Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ200: Great specs for an all-in-one shooting solution
By Paul Carroll - Monday, February 04, 2013 Camera Review| Introduction | Comparisons | Conclusion |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200: Great specification but not the best image quality
With an Overall DxOMark Sensor Score of 37 for the Lumix DMC-FZ200, compared to 40 for its predecessor the FZ150, this latest Panasonic Bridge camera maintains the good image quality of the DMC-FZ line. Despite the slightly lower score than its predecessor a difference of only 3 points equates to less than -1/3 of a Stop overall and in real world terms there’s no difference.
The FZ200 also boasts some impressive specifications, the most notable of which is the fixed f/2.8 maximum aperture. If you’re after a compact style camera for sports and wildlife photography this is significant as it enables you to use lower ISO settings for better quality images when fully zoomed in.
The drawback however is the FZ200’s image quality is really surpassed by both the Canon SX50 HS and Nikon P7700. In the case of the SX50 HS its DxOMark Sensor Score of 47 ranks a full 10 points and +2/3 of a Stop better than the FZ200, which is a little surprising considering both cameras feature the same sized sensor and 12-megapixel resolution. Utilizing a larger 1/1.7-type sensor however it’s no shock that the Nikon P7700 offers the best image quality of the 3 cameras. With a DxOMark Sensor Score of 53 it’s a full 16 points ahead and offers +1 Stop improved image quality over the FZ200.
So the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 bridge camera boasts a top specification but if image quality is more important the Canon SX50 HS or Nikon P7700 both rank higher in the DxOMark Sensor Scores and cost less on the high street, too.
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Added by balanr |
February 07
Really?
We are looking at the FZ200 for 2 reasons. 600mm at f2.8 and 720p at 120fps. Both reasons for bird watching. How does the Nikon compare to that!
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Added by birdlives |
February 18
Re: Really?
Well, yes if you look at the comparison through the rather narrow view of birding watching, the Panasonic has the Nikon beat. But when you are comparing sensor performance and IQ, which is what DxOMark does, the P7700 has a clear advantage. No need to get your feathers ruffled.
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Added by noirist |
February 05
Your tests are absurd
It's absurd to apply the same tests for fixed lens cameras as you use for interchangable lens cameras. For fixed lens cameras, you should provide tests that measure the image quality produced by the sensor and lens together, not just the sensor alone. After all there is no way to change the lens on a fixed lens camera so who cares how well the sensor does by itself?
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Added by BillGeiss |
May 22
Re: Your tests are absurd
I agree since they need to measure the total system to make any valid judgements.
I also wonder why anyone would prefer to look through an electronic viewfinder of 201K which cripples both the Nikon and Canon bridge cameras ? Who can hold a 1,200 mm lens at arms length to compose with the external LCD ? Silly. If you can't see it, how can you photograph it ? Fujifilm Finepix and Panasonic Lumix both provide high resolution eye level viewfinders which are big differentiators in favor of their bridge cameras. Reply |
Further readings for the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ200: Great specs for an all-in-one shooting solution
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