The LUMIX DMC-FZ28 digital camera boasts a premium 27mm wide-angle LEICA lens with an 18x optical zoom, ideal for tight indoor shots and long-distance action photos.The 10.1 mega pixel digital camera also features an enhanced Intelligent Auto Mode (iA), with the new AF (auto focus) Tracking function, making it easier for photographers at any level to shoot sharp, well-focused photos, even when the subject is moving making it ideal for action shots.

Product Features

•Intelligent Auto Mode
Helps prevent shootingerrors.
•LEICA DC Vario-Elmarit Lens
27mm wide angle
•720p HD Movie Recording
Shoot beautiful HD motion images.

Product Specs

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28K's Review

digitalcamerareview.com

10/09/08

Glance at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 and unless you know what to look for, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was the previous model – the Lumix FZ18. Visually, the differences between Panasonic's latest camera to bring a stunning 18x zoom lens to the table and its immediate predecessor are remarkably few.

Of course, taking cues from a strong forerunner isn't necessarily a bad thing: the Lumix FZ18 was one of our higher rated ultrazooms, largely on the merits of snappy, responsive performance that made the camera easier to live with for fast-paced shooting than many point-and-shoots. But the FZ28's many resemblances to or direct carry-overs from its predecessor will undoubtedly leave some asking whether there's enough that's new here to keep Panasonic's long-zoom model at the front of the pack.

FEATURES OVERVIEW
The FZ28 updates one of the more generally successful long-zoom cameras of the last few years – Panasonic's popular FZ18. Built around a 10.1 megapixel CCD sensor (versus the FZ18's 8.1 megapixel imager), the FZ28 features a wide-angle 18x Leica lens with similar, though not identical, specs to the unit seen on its predecessor: a wider-than-before 27mm short end expands the FZ28's field of coverage at the expense of a little telephoto reach. As before, the lens is optically stabilized via Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. technology.

Descended from the FZ18, the FZ28 has a strong performance heritage to live up to. To this end, Panasonic has invested obvious resources this time around in the development of new AF technologies for its flagship cameras: first seen on Panasonic's high-end ultracompact, the FX500, AF Tracking allows the FZ28 to lock focus on a particular object or area within the composition frame and hold focus – even if the subject moves or the shot is recomposed. A related system can be used to track faces when shooting with Face Detection AF, even allowing the camera to track faces in profile (though subjects must still look at the camera straight-on to get an initial lock).

As with most ultrazooms, the FZ28 attempts to appeal to a broad range of shooters, from serious amateurs to absolute beginners. The FZ28 offers users seeking more control the complete range of manual exposure modes. For less experienced shutterbugs, a total of 32 scene modes, including Film Grain and Pin Hole settings borrowed from the new LX3, provide a comprehensive list of automatic shooting options.

Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode, which analyzes a scene and automatically selects the best combination of settings via its Intelligent Scene Selector, is also available. The complete range of shooting modes on the FZ28 includes:

* Intelligent Auto (iA): Panasonic's exclusive improvement on conventional auto modes claims to make, as the name suggests, more intelligent exposure choices based on more involved analysis. In practice, the mode tends to work well (and includes such niceties as backlight correction for evening out backlit scenes), serving up generally good images with a highly limited selection of user adjustments.
* Program Mode (P): The FZ28's normal setting is a program auto mode, with adjustments for white balance, sensitivity, and the like available in the quick access and main menus.
* Aperture Priority (A): The photographer selects the lens aperture and the camera selects the correct shutter speed (and ISO if the camera is set to Auto ISO or Intelligent ISO modes).
* Shutter Priority (S): The photographer selects the shutter speed and the camera selects the correct lens aperture (and ISO if the camera is set to Auto ISO or Intelligent ISO modes).
* Manual Mode (M): The photographer selects the proper shutter speed, lens aperture, and ISO for correct exposure.
* Scene: The FZ28 offers a total of 32 scene presets – five on the mode dial, and an additional 27 options in the quick-access Scene menu.
* Custom (C1, C2): The two custom shooting modes allow you to pre-program your favorite or most frequently used camera settings into the camera for quick use.
* Motion Picture: Video at either 24fps or 30fps, from 320x240 to 1280x720 resolutions.

HD video capture is Panasonic's calling card for the fall line; to this end, the FZ28 earns the ability to grab video at up to 1280x720/30 fps. An optional component HD cable allows the camera to be connected to an HDTV to play back movies and display images.

The video looks very good as a rule, and the FZ28 even permits you to use its wide-ranging zoom while filming (though at creeping speeds to limit the amount of zoom noise pick-up). However, scratchy sound from a poorly positioned microphone means that the overall results don't exactly rival a camcorder in terms of quality. In short, the ability to capture 720p video may be appealing, but in light of its obvious limitations compared to even a moderately priced video camera, it's hard to recommend purchasing the FZ28 on the merits of this feature alone.

CONCLUSIONS
In many ways, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 is like a perfectly broken-in baseball glove: most users will find that the camera's functions, features, and form conform perfectly to just about any shooting situation, making it easy to trust the Lumix to haul in great images time after time. Solid performance all around – including some noteworthy improvements to the very good FZ18 platform – make this one of the most balanced ultrazooms we've had the pleasure of shooting with this year. There's enough here to keep serious shooters occupied, but with Panasonic's excellent Intelligent technologies reprised for this model, novice users should be able to quickly intuit their way into consistently good shots as well.

In general, you have to dig fairly deep to find concerns with the FZ28. Some AF weirdness may give potential buyers pause, and the camera could still offer cleaner low-ISO settings and additional high-ISO ones. White balance is rarely spot on – quite possibly the FZ28's most serious concern – and I wish Panasonic would get screen white-out and banding issues sorted. Little of this, however, tends to get in the way of taking just about any kind of shot you can envision.

Overall, the FZ28 sets a very high bar for the next generation of ultrazooms: it's rare that a camera has this much to offer to shooters of widely varying skill levels, and at the end of the day, this versatility will likely make the FZ28 one of the new models to beat in its class.

Pros:

* Wide range of options offer something for everyone
* Sharp, vibrant images
* Cleaner high-sensitivity shooting than the FZ18
* Excellent in-camera JPEG processing options
* Strong battery life numbers
* Extremely solid flash unit

Cons:

* HD video looks better than it sounds
* White balance performance always a bit off
* ISO 1600 still noisy
* Some AF weirdness