Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)
In article <ibydnXgOpPssaanfRVn-1g@comcast.com>,
Paul Allen <nobody@nowhere.org> wrote:
> Can any FZ{10,15,20} owners clarify what happens to the zoom capability
> when the camera is in macro mode? Can you use 3x zoom down to three
> feet, for example? If so, that might leave the proprietary battery and
> the small sensor as the only things that would make me think twice about
> upgrading to an FZ20.
According to the manual, Macro mode has no effect on the 12x Tele end
(Infinity to minimum 2m) but improves the WA minimum from 300mm to 50mm.
At 3x zoom/macro mode the autofocus is working at 120mm in front of the
lens. At that range and zoom I'm only seeing about 2/3 of my business
card in the viewing screen, which is better than the 3/4 of the card
visible at WA and 50mm, which is too damn close for most purposes
anyway. Even bumble bees get spooked by a bloody great lens poked that
close to them.
I'm thinking the FZ20 isn't as bad as some folk (including me) have
feared.
Note that at 4x zoom/Macro the autofocus is struggling at 1.08m.
The proprietary battery also isn't really a problem. Compared to my
previous Canon S1 IS I calculated that by the time I had bought a useful
number of NiMH AA cells plus a normal slow charger and a fast charger
for emergencies, the total cost was the same as the second and third
Li-Ion batteries I have bought for the FZ20. The first battery and fast
charger are included with the camera.
The Li-Ion batteries last much, much longer than NiMH and don't seem to
leak charge while sitting in my bag, a major problem previously.
--
YAnewsWatcher.
In article <ibydnXgOpPssaanfRVn-1g@comcast.com>,
Paul Allen <nobody@nowhere.org> wrote:
> Can any FZ{10,15,20} owners clarify what happens to the zoom capability
> when the camera is in macro mode? Can you use 3x zoom down to three
> feet, for example? If so, that might leave the proprietary battery and
> the small sensor as the only things that would make me think twice about
> upgrading to an FZ20.
According to the manual, Macro mode has no effect on the 12x Tele end
(Infinity to minimum 2m) but improves the WA minimum from 300mm to 50mm.
At 3x zoom/macro mode the autofocus is working at 120mm in front of the
lens. At that range and zoom I'm only seeing about 2/3 of my business
card in the viewing screen, which is better than the 3/4 of the card
visible at WA and 50mm, which is too damn close for most purposes
anyway. Even bumble bees get spooked by a bloody great lens poked that
close to them.
I'm thinking the FZ20 isn't as bad as some folk (including me) have
feared.
Note that at 4x zoom/Macro the autofocus is struggling at 1.08m.
The proprietary battery also isn't really a problem. Compared to my
previous Canon S1 IS I calculated that by the time I had bought a useful
number of NiMH AA cells plus a normal slow charger and a fast charger
for emergencies, the total cost was the same as the second and third
Li-Ion batteries I have bought for the FZ20. The first battery and fast
charger are included with the camera.
The Li-Ion batteries last much, much longer than NiMH and don't seem to
leak charge while sitting in my bag, a major problem previously.
--
YAnewsWatcher.
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