NEW LUMIX GX80 a Smaller GX8!

SOMETIME TODAY, Panasonic Japan is going to launch a NEW compact, GX80!

This is exciting (to me at least) because from the leaked data, the GX80 is like a smaller version of the GX8 which I tested and like very much!

Take a look at the composite digram I created to give you an idea of the GX80 size compare to the larger GX8 and mini GM1.

Look like the GX80 is the perfect upgrade for my heavily used, dropped, but still kicking mini GM1!

Can You Bounce Tiny GM1 Flash?

I dislike using flash in my photography, but most indoor lighting condition are not really bright enough for even illumination.

Direct flash can cause even the most flattering photos to turn out bad, direct flash is harsh and highlight in photos are "burn out" and lack detail.

If you are serious about your photography, the first technique you must learn is how to BOUNCE your flash!

Sadly, virtually all the smaller, so called "point & shoot" cameras came with tiny, fixed flash that you cannot tilt and bounce! Even if it can, the output is just too weak for that purpose.

Panasonic launch LUMIX TZ110, TZ80 and Compact Zoom

PANASONIC today launch a very exciting premium compact travel camera with a 1"-type sensor. The new Panasonic Lumix TZ110 is the first in the Lumix TZ series to incorporate an f/2.8-5.9 Leica (25-250mm equivalent) DC lens with 10x optical zoom and hybrid O.I.S., the compact also do 4K video capture and Post Focus!

TZ80, with a smaller sensor is announce at the same time.

TZ110 in black

MY GM1 12-32 Kit Lens BROKE!!

If you are following my photo blog, you will know that I just ADORE my little LUMIX GM1 and it's tiny Lumix G 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens!

For the last two years, I have been using this set up for everything from food to line dancing.

I love this little lens for its compactness and good sharpness, so what if it is not very "bright" at F3.5 but I can live with that!

To maintain the compactness of this little lens, you need to twist the lens barrel to extend the lens and make the GM1 active. The camera WILL NOT WORK if the lens is not extended.

Now I suppose you realised that, if you switch on your camera thousands of time to take pictures, you will have also twist and extend the little lens thousands of time!

LUMIX DMC-FZ1000, BIGGER is BETTER?

If you read my review on the LUMIX FZ300, you will realise how impressed I was with this SUPER-ZOOM camera with a small sensor!

For those of you who do not understand how and why a DIGITAL CAMERA SENSOR work, please read some of the articles here.

Sensor sizes are important in digital photography because in general, THE LARGER the sensor, THE BETTER image quality you will get.

But how true is that assumption?

Before we go on, let us look at the type of sensors that digital cameras come in.

The diagram, of course is NOT the actual size, to put it in perspective, see below...

Lumix DMC-FZ300, the Works..

Thanks to Panasonic NZ, I had the opportunity to "play around" with their marvellous weather sealed "Super-Zoom" Bridge camera, the Lumix DMC-FZ300.

For the last three week ends, I have the chance to shoot different subjects and different functions; I even took shots in HIGH ISO 1,600 at an indoor festival!

Before I go on, I like to point out that, even though the rear monitor's resolution has increased from 460,000 dots in the FZ200 to 1,040,000 dots and includes touch control, I only use it for low-angle framing!

The monitor is fine, it is just me, who believe the best way to frame and get a good shot is by looking through a view-finder!

And what an incredibly good EVF this camera have!

The new EVF has been upgraded to an OLED display with 2,360,000 dots, compared with 1,312,000 dots in the older camera. It is bright and so life like that I ended up using the EVF most of the time!

LUMIX FZ300 One Camera To Rule Them All?

I use to have reservation on so called BRIDGE or Superzoom camera.

When I received the latest Lumix DMC-FZ300 from Panasonic NZ, I was rather amazed with the following features from a NZ$ 989.00 camera!

• A f/2.8 constant aperture 25-600mm (equivalent) 24x Leica zoom lens
• 12.1MP high sensitivity MOS, 1/ 2.33 inch sensor
• 0.7x  EVF with 1440k dot and eye sensor
• Rotating 3inch 1040k LCD touch screen 
• 5-axis hybrid IS
• ISO 100 to ISO 6400 sensitivities
• 12fps continuous shooting
• 4K photo / video, with stereo sound recording
• 1cm macro mode
• Wi-Fi  and QR code connection
• Built in 3.5mm microphone socket
• Splash and dust-proof weather-sealed body
• Large 380 shot battery

That 25-600mm f/2.8 lens must be a typo, right?

It is NOT a typo and Panasonic actually caused a stir when they launched the DMC-FZ200 with the same f/2.8 superzoom two years ago!