By Theano Nikitas
03/06/2009
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digitalcameras/0,39005881,43812094p,00.htm

The 10-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28's 18x zoom lens (27-486mm equivalent) may seem modest compared with some of the other megazooms on the market, such as the 26x zoom Olympus SP-590UZ. But the FZ28 makes up for these possible perceived shortcomings with a solid feature set which includes manual exposure controls, Panasonic's excellent Mega O.I.S. (optical image stabilization), and a relatively effective intelligent Auto (iA) mode. If you're enticed by the higher image resolution of other superzoom models, you don't necessarily have to be. 10 megapixels can be more than enough resolution to turn out some really nice-size prints.

Design

Like its predecessor, the FZ18, the FZ28 has the standard megazoom look and feel of a digital SLR, but without an interchangeable lens. At 413g, the FZ28 is lighter than the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS. This makes the Panasonic portable enough to carry around all day without feeling any strain. This Lumix measures 117.6 x 75.3 x 88.9, so you won't be able to stash it even in the largest of pockets, but a small camera bag or midsize purse should easily hold the snapper.

While amateurs may experience a learning curve when stepping up to the FZ28 from a point-and-shoot (except when they're using the iA, Program AE or Scene modes), more experienced users will take to the FZ28 easily. Outfitted with plenty of dedicated controls, buttons and dials are logically arranged along the surface of the well-designed and comfortable grip and on the camera's rear panel.

While the silver mode dial is attractive, it's highly reflective. Under sunlight, the individual icons were difficult to see. Fortunately, the modes are visible on the LCD as you cycle through the options.

Above the grip you'll find the mode dial, AF macro focus, and AF/MF buttons as well as the power switch and shutter /zoom lever combo. The silver mode dial looks nice and is packed with options such as iA, Program AE, Aperture priority, Shutter speed priority, Manual, two Custom settings, Movie and Scene (which provides access to the Scene menu). There are also several commonly used scene modes such as Night portrait, Sports, Scenery and Macro which all can be accessed directly from the mode dial. Other scene modes also offer multiple options within the settings. Under Macro, for example, you can choose from Flower, Food, Objects or Creative.

The rear of the camera is well-organized with an EVF/LCD switch, flash open button, AF/AE lock, and a new, helpful record/playback switch. A joystick calls up a quick menu for easy access to most often changed settings.

The four-way controller with a center Set button has a little more depth to it than most. The up arrow, when pressed multiple times, provides access to exposure compensation, bracketing options, and flash output adjustments. To change flash settings, press the right arrow when the flash is popped up. The down arrow can be customized to access ISO, white balance, metering mode, AF mode, intelligent exposure, or as a review button. The left arrow accesses the self-timer that includes a 10-second/three-picture option. The center Set button also calls up the easy-to-navigate main menu.

Features

The FZ28 features a new higher-resolution, 2.7-inch LCD which is slightly larger than the FZ18's 2.5-inch monitor. The screen worked well under most lighting conditions and can be adjusted via three brightness options. The first, Auto Power, automatically adjusts to ambient lighting conditions; Power LCD increases the brightness; and High Angle really pumps up the intensity so you can easily view the display even when the camera is held overhead.

Specification/Model	Lumix DMC-FZ28	Olympus SP-590UZ	Canon PowerShot SX1 IS
Sensor resolution	10 megapixels	12 megapixels	10 megapixels
Dimension/Weight	117.6 x 75.3 x 88.9 mm/370g	110.1 x 89.7 x 91 mm/435g	124 x 88.3 x 86.9 mm/560g
LCD size	2.7-inch	2.7-inch	2.8-inch
Lens/Focal length	18x optical zoom/27mm to 486mm	26x optical zoom/26mm to 676mm	20x optical zoom/28mm to 560mm
Max. video resolution	1,280 x 720 pixels	640 x 480 pixels	1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Image stabilizer	Optical	Sensor shift	Optical
Recorded files	RAW and JPEG	JPEG	RAW and JPEG
Links		Click for more information	Click for full review

The electronic viewfinder is relatively bright and large enough to be useful. It also gains up under low light, although we noticed some distortion around the edges of the EVF. Also, as with all EVFs, the refresh rate lags in low-light conditions. That said, it is still quite usable.

The FZ28 has no hotshoe, but the onboard flash extends far enough to light a subject almost 6m away (using telephoto and auto ISO). A feature we like is the option to adjust the flash output and this megazoom allows up to +/- 2 adjustments in 1/3 steps.

Notable features include 30fps 720p movie recording in clips up to 2GB, which it saves using the Motion JPEG codec as a QuickTime MOV file. You can zoom during capture as well as use the O.I.S. The camera also offers two custom white balance (WB) settings, a Kelvin temperature WB option, and the ability to tweak the white balance by adjusting amber, blue, green, and magenta points. Always a plus is having the option to set a maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed, which earns the FZ28 a few extra points.

Performance And Image Quality

Although it's not the fastest snapper on the market, the FZ28 is fairly zippy for a megazoom and can certainly hold its own against the competition. The Lumix powers on and shoots in 2.3 seconds. It focuses and snaps relatively quickly under good and low-contrast conditions--0.6 second and 0.8 second, respectively. The shot-to-shot time is 1.8 seconds and that is decent, and with the flash used it takes 2.4 seconds, which is pretty typical for this class of camera. While its burst performance may seem fast, it's limited to three shots at full resolution and quality, which makes it less than useful. But we never felt the FZ28 was sluggish, and autofocus felt very responsive in bright light.

The camera's new AF tracking feature worked relatively well as long as the subject was well illuminated and didn't move too quickly. And, of course, Panasonic's optical image stabilizer did a good job when we shot at slower shutter speeds.

Image quality is solid but not outstanding. It produces natural-looking colors (shoot in RAW or use the saturation adjustment to pump up vibrancy if the tones aren't vivid enough for your taste). Exposures are generally even and accurate, especially outdoors. Macro shots are especially sharp, as are those from wide to about the middle of the zoom range. Telephoto shots are a little soft, even at lower ISOs. However, as with many Panasonic cameras, you can see noise artifacts even at its lowest sensitivity of ISO 100, particularly in shadowed areas. In part, this seems to stem from more poorly executed noise suppression in the blue channel than most. There's visible softening as low as ISO 200, and by ISO 800, you lose a significant amount of detail. Sensitivity is best kept at ISO 400 or below, but you'll be able to get decent prints above that setting. Just try to keep the noise reduction setting at low if you want to avoid soft-looking pictures.

Panasonic delivers a solid megazoom in the Lumix DMC-FZ28. Though it's not particularly outstanding in any particular area--its image quality is its weakest link--a well-thought-out and robust feature set plus above-average performance help it rise above much of the competition.