I to like the camera :)

Though want to get it in my hands and have a go before i buy it.


On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 16:26:32 GMT, Arthur Entlich <artistic@telus.net>
wrote:

>I'm a photographer who has used Nikon SLRs for many years and I have a 
>large collection of Nikon camera bodies and lenses.
>
>I started playing with digital the last year or so, but only with fairly 
>simple cameras to date.  That has convinced me I want to get deeper into 
>digital, but I am not convinced the market is mature yet.  I expect 
>there are still qualitative improvements down the way, and certainly 
>price drops.  As a result, I am not ready to jump into a profession top 
>end camera yet, especially with the depreciation I have witnessed.
>
>However, I have become frustrated by the limitations of the cameras I 
>have been using.  Small zoom range (3x optical) small aperture size 
>(slow lens) no manual focus, poor low light sensitivity, poor flash (no 
>hot shoe) and such.
>
>I swore my next digital camera would be made by a camera company (versus 
>an electronics company) like Nikon, Canon, Fuji, maybe Konica-Minolta or 
>Olympus.  But in looking over what they offer, I find price is too high 
>for where I want to be for the feature set I want. I'm not ready to jump 
>into a SLR at this time considering price.
>
>However, I am looking at the Lumix line up from Panasonic, and these 
>cameras seem to be getting close to what I am looking for.
>
>  What I like:
>
>80 ISO minimum
>Hot shoe
>12x optical  2.8 lens (Leica design)
>image stabilization
>At least a few real knobs and buttons rather than all menu driven
>Nice size LCD, and electronic viewfinder with diopter adjustment
>Manual focus
>size, weight and feel
>SD memory (I already have some from other cameras)
>
>  What I am uncomfortable with:
>
>It's made by Panasonic (?)
>5 MP sensor
>non-articulated LCD screen
>
>
>The main things I am looking for are:
>
>- Clean/noiseless sensor (larger size is better) (lower ISO seems to
>   usually indicate a more sensitive sensor)
>- good optical zoom range with faster lens
>- image stabilization for low light conditions
>- hot shoe
>- manual focus
>- good power usage
>- easy to read display
>
>I would like to find a camera with a slightly higher resolution 6-8 MP 
>if possible.
>
>Pricing in the same area as this Panasonic (about $500-600 US)
>
>Does anyone have any comments about Panasonic as a Camera 
>designer/manufacturer... any experiences with reliability, service, etc?
>How to owners feel about this camera?
>
>Can anyone suggest an alternative camera in about the same price range 
>with similar features?
>
>Your feedback would be most appreciated.
>
>Art