Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 is another camera in Panasonics Super Zoom Range, boasting a 27mm wide-angle lenses as well as a very powerful 18x optical zoom. Another great stand out feature from this camera is its ability to capture video in HD (720P), couple this with a stereo microphone that can record in Dolby Digital Stereo and you can start to understand why this camera is a great buy.

The Lumix DMC-FZ38 controls are fairly well laid out with a dedicated button to begin video recording, which really comes in handy when you want to switch between still images and videos. Again on a positive note the camera has a decent sized dial for switching between camera modes, which speeds up finding your ideal.

It also features a ‘Q Menu’ which gives quick access to commonly used features such as the ISO setting, white balance etc. Many cameras feature a similar ‘Q Menu’ and having used them on a number of different it has now become a desirable feature of most cameras.

One feature where the DMC-FZ38 really excels is its auto focusing speed, which is literally half the speed of its predecessor the DMC-FZ28, which is a great benefit for the point and shooter photographer. Some of this speed reduction is down to the cameras processor being updated; the camera is noticeably faster than the DMC-FZ28 and makes navigating through the menus etc. a lot less painful.

Another feature that has been improved upon is the Face Recognition feature, the face recognition system can now save faces you have entered into the system. So that whenever you take a picture of the same face it will automatically tag with a set name.

Another issue people might have with it is its size. It’s a rather large and bulky camera, as its lens housing sits on the camera, rather than in the camera. Even if you manage to cram it into some small space – like your pocket – the most you can hope to achieve is to get it stuck in there. However, this is a camera of quality more than convenience. If you’d rather have a large but wonderful, exceptionally well performing camera, you should definitely opt to get the DMC-TZ6.

The Lens has not been changed but as with the DMC-FZ28 the Lecia lens provided is excellent and most images we shot had little or no optical distortion. Most of the images we took especially in good lighting conditions were sharp and had excellent depth in colour.

The Lumix DMC-FZ38 also allows us some manual control over settings for the more advance user, switching into ‘creative’ mode allows us to control the shutter speed, along with the aperture.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 is an excellent compact camera it does have some advance features however it is still no match for a Digital SLR. Users looking for a little bit more from their compact camera such as some manual controls may find this camera perfect. However for the point and snap photographer they want to find a simpler camera.

Pros

• Very Quick Auto Focus
• Raw File Support
• HD Video Capture
• A flexible and powerful superzoom

Cons

• Below Standard Burst Mode
• No Flash Hot Shoe