Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10

See:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/fz10_pg5.html

Here's an interesting option for someone who might want to do some casual digital bird photography, with equipment under $600, in a camera weighing only about 20 oz.

With a IMAGE-STABILIZED 12X zoom that tops out an an equivalent FL of 420 mm, this edges into the range useful for bird photography, and even at that level offers f2.8. Of course, this has a SMALL sensor, 1/2.5, barely larger than that found in most pocket 3X cameras, but still that will do some work.

Otherwise the least expensive option would be a digital SLR, body alone $900 to $1500, image stabilized 80-400 or 100-400 zoom doubling that, for a total investment of $2500 to $3.000, and a LOT heavier.

As the lens reported has moderate barrel distortion at the wide angle end, likely the camera might not make a great overall camera, but at the 140-420 EFL where it would be used, it might well be all many folks want or need.

One of the other sites reviewing the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10 notes the availability of:

<>

So the camera equipped with the 1.5X telephoto lens would give an equivalent zoom range of 315-630 mm, which of course is just about right for birds, particularly when equipped with image stabilization. Many people may see this as a reasonable alternative to digiscoping, or perhaps as an alternative to that technique at lower magnifications, and technically, certainly simpler.

I have the 2 megapixel version of this camera. The DMC-FZ1. I really like the lens. Here's a sample.

Attached Image:

I've been waiting on this camera for months. Still waiting. I'm quite anxious to see if it lives up to it's potential. I really like the availability of the teleconvertor lenses. Both the wide, and especially the telephoto convertor, should make a very flexible system. And, in my humble opinion, four mega-pixels is enough for fairly good resolution, especially with image stabilization. Now Panasonic just needs to get on with releasing them. -Kurt Horsley