Several readers have been in touch to ask when we'll be reviewing the Panasonic Lumix FZ200. Well, we're currently in the process of writing our full review of this particular camera, but test shots from the FZ200 are already online in the Face-Off.
The FZ200 has one key feature that's got us and our readers pretty excited—lens aperture that remains constant at all focal lengths. It's been a long time since we've seen that in a bridge! The lens is clearly fast, then, but it also boasts a 24x zoom starting at 25 mm! Like the FZ150, this camera uses a "high-sensitivity" MOS sensor, which is very probably a BSI CMOS.
The lens barrel has the same kind of zoom and focusing controls as often seen in camcorders. This should help the FZ200 stand out from other bridges on the market while also bringing general handling closer to an SLR.
So with such an impressive focal range and constant f/2.8 aperture, is quality still up to scratch? A closer look at the test shots shows that the FZ200 generally holds its own. At wide-angle, images are sharp in the middle of the frame and still pretty good quality around the edges (even though they're not quite as contrasted as with the FZ150). At longer focal lengths, image quality is more even over the frame and sharpness levels are up there with the best.
This camera's sensor and image processing systems are lifted straight out of the FZ150, with noise starting to appear at 200 ISO but remaining discreet up to 800 ISO.
Our full review of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 will be coming in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can view and compare test shots from this camera and others in our Face-Off.
The FZ200 has one key feature that's got us and our readers pretty excited—lens aperture that remains constant at all focal lengths. It's been a long time since we've seen that in a bridge! The lens is clearly fast, then, but it also boasts a 24x zoom starting at 25 mm! Like the FZ150, this camera uses a "high-sensitivity" MOS sensor, which is very probably a BSI CMOS.
The lens barrel has the same kind of zoom and focusing controls as often seen in camcorders. This should help the FZ200 stand out from other bridges on the market while also bringing general handling closer to an SLR.
So with such an impressive focal range and constant f/2.8 aperture, is quality still up to scratch? A closer look at the test shots shows that the FZ200 generally holds its own. At wide-angle, images are sharp in the middle of the frame and still pretty good quality around the edges (even though they're not quite as contrasted as with the FZ150). At longer focal lengths, image quality is more even over the frame and sharpness levels are up there with the best.
This camera's sensor and image processing systems are lifted straight out of the FZ150, with noise starting to appear at 200 ISO but remaining discreet up to 800 ISO.
Our full review of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 will be coming in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can view and compare test shots from this camera and others in our Face-Off.
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