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

I finally decided to give up my old Minolta 7000i film SLR camera from 1989, but just didn't want to take the D-SLR plunge beyond budget cameras, mostly the cost of camera body, set of several lens and flash unit together is too much. I played around with wife's P&S, but still wanted something with more control. This gives it.

First, my issues - Zoom lense gives a great range but is touchy, sometimes overly fast beyond what slight nudges I want to give to frame a picture/scene.
I don't always trust displayed view for exposure on LCD, especially if auto LCD adjust is on, so I turn auto LCD brightness off and use histogram for better exposure decisions.

Burst mode will racket resolution size down quite a bit. Scenery modes mostly work, sometimes (rarely) needs a little tweaking, but not allowed much leeway.
RAW and RAW+JPEG Saves really take time (almost 2 secs each shot) while JPEG only Saves is much, much faster (less than a sec.)
Manual can be difficult to find things in later, better to go through the manual with camera in your hand and try things as you read.
ISO above 800 can get grainy but acceptable.

Features I'm drawn to - Quick menu joystick is handy when not in auto or scene modes; ability to do RAW if needed; histogram, scene and exposure-sharpness controls, autobracketing

it's not a DSLR, but close on most control abilities.
Video is OK but not the strong point here, camcorder has better controls and capacity.

Update 10/31/08 - I just came back from month-long trip and took over 3000 pics and several dozen videos and want to add further comments.

Battery life - With the camera continually on with 5 min power save, battery life is about 300 pics - roughly 4 to 6 hours as a tourist taking intermittent pictures, so a second battery is needed for a full day shooting. Provided charger is quick, can charge during lunch/dinner if needed.

Videos - Clear Focusing not as good as camcorder, also night video has vertical streak runs based on lighting (in 1 of 4 night videos taken). 8 min video timeout is enough for most of what I shoot.

Photo quality is quite good, extended zoom still needs a steady hand or tripod.

Wish the autofocus was quicker, continous AF helps but battery life is then reduced slighty - approx. 200 pics or more.
Also wish the IA mode saved in RAW.

I still want a DSLR, but this is still a very fine camera and will make a great backup when I get that DSLR later.

At age 71, I finally got to the point where lugging my Nikon DSLR, 3 lenses, flash, batteries, filters, etc. around became just too darn much.
I originally was going to get the Nikon P80, but the reviews on Amazon scared me off of that one! Being a 30+ year Nikon nut, I just could not go to Canon - heresy!
I knew Panasonic made grest consumer stuff and Leica sure knows how to make lenses, so that was my next place to look. I read the Amazon reviews and bought one and love it! Wonderful wide angle lens (like 27 or 28, forget which), fast, sharp pistures and, for me, the ability to shoot in raw fromat.
Unfortunately, Adobe Photoshot Elements does not recognize Panasonic's raw format, so I have to use their supplied software which, it turns out, is pretty darn good. If you shot using jpeg, no problems, use whatever software you do use now.
I'm not a movie guy, but it does a credible jod. You can even shoot in HD ~ if you can figure out how to obtain the required cables from Panasonic to show them on the TV.
Use it as a pint and shoot, use some of the zillions of scene modes or, like me, stick with apeture mode and I think you'll love the results.
Cons:
No external flash. On the other hand, one less thing to drag around.
New software to learn for processing raw files.
Pros:
Light, responsive, excellent quality pictures.
Great price point.
Even comes with a lens hood!
Allows use of 46mm filters (can't live without my circular polarizer!)

Purchased this camera after doing research on super zooms, viewing several models and reading reviews of the Panasonic FZ18 which it replaced. The FZ18 received top super zoom ratings in several reviews. A key factor for me was the 27mm wide angle zoom; I have found 28mm wideangle a very useful feature for family, architecture and landscape pictures on my 35mm SLR. The FZ28 promised improvements to the FZ18 in image processing and high definition video with zoom. I have used the camera for about a month and I am very pleased with its performance. Image stabilization is superb--I have been able to take clear pictures at maximum zoom in low light. Pictures in a variety of lighting conditions have been very pleasing. Resolution is very good. As reviews of FZ18 discussed, the small sensor displays noise in low lighting, high ISO, but I find it not objectionable in pictures that I have taken(family photo album). This camera will replace my 35mm SLR, several lenses for the SLR and a camcorder as a light weight and versatile travel companion. The Silkypix software bundled with the camera is a very capable and easy to use photo enhancement product--there is a bit of learning curve, but after some experimentation and learning I find it easy to use and it has produced excellent results.

this isnt going to be a detailed review, however as a owner of 6 canon powershot cameras including the A640 which I felt was a very good camera, this camera is groovy....yea I am from that era...This camera is lighweight, takes incredible shots, has very fast shutter response, and the Leica lens is fantastic. I particularily like that I can screw a 46mm filter on without adapters, the being able to zoom out further by reducing the megapixels on the fly, and the image stabilization. I have shot over 900 shots in a week and only found 4 bad shots. That is an incredible improvement over my Canons... I was considering the Canon SX10 which my daughter just bought, but I will tell you with side by side comparisons my pictures were truler to color and the clarity was the same.
The only lost was the hot shoe which the Canon has. The Leica lens has better low light capability however. Oh by the way the camera is made in Japan (that is unusual in todays world)Great camera, very happy with it.

After many hours of research and reading many blogs and reviews, I decided this camera was the one for me. I previously owned an Olympus ultra-zoom and knew the ultra-zoom category was where I felt comfortable for an everyday camera. I was looking for a camera that takes SLR quality pictures but is smaller and lighter so I can take it with me in my purse. The FZ28 lives up to the great reviews. I've owned the camera about a month so I will post a more in-depth review in the future. Here are the things I've noticed so far:

(+) Very easy to learn and use, manual was actually very helpful
(+) Intelligent mode is very smart
(+) Takes sharp photos in quick motion
(+) Low noise in my indoor pictures, especially compared to my Olympus
(+) Outstanding quality for the price - most pics rival my dad's D200, I spent $1000 less
(-) I haven't found anything negative about the camera yet

My camera came with a lens cap, lens strap, camera strap, lens hood & adapter ring (for taking pictures in bright sun), battery, USB cable, and AV cables for hooking up to a TV. I purchased it soon after the camera was released in August through Vanns on Amazon. There was a shipping issue with UPS & Vanns was top-notch - their customer service was very helpful and quick to respond to fix the situation.

More in-depth update to come ...