[stuart5]

Hi all....am thinking of upgrading my camera curently a canon ixus(cant remember the model)...but was considering a panasonic fz7...does anyone have this camera or know of another make model along the same specs as fz7 which they would recommend....all makes considered...so come on folk give me some help and advise cheers

[Andy98765]

This may help http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/fz7.html, also click on this link BEST Cameras http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html.

[stuart5]

Thanks for the reply...a very interesting web site....now my brain is in melt down, way too much information

[tontoshorse]

This is a little less technical
http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/digita...ra-reviews.cfm

[Pirate!!]

Ahoy!

I assume that you know that the FZ7 is a prosumer type camera (I have the FZ3 and an Olympus E500 DSLR).

It is pretty much a jack of all trades, going from macro to 12x optical in one lens, which is really great. Coupled with image stabilisation, it does make a pretty decent package.

The only downside is because of the small sensor, they can suffer a tad with 'noise'. This really isn't an issue if you have noise removal software.

PurelyGadgets have a heck of a deal on at present.

That said, there are so many cameras on the market, it would be impossible to recommend one or another. The macro mode on my FZ3 is very very good, and for general photography for a camera with a bunch of bells and whistles will be hard to beat in terms of price and features. The next level up really is a DSLR, but you will need deep pockets.

[stuart5]

Thanks very much

[stuart5]

Thanks All for your feed back and advise.....i have now bought a shiny new FZ7 form purelygadgets.co.uk for an awesome price of £197 delivered....
Also bought a couple of 1GB memory cards from mymemory.co.uk again at an outstanding price....Again thanks everyone

[Pirate!!]

Was it something we said?

Enjoy your camera. It has all the features of a DSLR (except for lens changing). Post some images when you can OK and let us know your opinion of it after you've used it for a while.

One other thing. Search eBay for Panasonic FZ7 battery. Cheap as chips and well worth the investment.

[stuart5]

Thanks Pirate, will post some picks as soon as it arrives, didnt want the, i didnt want the hassle of changing lenses on a DSLR, so that was the best option, i needed something compact with a good zoom that was able to be carried under the seat of my bike or at least in my tank bag (too many bits and the bulk put me off a DSLR at this point.......Cant wait for it to arrive, just checked and its being dispatched WOOHOO..

Am a happy chap...just wish i had ordered earlier this week as am off the NEC for the bike show this week end.

[Pirate!!]

The price just keeps falling. Got yourself a bargain there. If I can be of any further help, just ask. Basic setup would be maximum image size, mode 2 stabilisation, JPEG (unless you prefer TIFF - big MB size), spot metering.

Once you've set it up, it'll be a question of tweaking the other settings to suit you. It has live-view, so if you go into A or M modes, you'll see the effect on the LCD screen (if selected).

It'll be a little learning curve for you until you get the hang of it. Read the manual to familiarise yourself first. If you get stuck, post on the forum or you can PM me. I'm no expert, so other owners may be able to offer assistance if required. Enjoy!

[stuart5]

Camera dispatched, should be here today or tomorrow, thanks Pirate for the setup advise, will give you a shout should i get stuck but am a fairly avid user so hopefully wont be too much of a problem....Just cant wait to get it unboxed...Am really impatient

[Pirate!!]

Originally Posted by stuart5

Camera dispatched, should be here today or tomorrow, thanks Pirate for the setup advise, will give you a shout should i get stuck but am a fairly avid user so hopefully wont be too much of a problem....Just cant wait to get it unboxed...Am really impatient

Here's a little user guide** for the FZ7. Make sure you also follow the links at the bottom of the page as well**.

By the way, the price on the PurelyGadgets website is now £190.95.

[lurcher]

Stuart5,
Did you get the camera and if so can you give any first impressions ?
I am thinking of this model myself.

TIA

I got myself one of these a month or so ago,

Like already mention can get a bit noisey > iso200 but to be honest i very rarely shoot with an iso that high, great quality, good battery life, nice pictures.

Dont know if its the standard but im used to taking pictures 3:2 but this camera uses 4:3 for 6mp 3:2 is 5mp?

But all in its a great piece of kit and I paid the full £299 (maybe 279 can't remember)

So at the cheaper price even more of a bargain!

Lee

[lurcher]

Lee,
Can the camera be fired remotely ?

Julian

[stuart5]

Originally Posted by lurcher

Stuart5,
Did you get the camera and if so can you give any first impressions ?
I am thinking of this model myself.

TIA

Got the camera the other day...but have been working, tried a few shots in the house last night to get the feel for it and so far all is good...am taking it out to a family get together tonight, so will get a better chance to have a play with it....and will hopefully get to use it sunday on my day off....will keep you posted though

[lurcher]

Stuart5,
Thanks for that , going to call in Jessops tomorrow and have a look and see if they will price match.

[lurcher]

Got a FZ7 from Jessops today for £195.

[johndow]

I have just recently taken delivery of an FZ7 also from Purely gadgets (£204). Have it about 3 weeks now, and i am very impressed. I used it at a family (child's) birthday party and after some trial and error i got some fantastic shots. I have kept the iso at 100max and i tend to use program mode for indoors.

I find the exposure compensation for the flash is a brilliant little function. My last camera didn't have this and a lot of shots (close up indoors) were blown out and over exposed.

The feel of the camera is very good, and it is easy to hold (even with big hands). It is light, but has a solid feel to it.

All round a good package, and a very responsive easy to operate menu system. Looking forward to getting some decent shots in the near future.


JD