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Anonymous
I'm getting one of these (a Panasonic FZ8) shipped in tomorrow.

Are there any quirks, model-specific tips, etcetera I should know about?

I already know to shoot in raw so the noise reduction doesn't rape the image quality. Something I'm wondering- is there any noise reduction applied in raw mode, or does it blessedly save it for the JPEGs?
>> Anonymous
well, i do have to say that most of your first low-ish light/indoor shots will probably suck. the camera just likes to automatically bump up the exposure whenever it feels it needs to [in certain settings], and that pretty much screwed me over on the first bunch. ...as a matter of fact, it still is, lol. just really all i have to recommend is lots of practice; don't get frustrated if your first hundred-or-so pics aren't what you expect them to be.
>> Anonymous
>>43107
I intend to shoot manual, almost exclusively. Very rarely I default to one of the priority modes. Will this affect me?

(I'm guessing no, but I want to make sure.)
>> Jeremo !iKGMr61IHM
Hey, so you decided on the FZ 8 huh? My girlfriend just recently decided to purchase an FZ50, for the SLR like controls.

IF you're shooting manual on the FZ 8... wait... aint that gonna be a pain since it doesn't have the front and rear dials like the FZ 50 and most DSLRs do?

Pretty sure you don't have to worry about NR with RAW, cause it defeats the purpose of RAW otherwise.

Make sure you sacrifice your first photo to /p/ :D
>> Anonymous
I don't like SLR controls; it may be because I mostly learned to shoot on an S3IS. It got stolen a few weeks ago, and in the interim I've been shooting with a borrowed G2 and been debating whether to replace it with another S3IS or with this. I decided to try it out, and figured I'd return it if I didn't like it.

The manual controls, on the S3IS at least, were even easier than those on SLRs. Right next to where one puts his thumb, a four-arrow keypad was situated. Up and down for aperture, left and right for shutter speed. Worked instantly. With the SLRs I've shot with, I have to take my finger off the shutter to adjust the shutter speed, though adjusting the aperture is easy. (Nevermind the shutter speed gets changed more than the aperture when anyone I know shoots.)

I’m not fond of SLRs, though I've shot with borrowed ones when the S3IS wouldn't suffice. Besides the size and shutter noise, I prefer electronic viewfinders, for their ability to show exposure as well as composition in advance.
>> Anonymous
I looked at the FZ-50, and would've gotten it if it weren't for the length of the lens and other size issues. I like to be able to carry a camera with me with no hassle, and for my camera to be as little noticeable as possible when I'm shooting people. If I had the money, I'd opt for both an FZ-8 and an FZ-50.

After trying out the FZ-8 some, I think I may see what you mean with the manual controls. I'm hoping it's just that I'm used to shooting Canons and, given a week or so, I'll fit right in with these. It has this strange mix of tactile and menu interface for the exposure controls.

I also don't like that it will only do RAW + JPEG, instead of just RAW. With a one gigabyte card, that limits it to 68 exposures in 3:2 mode.

I do like the 3:2 mode, the general lack of lag (focus, viewfinder, shutter), the absolutely silent operation, and the manual focus mechanism, though it takes too long to switch between manual and autofocus.

I'll sacrifice my first photo with this camera to /p/ later on, once I download, process, and convert it. It was just a shot of the first page of MacBeth from my Oxford Shakespeare, just playing around. I'll also give my first more involved shot, and my first good shot.
>> Jeremo !iKGMr61IHM
>>43297

You'll get use to the controls pretty soon, the user interface with the Lumixs are pretty nice.

I shoot with a Nikon D70s and i take the front and rear dials for granted when changing aperture and shutter speed.

It only takes 68 shots in RAW + JPEG?... that's bizarre... my D70s takes 147 exposures of RAW plus JPEG... i mean it's only 6 megapixels but the extra 1.1 offered by the FZ8 cant possibly equate to double the size.

Is the +JPEG at the highest resolution? can you turn it down to the lowest? that'll save alot of space.

Obviously the other solution is just shooting at a smaller megapixel count like 5 or 6 if it's offered.

I see what you mean about the size of the FZ50 too, it's much much bigger than the FZ-8, about the same size of a D40 or 400D.

But the lens is IF and doesn't extend, so it's still semi portable, and i'm giving my GF my old camera bag with could only fit my DSLR and two lenses.

Out of interest, how much did you get it for and where did you get it from? how's the price of the FZ50
>> Anonymous
>>43299
>Is the +JPEG at the highest resolution? can you turn it down to the lowest? that'll save alot of space.

No, it -has- to be at the highest resolution.

>Out of interest, how much did you get it for and where did you get it from? how's the price of the FZ50

I ordered it from Amazon, which I normally wouldn't do, because it's easier to return something to Amazon than a photographic supplier. It also has a longer period in which this can be done- a full thirty days- than most photographic suppliers.

It was $303.84, plus shipping. The FZ-50 lists for $489 from KEH.