Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200

Preview based on a pre-production

Despite the hype surrounding mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, and the fact that entry level DSLRs are becoming more and more affordable, superzoom cameras are as popular with consumers as ever. It is easy to see why. The combination of a large zoom range from wideangle to super telephoto, DSLR-like appearance and an attractive price point guarantee that these cameras appeal to a very broad audience.

Panasonic was arguably the first manufacturer to popularize the superzoom concept with the Lumix DMC- FZ10 in 2002 which sported a 12x 35-400mm zoom lens. Over the years zooms have been steadily growing, at both the wide-angle (again spearheaded by Panasonic) and telephoto ends. The more recent Panasonic models such as the FZ150 which was launched last year come with a 24x, 25-600mm zoom lens. But this is far from the most extreme model in the superzoom sector: Nikon's Coolpix P510 for example comes with a whopping 24-1000mm (41.7x) zoom range.

This abundance of focal length comes at a cost though. Even Japanese camera manufacturers cannot defy the laws of physics and as the zoom lenses were getting longer and longer the maximum apertures had to be reduced in order to keep the camera and lens dimensions in check. Competition on price has also seen specs other than zoom multiplier get scaled-back. While in 2002 the 12x FZ10 had a maximum aperture of F2.8 across its entire zoom range, the 24x FZ150 in 2011 only offers this setting at its wider zoom positions. At the long end of the lens the maximum aperture is reduced to F5.2 which, in combination with the limited high-ISO capabilities of the small sensors typically used in superzooms, makes shooting at long focal lengths a difficult task in anything less than perfect light.

More than just that lens...

However, with Lumix DMC-FZ200, Panasonic has executed a veritable engineering coup by creating the first Lumix superzoom since 2004's FZ20 to come with a F2.8 maximum aperture across the entire zoom range. And, unlike the 12x, 36-432mmm equivalent range of the FZ20, the FZ200 maintains F2.8 on a 24x, 25-600mm equivalent lens.

In combination with the newly-developed 12MP MOS sensor, this makes the FZ200, at least on paper, by far the best choice in the superzoom segment for low light shooting. That large aperture allows it to offer faster shutter speeds at the same ISO settings as its peers, or use lower sensitivities at the same shutter speeds as the competition.

While the Leica-badged lens is definitely the number one head-turner on the FZ200's spec-sheet, the remainder reads very well too. As usual you can frame and review your images on either on the rear LCD or the electronic viewfinder. The latter is a newly-developed 0.2-inch variant with 1,312,000-dot equivalent resolution. The 'equivalent' part of this statement stems from its 'field-sequential' design - instead of having triplets of dots showing red, green and blue at all positions, it displays one color, then the next, at each position. The downside of this approach can be that if you move your eye quickly, or blink, you become aware of delays between the three colors being drawn - with colorful, rainbow-like edges appearing. Thankfully this display runs at 60hz, so this effect isn't too noticeable.

On the the pre-production unit we had a chance to play with this EVF makes a very good impression, with a large bright image and fast refresh rates. You can shoot 12 frames per second bursts at full resolution and high speed video at up to 240 fps at reduced sizes. Full-HD 1080 60p can be captured in either AVCHD or MP4 formats (though European versions are limited to 1080p50 to match local TV frame rates).

The camera also features Panasonic's 'Light Speed' AF and is overall more responsive than its predecessors, powering up in under one second. On paper the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 is the most exciting superzoom camera we have seen in a long time and is bound to stir things up in this segment of the market. We're looking forward to getting our hands on and shooting with a full production unit.

Panasonic Lumix FZ200 key specifications 24x 25-600mm equivalent lens with F2.8 across the zoom range 12.1-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor 12 fps continuous shooting High Speed Video at 120 fps (HD) or 240 fps (VGA) 1080 60p video recording in AVCHD or MP4 formats 0.2-inch EVF (Electronic View Finder) with 1,312,000 dot equivalent resolution 3.0-inch, free-angle 460,000-dot LCD screen Panorama Shot mode RAW and RAW

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