Panasonic DMC-FZ200

[Salytdog004]

I have all of his tutorials loaded on my iPad so I can refer to them on those quiet sea days.

 

I also take my Mac Air with me with Photoshop and Lightroom loaded. That way I can catalog on the go to save the heartache when I get home. i have Scott Kelby's book on Lightroom 5 so if I want to do some post production and I get stuck, I have an excellent reference manual handy.

 

There is just too much to to learn and my brain is not as effective as it used to be, but this works for me anyway.

 

Cheers

 

Kim

[Pushka]

Same here!

[katie11]

I have all of his tutorials loaded on my iPad so I can refer to them on those quiet sea days.

 

I also take my Mac Air with me with Photoshop and Lightroom loaded. That way I can catalog on the go to save the heartache when I get home. i have Scott Kelby's book on Lightroom 5 so if I want to do some post production and I get stuck, I have an excellent reference manual handy.

 

There is just too much to to learn and my brain is not as effective as it used to be, but this works for me anyway.

 

Cheers

 

Kim

 

I have just bought this camera and have started watching Graham Houghton's u tube tutorials. Are they an app I can download? If not, would you mind telling me how to load them on to my iPad. I find that I need to watch many times for it to sink in. It would be great to refer to them when needed.

I really want to get the most out of this camera.

Thanks Kerry

[c230k]

Here is another great place to get information on the FZ200, or any other camera. It's a forum people all over the world can contribute their input, find it very helpful in reading and answering my questions. This is the web page for the Panasonic camera forum and Fz200.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/1033?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

 

Tom :cool:

[pierces]

Using the auto setting, is there anyone who can help me why some photos turned out like this one

[/img]

 

It is likely that your camera was pointing toward the sun with the bright light hitting the front lens element. Even though the sun was not in the frame, this can cause a sharp drop in contrast and the appearance of haze. A lens hood or even shading the front of the lens from direct sun with your hand can prevent this.

 

This correction was made in Photoshop CC with tools and settings available in Photoshop Elements 14:

 

 

There is life after glare!

 

Dave

Edited October 22, 2015 by pierces

[Salytdog004]

I have just bought this camera and have started watching Graham Houghton's u tube tutorials. Are they an app I can download? If not, would you mind telling me how to load them on to my iPad. I find that I need to watch many times for it to sink in. It would be great to refer to them when needed.

I really want to get the most out of this camera.

Thanks Kerry

 

Hi Kerry

 

I find you tube is the go to location. I have a video converter program that converts you tube clips to MP4 files so search for "video converter you tube to iPad" and choose your method/program. Once i have copied the file to my hard drive I then open iTunes and place them in my movies area. Then it is just a matter of syncing your iPad (make sure that "all movies " is checked). Then your you tube videos are available off line.

 

I am sure there are easier ways to do it but this is how I load them onto my iPad.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers

 

Kim

[katie11]

Hi Kerry

 

I find you tube is the go to location. I have a video converter program that converts you tube clips to MP4 files so search for "video converter you tube to iPad" and choose your method/program. Once i have copied the file to my hard drive I then open iTunes and place them in my movies area. Then it is just a matter of syncing your iPad (make sure that "all movies " is checked). Then your you tube videos are available off line.

 

I am sure there are easier ways to do it but this is how I load them onto my iPad.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers

 

Kim

 

Hi Kim,

Thank you very much for that information. I'll give it a go and let you know the results.

Cheers,

Kerry

[c230k]

This free ebook you can put on Ebooks to read might help, great for a quick reference guide.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3588442

 

Also this web site is a great place for questions and answers about your camera.

 

Tom :cool:

[flatlander321]

I bought an FZ200 about 6 weeks and have been practicing and learning what it can do at a local reservoir. It's a good camera on auto mode and even better if you learn when to use different settings and modes. As mentioned before, Graham Houghton has an e-book, printed book, website, and youtube videos that are helpful to get the most from this camera.

 

The LCD screen can be rotated to almost any direction for unusual photo positions. The screen can also be rotated to face the back of the camera so the LCD is protected; handy! With the electronic view-finder, I don't use the LCD very often, but it is a nice option.

 

I have purchased most of the basic extras like batteries, memory cards, monopod, tripod, carry bag, etc. I will purchase a pack of optech rain-sleeves before our May cruise to Alaska. I also need to buy some kind of lens cleaning equipment.

 

One issue I have found was accidentally hitting the white balance button especially when trying to change camera settings quickly. Per photo forum discussions and solutions, I ordered a lensmate stick-on ring which is designed for a canon camera but works well to shield the white balance button on an FZ200. The cost about $8 shipped, is easy to install, and it solved the issue. It even matches the camera.

 

The lens range from wide angle to zoom is decent and the quality is good. The constant f2.8 aperture is nice when the lighting isn't so good although I use f4 when possible.

I rarely use a flash, but the battery life seems to be very good. With the extra batteries and memory cards, I should be able to take pictures all day with no issues.

Edited November 9, 2015 by flatlander321

[flatlander321]

Photo's taken at a long range can cause a haze look to the picture. I have just bought photoshop 14, which in one click will remove haze from a picture. Just an idea.

 

before:

 

after:

 

Tom :cool:

 

I ordered Photoshop Elements 14 on Saturday. Thanks for mentioning it. I have saved a group of pictures that I know can be great (to me) with some careful touch-up steps. Those will be what I use to learn post processing.

 

There was a good sale on the FZ-300 today at several online camera places. I couldn't resist a new one for $400 shipped. All of my FZ200 accessory items will work with it. The factory warranty can be extended at no cost for an extra 2 years if purchased from an approved dealer before next March. Not sure if I'll keep the FZ-200 as a backup camera or sell it. After today's special pricing, there may be many used FZ200's for sale soon.

[c230k]

Here is a good review comparing the FZ200 vs FZ300.

http://cameradecision.com/compare/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ200-vs-Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ300

 

They still prefer the FZ200

 

Tom :cool:

[Pushka]

I though they preferred the FZ300?

 

Edited November 19, 2015 by Pushka

[c230k]

Sorry A SENIOR MOMENT LOL :cool::cool:

[flatlander321]

I'm planning to keep the FZ-200 as a backup camera for a spring cruise then maybe sell it. The slight loss of value between now and spring is nothing compared to purchasing a replacement camera on the cruise ship.

 

 

There are other changes, but these are my reasons for the purchase of the FZ-300:

 

1) weather-sealing - potentially useful for our upcoming Alaska cruise or very dusty conditions

2) option to highlight over-exposed areas before taking a picture - FZ200 only shows this after taking the picture

3) much improved manual focus options - it actually seems useful now

4) ability to extract 8MP pictures from a 4K video stream - I think it can work like a 24 fps burst mode

5) new 5-axis stabilizer option when shooting non-4K video - might help on a whale watching excursion or from a moving vehicle

6) option to turn off only the horizontal part of the stabilizer for panning shots

7) free 2 year factory warranty extension expires Mar. 2016 and only applies if purchased from an approved dealer. Amazon is not one of them.

8) improved electronic view-finder with a rubber pad on the back

9) a new spot focus mode

10) faster auto-focus

11) as fast as these sold out online yesterday, the next FZ-300 sale price will likely not be any lower than $400 for awhile

12) all of my FZ-200 extras will work on the FZ-300

13) Graham Houghton is making FZ300-related tutorial videos (some up on youtube now)

 

 

Changes that are not important to me, but may be important to others:

 

1) LCD is better and is now a touch screen

2) Wi-fi connection to a tablet or smart phone - use an app to remotely control the camera - might be interesting to play with

3) 4K video - except for extracting 8MP pictures, this is of little interest for now

 

 

Things that are not an improvement, but I bought it anyway:

 

1) shorter battery life

2) a few ounces heavier and slightly larger

3) loss of 5MP 4:3 EZ-zoom mode (only 4:3 options are 12MP, 8MP, and 3MP) - the improved manual focus may make this a non-issue

4) lens hood is a little shorter on the top and bottom petal.

[Pushka]

Sorry A SENIOR MOMENT LOL :cool::cool:

 

 

I had to read it a couple of times too! :eek:

[dileep]

FZ200 on sale for $249.99 at Panasonic today

 

http://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/lumix-point-and-shoot-cameras/DMC-FZ200K.html?SC_MC=EMC_marketo_imaging-camera_deals_product_blackfridaysalesstart_adroll_email&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuKrAZKXonjHpfsX67OsrXKGylMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ASMFiI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFTrHAMaNvy7gNXRk%3D

[dileep]

Bought the ZS50 to replace my old ZS19 POCKET camera.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[c230k]

Panasonic ZS50, good choice, I went with the Sony HX90V. Great to have a small pocket camera that has great range and quality pictures.

Keep posting enjoy your pictures.

Tom :cool:

[c230k]

Anyone change from the FZ200 to the FZ300? Be interesting to hear the difference and is it worth the upgrade.

 

Tom :cool:

[flatlander321]

I'm happy with the FZ300 and have the FZ200 as well. My good/bad list from Nov 19 on this thread is still mostly true. Graham Houton has several youtube videos on the FZ300 now. They are well worth watching if interested in the camera for an upgrade.

 

I'll list some things that I have noticed compared to the FZ200.

 

All FZ200 accessories that I have fit the 300 including a teleconvertor setup.

 

Although the 200 wasn't slow, the autofocus is noticeably faster on the 300. Autofocus then manual focus tweaking works well for something like birds in a tree behind branches. It can be set to highlight the focused areas with blue firinging while you make adjustments.

I use the exposure lock to avoid having to hold the shutter button at half-press while tweaking the focus.

 

One of the new aiming modes shows a horizontal line that rotates and changes color to indicate when the shot will be level. It's helpful for me.

 

The battery life is shorter even when not using the flash or wifi. It's not horrible, but the 200 was like the energizer bunny for battery life.

 

Speaking of Wifi, it does work, but it only connects to a smart phone or tablet running a Panasonic app to control the camera functions. I was using it with an android phone and the app is in the google playstore. This could be perfect for group photos; no timer needed.

 

The 300 is a few ounces heavier and slightly larger. I was handling the 300 for a few minutes this afternoon, then picked up the 200 and it felt noticeably lighter. I'd been using the 300 exclusively for the last month.

 

The 300 camera grip is a bit larger and easier to hold. Also, no more accidentally pressing white balance on the 4-way control with the edge of your palm like on the 200.

 

The lens hood is smaller, but with the hood on backwards for storage, it no longer pinches fingers when turning the camera off. It doesn't block the flash as much either. I'd rather have the larger hood from the 200 for outdoor use, but they are not interchangeable.

 

The FZ300 doesn't have any obvious shiny silver parts and looks more matte black overall. I prefer the look of the 300.

 

The FZ300 has an option to show overexposed areas before taking a photo. I use the feature since I'm guilty of blowing highlights. The downside to exposure compensation close to -2 EV is the viewfinder is also noticably dimmed. That can make it harder to use outdoors. I checked the 200 for confirmation and it does that as well. I had been happily overexposing pictures and didn't notice it. One factor may be that even wearing glasses, I don't touch the back of the viewfinder on the 200 or 300. The tip of my nose touches the back of the closed LCD first. That's why the rubber eyecup on the 300 isn't important to me.

 

I did the 2.0 firmware update on the 300 to get the Post Focus feature. It works. I can extract multiple 8MP pictures with different focus points in the same shot. I don't have the software to combine them yet, but see how that could be useful.

 

The 300 has mechanical and electronic shutter control options. I put it on auto and haven't noticed an issue. It also has a setting for diffraction compensation. Again, I set it on auto.

 

I purchased the FZ300 for $400 new during the one day sale in November. It was worth $400 to me, but no more than that with new FZ200s in the $250 range. The FZ200 is a tough act to follow.

 

Good luck.

Edited December 28, 2015 by flatlander321

[Pushka]

From the Dubai Mall in Dubai.

 

Edited December 31, 2015 by Pushka

[dileep]

I'm happy with the FZ300 and have the FZ200 as well. My good/bad list from Nov 19 on this thread is still mostly true. Graham Houton has several youtube videos on the FZ300 now. They are well worth watching if interested in the camera for an upgrade.

 

I'll list some things that I have noticed compared to the FZ200.

 

All FZ200 accessories that I have fit the 300 including a teleconvertor setup.

 

Although the 200 wasn't slow, the autofocus is noticeably faster on the 300. Autofocus then manual focus tweaking works well for something like birds in a tree behind branches. It can be set to highlight the focused areas with blue firinging while you make adjustments.

I use the exposure lock to avoid having to hold the shutter button at half-press while tweaking the focus.

 

One of the new aiming modes shows a horizontal line that rotates and changes color to indicate when the shot will be level. It's helpful for me.

 

The battery life is shorter even when not using the flash or wifi. It's not horrible, but the 200 was like the energizer bunny for battery life.

 

Speaking of Wifi, it does work, but it only connects to a smart phone or tablet running a Panasonic app to control the camera functions. I was using it with an android phone and the app is in the google playstore. This could be perfect for group photos; no timer needed.

 

The 300 is a few ounces heavier and slightly larger. I was handling the 300 for a few minutes this afternoon, then picked up the 200 and it felt noticeably lighter. I'd been using the 300 exclusively for the last month.

 

The 300 camera grip is a bit larger and easier to hold. Also, no more accidentally pressing white balance on the 4-way control with the edge of your palm like on the 200.

 

The lens hood is smaller, but with the hood on backwards for storage, it no longer pinches fingers when turning the camera off. It doesn't block the flash as much either. I'd rather have the larger hood from the 200 for outdoor use, but they are not interchangeable.

 

The FZ300 doesn't have any obvious shiny silver parts and looks more matte black overall. I prefer the look of the 300.

 

The FZ300 has an option to show overexposed areas before taking a photo. I use the feature since I'm guilty of blowing highlights. The downside to exposure compensation close to -2 EV is the viewfinder is also noticably dimmed. That can make it harder to use outdoors. I checked the 200 for confirmation and it does that as well. I had been happily overexposing pictures and didn't notice it. One factor may be that even wearing glasses, I don't touch the back of the viewfinder on the 200 or 300. The tip of my nose touches the back of the closed LCD first. That's why the rubber eyecup on the 300 isn't important to me.

 

I did the 2.0 firmware update on the 300 to get the Post Focus feature. It works. I can extract multiple 8MP pictures with different focus points in the same shot. I don't have the software to combine them yet, but see how that could be useful.

 

The 300 has mechanical and electronic shutter control options. I put it on auto and haven't noticed an issue. It also has a setting for diffraction compensation. Again, I set it on auto.

 

I purchased the FZ300 for $400 new during the one day sale in November. It was worth $400 to me, but no more than that with new FZ200s in the $250 range. The FZ200 is a tough act to follow.

 

Good luck.

Darn. I missed that $400 sale. Love my FZ200.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[subtchr]

A couple FZ200 shots from my recent work trips:

 

 

 

[flatlander321]

There seems to be a $500 sale for the FZ-300 today. Adorama has a free accessory pack and free shipping included with their $498 price. It has a Lo-pro bag, 16GB mem card, UV lens filter, and a lens cleaning kit. I did not check for deals at other discount camera places. I purchased my FZ-300 in November through Adorama with no problems.

 

http://www.adorama.com/IPCDMCFZ300A.html

 

FYI The FZ-300 (and many other Panasonic brand cameras and lenses, but not the FZ-200) free triple warranty extension expires at the end of March 2016. I filed and received paperwork back from Panasonic about a month later for mine. It extends the FZ-300 warranty from 1 to 3 years. You do have to cut the UPC label from the camera box and send it with the warranty extension form. Make sure you purchase from an authorized dealer listed on the extension form. The link below has all of the offer details and form.

 

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/camera/warranty/panasonic_lumix_extended_warranty_offer_Q2_2015-07-29b.pdf

 

 

After 2 months of weekly use, the FZ-300 is a keeper camera for me. It has enough updates/improvements over the FZ-200, that if I decide to sell a camera after our spring cruise, it will be the FZ-200 on the auction block. Both are definitely going on the cruise.

Edited January 31, 2016 by flatlander321

[c230k]

Thinking of upgrading from the FZ200 to FZ300?

 

Here is a great video on comparing the two.

 

 

Just bought the FZ300 from B&H open box.

 

Tom :cool: