Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1

Digital Camera Review

ABOVE: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1 packs the equivalent of a 35-420mm optically stabilized zoom lens into a body that's about half the size of a 35mm SLR. The camera is available in a silver or black finish.

Update (December, 2004):

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1 has been replaced by a line of newer and even better cameras--including the DMC-FZ3, a more responsive 3.1-Megapixel counterpart to the FZ1 with new features such as a two-setting optical stabilizer, more scene modes, and the ability to use aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and manual exposure settings. However, much of the material in the review will still be useful in helping you to decide whether a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ series camera is worth considering.

Most of today’s affordable, point-and-shoot digital cameras are similar in concept: They’re pocket-sized or a little bigger, they have simple (and inaccurate) optical viewfinders, and they come with 3X zoom lenses that are comparable to the lenses found on inexpensive 35mm P&S cameras. So, when Panasonic introduced the Lumix DMC-FZ1 as its flagship point-and-shoot camera for consmers, a lot of people--including journalists--were caught off guard.

Why? Let’s put it this way:

When was the last time you saw a digital or film camera in any price range that offered a monster 12X zoom lens with optical stabilization to minimize lens shake plus a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range?

And here’s the kicker:

The FZ1’s Arnold Schwarzenegger of a lens (designed by Leica, Germany’s most prestigious camera manufacturer) fits into a body as compact as Danny DeVito’s.

So why do you need a 12X zoom lens that goes from wide angle (35mm) to 420mm (the equivalent of those huge telephotos used by photographers of baseball games, elusive celebrities, and grizzly bears)?

Answer: You don’t, but that 12X zoom sure comes in handy when you’re trying to capture the Pope sprinkling holy water from his balcony or your kids waving from a sightseeing platform on the Eiffel Tower. Being able to take that spy-satellite picture on a cloudy or drizzly day, thanks to the f/2.8 lens aperture and camcorder-style optical stablizer, makes the FZ1’s wide-to-hyper-telephoto lens even more appealing.

Next page: How I learned to love the Lumix

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