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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 Review

Author	Cliff Smith
Published	22nd Aug 2008
Manufacturer	Panasonic
Price	£252.17 (Exc VAT)
as reviewed	£290.00 (Inc VAT)
Latest Price

Build Quality
Features
Image Quality
Value
Overall

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There have also been several improvements to the FZ28’s performance, primarily the inclusion of the new Venus Engine IV image processor. The camera starts up in less than two seconds, which is exceptionally fast for a big super-zoom camera, and shuts down again just as quickly.

In single shot mode the shot-to-shot cycle time is approximately 1.8 seconds, while in unlimited continuous shooting mode it can maintain just less than two frames a second until the memory card is full. In RAW+JPEG shooting mode it can manage a shot every 3.8 seconds, again maintaining this until the card is full. This is impressive performance, but in fact in all shooting modes the FZ28 is actually slightly slower than the FZ18.

Some things are apparently unchanged, such as the AF system, although since it is already extremely fast and accurate and copes well in low light situations, it clearly wasn’t in need of much improvement.

The lens is also unchanged, but the slightly larger sensor means that its effective focal length has been slightly reduced, from 28-504mm to 27-486mm. To be honest the difference is barely noticeable, but it’s always nice to have a decent wide-angle setting. The optical quality of the lens is extremely high, as befits the Leica brand name which it bears. It produces almost no distortion at any focal length, and is pin-sharp right across the frame with no trace of chromatic aberration. The FZ28 unquestionably has the best lens of any current super-zoom camera.

The upgraded image processing engine has gone some way towards curing the one problem that has always dogged Panasonic’s cameras; that of image noise. Images at 100 and 200 ISO are now noise-free, and 400 ISO, while showing some signs of noise, has noticeably better colour fidelity. 800 and 1600 ISO are also quite noisy and lack fine detail, but the grain of the noise pattern is smoother with better edge definition, and might make slightly better prints.

Shooting with normal settings, exposure metering, white balance and colour rendition are all extremely good, and the overall picture quality is excellent, even more so if you shoot in Raw mode, although unfortunately Adobe Photoshop’s Camera RAW module doesn’t yet recognise the FZ28’s Raw files, so you’ll have to convert them using the supplied software, which is adequate but a little clunky.

Verdict
On paper it looks like the FZ28 is only an incremental upgrade on the FZ18, but an objective analysis can’t convey the overall feel of the camera. Despite the obvious similarities, all the little changes add up to a camera that feels a significantly more accomplished and assured than its predecessor. It responds quickly, focuses accurately, exposes correctly and produces outstanding results, and is generally a very satisfying camera to use. The FZ28 will suit anyone looking for a super-zoom camera, whether they want the creative power of its extensive manual options, or the reliable simplicity of its advanced automatic features. In my opinion it is currently the best all-round super-zoom camera on the market, and will become better value as the price drops over the next few months.

Latest 4 of 140 Comments

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KEITH BLACKWOOD said on 28th June 2009

Just got back from Canada where the camera performed brilliantly, did not get much of a chance to check it out before leaving so had to learn on the move.Only bad shot was in night... more

Milad said on 9th July 2009

Hi everyone,
Last week I bought a FZ28 for about 380 USD here in Iran. For me as a total beginner the camera is perfect. I'm actually just learning and that's whe... more

u.s.s.mitscher said on 17th August 2009

I have been using the FZ28 for almoat a year now. It does everything. Impressive is the movie mode (720P) and viewing on a 50 inch plasma. I take videos at jazz clubs and view t... more

TGS said on 28th August 2009

Many of the comments about the Panasonic DMC-FZ28 seem to be based on assumptions of what to expect from a compact camera because of the relatively small size of the sensor. The size of the sensor can be an issue, but you also need to consider lens quality and the processing software in the camera. These two factors can far outweigh the impact of a relatively small sensor. We bought this camera for our business several months ago after doing extensive research on DSLR and super zoom models. Based on our limited budget (i.e. $560 CDN maximum) we narrowed our selection down to the Nikon D60, Pentax KM and the Pansonic DMC-FZ28 (all are 10 mega pixel cameras). We took an SD chip into a number of retailers and did some test shots of identical subjects. The main use for this camera is to shoot still objects in our mini studio so image quality was our #1 priority. We took some shots of an outdoor brick wall (an ideal subject btw since you can check for barrel distortion and image softening in the corners very easily.) Since we have an HP Z3200 large format printer we were able to take 100% crops from of images from each camera, print them on a 17" x 22" format and compare the printed results. We found that the Panasonic outperformed both the Nikon D60 (with kit lens) and the Pentax KM (with kit lens) with less barrel distortion and almost no loss of image clarity in the corners of shots etc. The jpegs that came off the cameras varied tremendously in terms of size with the Panasonic doing less compression than the other two. The Nikon D60 produced jpegs about 2.4 to 2.6 MB in size, the Pentax KM produced 3.4 to 3.6 MB images and the Panasonic produced 4.8 to 5.1 MB images. The quality of the Leica lens on the Panasonic is simply superb and the macro feature is fantastic. We get excellent images, especially when using a macro tripod in our mini studio. The Venus IV processing engine does a wonderful job and produces excellent quality jpegs. We have shot in RAW and find it easy to use and modify with the provided software. Jpegs produced from RAW are about 11 to 12 MB in size. If you want to get the absolute best results from the Panasonic you will find it is superb when shooting at ISO 100 using the aperature priority setting and shooting at f5.6 to f8. Very crisp, detailed images. The biggest thing to determine before you buy a camera is to clearly identify your needs in terms of use. We bought this camera to shoot primarily close up work in our mini studio, using a tripod, with our objective being outstanding image quality. The Panasonic DMC FZ28 delivers this in spades! We ended purchasing the Panasonic DMC FZ28 on sale for only $370 - about $200 less than either the Nikon D60 or the Pentax KM. Suffice to say it has been an OUTSTANDING investment for our business.

Many of the comments about the Panasonic DMC-FZ28 seem to be based on assumptions of what to expect from a compact camera because of the relatively small size of the sensor. The si... more

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