[caption id="attachment_5163" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Panasonic DMC-FZ47K"]
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At first glance, I thought to myself, “OK, The Lumix FX47 is just another super-zoom point and shoot. How good could it really be?" Well, I was surprised to say the least. Panasonic has been widely know for their Lumix “G/GF/GH" line for some time now, but when it comes to the point and shoot cameras, it seems as though people have become a little complacent. Canon and Nikon have been the major brands for a long time, but with Panasonic and Sony moving ahead by leaps and bounds in the camera markets, I think it is about time that people really start taking a look at what others have to offer in the compact camera world.
So what has Panasonic done with this new incarnation of the FZ series? Well to start with, they seem to be taking the same stance as everyone else when it comes to Megapixels. On smaller sensors, sometimes less is sometimes better. The DMC-FZ47 now has Panasonic's 12.1mp High speed CCD sensor versus the DMC-FZ40's 14mp regular CCD sensor, which gives the DMC-FZ47 better low light performance and better High ISO usability. Along with the redesigned sensor, Panasonic has also added Nano Surface coating to the FZ's 24x Leica F/2.8-5.2 Vario lens.
Like the DMC-FZ40, the new FZ47 has a 3” LCD molded into the camera, though they have added more pixels bringing the total to 460K instead of 230K. This is a nice improvement over the predecessor since most people still used the rear LCD to focus and compose their shots. A nice advantage of this, and other “bridge” or "super zoom" cameras, is the addition of an EVF. The DMC-FZ47 comes equipped with a 100% coverage EVF that is surprisingly easy to use and see through. Like the rest of the FZ series, there is a conveniently placed button next to the EVF for fast switching between the EVF and LCD for shooting and reviewing your images.
The DMC-FZ47 does not come with a Hot-shoe like its big brother, the FZ150. Those looking for a compact super-zoom camera probably have no desire for a hot shoe, so it isn't a big loss. There are some other major changes from the DMC-FZ40, which I would consider improvements. I believe the two largest improvements are the super macro capability and the video quality upgrade to full AVCHD format.
[caption id="attachment_5168" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Panasonic DMC-FZ47K shot while resting on an Iphone 4 screen using the Macro-Zoom capability"]
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The DMC-FZ40 was able to record AVCHD lite video at:
1280 x 720 at 60 & 30 fps
848 x 480 at 30 fps
640 x 480 at 30 fps
320 x 240 at 30fps
The DMC-FZ47 now records Full AVCHD video at:
1920 x 1080 at 60 & 30 fps
1280 x 720 at 60 & 30 fps
640 x 480 at 30 fps
The Macro capabilities of these cameras have amazed me. With a close focus of 1cm, you can almost literally place the camera right on whatever you want to shoot. Throw in the "Macro Zoom" function and you now have a camera that can take a macro shot 3X life-size and with incredible detail for a camera with a tiny 1/2.33" sensor.
The only major downside to the new DMC-FZ47 would have to be the exclusion of RAW shooting. For some reason, Panasonic has taken RAW shooting out of the FZ47. Its predecessor was capable of shooting RAW. For someone like me, who shoots almost everything in RAW, this is a real let down. In my opinion, this shows a clear divide between the FZ47 and the new FZ150. Clearly this “version” of the FZ camera is geared to the consumer who is not interested in RAW shooting, or flash photography. For those individuals, you will only have to wait a few hours/days for the DMC-FZ150 (Which have just been deliver to Unique Photo and are in stock now!)