Just bought a FZ80

John Vincent · June 16th, 2017, 12:29 AM

Just ordered a used Panasonic FZ80 based on specs/youtube footage/price and other features. It's my first Panasonic of any kind....

If any one's used this camera (or event the FZ70) and has any tips or suggestions, I love to hear 'em....

Thanks!

Chris Harding · June 16th, 2017, 07:14 PM

Hi John ..it has the same sensor as the FZ200 so I would search for anything by Graham Houghton ..he has some awesome hints and tips for most of the FZ series .. worth checking out his webpage and his youtube videos too!!

https://www.grahamhoughton.com/

John Vincent · July 17th, 2017, 06:45 PM

Thanks Chris!

Had the camera now for about a month.... fascinating camera in some ways. It does far better in low light then I thought was possible for such a small chip.

It's a very nice family cam, and perhaps a B or crash cam. It can produce some surprisingly awesome pictures/videos. It's much wider on the wide end then I expected, a real plus for family pics in a small room (a double surprise considering the zoom range).

There are two very large negatives about it (although hard to complain too much given the price point): it's simply awful at focusing at far away subjects (which is kinda big deal considering most people are buying this kind of camera for the reach), and there's no focus ring. At all.

While it possible to "manually" focus the camera using an on-screen slider, it's miles away from being useful. Not sure how much a focus ring would have added to the camera, but even if it was a $100 it'd have been worth it. Of course, Panny might simply not wanted to make it that much closer to being a pro camera...

As it is, as long as you know it's a purely auto-focus rig (and that focus will often fail on the tele end), it's a nice camera. It's actually my first panasonic (always Canon/Sony before). It's a good enough camera that I will seriously be looking at the EVA.... whenever it comes out.

June 16th, 2017, 12:29 AM	#1
John Vincent Trustee Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,065	Just bought a FZ80 - any tips? Just ordered a used Panasonic FZ80 based on specs/youtube footage/price and other features. It's my first Panasonic of any kind.... If any one's used this camera (or event the FZ70) and has any tips or suggestions, I love to hear 'em.... Thanks!

June 16th, 2017, 07:14 PM	#2
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Just bought a FZ80 - any tips? Hi John ..it has the same sensor as the FZ200 so I would search for anything by Graham Houghton ..he has some awesome hints and tips for most of the FZ series .. worth checking out his webpage and his youtube videos too!! https://www.grahamhoughton.com/

July 17th, 2017, 06:45 PM	#3
John Vincent Trustee Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,065	Re: Just bought a FZ80 - any tips? Thanks Chris! Had the camera now for about a month.... fascinating camera in some ways. It does far better in low light then I thought was possible for such a small chip. It's a very nice family cam, and perhaps a B or crash cam. It can produce some surprisingly awesome pictures/videos. It's much wider on the wide end then I expected, a real plus for family pics in a small room (a double surprise considering the zoom range). There are two very large negatives about it (although hard to complain too much given the price point): it's simply awful at focusing at far away subjects (which is kinda big deal considering most people are buying this kind of camera for the reach), and there's no focus ring. At all. While it possible to "manually" focus the camera using an on-screen slider, it's miles away from being useful. Not sure how much a focus ring would have added to the camera, but even if it was a $100 it'd have been worth it. Of course, Panny might simply not wanted to make it that much closer to being a pro camera... As it is, as long as you know it's a purely auto-focus rig (and that focus will often fail on the tele end), it's a nice camera. It's actually my first panasonic (always Canon/Sony before). It's a good enough camera that I will seriously be looking at the EVA.... whenever it comes out.