Just a very quick post tonight. I've been playing with a new camera. Nothing fancy, but I needed something a little more portable than the 40D + lenses. Having looked at several I've gone for the Panasonic FZ45. It has a substantial zoom, adequate video, shoots in raw and jpg. The quality won't match the DSLR but hopefully will be adequate for web-posting. One immediate problem was that the software for converting raw images wouldn't load (a problem with the disc… I tried it on three CD/DVD drives and none of them would read it). A web search eventually found a current version of Adobe's DNG converter that does the trick.
I've not really had time to test the camera out (too busy watching the amazing rescue in Chile :up: ) so will give it a workout tomorrow. For now, just one sample shot taken this evening. 
Camera note: photo taken with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ45.
anonymous
14 Oct 2010TBR writes:
Words –
You might recall that I have been a big fan of the Panny "RUN" DMCs for some time, having used the FZ20, the FZ30 and my favourite of all, the fixed lens FZ50 – still the best bridge camera ever made in my rather blinkered opinion!
I still use my FZ50 regularly and will not get rid of it until it dies!
I'm not surprised that you've got a more portable camera for when your 40D (and lenses) is (are) too cumbersome to carry.
I'm not surprised either that you've gone for a Panny bridge! I assume the FZ45 still has the wonderful Panasonic / Leica lens?
Two words of warning from a Panny old hand (although you probably will know far better than me!) –
1) Panasonic bridge RAW shots are almost unworkable I think. Unlike DSLR RAWs, they really don't seem to accept much post editing (the whole point of RAW). I gave up ever shooting in RAW on my FZ50 as I got far better results and just as much slack in editing with my JPEGs, but on my 40D I never shoot anything BUT RAW!
Like I said, this may have improved for Panasonic since the FZ50 – I hope it has and you are more skilful than me in utilising Panasonic RAW shots!
2) The quick fire function on Panasonic FZs is very poor. Quality seems to be always reduced when you take a few quick shots in succession. I gave up doing that on my FZ50 also – just had to take ONE shot at a time for maximum quality.
Now those two points may well be of no interest at all to you -and like I say, in my view, the Panny bridges are the best in the field, by some way. SO much better than their Fuji or Olympus counterparts.
You'll love your new portable toy I'm sure – and you'll take shots with it that people swear were taken with a big 40D and big lens!
Cheers Words and good luck!
TBR
serola
14 Oct 2010:yes: I have also found Panasonic Lumix cameras very good 🙂 My wife has one and surprisingly often she beats me by taking better shots than I do with my fancy DSLR. Or then she is just better photographer than I am 😀
Words, what software and on what operating system you use?
raniakasim
14 Oct 2010how did u notice this small creature in the darkness :eyes:
gdare
14 Oct 2010Those compact cameras can be quite a surprise sometimes, even a cheap ones :up:
Words
14 Oct 2010Doug, that's an incredibly helpful starter guide! I haven't yet really tried any RAW editing. My initial problem was the failure of the CD with SilkyPix SE on it, so I ended up hunting around the web for the Adobe dng version which would cope. It still has the Leica lens. I'll test out a few of the pre-sets against taking more control over the shot to see which I prefer. Plus read the manual!
Words
14 Oct 2010Darko, the small cameras can give great results so I'm hopeful I'll get some decent shots. The quality will never match a dslr when you look close at full size, but for web and small prints it should be fine.
Words
14 Oct 2010Sami, thanks. A lot of people report good things about the Panasonic Lumix cameras. I'm running Vista (:yuck:). As for software I'm using Photoshop Elements 6 for editing, with Neat Image for noise reduction.
Words
14 Oct 2010Rania, it's easy. I know where all the spiders are in the garden 😉
serola
14 Oct 2010Originally posted by Words:
Then I can't help much. I tried almost everything I could to get Olympus RAW images opened on PhotoShop 7 on Windows XP but no luck so far. Much easier it is when using GIMP and UFRaw. With UFRaw I can at least open the RAW images taken with Olympus E-450, although there are still number of issues with it.
Unfortunately FZ45 is not on the list of supported cameras by UFRaw 🙁
Words
14 Oct 2010Originally posted by serola:
It's always a problem with new models. I can now convert the raw files so that step is ok. I now have to learn to use the camera properly and work out the most useful settings.
serola
14 Oct 2010:yes:
raniakasim
16 Oct 2010spider's expert :whistle:
SittingFox
16 Oct 2010Hope you enjoy it! Portability is certainly an issue. I was looking at a 300-800mm lens for Nikons when I was in the camera repair shop in Bozeman. You'd need a yak to carry that around :insane:
Words
17 Oct 2010Adele, portability is exactly the issue! I'm going to be commuting for a while so common sense dictates something smaller than a 400mm telephoto lens for rush hour trains! My guess (from tests to date) is that it will produce decentish shots but will force me away from my normal subjects. I need to give it a sensible workout, and figure the best way of processing the results.
cwbywz
21 Oct 2010Hummm, lots of features for the price. Be sure to give us a review after you have used it for awhile.
Words
21 Oct 2010Rick, I will once I've got to grips with it. It is hard work compared to a dslr!