Shop RadioShack for Great GiftsPanasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35
Manufacturer: Panasonic Part number: DMC-FZ35K
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- A better-than-average megazoom choice, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 delivers standout video capabilities and an excellent manual feature set. Still, it suffers from a lot of the same drawbacks as its competitors, including weak photo quality.
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CNET editors' review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 price range: $329.00 - $399.99
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 10/08/2009
- Released on: 08/15/2009
The good: Useful 27mm wide-angle zoom; excellent image stabilization; full selection of manual and automatic exposure controls; very good 720p movie capture with operational zoom and manual controls; relatively fast.
The bad: Noise and compression artifacts in JPEG photos; no hotshoe.
The bottom line: A better-than-average megazoom choice, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 delivers standout video capabilities and an excellent manual feature set. Still, it suffers from a lot of the same drawbacks as its competitors, including weak photo quality.
With the Lumix DMC-FZ35, Panasonic overhauls the insides of its popular FZ28 megazoom, offering higher resolution, an improved optical image stabilizer, faster AF, and support for the AVCHD Lite movie codec. But while the camera does deliver better performance and photo quality than its predecessor, they're still not great--typical for these megazooms--and only a robust feature set makes it really stand out from the crowd.
On the small and light side for a typical megazoom, the camera feels a little plasticky but comfortable to grip and shoot. Rather than participate in the lens X wars, Panasonic sticks with its tried-and-true 18x zoom lens, a model that goes back several generations and which remains more than adequate a range for the general-purpose shooter.
Panasonic manages to cram a boatload of capabilities into the FZ35. In addition to the typical set of modes--PASM, preset scene program, and an intelligent auto--the FZ35 provides a very robust movie mode with manual controls and the ability to save three groups of custom settings. While that's one more set than the FZ28 has, for this model Panasonic had to stuff them all into a single dial slot to make room for the other features. There are a lot of AF options, including face detection, tracking, 1-area, a narrower spot, as well as an 11-area mode that allows you to clump the areas in a variety of configurations. A programmable Fn button can pull up quick review (a nice alternative to the more limiting switch), ISO sensitivity, white balance, metering, AF mode or intelligent exposure mode.
There's a downside to the FZ35's broad capabilities: no matter you're experience level, you definitely want to read the manual before you start shooting or you'll get some unpleasant surprises. For example, I couldn't figure out why a lot of my JPEG shots looked bad until I realized that the camera drops to standard-quality JPEG when shooting raw+JPEG. The same goes for shots where I mistakenly thought that AF macro zoom was what all other cameras call super macro instead of a macro plus digital zoom mode. The manual isn't always that helpful, however. For instance, it fails to adequately differentiate between 1-area focusing ("The camera focuses on the subject in the AF area on the screen") and high-speed 1-area focusing ("The camera focuses quickly on the subject in the AF area on the screen"). Well, that clears things up. (You can get a complete accounting of the FZ35's features and operation by downloading the PDF manual.)
| Key comparative specs | Olympus SP-590 UZ | Nikon Coolpix P90 | Canon PowerShot SX20 IS | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 |
| Sensor | 12-megapixel, 1/2.33-inch CCD | 12-megapixel, 1/2.33-inch CCD | 12.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD | 12-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD |
| Lens (35mm equivalent) | 26x f2.8-5 26-676mm | 24x f2.8-5 26-624mm | 20x f2.8-5.7 28-560mm | 18x f2.8-4.4 27-486mm |
| Closest focus (inches) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Sensitivity range | ISO 64 - ISO 6,400 | ISO 64 - ISO 6,400 | ISO 80 - ISO 1,600 | ISO 80 - ISO 6,400 |
| LCD | 2.7-inch fixed; 230,000 dots | 3-inch tiltable; 230,000 dots | 2.5-inch articulated; 230,000 dots | 2.7-inch fixed; 230,000 dots |
| Video (max resolution at 30fps) | 640x480 | 640x480 | 1,280x720 H.264 MOV | 1,280x720 (AVCHD Lite or MJPEG MOV) |
| Optical zoom during movie capture | Yes (no audio) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Exposure modes | Auto, PASM, Scene | Auto, PASM, Scene | Auto, PASM, Scene | Auto, PASM, Scene |
| Batteries (CIPA rating) | 4 AA-size; 340 shots (alkalines) | Lithium ion; 230 shots | 4 AA-size; 340 shots (alkalines), 600 shots (NiMH) | Lithium ion; 470 shots |
| Body dimensions (WHD, inches) | 4.3 x 3.5 x 3.6 | 4.5 x 3.3 x 3.9 | 4.9 x 3.5 x 3.4 | 4.6 x 3.0 x 3.5 |
| Operating weight (ounces) | 18.7 | 17.2 | 19.8 | 14.5 |
| Mfr. Price | $449.99 | $399.95 | $399.99 | $399 |
The FZ35 delivers improved performance over its predecessor, with a couple of notable highlights for its class. It wakes and shoots in 1.6 seconds, which is relatively fast, and it takes a class-leading 0.4 second to focus and shoot in good light but a slowish 0.9 second in dim--and it feels even slower. Panasonic claims that the new AF system is twice as fast at its predecessor, but we peg it as closer to 30 percent, at best. Shot-to-shot time runs 1.7 seconds, good for its class, with decent flash recycling speed that adds only about 0.3 second to shot-to-shot performance. While burst shooting runs at about 2fps, faster than the rest, it's limited to three shots at full quality (five at most). However, the real limitation for burst shooting with these cameras is the electronic viewfinder, anyway, since they black out while you're shooting. The FZ35's EVF, like the FZ28's before it, also suffers from slow refresh in low light (as does the LCD). It's fine under all other circumstances; the LCD remains visible in direct sunlight if you prefer shooting that way.
Ultimately, EVF and performance limitations render the FZ35 a poor choice for shooting kids, pets, and sports. That's too bad, because the Power OIS image stabilizer works very well, producing solid images when I could visibly see in the viewfinder that my hands were shaking--it yielded at least a 3 2/3 stop gain in casual testing.
Because it's possible to get some really nice photos out of the FZ35, I tipped the image quality rating over to 7 from 6. If you plan to print without cropping or retouching, or shoot only raw, you'll be able to get some excellent low-ISO-sensitivity photos from the camera. Color and exposure are generally good, and the lens--the same as that on the FZ28--is solid for a megazoom, with decent center sharpness and only moderate fringing. That said, the FZ35 has two weaknesses when it comes to photo quality, the same weaknesses that plague all the other models in this category: JPEG compression artifacts and poor blue-channel processing at ISO sensitivities as low as ISO 100, which results in noticeable yellow splotches throughout images. Although neither will likely jump out even when printed at large (12x16) sizes, they will if you crop or enlarge or try to adjust the colors or the tonal range.
Though the FZ28 supported 720p movie capture, the FZ35 updates it to use the more efficient AVCHD Lite codec, which also supports stereo sound; it still supports Motion JPEG MOV files. Like the GH1, and unlike many competitors, the FZ35 has a pretty robust set of movie controls, including full PASM and scene modes, ISO sensitivity, and metering options. You can't drop the shutter speed below 1/30 sec, though, (for special effects). The video and audio quality are pretty good, too, though the placement of the large mic--atop the pop-up flash--is susceptible to wind noise, which the wind filter only partly compensates for.
A better-than-average megazoom choice, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 delivers standout video capabilities and an excellent manual feature set. Nevertheless, it suffers from a lot of the same drawbacks as its competitors, including weak photo quality.
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User reviews
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Beautiful image quality; good quality video clips
by SherAtBeach on September 18, 2009
Pros: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 produces crisp, stunningly beautiful photos. The video clips are also very good.
Cons: The electronic viewfinder is difficult to use due to its design; a soft silicon or rubber viewfinder cap/cover would have been nice.
Summary: This is an excellent superzoom camera. It is lightweight and easy to carry. The controls are intuitive and easy to use, even for a beginner. The photos are quite crisp ...
Summary: This is an excellent superzoom camera. It is lightweight and easy to carry. The controls are intuitive and easy to use, even for a beginner. The photos are quite crisp and vividly, stunningly beautiful. The video clips are also a good quality. This is a good overall digital camera packed with good features. The camera has good ease of use. This camera produces excellent photos with beautiful image quality. The video clips are smooth and of good quality as well. This is a very impressive superzoom camera.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Does just about everything I want it to & does it well
by jhogle on October 12, 2009
Pros: The quality of its 18x zoom and its image quality are very good. The record rate & picture-to-picture are fast. Nice controls layout. I particularly like the separate AF, video, and discard buttons. It can shoot JPG, RAW, or both. Eyepiece & L
Cons: Lacks a flip-out LCD display. Zoom rate could be a little faster. Has some trouble focusing on "infinite" distance images without edges (found that out shooting the Blue Angels last week).
Summary: I bought the FZ35 in August 2009 and used this for about 1500 pictures on a 3-week trip to England and Scotland. It handled an amazingrange of light conditions from ...
Summary: I bought the FZ35 in August 2009 and used this for about 1500 pictures on a 3-week trip to England and Scotland. It handled an amazingrange of light conditions from bright sun to the dark interiors of cathedrals without flash. I liked being able to easily change my focusing points and the ability to choose pinpoint or multiple fields for accurate exposure control.
I carry a camera on my hip all of the time, and the compact, very light FZ35 is easy to pull out, remove lens cap, turn on, zoom, and focus with one hand.
The HD light (720 line) video was easy to use and produced excellent images. I selected this camera based on its other features and quality, not its video capability, but the 720-line video is a nice extra.
Another advantage is that the camera accepts standard filters (46mm).
Note: I bought this camera for my own use after comparing many super-zoom alternatives, and I am not paid by anyone for my opinion.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Unbelievably good all 'round camera!
by rjullrich on October 4, 2009
Pros: This camera has a tremendous zoom range and keeps its sharpness throughout. The controls are so intuitive that I did not even need the book. Having an optical viewfinder, (with diopter control), is the key to everything for composition and details.
Cons: Not that it's a necessity, but a small rubber eyecup over the viewfinder would be nice. Also, an indicator that the battery is nearly exhausted would be helpful. It just shuts down without warning.
Summary: I have studied and searched for the "right" camera for myself, (a "retired" professional photographer), and this camera has just what I've been looking for. The sharpness and detail ...
Summary: I have studied and searched for the "right" camera for myself, (a "retired" professional photographer), and this camera has just what I've been looking for. The sharpness and detail of photos, along with an amazing "anti-shake" stabilizer, allows a very broad range of photographic composition. Also, the "AI", or automatic intellegence setting works extremely well with complicated lighting situations. Using the night scene/illumination setting, I captured some amazing fireworks shots - with no calculations necessary! The combination of Panasonic Lumix quality name, and Leica's amazing high quality lens, makes for a terrific pairing. I love it!
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A great camera for the price
by sethimani on October 12, 2009
Pros: Great picture quality in iA mode and has wonderful color mode that gives very nice saturated colors. It has pretty much all the feature of a DSLR along with such an amazingly high zoom at such a low price!
Cons: Not pocketable. I do not like hanging a camera around my neck when I am in a social gathering or a semi-formal party. So pocketability is an issue for me.
Summary: Only if panasonic could make a ZS3 sized camera with all the features of FZ35 (may be with only 12X zoom) I would have bought that in place of this. ...
Summary: Only if panasonic could make a ZS3 sized camera with all the features of FZ35 (may be with only 12X zoom) I would have bought that in place of this. For sure it has amazing light weight.
And if size is not an issue, then this is the best non-DSLR camera around and I have no regrets buying this camera.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic for Trips
by yoinks on October 9, 2009
Pros: Fast, Nice Zoom, Good Quality, Versatile, Great Image Stabilization in Windy Conditions
Cons: No Optical Viewfinder
Summary: I am the guy who puts it on automatic and clicks away (no skills). I recently bought this camera for a trip to Yellowstone. I am incredibly pleased w/ the ...
Summary: I am the guy who puts it on automatic and clicks away (no skills). I recently bought this camera for a trip to Yellowstone. I am incredibly pleased w/ the pictures I got - terrific shots of wildlife (coyotes, pronghorns, mule deer, elk, bison, eagles, etc) and phenomenal scenery.
The camera was quick from turning it on to the first shot to the next shot. I didn't feel like I missed any opportunities. The zoom was especially nice for the wildlife. Some of them look dangerously close in the pics.
I find myself reaching for the camera much more often because it's so quick and takes such nice pics. My dog doesn't care for it, but it's her fault for looking so darn cute all the time.
I couldn't be more pleased w/ this camera.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Lumix FZ-35 is simply the STATE-OF-ART of Panasonic
by NuclearDoc on November 7, 2009
Pros: 1- Wide-angle 27mm Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens and 18x optical zoom
2-HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution
3- HDMI output terminal for direct transmission of digital image and sound signalsCons: NO CONS FOR NOW
Summary: POWER Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.), which allows for double the repression power compared to the conventional image stabilization system, MEGA O.I.S., and ultra high-speed Auto Focus (...
Summary: POWER Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.), which allows for double the repression power compared to the conventional image stabilization system, MEGA O.I.S., and ultra high-speed Auto Focus (AF) for capturing action scenes as they happen. Additionally, with the super-powerful 18x optical zoom lens, it is easy to capture subjects that are far away or take dramatic close-ups.
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REALLY EXCELLENT
by gatodearrabal on November 13, 2009
Pros: Great zoom, excellent features, amazing hd video, very good image
Cons: image could be better but anyway it is great, lcd fixed isnt the better idea
Summary: it does everything i need on this category
Summary: it does everything i need on this category
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Panasonic
- Part number: DMC-FZ35K
- Description: The FZ35 records HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It uses the AVCHD Lite format to achieve higher image quality while storing less data than the conventional Motion JPEG. Plus, the FZ35 is equipped with an HDMI output terminal for direct transmission of digital image and sound signals.
General
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Width 4.6 in
- Depth 3.5 in
- Height 3 in
- Weight 12.9 oz
- Enclosure Color Black
Main Features
- Resolution 12.1 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Total Pixels 12,700,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 12,100,000 pixels
- Light Sensitivity ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO auto, ISO auto (1600-6400)
- Digital Zoom 4 x
- Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
- Shooting Programs Pet, Food, Snow, Baby1, Baby2, Beach, Candle, Sunset, Panning, Scenery, Pin hole, Fireworks, Soft skin, Film grain, Starry sky, Flash-burst, Sports mode, Aerial photo, Party/indoor, Portrait mode, Hi-speed burst, Night portrait, Panorama assist, High sensitivity
- Special Effects Cool, Warm, Sepia, Black & White
- Image Stabilizer Optical (POWER O.I.S.)
- Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 60 sec
- Exposure Metering Spot, Multi-segment, Center-weighted
- Exposure Modes Manual, Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV steps
- Face Detection Yes
- White Balance Custom, Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Shade, Cloudy, Halogen, Daylight
- Digital Video Format MJPEG, QuickTime, AVCHD Lite
- Still Image Format RAW, JPEG
- Remote Control Optional
- TV Tuner None
- Video Capture MPEG - 640 x 480, MPEG - 320 x 240, MPEG - 848 x 480, AVCHD Lite - 1280 x 720, MPEG - 1280 x 720
Memory / Storage
- Supported Flash Memory SD Memory Card
- Integrated Memory 40 MB
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG 4000 x 3000, JPEG 4000 x 2672, JPEG 4000 x 2248, JPEG 3264 x 2448, JPEG 3264 x 2176, JPEG 3264 x 1840, JPEG 2560 x 1920, JPEG 2560 x 1712, JPEG 2560 x 1440, JPEG 2048 x 1536, JPEG 2048 x 1360, JPEG 1920 x 1080, JPEG 1600 x 1200, JPEG 640 x 480
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Pop-up flash
- Flash Modes Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Flash OFF mode, Rear curtain sync, Red-eye reduction
- Red Eye Reduction Yes
- Effective Flash Range 1 ft - 28 ft
- Features AF illuminator, Flash +/- compensation
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 4.8 mm - 86.4 mm - F/2.8-4.4
- Focal Length 4.8 mm - 86.4 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 27 - 486 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual, Automatic
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 11
- Min Focus Range 11.8 in
- Macro Focus Range 1cm
- Lens Aperture F/2.8-4.4
- Optical Zoom 18 x
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Lens Construction 8 group(s) / 11 element(s)
- Lens Manufacturer Leica
- Features ED glass, Aspherical lens
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec, 10 sec
- Additional Features DPOF support, Direct print, Audio recording, Auto power save, Date/time stamp, Built-in speaker, Contrast control, Cropping an image, Histogram display, Resizing an image, Sharpness control, PictBridge support, Saturation control, Built-in help guide, Face Detection AF/AE, USB 2.0 compatibility, Digital image rotation, Digital noise reduction, Highlight point display, RGB primary color filter, In-camera red-eye removal, Scene Detection Technology, Motion Detection Technology, Camera orientation detection, Automatic face tracking technology
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Electronic
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
- Viewfinder Diagonal Size 0.2 in
- Viewfinder Resolution 201,600 pixels
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.7 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Display Format 230,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x DC power input, 1 x HDMI output
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Software
- Software ArcSoft Panorama Maker, ArcSoft MediaImpression, SILKYPIX Developer Studio, Panasonic PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Peripheral Devices USB port, CD-ROM drive
Miscellaneous
- Carrying Case None
- Microsoft Certifications Compatible with Windows 7
- Included Accessories Shoulder strap
- Cables Included A/V cable, USB cable
Power
- Power Device Battery charger - External
Battery
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 710 mAh ( Included )
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Panasonic
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Panasonic products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.panasonic.com/
- Address:
One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094 - Phone: 800/662-3537
