Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35 lens and stabilisation review and tutorial

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35 lens and stabilisation

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35’s banderole affection is its 18x optical zoom, affiliated from its antecedent and carrying an agnate ambit of 27-486mm with a focal arrangement of f2.8-4.4. The absolute focal breadth is 4.8-86.4mm and like its antecedent it boasts absolute accomplished powered zoom increments – we counted over 60 in total. As added manufacturers comedy an ever-increasing numbers-game on super-zoom ranges, it may be atramentous for some to acquisition Panasonic afraid with the aforementioned eyes as a antecedent generation.

But the 18x lens of the FZ28 and the fresh FZ38 / FZ35 is a appropriate aerialist which clashing its abundant best rivals doesn’t lose too abundant adverse aback zoomed-in, and realistically speaking, there’s few who would absolutely acquisition its 27-486mm ambit compositionally restrictive.

When powered-up, the butt extends by 7mm from its housing, with the camera accessible for activity in aloof 1.2 abnormal – about one third quicker than the FZ28. As the camera zooms-in, the butt steadily extends to 25mm from its apartment and you can see how this looks in the photo below, which from top to basal shows the FZ38 / FZ35 switched off, switched on, afresh absolutely zoomed-in.

There’s two altered speeds for the zoom depending on how far you advance the rocker control, and the slower of the two is abundantly quiet for Panasonic to acquiesce it while filming video – and you can see examples in our FZ38 / FZ35 video compilation.

The lens cap works the aforementioned way as its predecessor: a abundant disc which clips assimilate the alien breadth of the lens housing. This agency the cap will block the abutting butt from extending during power-up, at which point the camera asks you to abolish the cap, afresh columnist any key to proceed. It’s not absolutely as acceptable as the cap on the Canon SX20 IS which clips to the extending allocation of its lens, although afresh it is added abundant like a DSLR lens cap.

Panasonic food the FZ38 / FZ35 with an appropriately abundant lens awning which adds 65mm to the breadth of the camera, added than acceleration the breadth of the lens housing. The awning consists of two parts: a artificial arena which screws into the end of the alien lens housing, and the capital awning itself which clips assimilate the arena and advisedly rotates until you about-face a thumbscrew to lock it into position. Already locked-in place, it’s adequately accessible to alleviate the awning and spiral it aback on afresh afterwards accepting to acclimatize the rotation.

By not abridgement into position though, the FZ38 / FZ35 already afresh runs the accident of not accepting its awning orientated accurately and causing vignetting at advanced bend as a consequence. We’ve absolutely apparent several bodies authoritative this aberration with its predecessor, so it’s account watching out for. Panasonic sticks a apprehension on the awning admonishing it should be acclimated in the absolute position, but it would be easier if it aloof clicked into abode like best DSLR lens hoods – or absolutely that of its capital rival, the Canon SX20 IS.

It should additionally be acclaimed that clashing the Canon, the FZ38 / FZ35’s lens awning is too ample to be antipodal over the lens apartment for transportation, so it’ll be addition account to backpack about and possibly lose. While it’s appetizing to leave it at home though, we’d acclaim demography it with you as on several occasions our FZ38 / FZ35 suffered from blaze due to devious sunlight.

The abutting absorption ambit in macro access is aloof 1cm, which may not bout the aught cm ambit of the Canon SX20 IS, but in activated agreement both cameras can get acutely abutting to their subjects. At such abutting ambit though, it’s adamantine not to casting shadows, and the images can additionally ache from arresting geometric baloney and abatement in the corners. We begin we could about bout the aforementioned reproduction by affective aback a few cm and zooming the lens to about two-times, at which point the acreage became abundant adulate and beneath distorted, with beneath lighting problems too. You can see an archetype in our FZ38 / FZ35 Gallery.

The best absorbing aspect of the FZ38 / FZ35’s lens admitting is of advance its optical zoom range, which takes you from appropriate wide-angle to super-telephoto coverage. As mentioned above, it may now assume about ‘short’ compared to the longest of its rivals, like the 26x of the Olympus SP-590UZ, but it charcoal a ample ambit to acquire at your auctioning which should awning best situations.

To allegorize the FZ38 / FZ35’s advantage we army it on a tripod and attempt the aforementioned arena absolutely zoomed-out, afresh absolutely zoomed-in. We afresh attempt the aforementioned arena from the aforementioned position application its accomplished rival, the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS which is able a hardly best 20x zoom with an agnate ambit of 28-560mm.

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Panasonic Lumix FZ38 / FZ35 advantage wide

Above you can see examples of both cameras absolutely zoomed out. Panasonic quotes the FZ38 / FZ35 as accepting 27mm agnate advantage to the SX20 IS’s 28mm, but as you can see actuality they’re about carrying identical fields of view. But the important affair is they’re both alms accurate advanced bend coverage.

Panasonic Lumix FZ38 / FZ35 advantage tele

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS advantage tele

Above are examples taken with anniversary camera absolutely zoomed-into their best focal lengths. The 560mm agnate of the Canon SX20 IS is acutely capturing a tighter acreage of appearance than the 486mm of the Panasonic FZ38 / FZ35, but in convenance it may not attending as abundant as the 74mm aberration implies aback accounting down.

So while the SX20 IS beats the Panasonic in agreement of all-embracing coverage, the examples aloft allegorize there’s not a abundant accord in it – absolutely we wouldn’t acquire the SX20 IS over the FZ38 / FZ35 based on ambit alone. Both cameras activity acutely ample zoom ranges which activity amazing opportunities in practice, and you can see some examples of how you adeptness use them in our Gallery. To see how the affection of anniversary compares aback absolutely zoomed-in, analysis out our aboriginal After-effects page.

If the added adeptness of the Canon sounds tempting, but you adopt the Panasonic, afresh you may be absorbed in the alternative DMW-LT55 lens advocate which multiplies the ambit by 1.7 times to bear a best agnate focal breadth of 826mm. Alternatively the alternative DMW-LC55 improves the camera’s close-up capabilities.

Both converters arise assimilate the FZ38 / FZ35 via the alternative DMW-LA3 lens adapter which screws assimilate the end of the capital lens housing; like added lens converters, they’ll decidedly access the admeasurement and weight of the camera, but at atomic the option’s there.

You can additionally spiral filters into the end of the extending lens barrel. Panasonic offers the DMW-LMC46 cellophane filter, DMW-LND46 Neutral Density clarify (3 stop reduction) or the DMW-LPL46 polarizer. The cilia measures 46mm, but we didn’t try it with third-party filters.

Finally, a quick agenda on aperture. The FZ38 / FZ35 has a focal arrangement of f2.8~4.4, compared to f2.8~5.7 on the SX20 IS. While the Canon is optically slower aback zoomed-in, due in allotment to its best focal length, it’s advantageous to analyze the credibility in the ambit breadth the best breach changes.

The FZ38 / FZ35 alone offers its brightest f2.8 breach amid 28 and 34mm. F3.0 kicks-in amid 34 and 48mm, followed by f3.2 amid 48 and 65mm. Next comes f3.4 amid 65 and 98mm, followed by f3.6 amid 98 and 155mm. Afterwards this comes f3.7 which operates amid a best ambit of 155 and 414mm, followed by f3.8 amid 414 and 452mm. F4.0 kicks-in at 452mm up to 461mm, afterwards which it’s f4.4 up to the best agnate focal breadth of 486mm.

It’s absolute to analyze portions of this ambit with the SX20 IS. For archetype amid 155 and 414mm, the FZ38 / FZ35 offers a best breach of f3.7, while the SX20 IS operates about one stop slower with a best of f5.0 amid 168 and 560mm. Aback the SX20 IS operates at f5.7 for the final 100mm of its range, the FZ38 / FZ35 is about 2/3 of a stop faster aback both are set to the Panasonic’s longest focal breadth of 486mm. So the FZ38 / FZ35 absolutely has light-gathering advantages over its rival, although as apparent in our after-effects and arcade pages, its Program band does acquire a addiction of selecting abate apertures rather than quicker bang speeds beneath ablaze conditions.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35 angel stabilisation

Like all Lumix compacts, the Panasonic Lumix FZ38 / FZ35 appearance optical angel stabilisation (OIS) which adjusts a lens to annul for camera shake. Panasonic does about affirmation it’s now alert as able as the beforehand FZ28, and as such has renamed it from Mega OIS to Adeptness OIS.

Like its antecedent though, there’s still the aforementioned options: Access 1 applies stabilisation constantly, while Access 2 alone applies the stabilisation as you booty the picture. An added Auto advantage switches amid Access 2 aback zoomed-out and Access 1 aback zoomed-in.

Mode 2 has the abeyant to be added able aback the arrangement consistently starts from a axial position, although the downside is not seeing the abating stabilised aftereffect as you compose the angel – that’s why the Auto access evidently opts for Access 1 aback zoomed-in as while it may not potentially be as effective, at atomic you can calmly anatomy your shot. Agenda OIS is additionally accessible aback recording movies, but alone in Access 1.

Panasonic Lumix FZ38 / FZ35

OIS off

Alongside are 100% crops from images taken with the FZ38 / FZ35 zoomed-into its best agnate focal breadth of 486mm, breadth acceptable accurate admonition would acclaim a bang acceleration of about 1/500 to abstain camera shake.

The examples were taken at a abundant slower bang acceleration of 1/30, and unsurprisingly the first, afterwards stabilisation, is absolute shaky; absolutely we appropriate the recommended 1/500 acknowledgment for a absolutely aciculate result. The two samples taken with stabilisation enabled are about about 100% sharp, although interestingly Access 1 has accurate added able of the two actuality – while additionally accouterment a reassuringly abiding appearance while composing.

So in the tests above, Access 1 delivered four stops of advantage over both acceptable acumen and what we absolutely bare afterwards stabilisation; this makes it one stop added able than the beforehand FZ28 in our tests, acknowledging Panasonic’s claims of improvement.

It’s absolutely a absolute absorbing arrangement in use, carrying a reassuringly stabilised appearance as you compose at aerial magnification, and ensuring the final angel is shake-free at about apathetic bang speeds. We additionally begin the stabilisation absolute able aback filming videos, although as usual, animadversion bound can account the arrangement to jerk a little.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35 focusing

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The Panasonic Lumix FZ38 / FZ35 offers a advanced array of AF modes and the aggregation claims AF acceleration is now alert as fast as its predecessor. In agreement of AF modes, there’s Face Detection, AF Tracking (which follows a accountable of your choice), Multi-area (which uses either the abounding 11 areas or one of bristles benumbed groups to lock assimilate capacity aloft the frame), Single-Area Aerial Acceleration (which bound focuses on the accountable in the centre of the frame), Single-Area (which does the aforementioned but added slowly), and Spot absorption (which added anchorage the alive breadth in the middle). These modes acquiesce you to acquire a antithesis amid the cardinal of absorption areas and the acceleration of operation – accessible for times aback you allegation quicker response, but from added anticipated areas.

The FZ38 / FZ35 additionally offers Pre-AF options which can be set to either focus continuously, or focus aback the camera detects basal shake, acceptance alike quicker acknowledgment aback you half-press the bang release. Connected AF is additionally accessible in the cine mode, and all-important if you’re zooming the lens or appetite a accountable in motion to abide sharp.

The AF Tracking advantage shows a cross-hair in the average of the awning which should be placed over the ambition accountable by pointing the camera at it. Afresh aback you’re ready, columnist the AF / AE lock button and already the FZ38 / FZ35 locks assimilate the accountable it’ll clue it absolutely finer about the anatomy or as it changes ambit – already running, it works a little like face detection, but for any affectionate of object.

Speaking of face detection, the FZ38 / FZ35 will announce the primary accountable with a blooming frame, automatically adjusting the focus and acknowledgment as required; added faces are adumbrated by white frames. Like its predecessor, the FZ38 / FZ35’s face apprehension formed able-bodied beneath a array of altitude and additionally locked-onto capacity alike aback they were about in abounding profile. It’s activated automatically in the Portrait arena presets or aback the Intelligent Auto access spots a person. Alternatively you can manually baddest it from the Q.Menu or the capital agenda arrangement aback cutting in any added access if desired.

Panasonic’s fabricated adventurous claims about acceleration the acceleration of the AF over its predecessor, and while we don’t acquire side-by-side timings to affirm the absolute figures, it absolutely acquainted acutely quicker in accepted use. Whether zoomed-out or zoomed-in, the FZ38 / FZ35 airtight best capacity into focus about immediately, which in about-face benefitted all the AF modes including face detection. In side-by-side tests, the AF additionally acquainted fractionally quicker than Canon’s SX20 IS.

The Pre AF access helps by starting the AF activity afore you alike columnist the bang absolution button, acceptance the camera to focus on the primary accountable while you’re framing the shot. This is of advance no altered to absolute (and power-hungry) connected cutting modes, but the able allotment about Panasonic’s arrangement is the absence Q-AF advantage alone starts the AF activity aback you’re absolutely lining-up your shot, by barometer bargain wobbling. This in about-face gives you the acceleration advantage of connected shooting, afterwards the connected adeptness drain.

Pushing the AF / Macro / MF button on the top of the camera allows you to about-face amid accustomed AF, two Macro modes and chiral focusing. With MF selected, you can advance the joystick up and bottomward to acclimatize the absorption distance; this is adumbrated on-screen by a calibration with a chicken bar apery the abyss of acreage at the accepted aperture.

While manually focusing, the FZ38 / FZ35 can affectation an continued allocation for assistance; a agenda advantage allows this continued breadth to either absorb a window in the average of the screen, or briefly ample it entirely. You can additionally acclimatize the position of the breadth to be continued if required.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35 sensor and processing

The Lumix FZ38 / FZ35 is able with an 12.1 Megapixel CCD sensor, which measures 1 /2.33in and generates images with a built-in 4:3 aspect arrangement and a best resolution of 4000×3000 pixels. As before, there’s the best of bristles lower resolutions, forth with circumscribed 3:2 or 16:9 modes, anniversary in the best of four resolutions. Images can be recorded in Accomplished or Accepted JPEG quality, or as a RAW file; alternatively you can almanac a RAW book and a Accomplished JPEG together. Agenda connected cutting is disabled aback RAW is selected.

RAW recording is a key advantage the FZ38 / FZ35 continues to acquire over its accomplished battling from Canon. In Canon’s ‘wisdom’, the alone non-DSLRs in its ambit with RAW accessories are the PowerShot G11 and SX1 IS, so this somewhat bound access allows added manufacturers to booty a advance in this respect. Panasonic food SilkyPixcomputer application for converting RAW files and you can see examples compared to in-camera JPEGs in our after-effects pages.

The FZ38 / FZ35’s sensor gives the camera two added Megapixels over its predecessor, acceptance prints to be fabricated at 13.3x10in at 300 dpi – that’s an added inch taller than before. The sensor is about the aforementioned admeasurement as before, so the pixels are packed-in added deeply arch to apropos over babble – see our after-effects pages for a abounding report, although agenda Canon’s PowerShot SX20 IS additionally employs a 12.1 Megapixel / 1/ 2.3in sensor.

Best affection 12M Accomplished JPEGs about admeasurement amid 4.5 and 6MB each, while RAW files admeasurement about 14MB each; Panasonic has able the FZ38 / FZ35 with 40MB of centralized anamnesis to get you started – that’s 10MB beneath than the FZ28, but in either case, you’ll still appetite to fit a nice big SD agenda eventually rather than later. The sensor resolution of the SX20 IS is identical, but to see how their absolute adeptness compared in practice, see our after-effects pages.

The acuteness at abounding resolution runs from 80 to 1600 ISO, while the Aerial Acuteness preset operates at 1600, 3200 or 6400 ISO depending on the conditions, admitting at a abundantly bargain resolution of 3 Megapixels and with cogent angel processing. You can see samples application the complete ambit of abounding resolution sensitivities on our FZ38 / FZ35 Aerial ISO Babble after-effects page.

Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation and Babble Abridgement are activated application the aforementioned Account Adjustments agenda as afore – Panasonic’s resisted the allurement to accouter the FZ38 / FZ35 with the Film Modes of the LX3 and GH1. So like the FZ28, you acquire bristles settings for anniversary on a calibration of -2 to +2. Aught is called by absence for each, and like the FZ28, this will aftermath consumer-friendly photos out of the camera, although as you’ll see in our After-effects and Arcade pages, there’s arresting babble artefacts from 200 ISO upwards.

There’s additionally a alternative of colour furnishings to acquire from: off, atramentous and white, sepia, air-conditioned and warm. Forth with a array of white antithesis presets are two custom modes and the adeptness to access a colour temperature via an on-screen scale; there’s additionally white antithesis acclimation options.

Intelligent Acknowledgment (which can acclimatize the adverse to antithesis scenes with extremes of brightness) can be activated manually with the best of three levels, although we didn’t apprehension any aberration with our accepted calm Church attempt absolute aphotic atramentous ceilings and blithely backlit windows.

There is at atomic one angel processing ambush performed by the FZ38 / FZ35 admitting that’s absolute effective. One glance at our aboriginal after-effects folio reveals images absolutely beggared of coloured fringing, which attending absolute absorbing alongside those from the Canon SX20 IS. The abridgement of fringing isn’t bottomward to aloft eyes though, but in-camera alteration to JPEGs. If you appraise RAW files with alteration disabled, you can see the FZ38 / FZ35 suffers from coloured fringing to almost the aforementioned amount as the Canon SX20 IS. So while the FZ38 / FZ35’s eyes aren’t better-corrected than the SX20 IS in this respect, the in-camera alteration (like its predecessor) does a abundant job – abashment Canon didn’t accommodate a agnate ability on the SX20 IS, and of advance its abridgement of RAW files banned your options. PS – there’s additionally a fresh Aerial Dynamic arena preset which we’ve covered in the Design page.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35 cine mode

The FZ38 / FZ35 appearance 720p HD video recording like its predecessor, but now adds chiral ascendancy over exposures, stereo sound, a committed almanac button and the best of encoding formats. As afore you can optically zoom while filming, but you still can’t booty photos afterwards endlessly the recording.

The beforehand Lumix FZ28 alone recorded its video in the Motion JPEG format. Now afterward the TZ7 / ZS3 compact, the FZ38 / FZ35 offers the best of encoding 720p HD movies in either Motion JPEG or ‘AVCHD Lite’ – the closing is the aforementioned as the AVCHD architecture alive by best HD camcorders, but alone operating at 720p.

With the camera set to Motion JPEG, you acquire the aforementioned four affection choices as before: HD (1280×720 / 16:9), WVGA (848×480 / 16:9), VGA (640×480 / 4:3) and QVGA (320×240 / 4:3), all recorded at 30fps.

Switch to AVCHD Lite access and the resolution is anchored at 720p (1280×720 / 16:9), but with the best of three compression settings: SH (17Mbit/s), H (13Mbit/s) or L (9Mbit/s). If you acquire a ‘PAL’ archetypal (Europe / Aus / NZ), the sensor outputs 25fps and the AVCHD files are recorded at 50p. If you acquire an ‘NTSC’ archetypal (North America), the sensor outputs 30fps and the AVCHD files are recorded at 60p.

Keeping the old architecture as an advantage alongside the fresh seems a little odd at first, abnormally with rivals like Canon authoritative a broad about-face from Motion JPEG to H.264 with its most recent DIGIC 4 models. But Panasonic argues both formats acquire their advantages: AVCHD is added efficient, extending recording times in the aforementioned memory, while accordant Viera TVs can additionally comedy agreeable anon from SD cards. In contrast, Motion JPEG may absorb your anamnesis agenda quicker, but it’s abundant quicker and easier to play, adapt or recompress on your computer.

To put them in perspective, we filmed the aforementioned 46 additional arrangement moments afar with both formats, with the 17Mbit AVCHD Lite and Motion JPEG versions barometer about 72MB and 172MB respectively, admitting carrying almost the aforementioned angel quality. We afresh alien both clips into Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, and accepted the Motion JPEG adaptation was abundant added acknowledging aback ablution or alteration than the one application AVCHD.

There is about addition key advantage to application AVCHD aloft abate files. Motion JPEG files on the FZ38 / FZ35 are belted to 2GB in size, which banned HD recording to about 8 account and 20 seconds. In contrast, switching to the AVCHD Lite access allows you to accumulate recording ceaseless until you run out of memory. Fit an 8GB agenda and you could almanac for an hour in the best affection setting.

We accepted this by application the FZ38 / FZ35 as a advancement camera during an account with able columnist Chase Jarvis. Set to the best affection SH access in AVCHD Lite, the camera appropriately recorded continuously for 45 account afterwards issue. Already the book alcove 4GB in size, addition begins, but during playback, there is no interruption. As a sidenote, to accomplish alteration of this book easier, we recaptured the recording in Motion JPEG over HDMI application a Atramentous Magic Intensity Pro card. Impressively alike afterwards recording for 45 account and afresh replaying the absolute book in real-time, the array still appear two-thirds allegation remaining.

There is about one important admonition for the European Lumix FZ38 version, which has a best recording time of 29 account and 59 abnormal per book to accede with tax regulations. But that’s still abundant best than the 8 minute best of Motion JPEG.

Another aberration account acquainted amid the two formats is their breadth on the agenda itself. Motion JPEG ‘MOV’ files may be begin alongside your still photos in the DCIM folder, but the AVCHD ‘MTS’ files are alive abroad in assorted nested folders which alpha with one unhelpfully labelled PRIVATE on your card. This is to ensure affinity with Panasonic’s TVs, and to comedy them on your computer, artlessly point yourcomputer application at this binder and it’ll assignment out the rest; we had no issues arena aback in Cyberlink’s PowerDVD 8 which ‘saw’ them as a Blu-Ray disc, or breach them anon into VLC Player. Either way, aloof bethink to archetype the MTS files out of this binder afore reformatting your card.

One final agenda on MTS – it may be accepted for Panasonic’s AVCHD cameras, but abounding programs and casework are not compatible. For archetype at the time of writing, Vimeo wouldn’t acquire MTS files in their built-in format. So if you intend to adapt AVCHD footage from the FZ38 / FZ35, ensure yourcomputer application is either natively accordant with MTS files, or you acquire some agency to catechumen or anamnesis them aboriginal – or artlessly almanac in Motion JPEG instead. We acclimated Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 to natively adapt the MTS files for our video compilation; the book beneath was recorded in Motion JPEG for affinity with Vimeo.

As mentioned at the start, the FZ38 / FZ35 now additionally boasts stereo microphones and (following Canon’s super-zooms) a fresh committed almanac button on the rear, which calmly allows you to alpha cutting video behindhand of your accepted mode.

16:9 framing guides (which dim the portions aloft and beneath the alive area) can be enabled for video, but if they’re disabled, afresh you’ll acquire to alpha filming afore you’ll see absolutely what area’s actuality captured.

The barring is aback you about-face the punch to the fresh Creative Cine mode. This automatically blacks out the top and basal of the awning (for 16:9 framing), but added chiefly afresh asks if you’d like to shoot in Program, Aperture, Bang Antecedence or abounding Manual. That’s right, like the Lumix GH1, the FZ38 / FZ35 lets you set the breach and bang acceleration for video, although like that camera, you’ll allegation to acquire the access on-screen rather than with the capital dial.

Manual ascendancy over exposures for video is a key advantage the FZ38 / FZ35 has over the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, but it comes with the aforementioned caveats as cutting stills with. Cameras with baby sensors and abbreviate absolute focal lengths acquire an inherently ample depth-of-field, authoritative it adamantine to bandy the accomplishments out of focus alike with the aboriginal f-number. This appropriately applies for video, so alike admitting the FZ38 / FZ35 will let you acclimatize the f-number, don’t apprehend miracles. As with stills, you’ll allegation to either absolutely zoom the lens in, or get absolute abutting to your accountable to accomplish any abashing effect. That said, we’re still admiring Panasonic included the ability here, as if annihilation else, it lets you grossly beneath or over-expose if desired.

In agreement of angel quality, both the AVCHD and Motion JPEG modes alpha with the aforementioned raw abstracts stream, and end up recording almost the aforementioned amount of detail.

Both are adequately apple-pie and noise-free beneath acceptable light, but absolutely heavily candy with arguably added cutting and adverse than all-important – but in an adverse about-face from the TZ7 / ZS3, it’s the AVCHD Lite access that’s the hardly softer and added aseptic of the two here. The blow apparent actuality was recorded in Motion JPEG for affinity with our video host, Vimeo, and registered associates can download the aboriginal book for afterpiece assay here. You can download a blow taken moments afar with the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS for allegory here.

In our tests, the FZ38 / FZ35 managed to break focused during video sequences afterwards abounding issues, and alone searched briefly aback zooming all the way in or out. So all-in-all, a acceptable innings from the most recent Panasonic, although as always, if video is your cardinal one priority, a committed HD camcorder will be a aloft choice.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35 drive modes

The Panasonic Lumix FZ38 / FZ35 offers two altered connected cutting options. Aboriginal is the accustomed access access accessible by acute the Access / Trash button in the basal appropriate bend of the body. This can abduction up to three accomplished or bristles accepted affection JPEG images at a amount of about 2.3fps. Agenda the beforehand ‘unlimited’ advantage of the FZ28 which accursed at a slower amount until you ran out of anamnesis is no best available, and like that model, there’s additionally no connected cutting in RAW.

With the FZ38 / FZ35 set to 12M Accomplished access and able with a Lexar Able 8GB SDHC card, we fired-off three Accomplished frames in 1.2 seconds, agnate to 2.5fps.

The additional connected cutting advantage employs the Aerial Acceleration Access arena preset which reduces the resolution to 3, 2.5 or 2 Megapixels (at 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 aspect ratios respectively) and the compression to Standard, but allows you to shoot up to 100 images at about 6fps (in Angel Priority), or 10fps (in Acceleration Priority); agenda college sensitivities of about 800 ISO are acclimated in this mode. In Acceleration Priority, we fired-off 44 shots in bristles seconds, agnate to a amount of 8.8ps.

The accustomed Access and Aerial Acceleration Access preset modes both absorb compromises, either in absolute frames or resolution respectively, but are arguably added advantageous alternatives to the infinite, but apathetic connected amount of the Canon SX20 IS which plods forth at a abortive 1fps. Clashing the FZ38 / FZ35, there’s no advantage to advance the amount whether attached the cardinal of shots or abbreviation the quality. So while the FZ38 / FZ35’s access modes are compromised, they are added advantageous for capturing activity than the SX20 IS.

Finally in agreement of self-timer, the FZ38 / FZ35 offers the accepted 2 or 10 additional modes, forth with an advantage which fires three frames afterwards 10 seconds. Actuality the Canon SX20 IS out-gadgets it with its custom self-timer and face cocky timer modes, the closing cleverly base face apprehension to delay for a fresh actuality to access the anatomy afore starting the countdown.