Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: Panasonic rolls out another long-zoom winner with the addition of the powerful, flexible, 18x zoom-equipped Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28.

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

Verdict: 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 ...

Review summary: This 10 megapixel pseudo SLR is the latest iteration of the Panasonic superzoom (Leica-branded lens with 27-486mm focal length) The lens has very effective image stabilisation and is sharp at all focal lengths. The electronic viewfinder is not great ...

Pros: The lens is magnificent. The effectiveness of the image stabilisation is simply sensational - hand-held photos taken at full zoom extension, equivalent to 486mm, are amazingly sharp. Image quality at ISO speeds up to 200 is very good. ISO400 is OK and ...

Cons: Unfortunately if you opt for the Intelligent Auto function you won't know what ISO speeds the camera is choosing until after the event. Auto white balance is poor and the camera is easily fooled under artificial or mixed light sources.

Verdict: This camera is a pleasure to use. The bad old days of intolerable shutter lag in all-in-one superzooms are well behind us - the Panasonic is as responsive as any compact camera. It can't match a true SLR, but it is priced against the low end entry ...

Review summary: With a wealth of superzooms on the market, how does the Panasonic shape up?

Pros: Raw capture, Continuous AF, Fast focusing

Cons: Poor build quality for price, Noise and noise reduction, Fringing

Verdict: Although it doesn't boast the finest handling, isn't the most solidly constructed and is a little expensive, the FZ28 is capable of nice images. Raw capture, fast focusing and an abundance of features make it a good all-round option.

Award: Highly Recommended!

Review summary: The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 is the successor to the popular, one-year-old FZ18 camera. The defining feature of the Panasonic FZ28 is still its massive 18x zoom lens, now equivalent to a slightly wider-angle 27-486mm focal length. The FZ28 is a ...

Review summary: After the triumph of Panasonic's small bridge, the FZ18, its successor has created a lot of expectation. The new model, the FZ28 has just arrived, and it's a camera with similar styling and the same optical zoom capabilities. But has Panasonic ...

Pros: 18x zoom with optical stabilization, - Good quality images up to 400 ISO, - 1 cm macro mode, - HD video at 1280 x 740 pixels, - Practical, useful automatic modes

Cons: Electronic noise handling could be better, - Casing is rather light ; screen too bright, - White balance only perfect after manual adjustment, - RAW mode too slow, - No click wheel access to manual modes

Verdict: – it's now 2.7 inches instead of 2.5, but the resolution of 230 000 pixels has not changed.  The screen is still as bright as was, but difficult to use in bright sunlight, even after adjusting its setting.  The good news is that an electronic ...