Teleconverter Lenses on FZ28




Last August, I decided I needed a camera with a bit more zoom. ! Did my research on the net, and decided that the Fuji S8000fd with 18X optical zoom, fitted my pocket, and my zoom requirements. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the expectations.... I thought it was rubbish!.. Despite my other camera being a Fuji S5600 with 10X zoom, and being at least 4 years older, I expected the technology to have improved, hence the choice of Fuji again.... To cut a long story short (email me for the long version ! !) I was enquiring on a non photographic forum, about the merits of teleconverter lenses... one of the replies, (a long time friend on the forum) had a set of Sigma lenses, that he would send me, and if I liked them or found a use, I could keep them, as he no longer needed them!... well, they didn`t fit the Fuji S5600, but I did try them to see what I could expect if I did buy a teleconverter lens instead of a new camera.... Not over impressed, as the improvement in zoom was only 1.4 X.... to obtain any real advantage, I needed at least 2 .0 X zoom. However, the opinions on the forum were against the lenses on ebay, as not of very good quality, and degraded the pictures. The alternative was expensive lenses from other suppliers. So I put the lenses on the shelf, and forgot about them... Having been disappointed with the lenses, and also the Fuji S8000fd, I again researched the net, and came up with the Panasonic Lumix FZ28 as 18X optical zoom. and although more expensive than the fuji, decided on the reviews, that it was worth the extra money..... and IT IS !!!. Recently, on the FZ28 group pages on flickr, questions were raised as to the suitablility of teleconverter lenses, which reminded me about the ones I had (that did not fit the Fuji).. Out of curiosity, more than anything els, I took them down, and was just going to hold it to the lens when I was amazed to find that they were the same size thread, and just screwed straight on !....even more surprise, that when the FZ28 lens was fully retracted, there was no need to remove the teleconverter, or wide angle lens. ! !
To see the lenses and how they fit on the FZ28, I have uploaded some pics of my camera taken with the Fuji S5600.... Initial tests show that there is a slight improvement in zooom capability, and the wide angle lens also works well.....The twist in this story is, the guy I got them from, is a supporter of the R.N.L.I. and so am I..... He did not want me to send him any money, for the lenses, but I insisted that I send him a cheque, made out to the R.N.L.I. so that he could see I had donated.... he agreed, and that makes three parties happy.... Him, as he found a home for his redundant lenses, Me, as I found a use for them, and also paid a very low price, and the R.N.L.I who benefitted from the exchange.

Managed to get out again on Saturday 17 Jan 2009. Went to a local (30 miles away!) duck pond, and wanted to get some "flying action shots".... the ducks and seagulls did not want to commit themselves to a photoshoot, or flying display, so as I was returning to the car, I spotted a crow having a bathing session, on the other side of the pond... Unfortunately, to capture him, (or fortuitously, depending on your viewpoint) I had to shoot directly into the sun, so he was really "backlit" which I suppose added to the shot!... for those interested, here are the relevant titles, and exif details....

Stopham Bridge (Near Pulborough) f8 s1/100 ISO 100 aperture priority w/b cloudy
Spangles f7.1 s1/500 ISO 160 Aperture priority w/b cloudy
Crow 111 f7.1 s1/100 ISO 100 Aperture priority
Crow 113 f7.1 s1/60 ISO 100 Aperture priority
Crow 116 f4.4 s1/1000 ISO 100 Shutter Priority

All the pictures were set up using Contrast +2 Saturation Normal Sharpness +2

Managed to get out of the house today, and back to the Mill Pond at Emsworth, which is now unfrozen, and the ducks and swans are swimming about "properly"... so as I was just passing, I did not have much time to spend enjoying the view, just enough time to get out the camera and take a couple of shots.... used the P setting and the previous settings I had on the Sunday. Not sure about the results !... but it is possible to see the difference the "warm" setting and +2 on contrast, saturation and sharpness and noise reduction make.... The new pictures, have the following as settings in the Picture adjust setting on the menu..... contrast -2, sharpness +1, saturation 0 and noise reduction -1

Having tried them out, I suppose I will have to go back again, and again, to see how different settings change things.

I spent a bit of time on Sunday, reading up on the settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ28 (from now on will be known on this blog as "the FZ28") and set my camera to some recommended settings... All I need now is somewhere to go, and take some shots.... Oh well, maybe tomorrow will bring something to mind

Here are a couple of photographs taken with my FZ28, using the Colour Effect Settings....."warm" setting, and Picture Adjust Settings ..... contrast +2 sharpness +2 saturation +2 and noise reduction +2
I had been going through the menu the day before, and had not reset those setting before shooting, and so the result, is pure luck !...

First footings on the blog ladder !

This is my first attempt at a blog, although I do have a website with the same name, www.nemosphotography.co.uk which took me a long time to get working. This seems to be a lot easier !..

I am not an expert at photography, I just like to take photo`s that remind me of things that I like, and maybe others will like too. If only one other person likes the photo`s then it will have made the blog worthwhile, and so, if you do like them, please let me know.

I have two cameras. My first camera, that I used to take the pictures on the website is the Fuji S5600, or in the USA it is known as the S5200 for some reason... It has a 10 X optical zoom and 5 X digital zoom, it is only 5 mpx, but gives really good pictures on the Optical zoom... After nearly 3 years, I have been looking for an improvement in the zoom, eventually, after trying another Fuji camera, I decided the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 to be the camera for me. 18 X optical zoom, on 10 megapixels, and even more, if you are prepared to sacrifice 5 megapixels.....

It is still new to me, so I am on a learning curve, and every day, it amazes me how many features this camera has.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 Zoom test

This is a zoom test to see how good the Panasonic camera zoom capability is.... the first picture is as would be seen from inside the car, across the carpark to the multiplex cinema. The focus point is the lower centre poster. The second picture is taken, again, hand held, resting on the steering wheel, through the windscreen, and this time at 10 X optical zoom, which would be as good as my Fuji S5600 could manage, at max optical zoom. The third picture is still inside the car, and this time at max optical zoom for the FZ28, 18 X optical zoom. The last picture is at max optical PLUS the 4 X digital , making a total zoom of 72 x !! ..... These pictures were taken on the 10 mpx setting, and by reducing the mpx to 5 will increase the zoom quite dramatically !.