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Leica shopping: help figure out.


albertwang

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Okay, here's a tough shopping question.

 

1) closeout Panasonic FZ-30 for $250

 

versus

 

2) Panasonic FX-01S for $299

 

Which would you go for and why? :) Assume that the person wants a good portable camera for travelling which is the ultimate purpose. He will be shooting jazz club scenes and outdoor urban/city scenes.

(Good test question for Leica shoppers. It gives me an understanding of how Leica guys deal with decisions.)

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Assume that the person wants a good portable camera for travelling which is the ultimate purpose. He will be shooting jazz club scenes and outdoor urban/city scenes.

 

In which case, none of the above. An M with a Summilux (focal length determined by personal preference)

 

Now that's Leica shopping...

 

Regards,

 

Bill

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The FX01 is tiny, it has the equivalent of a 28 MM lens on the wide end, and it does macro, which I'll use underwater in Papua soon. It has no viewfinder, which is a pain in bright light, and I still prefer pressing a camera to face rather than holding out a camera in front of me, but for underwater work, frequently holding it out is an advantage. I've gotten good results with that camera, as you can see in all the photos on the 4th New York page of our site, and the last 20 photos on the 3rd New York page on our site.

 

I have no experience with the FZ-30 but I do have a lot of experience with the smaller FZ-20. It's greatest advantage is its super zoom, ranging from the 35 mm equivalent of 35-432 MM, and it has a viewfinder. The auto focus is rather good, the manual focus is horrid, and you must be careful not to disturb the diopter setting (also easy to reset intentionally). Nearly one third of our photos from India are with that camera (the rest are from the D2).

 

So I think the answer just might lay in how much tele reach he wants (how shy is he), and whether he likes holding the camera to his face or out in front. On bright days outside the lack of a viewfinder may annoy him. Also, if he wants macro, the FX01 may be the one.

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