[Braveheart]

According to the following link, Panasonic has just released three 12X fun zoom cameras, the FZ3, FZ15 and FZ20 at 3MP, 4MP & 5MP selling for U$399, U$499 and U$599.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0407/04072104panasonicfz20.asp

These 3 models replace the FZ1 and FZ10. They have new processor, the Venus II Engine that they claimed to be the "industry-leading release time lag approx. 0.008 sec minimum and a shutter interval* of approx. 0.3 sec".

Looks like interesting cameras and the consumers have many choices in long zoom than say just 12 months ago.

[891111]

Panasonic is a great DC producer. Combined with Leica lens and electronic tech, Lumix is one of the creative product line with high quality.

FZ20真係超正...HAND GRIP改做防滑膠柄同理張光圈快門先決放O係 JOY DIAL到...完全係最體貼既改善...VENUS LSI II唔知表現如何...希望改善下NOISE啦...如果有埋ZOOM RING...大佬LC1都要比下去

冇左ISO 50...感覺都係差D....FLASH唔知有冇改善...LCD咪咁小家啦應該用到2.5吋啦...光圈又係F8.0....硬係唔肯去到F11

希望快D有SAMPLE IMAGE睇

FX7?明車馬同T11拼過...FX7 有 MEGA O.I.S...可能可以WIN個馬NOISE

[deutsch]

1/2.5" CCD is small
and the smallest ISO is 80 comparing with FZ-10 which has 50

looks like FZ20 is a downgrade version of FZ10 except 1mega more pixel~

[Braveheart]

In the other web sites, netters have expected them to keep the CCD at 1/2.5" and an increase of ISO from 50 to 80 in order to accomodate for the increase in 1 MP while still keeping the aperture constant at f2.8 all the way.

What bugs me a bit is that they still keep the LCD at 1.5 in for the FZ3. I thought they can increase it to 1.8 in. And for both FZ3 and FZ20, the maximum shutter speed is only 8 sec. I thought they can top it up a bit to say 15 sec at least for better night scene capture. Hope Panasonic release a free firmware update to increase it up to 30 sec.

The handgrips of FZ3 and FZ20 are much better. I own a FZ1. While it can be held firmly, it is not very comfortable to hold it for a long time for an adult. Now its handgrip is enlarged for and it has another thumb grip at the back. It should feel more comfortable than Canon A70 to hold.

[deutsch]

i believe panasonic is treating their DC as digital product to compete with sony,look at the fx7,it looks like ixus i and the 2.5" LCD is of course following what sony does. i am so disappointed seeing their new DC release

[McDonald]

I'm very interested in the new model FX7 indeed. I want to buy a compact size dc which can be put inside pocket for everyday use for a long time but still can't find a satisfactory one until now. Panasonic is clever and know what users' needs. Image Stabilisation function is very useful for such a small compact size dc and especially when the lens of such small dc are usually having very small aperture. With OIS, I can take indoor photo and night scene more easily without hand shake blurring. In fact, I have also had a look at its former model FX5 before but its photo quality is not up to my standard. The worst is its auto white balance which often gives yellow cast indoors. If you look at the spec of the new FX7, this time Panasonic has added a white balance fine tune function in FX7 which means you can adjust the colour temperature more easily. And it also adds an AF assist lamp which hopefully can improve the AF performance which many users of FX5 blame for. I hope the new Venus Engine II can improve its performance and effectively reduce the noise of the picture too. All the functions and features which FX7 offer are exactly what I'm looking for. Large LCD monitor, smaller physical size, improved operation speed and many newly added features. The only thing I can challenge is the aperture of its lens is too small (only with a maximum of F5 at 105mm) and still don't have A, S and M mode.

[ngwailung]

以下網頁有FZ20的介紹：
http://panasonic.jp/dc/fz20/index.html

以下網頁則有FX7的介紹：
http://panasonic.jp/dc/fx7_2/index.html

網頁中也有幾部機的樣本照片。

FZ20似乎有以下幾點值得留意：

一、以同一塊CCD但是昇級了影像處理器Venus II Engine，將畫質提昇到500萬像素，同時亦大大減少影像處理速度各減低雜訊（網頁如此聲稱），這是最主要的改善之處。

二、像Canon初中階機種一樣加入九點對焦，使用和構圖更加直接。

三、內置閃燈加強火力，由4m加到7m，相信頗大程度上改善了FZ10內閃不足的問題。

四、對焦輔助燈，不過現時並不清楚效果如何。

五、光圈先決、快門先決等使用會比FZ10更方便。

六、加入TIFF格式儲存。

簡言之，FZ20似乎是針對FZ10作出種種改善，但它最大的敗筆，相信就是電池仍是680mA，相信會好快無電！

[Coffre]

Fz 20 可以加一個叫 Remote Shutter (DMW-RS1) 的野，請問係唔係咩呀?

[chickenwing]

AF assist lamp is very useful on FZ20

[891111]

即係E-shutter cable電子快門線，可以防手震，應該即係LC1 PACKING裡面送果條

[Coffre]

Thx 891111

[ngwailung]

有興趣FX7的朋友要留意，它是沒有傳統的光學或電子觀景器的，只能用LCD。這對多數朋友可能沒有影響，不過對部分人來說可能會不習慣。

[a3823]

看過FZ20的相，比我想象中要差！其實我對這機抱有限大期望
不過和NIKON 的相一比下去…銳利度和雜訊真是差幾班。
叫我太失望了…

[stupid_idiot]

To : a3823

do u have the link?? I want to have a look on the photo samples.

Thanks!!

[891111]

http://panasonic.co.jp/pavc/global/lumix/gallery/models/fz20.html

panasonic 既dc通常都有個問題就係比人話noise，noise應該係指d雜色點，但係panasonic出現既色點並不是雜色的，有人話佢好似film機既粒子，我唔清楚film機既粒子係點...所以唔可以考証，你可以睇下lc1同fz20既sample...由其綠色既地方，放大後好易睇佢有好多綠色粒粒，呢d唔知算唔算係noise...我部lc1用iso400出現果d noise就真係雜色既


如果睇fz20第一張大咀鳥就可以睇到佢做左淺境深效果...後面綠色地方係有好多點點...比起其他dc做既淺境深效果係好唔同..其他機可能冇呢d點點..但係你睇到佢既focus位係好結實..冇左d一點點...整体顏色都幾sharp.