Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28S 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

I am so glad I ordered this camera online from e-bay.I got a brandnew camera with Panasonic warranty,8 gigs of memory,cleaning kit,and extra battery,a tripod,etc.I had tried 3 models of the sony point and shooters.They were the H2,H7,and the H9.These cameras had some very good features but none of them could produce pictures like this Panasonic DMC-FZ28.With all three of the Sony's, results were varied.Sometimes I could get a great shot and sometimes not, even using the same settings under the same lighting conditions.I am so happy with this camera since I received it via UPS a few days ago,I haven't been able to stop taking pictures.I haven't had one that didn't turn out good.I've only used the IA setting so far but I could use this setting for days and days and never be disappointed.The zoom of 18x is fantastic and the pictures are great when I handhold the camera.I don't notice any blurring, out of focus results.The 10 mp feature is fantastic for blowups.I have blown one of my 10 mp pictures up to 16x20 and it looks so sharp and clear.This camera uses the Leica lens instead of the Carl Zeiss lens that Sony uses.I think the Leica is definately better in my book.I was thinking about buying one of the dslr cameras after the Sony models because of bad results with my shots.I am so glad I gave the Panasonic a try first.It had only been out a couple of weeks when I was able to order it.After having the fz-28, I don't think I'll ever have a need for a dslr.The only slightly negative thing about the dmc-z28 is the fact that the lens adapter doesn't come with the camera and you have to purchase it extra.To me though,this doesn't bother me that much because I know it's really worth it.When that adapter arrives I'll be able to use a polarizer,nd,uv,and other neat filters on the camera.The filter size will be 46mm compared to Sony's proprietory 74mm filter size.Trust me on this.This is the camera you should buy.If you don't love it,I would be very surprised.Panasonic DMC-FZ28K 10MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

I suppose it's best to be very objective when reviewing any camera, but it's really hard when it comes to the Panasonic DMC-FZ28. Getting into the technical aspects is best left to the experts. For people like me, the fun factor is more important, and this camera is FUN! To find a camera that does so much so very well is rare, but this one does - in spades. Features that set this baby apart from others are many and varied, from the incredible optical zoom ratios that can be attained, to the incredibly easy auto features. There are so many things that are right about this camera, that finding foibles or flaws is a real chore. I gave up looking for faults long ago. The camera also comes with some really useful software, such as PhotoFun Studio and Silkypix Developer Studio, for processing RAW shots.

The camera is new, and professional reviews are scarce right now, but when they do come, I'm sure this camera will come out very well indeed. This is a camera for people who want it all in a fairly small, one-piece package. Panasonic has scored a home run with this one.

In conclusion, this kind of review might not be as specific as some would like. But getting into the specifics of this camera would take a whole lot of words. Suffice it to say that if you buy this camera, you will never be sorry you did. It is that good!

I'm not quite sure why there are only 3 reviews for the silver Lumix FZ28 and 22 for the black model at the time of this writing. I debated over which one to get myself and ended up choosing the silver. After looking at both of the models on the Panasonic website, I found that the controls on the back of the silver model are much easier to see. When I got it in the mail and opened it up, I wasn't disappointed. The silver camera is just beautiful! I own a Canon sd870, which I love and keep in my handbag at all times since it is so small. I was in the market for something with more manual control and a greater zoom. I didn't want a DSLR because of the price and having to purchase and carry around additional lenses. This camera fits the bill.I'm not going to repeat all the features that this camera has since they are all listed on this page for you to read for yourself. I love the fact that you can set this camera to IA mode and get great pictures without really having to think about any settings, but you would be doing yourself a disservice to always use this camera that way. I purchased several books here on Amazon about digital photography (The Joy of Digital Photography by Jeff Wignall being one of them) and along with the camera manual, I have learned quite a lot about the many great features this camera has (I have even taken some RAW pictures and then adjusted them using the included software-they came out great). I also invested in a decent tripod - you can get much better shots using the zoom if the camera is steady. The pictures I have been getting with this camera are vibrant and beautiful. There is so much more to this camera than a point and shoot and with so much to still discover about it, I don't see myself getting bored with this camera anytime soon. I highly recommend this camera. Now if I just didn't have to wait another 3 months for my vacation to give it a good workout....

This camera is everything you want in a point and shoot. Closest to a bridge camera I've seen. One drawback is the shutter lag is waaaay to long. The quality of image is a 10. Buy an extra battery (PANASONIC ONLY NOT A LOOK-ALIKE). If you are going to shoot RAW get a 8G SDHC card. Shooting JPEG only using a 4G card gives you 700+ pics. Shooting RAW+JPEG gives you 200!! If you don't know why the FZ28 is a little pricey IT IS THE LEICA OPTICS. The SILKY PICS RAW software is very easy to use. Adobe 6 doesn't recognize the Panasonic format,so you have to develop in SILKY and save as TIF or Jpeg and then reopen the TIF in adobe for any final manipulation. Having a lens hood is a great accessory. ELF has a dioptor contro for adjusting to your own eyesight.
This is the camera to buy! If you can't afford it wait and get the soon to be released (SEPT) Kodak Z1015. It doesn't shoot RAW but, it is a GREAT camera. Check out my website for pics I took with the FZ28 and the Kodak Z812. [...]

I played with all the super zooms for weeks before deciding on the Panasonic. I needed a bridge camera to hold me over until the full frame sensor SLR bodies become more affordable. I am a low and natural light junkie and this is my first digital camera purchase. It's low light, still and video performance is much better than your typical point and shoot which is what I am comparing it to. (That means I can live with it). I've only had it 3 weeks and I am still learning.

Things I like.
-I love this lens! At this price point you will not be able to find a lens anywhere that is this good. This is an enormous zoom range and there is very little distortion or color error at it's zoom extremes. No, it's not perfect, but I think they hit the perfect compromise between cost and performance. If they had tried to stretch this zoom any further, like to say 20X, I think they would have ruined it. Zooms with this range give up a lot and this one gives up as little as possible. To see what I mean, take a sheet of aluminum foil (shiny side up) and crumple it into a ball and lay it in bright, high noon sun. Then photograph it at full zoom and then look at the shot with the 16X digital zoom and you will see very little color. Mostly a little bit of violet or light blue. If I photograph a white bird in bright sun, I get a print of a white bird. I am not suggesting this is APO performance, just that this is a very good lens on a camera that only cost me $257.00. It stands out among it's competitors.

-I like the flash...it's good enough that I don't need or want an external flash. So far the furthest I have tried is 26 feet in a darkened room and it did fine. Some burn out on close up light colored objects but I am still in the learning process. With a partial discharge or used as a fill flash it recycles quickly. (In comparison to its competitors).

-I like having manual controls and the ability to do time exposures. (the limit is 1 minute) And I like the overall flexibility of the programs. I like the Intelligent Auto mode and find it gets it right most of the time. Color balance is great. Shots taken under store, office, and home lighting look just fine. I have not gotten the swing of the aperture and shutter priority modes yet. I am still struggling trying to translate this digital language into the 35mm film language in my head.

-I like the viewfinder and being able to adjust it for my eyes.

-I am impressed with the battery life and like it that the camera came with everything I needed but the SDHC card.

-Overall I like the quality of the video. Units made after July 2008 got an upgraded sound system (according to the insert in box) and my videos can't be played on cameras made before that date. The sound is not great but it's OK. We were on the tarmac at Dekalb Peachtree airport and I was filming the news helicopters coming in at the end of the day. They were about 250 feet away and I could still hear my sons voice and the voice of one of his flight instructors over the sound of the choppers. I did not get to listen to the older version of this camera so I can't make a comment by comparison.

-The speed of the camera...sometimes it's fast as lightning...more on that. I am using a Panasonic class 4 SDHC memory card (minimum recommended speed for HD video). The class 4 card sped up the time between shots quite a bit as compared to the internal memory. So I'm going to order a class 6 card and see if it goes any faster between shots.

-Super light weight. (The Canon was a monster to lug around). I can carry it for hours without issues. Not around my neck but in a jacket pocket or on my hip.

Things I don't like.
-To my dry winter hands it is a little bit too slippery to hold. I wish it had a rubberized body. My perception of the build quality is that if I drop it 4 feet onto concrete I am going to do some serious damage. I would be surprised if it survived. To be fair though, in the past, when I have dropped electronic items, the lighter the object the better it tends to fair. It just feels and looks like hard plastic and not at all like the Canon SX10IS.

-The focusing is maddening at times. Usually it is really fast...and then other times it slowly goes all the way in and then all the way back out before locking. I have not had it long enough to figure out a way around this but it bugs me. I almost bought the Canon SX10IS over it because of this.

-The internal menu screens do not follow a consistent pattern from one program to another so I can spend a lot of time hunting for what I want.

-In the video mode any point of light that is a bit brighter than the back ground will cause a vertical light streak. The landing light on the channel 46 news helicopter caused a vertical streak and it was still daylight. The Christmas tree lights caused vertical streaks in a darkened room. If I brighten the room a bit before filming to eliminate the contrast the streaks disappeared.

-I would have liked a folding LCD screen for when I am holding the camera above my head. The quality of the LCD is just OK by the newest standards.

Summary: I am happy with it and would buy it again. It's a feature rich camera that takes great pictures. (And the video is not to bad). It can't match SLR performance and does not pretend to. Super zooms are a bundle of price/performance/bulk and weight compromises. I could find no other camera that had a zoom with this range, with a lens this clean and fast, in a body this light, with a flash this effective, with such good battery life and with so many useful features, in a package this compact and at this price point. Those features make me willing to put up with some of its fussiness. It is what it is and I like it. And I can tell from the recent upgrades that Panasonic is listening...

UPDATE: 7-23-09 I have found a color that the camera's sensor can't quite reproduce accurately in auto. Home Depot sold a New Guinea Impatiens flower this season (Vigoro brand line) in the color "Crushed Grape" This is a brilliant, glowing, luminescent grape color between violet and purple. I have tried to photograph it in sun, shade and with the flash and the reproduction is always off. Way off. I did not tamper with color saturation to try and fix it since it did not look like a saturation issue.

The included software is not working smoothly with my version of Windows XP and I can't figure out a way to burn photos to a cd.

Still happy with my purchase.