Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 - First impression

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 is delivered both in black and silver coloured plastic. The finish is fine, but I’m not particularly impressed with the design. Unfortunately, some details give the camera a somewhat ”cheap” look. A shame, really, as the specifications are top ranked and most performances are outstanding.

New zoom
After having used the same 12x Leica zoom since the introduction of the FZ range, Panasonic has done a number of modifications to it for better performance and added comfort. Separate rings for manual zoom and focus, better wide angle and f/11 minimum aperture are welcomed improvements. Simultanuously, Panasonic/Leica have made a new optical construction with aspherical lenses and one lens element of ED glass to achieve better image qualities, yet maintain compact size.

The qualities of the 4x digital zoom was a pleasant surprise. Usually, image quality is considerably reduced from the digital zoom interpolation process. The algorithms used in the LSI Venus Engine II processor controlling the FZ30 achieves image sharpness that is hard to distinguish from images without digital zoom.

Speed
Lumix DMC-FZ30 is a modern camera and works practically as fast as a comparable analogue camera model. As soon as the main switch is activated, it is ready for action. Panasonic claims the startup time is a mere 0.97 seconds, which seems to be right. In practice, it means nothing if the camera is slightly faster or slower than one second. Compared with the former model, the FZ20, which needed roughly five seconds, the difference is formidable.

I also felt the auto focus to be exceptionally fast, both at wide angle and telephoto. Particularly fast is the 1-point and 3-point High Speed AF settings. Then, the LCD image freezes for fraction of a second, but it means little, although it can be a bit annoying with subjects in motion. The response of the shutter release was felt as instantaneous.

Although the new LSI Venus Engine II is faster and has more power, the burst shooting performance is a bit disappointing. Without possibility of scientific measurements, it seems like Panasonic’s own specifications of four images and 3 fps at 8 Mp Fine quality is quite accurate.

Construction
Personally, I was only modestly impressed with the camera design. The right top side of the camera seems unnecessary large, where three small cheap looking buttons are leaving a dull, empty space. In my opinion, the Lumix design department has a lot to learn from more experienced camera constructors. I also think the black version looks more professional than the silver coloured model.

From an esthetical point of view, moving the viewfinder eyepiece to its conventional “pentaprism” position is a definite design improvement. The EVF gave a positive impression in practical use. I had the Canon PowerShot S2 IS with me for comparison and the difference was enormous – in favour of the Lumix FZ30's. This also goes for the LCD screen, which not only is bigger, but also far more user friendly in bright sunshine. The downwards tilt/flip is unusual (Canon and Nikon have screens that flips sideways, Olympus upwards), but I suppose this is a matter of preference and getting used to.

The flash is lowered on top of the “prism housing”. It extends quite far over the lens, making an overhang that is bound to collect dust. Yet another blunder from the design team, I think.

First impression
My main impression of the Lumix DMC-FZ30 is indeed very positive. The body is fairly large (140.8 x 85.5 x 138.1 mm) and quite heavy (740 grams), but it handles well and rests comfortably in the hand. The two rings on the lens barrel gave superb manual control of both zoom and focus, the electronic viewfinder and the large, flexible LCD screen was quite impressive, the menus have large, easy-to-read types and the camera controls are generally well positioned and user friendly. A small exception is made for the main switch, which I found to be too small, cumbersome and “cheap” looking.

The camera used during the press event was an early sample, from a pre-production series. Therefore, it will be unfair to judge and evaluate the camera’s performance to full extent. The exposure metering in my camera was a little unstable, sometimes over exposing high contrast subjects and occasionally with a slight bluish colour cast. I consider this phenomenon to be a random result from an unfinished product.

I found the lens to have more than sufficient resolving power for 8 megapixel resolution, it is sharp and contrasty and f/2.8-3.7 is highly respectable lens speed for a zoom covering 35-420 mm. Adding f/11 as minimum aperture makes the lens extra versatile, particularly for close-ups with only 5cm macro capability. Two meters minimum focusing distance at telephoto is a little disappointing, though.

Unfortunately, time and occasion did not allow me to make a careful study of image noise at various ISO settings, but from the shots I made, the image noise seems to be at the same level as other high quality cameras with comparable image sensors.

Note:
The camera used for this first impression evaluation and the shots below is an early pre-production sample. Panasonic will continue to optimize the camera’s performance until mass production starts.

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Update:
As the camera used during the press event was not a finished sample and the circumstances did not allow comprehensive testing, the images are merely snapshots to judge the camera's automatic performance, handling ease, design and ergonomics. Please do not evaluate the image quality too seriously. Only when a finished camera is available, its real performance may be evaluated in detail.