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Lumix FZ30
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Nikon Coolpix 5700
Sony DSC-P1
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Panasonic Lumix FZ30
 | I've been using my existing
Nikon CP5700 for more than three years. It has served me well and I
believe will continue to do so for a few more years. Yet it has some
drawbacks. |
| The main weaknesses of that digicam that have been
a source of my frustration are: -
 | Slow in auto-focus |
| Slow in startup time and wakeup time (from it's
autosleep mode) |
| Slow in write times and shot-to-shot speed |
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| Basically, the CP5700 was just moving along at a
snail's pace. Otherwise, it produced marvelous images. |
| I needed a better performing digicam that could
keep up with the type of photography that I like to make, and also my
impatience. Not to say that I needed an ultrafast DSLR that can handle
fast sports or flying objects. But adequate to cope with candid shots of
people and everyday life. |
| I didn't want a DSLR not just because it would have
been expensive, but also that I didn't want to lug around a bagful of
lenses that required regular swapping to cater for varying field of views,
which would also attract the sensor dust demons that will drive me wild
with irritation. |
| Almost meeting my expectations was the CP8800, the
beautiful upgrade to the CP5700. I did try it at the shop, and although it
was a lot more featured than what I had, it still felt like a snail albeit
with an adrenalin boost. |
| For a long while I had dreamt of the ideal camera,
and was hoping feverishly that Nikon would surprise me with a model that
would double my heartbeat. Instead, my heart was beaten double time, for
Nikon seems to be focusing on upgrading their compacts or DSLR series. I
would love the D200, if I had the money. Well, even if I had the money, I
couldn't buy it because it's not even announced yet (as of Oct 2005). |
| Then, just as I was about to give up my fantasy,
the heavens above opened its gates for me. And in the light, I saw.... the
Lumix. The Lumix
FZ30! |
| "But it is not a Nikon", I feared. "How could it be
good?!? It's from a company that makes fridges and washing machines!" I
shuddered in cold sweat as my head spun in denial. |
| But quickly, the soothing glow of the Lumix cleared
the chill and foamy confusion in my mind. And through the vastness of the
Internet, I searched for the truth of the Lumix, and indeed, the answers
were out there.... in the realms of
DPReview, in
the writings of
DCResource, in the experiments of
Megapixel, in the inspection of
Letsgodigital, in the comparison by
FiringSquad, and many more. |
| Thus, on the day of 9th October 2005, I rode on my
red stallion and surveyed the
lands of Bukit Bintang and Sungei Wang Plaza for this jewel in the crown.
A jewel I discovered in a small tavern of the River of Money. A jewel that
sparkled with the following inspirations: -
| 8.0 effective megapixels on 1/1.8" CCD (larger
than FZ20, though smaller than CP5700) |
| 12x stabilised optical zoom equivalent to
35-420mm in 135 format at f2.8 - f3.7 |
| Manual zooming and focusing ring on lens |
| Super hires EVF and 2" swivel LCD monitor |
| and most importantly -
| High speed AF mode (0.3 sec versus 1 sec on
CP5700) |
| Fast startup time (less than 1 sec versus 3 sec
on CP5700) |
| Fast write times, esp. in RAW (3.6 sec versus
22 sec on CP5700) |
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| Unlike the CP5700 that costs me a whopping RM3,500
after fierce bargaining, the FZ30 seemed to welcome me with open arms. It
retailed at RM2,374 and I got it for RM1,999 without even a whiff of
persuasion. Add RM230 for a 80x Transcend 1GB SD memory card, and a spare
FZ20 battery for RM180 (which fits nicely in the FZ30's battery
compartment), I was in nebulous joy. |
| Well, for now, you may partake in a small pleasure
of viewing this jewel in her digital glory, while I shall partake to
acquaint with her luminance more intimately.... |
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Sunpak PZ5000AF
|
On 15th October 2005, I went out shopping
again and this time I purchased a Nikon-mount Sunpak PZ5000 flashgun that
costs me RM750. The main purpose of this device is: -
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To do bounce and swivel flash |
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To conserve energy of FZ30 by using the
external flashgun |
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To use it with my
Nikon CP5700 |
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The PZ5000 is a pretty advanced flashgun.
It has the following features: -
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Onboard processor features "touch
selectable" controls for TTL, Auto Sensor, Power Ratio, Manual, 2nd Curtain
Synch, Multi-flash (strobo) and Wireless Slave function |
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Selector Pad permits easy scrolling
though various functions and operating modes |
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Motor driven zoom head from 28mm to 135mm
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Flash head swivels and tilts for creative
lighting control |
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Large, illuminated LCD panel with "Auto
Off" sleep mode conserves battery power |
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ISO 6-6400 in 1/3 EV steps |
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Power Ratio from 1/1 to 1/64 in 1/3 EV
steps |
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A few simple tests on both the CP5700 and
the FZ30 proved that the Sunpak worked flawlessly. It was easy to set up and
produced natural coloured images. The bounce lighting was even and soft. |
|
The Sunpak is a large unit but did not
feel heavy. It balanced well on the FZ30 although it was oversized on the
CP5700. |
|
I also bought a set of NiMH rechargable
batteries - GP 2500 mAh for use with the flashgun. This costs RM165. It
worked very well with the Sunpak and had a quick recycle time. |
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To protect the FZ30 and its
smaller accessories while carrying it, I bought a
Lowepro
Topload Zoom Mini case. I bargained this down to RM100. It's got a nice
jungle green colour and fits the FZ30 snugly. |
 |
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Lens Accessories
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The CP5700 had superb macro capabilities that the FZ30 couldn't quite
match. To even the odds, on 17th October 2005, I
bought a 55mm
Olympus
MCON-40E macro close-up filter for RM377 which gave a larger
magnification than the CP5700 when the FZ30 is set to 12x zoom. This also gave
a comfortable working range of approximately 30cm from the subject, instead of
5cm when using macro mode on the FZ30 set at its widest angle. |
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To add deeper saturation and less
reflections in my pictures, I bought a 55mm
Hoya Circular
Polarizer which fits on the FZ30 lens perfectly. This costs RM95. |
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