don26812
2nd July 2008, 10:48 PM
Hello Everyone,
This is my first post and first visit to the forums. A friend asked me the following question, and I am hoping and strongly suspect that someone can help me answer him. If I am in the wrong forum, please let me know where on Photograhy-Forum I should post it.
Here is his question and comments. Thanks in advance.
"My little $400 Panasonic SuperZoom FZ-18 comes with a built-in Leica 10-element glass lens that offers a range of F2.8 to F8.0, and a (35mm equivalent) 28mm wide angle to 504mm zoom range. This extreme zoom range coupled with good f-stop range, is what makes the 14 oz. camera such a delight. One superb little lens does it all - and that's pure delight.
The limitation to my camera is the physically tiny, price-point sensor that creates monster noise at high ISO values - just like all other inexpensive cameras. Even ISO 200 usually requires NoiseNinja rework on a blue sky in bright daytime pics! ISO of 400 always requires time-consuming selective NoiseNinja efforts to reduce noise. ISO above 400 is virtually unusable in my opinion. Obviously bad news on overcast Puget Sound days...
I'd be willing to step up to a nice DSLR, maybe something like the new $1,200 Pentax K20D that has a dimensionally HUGE new sensor and 14.6 megapixels. Unfortunately, no "SuperZoom" lens remotely like my little Panasonic/Leica 28mm-504mm lens is available for any DSLR at any price. And I don't understand why.
I think many people like me would be willing to shell out some bucks for the superb sensors available in the new DSLR cameras - but are unwilling to purchase & lug around three interchangeable lenses - each of which costs a mint, weighs a ton, and is bulky as sin.
My question is: Why doesn't some enterprising lens company create a SuperZoom lens somewhat like mine, that would fit a nice DSLR camera body? It seems like the closest thing is about 55mm-300mm or thereabouts - and that's only about half the "zoom range" of my little Panasonic/Leica lens to which I'm addicted."
Again thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Don26812
This is my first post and first visit to the forums. A friend asked me the following question, and I am hoping and strongly suspect that someone can help me answer him. If I am in the wrong forum, please let me know where on Photograhy-Forum I should post it.
Here is his question and comments. Thanks in advance.
"My little $400 Panasonic SuperZoom FZ-18 comes with a built-in Leica 10-element glass lens that offers a range of F2.8 to F8.0, and a (35mm equivalent) 28mm wide angle to 504mm zoom range. This extreme zoom range coupled with good f-stop range, is what makes the 14 oz. camera such a delight. One superb little lens does it all - and that's pure delight.
The limitation to my camera is the physically tiny, price-point sensor that creates monster noise at high ISO values - just like all other inexpensive cameras. Even ISO 200 usually requires NoiseNinja rework on a blue sky in bright daytime pics! ISO of 400 always requires time-consuming selective NoiseNinja efforts to reduce noise. ISO above 400 is virtually unusable in my opinion. Obviously bad news on overcast Puget Sound days...
I'd be willing to step up to a nice DSLR, maybe something like the new $1,200 Pentax K20D that has a dimensionally HUGE new sensor and 14.6 megapixels. Unfortunately, no "SuperZoom" lens remotely like my little Panasonic/Leica 28mm-504mm lens is available for any DSLR at any price. And I don't understand why.
I think many people like me would be willing to shell out some bucks for the superb sensors available in the new DSLR cameras - but are unwilling to purchase & lug around three interchangeable lenses - each of which costs a mint, weighs a ton, and is bulky as sin.
My question is: Why doesn't some enterprising lens company create a SuperZoom lens somewhat like mine, that would fit a nice DSLR camera body? It seems like the closest thing is about 55mm-300mm or thereabouts - and that's only about half the "zoom range" of my little Panasonic/Leica lens to which I'm addicted."
Again thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Don26812