Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1S 2 MP Digital Camera w/12x Optical Zoom (Silver)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1S 2 MP Digital Camera w/12x Optical Zoom (Silver)
Panasonic’s vision of the digital future is driven by the needs and aspirations of its business customers and millions of consumers around the world who use its products every day. The company shares their dream to live a fuller life by providing ways of working smarter and enjoying the rewards of technological advances.The Panasonic DMC-FZ1 will accommodate all your digital-camera needs. This 2-megapixel camera produces sharp, crisp photos up to 8 by 10 inches that can easily be downloaded onto your PC using the USB port. With an amazing 12x optical zoom and an additional 3x digital zoom, capturing shots from great distances is not a problem. The built-in pop-up flash allows for shooting in low-light situations and can be quickly hidden with just a touch of the finger. All your images can be reviewed on the 1.5-inch LCD; menu options that appear onscreen will guide you through the options within the camera. The DMC-FZ1 is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and also comes with a case and software.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars What a great camera for a great price!
I have had this camera for two years now. I have taken many, many great photos with this camera, it’s unbelievable. It seems to do well in almost all conditions.
I uploaded a photo I took of my daughter just last week. The original picture was in color and was fantastic all by itself. I used virtual photographer to improve on it just a little bit by changing it to black and white and putting a soft focus on it.
The very first picture I took with this camera had me hooked. It’s a closeup of my son. I was trying to decide if I should keep the camera or return it for another. Well, that shot alone made me decide to keep it and I am so glad I did.
4 Stars Great camera perhaps even in low light 4.5 stars
I’ll be brief. Megapixels should not be your sole consideration. I have made 8×10 prints of pictures taken (macro and regular settings) with this camera and they are gorgeous and very detailed (I posted the full zoom photo of the truck with the dent and the macro pic of the devil ducks). For family and vacation pix this is exactly what I need. I think the person who wrote that 4×6 prints weren’t good didn’t have the camera set to the highest resolution (it has 3, with the lowest resolution intended for web viewing only).
The low light problem may lie with me as I’ve re-read the manual and now taken a couple good photos in no light with the flash. I set the camera to night rather than normal and the flash and image stabilization did the rest.
The video quality is alright for the occasional e-mail.
As I love the compact size I’m keeping this camera. I was thinking of moving to a used FZ3 as that model is the same size and has the focus-assist for low light, but may hold off for now.
Ideally I’d like a camera this size that could also take decent video with sound occasionally that I could enjoy watching on a TV. This is a little too muddy. BTW, you can watch photos on your TV, but oddly, you can’t transfer pix from your computer onto the camera’s flash card and then use the camera to view them on TV. That would be a nice feature also.
I also wish there was an ISO setting button rather than having to go into the menus, but oh well.
Oh, get a 128MB or better flash card. I only take pix at the highest resolution and then convert to lower for e-mail on my computer.
3 Stars Excellent beginner superzoom camera
I want to just let you know that I am definetely not a pro, but an average person, so that is how I’m writing my review. I got this camera 2 years ago because I wanted a superzoom. Well, with the picture stabilization and the 12X zoom, I got what I wanted, but not much more. If you want to take nature photos, this camera is terrific. If you want to move on to scenery that moves, your going to have to find something else, b/c this camera does not have the shutter speed for it. Also, low light or artificial light does not come out very well either. With flash will look so-so as long as your image is within range, but the background is black. I do love this camera for being easy to use, but I’ve personally grown out of it. The 2 MP is also outdated.
5 Stars Don’t use the auto white balance
After several (mostly outdoor) shots with this camera, I was pleased with the overall performance but puzzled as to why the colors were off. The reason seems to be that the so-called “auto” white balance doesn’t really compensate for the available lighting. My guess is that it is simply a fixed setting based on all possible lighting available on Planet Earth, ergo, only passable for any particular situation. Images taken in sunlight are improved immensely by using that setting, and indoor/mixed light source images should first be set using the manual white balance feature, if possible.
5 Stars One of the best digital cameras ever made!
I’ve had my camera for over a year after picking one up on eBay, and it is the best digital camera I’ve ever used (and I’ve used a lot).
First of all, I totally agree with other reviewers here about how this camera quells the notion that more megapixels is better. I wouldn’t know what to do with them if I had them. This camera consistently produces “film quality” prints. Color saturation and tone are excellent, as well as is sharpness.
Having an image stabilized Leica lens with a 12x zoom is what really sets this camera apart from the competition. You’re never too far away from your subject with this excellent lens.
The lens is only half the story because coupled to it is an equally, fantastic CCD imaging system. The time to turn the camera on, shoot a photo, and store it to memory is the quickest I’ve experienced since my first digital camera: a little Fuji Finepix A101 (which is a simple, point-and-click 2 megapixel camera).
Speaking of my Finepix A101, I’ve taken photos with it and printed off 8 x 10’s that many people would swear was taken with an expensive SLR film camera. To put it bluntly, the quality of the photographer also has a lot to do with what you get from a digital camera. I am an amateur photographer — whatever that means.
Despite the many features of the FZ1, I would recommend it for a beginner, but only if the beginner has already had some experience with film cameras and at least knows how to compose a picture with proper lighting and framing. A few beginners may be intimidated by it, but they shouldn’t be: just put it on the “heart” setting and fire away to your “heart’s” content.
The biggest weakness of ALL digital cameras is flash photography. There is no way the dinky, little flashes that come with them can do a decent job. They all tend to wash out images. Unfortunately, this camera does not have a hot shoe to allow the addition of an external flash. Photos taken with its flash will only be acceptable if there is sufficient ambient light to begin with. My advice is to avoid flash wherever possible: instead, take advantage of its fast lens, set the ISO to 400, and use available lighting.
Low lighting is problematic for the FZ1 as there is no infrared assist. What I do is to either point-and-shoot, and hope for the best, or lock my focus on something bright that is the same distance away as my subject.
Except for those situations where lighting is poor, this camera will take perfectly balanced shots under most lighting conditions. If you have to use flash, well, then, use it.
If you can find a better camera than the FZ1 for the same money, by all means, buy it, but I seriously doubt you will. The FZ1 is as good as it gets!
Filed under: Panasonic Digital Cameras