As a longtime DSLR user, I’m very familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the latest models. The biggest strength of DSLRs, of course, is image quality. The biggest weakness, in my opinion, is the inconvenience of carrying around a bag of lenses, and having to stop shooting while I change them. So when the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100 came on the market, I was eager to take a look. Here was a 1.2-pound wonder that could do it all. There’s the 24x zoom lens, the equivalent of 25-600 mm. The 3-inch, 460,000-pixel LCD swivels, a big help when shooting full HD video. The 14.1-megapixel CMOS sensor rivals anything in the super-zoom category. I gave a look to other super-zooms on the market. The 10.3-megapixel Fujifilm FinePix HS-10, for example, has a 30x zoom. The 9.1-megapixel Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX1 is no slouch in the zoom department, either, at 20x.
As I pored over the specs for the FZ100, certain other numbers jumped out at me. This camera could shoot an astonishing 11 frames per second at its full resolution of 14.1 megapixels. Moreover, the FZ100 can shoot at a 5 fps clip at full resolution while setting focus, exposure, and white balance for each shot.
As a father who rarely attends his children’s soccer, softball and baseball games without camera in hand, this speedy, responsive performance was music to my ears. I ended up buying an FZ100, and I’ve put it to the test frequently. It’s truly a keeper. The image quality is excellent. Is it the equal of a DSLR for photos taken in lower light at high ISO settings? Not quite, since like all super-zooms it uses a smaller sensor than a DSLR. But the pictures it produces are great – and so is the video. It’s no surprise then, that lately, my DSLR and camcorder have been gathering dust.
