, U don't get

1. Mega OIS or VR (for Nikon) or
2. "Free" Telezoom up to 400+mm (f2.8 ~ f3.5)
3. 8 Megapixel (if you are into the MP thing)

Trust me, with DSLR you need to spend time (and money) on the technicalities of photography. If you get one (in the future), be prepared to pressure yourself. I mean - buy Body + lens $1-2k, then anyhow take picture. Results not so good. Prosumer like FZ30 minimize (not eliminate)the technicalities of that.

Plus, it keeps your wallet in check. At most you get one Teleconverter lens- eg. Nikon TCON17, one Wideangle Lens - eg . Olympus WCON08, one ISO hotshoe flash, one Close-up filter - eg. HOYA +4 and 2-3 screw in filters like Circular Polarizer, UV fliter, etc...etc. If you think thats a lot of stuff, DSLR stuff is more than that.

I had the FZ5, incredible camera. Decided to upgrade to a DSLR, after some months still not enjoying photography like I used to with a PnS. End up buying MORE lens to justify the purchase. Some more, cannot share it with ppl like family coz the dials and knobs too complicated for them. No shoik take picture in AUTO Mode / AUTO WB right? Someday I will get a hang on it, but most probably will miss alot of candid shots/moments of family and friends first due to changing lens, adjusting settings. Such priceless moments will not come again.

BUT, If you intend to be a photographer, then go ahead. Get yourself a DSLR.BUT, if you only just want to take pictures, good quality at that, just get a FZ30. Save yourself the headache (and money)

In the end a camera is just a tool.

Well said. :thumbsup:

 

[michhy]

since you are buying the FZ-30, then prepare another extra $50 for noise-removal software

 

[Dunnomuch]

But with that extra $200, U don't get

1. Mega OIS or VR (for Nikon) or
2. "Free" Telezoom up to 400+mm (f2.8 ~ f3.5)
3. 8 Megapixel (if you are into the MP thing)

Trust me, with DSLR you need to spend time (and money) on the technicalities of photography. If you get one (in the future), be prepared to pressure yourself. I mean - buy Body + lens $1-2k, then anyhow take picture. Results not so good. Prosumer like FZ30 minimize (not eliminate)the technicalities of that.

Plus, it keeps your wallet in check. At most you get one Teleconverter lens- eg. Nikon TCON17, one Wideangle Lens - eg . Olympus WCON08, one ISO hotshoe flash, one Close-up filter - eg. HOYA +4 and 2-3 screw in filters like Circular Polarizer, UV fliter, etc...etc. If you think thats a lot of stuff, DSLR stuff is more than that.

I had the FZ5, incredible camera. Decided to upgrade to a DSLR, after some months still not enjoying photography like I used to with a PnS. End up buying MORE lens to justify the purchase. Some more, cannot share it with ppl like family coz the dials and knobs too complicated for them. No shoik take picture in AUTO Mode / AUTO WB right? Someday I will get a hang on it, but most probably will miss alot of candid shots/moments of family and friends first due to changing lens, adjusting settings. Such priceless moments will not come again.

BUT, If you intend to be a photographer, then go ahead. Get yourself a DSLR.BUT, if you only just want to take pictures, good quality at that, just get a FZ30. Save yourself the headache (and money)

In the end a camera is just a tool.

What are your reasons for buying a DSLR? Reading your post it makes me think that you did not have a specific goal in mind when you decided to upgrade to a DSLR. If you can say that after months of using a DSLR you're not enjoying your DSLR, I am inclined to believe that you may not have grasped the fundamentals of photography. I know a lot of people will jump when I say this, but while a PnS may have full manual controls, the effects are not as obvious as on a DSLR. The shutter speed control, the aperture, all work to enable you to take a better picture. On a DSLR, using a large aperture lens allows you to really see and appreciate what aperture does to your final image. The same goes for the MP count. The sensor is smaller on a compact prosumer or PnS, and it really doesn't matter how many MP you have.. the sensor size is still small and it still give good large DOF even when you want shallow DOF.

Focusing speed, the way the camera responds on a compact are all still quite different from a DSLR. you don't get preview on the LCD screen, no OIS built in, less sharpening and more flexibility to tweak your images in post processing. If you use a PnS the way it was meant to, you will be very happy. Take that shooting style and move to a DSLR and you will be disappointed because the DSLR doesn't do all the work for you.

The technicalities of photography is what you NEED to understand to capture the images you want. If you don't understand how background lighting is captured in a dark scene, you will not be able to get this when you want to. If you don't know what gives a nice background blur, or how to get acceptable DOF, you won't know how to compensate when you want to get this effect.

If chee_keon wants more features I would recommend he learn with a DSLR instead of a PnS. The FZ30 will allow him to do more than his PnS now, but there is a tendency to rely on the camera features like OIS or the superzoom lens. Getting closer to the subject, moving around your subject and positioning yourself is moer important than being able to zoom and still have a steady shot IMO. plus the interface is almos tthe same across different makes of DSLRs or SLRs, bu compacts often have their own controls that try to mimic SLRs but don't always work the same way.

Just my opinion. As a learning tool i think the DSLR is far superior, and It not as clear cut as buying a DSLR if you want to be a photographer. Once you learn how light works, every single picture (until you can no longer hold a camera) is taken with that knowledge in mind.

learning is free off the internet and forums, and if you want to speed up the process, a class is a few hundred dollars. better to learn than to buy more lenses and still not understand why your pictures don't improve right?

 

[genegoh]

I was making that decision some time back too. But at the end of the day, I got a FZ30. No regrets. Only problem is noise. Although sometimes I'm tempted to want to buy a DSLR, I know it's not time yet. Now is the time to enjoy photography and make sure photography is what u really want before u start investing thousands into DSLR equipment.

Took this last night. Can a DSLR take this with only $1K? Hehe...

 

[Hexlord]

What are your reasons for buying a DSLR? Reading your post it makes me think that you did not have a specific goal in mind when you decided to upgrade to a DSLR. If you can say that after months of using a DSLR you're not enjoying your DSLR, I am inclined to believe that you may not have grasped the fundamentals of photography. I know a lot of people will jump when I say this, but while a PnS may have full manual controls, the effects are not as obvious as on a DSLR. The shutter speed control, the aperture, all work to enable you to take a better picture. On a DSLR, using a large aperture lens allows you to really see and appreciate what aperture does to your final image. The same goes for the MP count. The sensor is smaller on a compact prosumer or PnS, and it really doesn't matter how many MP you have.. the sensor size is still small and it still give good large DOF even when you want shallow DOF.

Focusing speed, the way the camera responds on a compact are all still quite different from a DSLR. you don't get preview on the LCD screen, no OIS built in, less sharpening and more flexibility to tweak your images in post processing. If you use a PnS the way it was meant to, you will be very happy. Take that shooting style and move to a DSLR and you will be disappointed because the DSLR doesn't do all the work for you.

The technicalities of photography is what you NEED to understand to capture the images you want. If you don't understand how background lighting is captured in a dark scene, you will not be able to get this when you want to. If you don't know what gives a nice background blur, or how to get acceptable DOF, you won't know how to compensate when you want to get this effect.

If chee_keon wants more features I would recommend he learn with a DSLR instead of a PnS. The FZ30 will allow him to do more than his PnS now, but there is a tendency to rely on the camera features like OIS or the superzoom lens. Getting closer to the subject, moving around your subject and positioning yourself is moer important than being able to zoom and still have a steady shot IMO. plus the interface is almos tthe same across different makes of DSLRs or SLRs, bu compacts often have their own controls that try to mimic SLRs but don't always work the same way.

Just my opinion. As a learning tool i think the DSLR is far superior, and It not as clear cut as buying a DSLR if you want to be a photographer. Once you learn how light works, every single picture (until you can no longer hold a camera) is taken with that knowledge in mind.

learning is free off the internet and forums, and if you want to speed up the process, a class is a few hundred dollars. better to learn than to buy more lenses and still not understand why your pictures don't improve right?

I would agree with you, but for a lot of ppl, they may feel the pinch once they started to invest in a system. :think:

 

[user12343]

well said. obviously you've gone thru some working experience of P&S and DSLRs, weighing the pros and cons of each.

not forgetting that when purchasing a DLSR, the expenditure doesn't end there. one is buying a system rather than a complete (P&S) solution.

let's not take sides on which is better, ultimately it's what the threadstarter wants that matters most.

But with that extra $200, U don't get

1. Mega OIS or VR (for Nikon) or
2. "Free" Telezoom up to 400+mm (f2.8 ~ f3.5)
3. 8 Megapixel (if you are into the MP thing)

Trust me, with DSLR you need to spend time (and money) on the technicalities of photography. If you get one (in the future), be prepared to pressure yourself. I mean - buy Body + lens $1-2k, then anyhow take picture. Results not so good. Prosumer like FZ30 minimize (not eliminate)the technicalities of that.

Plus, it keeps your wallet in check. At most you get one Teleconverter lens- eg. Nikon TCON17, one Wideangle Lens - eg . Olympus WCON08, one ISO hotshoe flash, one Close-up filter - eg. HOYA +4 and 2-3 screw in filters like Circular Polarizer, UV fliter, etc...etc. If you think thats a lot of stuff, DSLR stuff is more than that.

I had the FZ5, incredible camera. Decided to upgrade to a DSLR, after some months still not enjoying photography like I used to with a PnS. End up buying MORE lens to justify the purchase. Some more, cannot share it with ppl like family coz the dials and knobs too complicated for them. No shoik take picture in AUTO Mode / AUTO WB right? Someday I will get a hang on it, but most probably will miss alot of candid shots/moments of family and friends first due to changing lens, adjusting settings. Such priceless moments will not come again.

BUT, If you intend to be a photographer, then go ahead. Get yourself a DSLR.BUT, if you only just want to take pictures, good quality at that, just get a FZ30. Save yourself the headache (and money)

In the end a camera is just a tool.

 

[greenieadi]

Bro Dunnomuch, thks for sharing. Not to hijack bro chee_keon thread but u try explaining that to ppl on the street when asking them to take pic of you and girlfren using your dSLR. You'll get a blank face I guess.

I just saw pic of what my FZ5 did and compare that to my dSLR at 400mm, same scenery. Then chance to read this thread, still feeling a bit blue. I bet you won't regret getting the FZ30.

Anyway why ppl compare PnS and dSLR, I dunno. I'm already on the "dark side", anyway. Sorry if I anger any dSLR owner with my honesty.

chee_keon - imagine this june going for a holiday trip with all my gears. Just last wkend purposely carry all my gears around while my wife go shopping for 2 hrs. Ouch, shoulders hurts. No choice still need to bring to cover all the focal lengths. Sure jealous if see someone there with only the FZ30. He..he.....he....

:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:

 

[chee_keon]

well said, guys..!! thanks for the comments..

in the meantime, i still prefer prosumer.. maybe my next purchase, will go for DSLR.. but definitely not now.. hahaa.. as i said, myself still got a long way to go for that.. :sweat:

in fact, i'm doing quite lotta hobbies/activities.. photography is 1 one them.. n i dun have much time to focus on.. thus, i just wanna experience a casual n joyful photography w/o much stress n expenses..

hehee.. i’m having 3 DSLR friends (D50, D70, & D70s each).. to date, they’ve came out abt 3k+/- individually, have a look at their to-be-purchased list, there’re still plenty of items in queue.. $$$

i noe wad i’m going to.. so, let’s talk abt prosumer (semi-professional/DSLR-like) over here..

 

[kentay]

i would put a few extra hundred and get a dslr.

the fz-30 may have IS, 8 MP and long zoom but Noise is a problem. With DSLR, high iso can balance out with IS and the best zoom lens is your legs.

once you get a body, you add lenses as you go along when you feel comfortable.

if you know you want a DSLR in the future, its better to buy now than later...?

 

[metallilan]

It's all the mindset really, camera's all do the same thing, its how one makes full use of what he has.

I still use my beloved Fz5. Have all my accesories with me(tcon, macro, wcon, flash etc). I didn't plan to upgrade to even the new Fz7, or neither the DLSR. Reason : No point since they're both camera's, Fz7 is not worthy upgrade to me since i still must spend more. DSLR, no money to splurge on lenses and all that, im still a student ya know.

End of the day, its how you appreciate what you can do with the camera, and not what the camera can do for you. Some people appreciate photography in its fullest regardless of gear, whilst some others just fancy the gear.

i know the noise is a pretty big issue with digital cameras nowadays, but i wonder why film grain wasn't such a big issue to those guys back then.(no offence)

i hope you make a wise choice

 

[Hexlord]

i would put a few extra hundred and get a dslr.

the fz-30 may have IS, 8 MP and long zoom but Noise is a problem. With DSLR, high iso can balance out with IS and the best zoom lens is your legs.

once you get a body, you add lenses as you go along when you feel comfortable.

if you know you want a DSLR in the future, its better to buy now than later...?

Again, it depends on your budget constraint... not many ppl might be be content on just using a kit lens-equipped DSLR..

For example, a friend of mine bought a D50 with all the goodies such as a memory card, bag. He spent 1.3k on it altogether, but he is now out of cash to get an external flash and a longer zoom lens.

Now, do you want chee_keon to be in such a situation? No offence, but you will definitely need to save up more in order to take into account all the necessary expenses. A body is only a start. :think:

 

[kentay]

if its really tight maybe a second hand dslr?

700- 900 bucks i think

 

[metallilan]

if its really tight maybe a second hand dslr?

700- 900 bucks i think

that might not include a lens...

 

[greenieadi]

if its really tight maybe a second hand dslr?

700- 900 bucks i think

Ya, then slowly snowball to 2 lens, 3 lens.

Want macrophotography buy macro lens,

want shoot birds far far away but telezoom lens,

want sharp portrait or close up shot- buy wideangle zoom lens.

Aiyoh tiredlah. In the end ask yourself - Want to change career or what? I thought this only hobbylah.

Anyway chee_keon my frens carries Nikon D2X and Canon 5D. Luckily they r good friends, never badgering me to get this or that, but only talk about photography techniques. Showing me pics of theirs and pointing out faults they did. Still I can,t get it. More practice is the word! , I'm sure.

For those who argue about noise issue, I got one question - Who look at pictures down to the a pixel level and blow up pictures to billboard size? I can think only pros do that, so noise is not an issue at all, for the rest of us.
.
Furthermore, a hundred bucks might be peanuts to some but not to others. Enuff said go and buylah.....

 

[zcwnfx]

i myself got from a PnS to a prosumer then finally to a DSLR now. i think the prosumer for me was a unnecessary step. buying a 2nd hand body and a few lens, till today, i have spent about 1.7K and i have a great cam body(d70s), a good kit lens, a good enough telephoto both covering me from 18mm-300mm, and also a 55mm for some macro shots. in addition i am thinking of getting a external flash soon, about 300. i also got all the bags, cards, dry boxes and stuff.

i chose dslr becos of the control it gave me. i also didnt like the EVF that was on my prosumer that time. it jus dont seems right to me.

finally, i realise much of my shooting is using my kit lens as for now. didnt really need many many other lens. but of cos thats for now. i am still learning how to get good photograph, of cos will need other lens next time.

for me personally, i would go str into a dslr if i see that the price is about there. having 2MP more isnt much a difference.

but any camera will be great! its more about shooting and getting the photograph, not about getting the best camera! any camera is capable of getting a great shot!

happy getting ur camera! happy shooting!

 

[Hexlord]

i myself got from a PnS to a prosumer then finally to a DSLR now. i think the prosumer for me was a unnecessary step. buying a 2nd hand body and a few lens, till today, i have spent about 1.7K and i have a great cam body(d70s), a good kit lens, a good enough telephoto both covering me from 18mm-300mm, and also a 55mm for some macro shots. in addition i am thinking of getting a external flash soon, about 300. i also got all the bags, cards, dry boxes and stuff.

i chose dslr becos of the control it gave me. i also didnt like the EVF that was on my prosumer that time. it jus dont seems right to me.

Wah.. this is proof that it is still quite a financial drain if one is to invest in a DSLR system.. :sweat:

To me, optical viewfinder is much better, but doesn't cover 100% of the frame unless the body is of a higher end? EVF will suffice for some situations, plus it is 100%. :think: