Name of product:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30Approximate date of purchase:
Sept. 17, 2005My Review
I purchased the DMC-FZ30 in 2005 from buydig.com for $561.00 and have been using it ever since, at least once a week. It has been a very reliable camera for certain usages. Once I figured out its strengths and weaknesses, it has satisfied my urge to buy a true DSLR because it has so many of the same features.
One of the best photographs of my daughter ever taken was the night of her high school graduation at our district high school football stadium. She was sitting on the field. The camera was on a tripod on the very top row of the stands (it's a state of the art brick and cement stadium that seats 25,000, I'm guessing I was almost have a football field away). I was able to zoom in on her face beautifully, under stadium lights. So, as long as the camera is stable (tripoded), this baby can shoot almost anything, given adequate light.
Also, the burst mode outdoors works well as long as the camera is tripoded.
Sunny, daylight, outside photos are a no-brainer and are flawless. Indoor shots in low light -- grainy, not great, always have to edit in PSE or PSP afterwards.
It has been reliable for me and I'll keep until it dies on me. It's been six years so far. I am not a professional photographer or even a technical enthusiast. I'm just a scrapbooking mom, but in 2005 when I bought this, the Nikon and Canon DSLRs were twice the price or higher.
It has full manual modes, which is a plus for those who can use them. I have played a little with them and have gotten some really cool shots of spider webs in sunlight at several feet away without a tripod. Were I proficient in manual photography, I'd be in hog heaven with it.
Camera "pros"
Good battery life, still using original battery after six years.
Awesome outdoor shots on auto and manual.
Burst mode on a tripod works beautifully.
Leica lens
Reliable and sturdy
Great price for the features you get
Camera "cons"
Grainy photos in low or indoor light.
A tripod is needed to get the best photo.
Camera is bulky (but it is a faux-DSLR, so it's not gonna be tiny).
