Panasonic FZ200

[Rodbender]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

"I need to get to know the camera properly in a variety of situations and environments."

With your knowledge and flair you should be at home with it in no time. I can just see you and David elbowing each other for the best place to shoot from. Both having the same camera means you can rule out the equipment and it's all down to you to prove who can get the best images. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in your house.

You mention the marshes. Is Gilbert the seagull still there?

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

"I need to get to know the camera properly in a variety of situations and environments."

With your knowledge and flair you should be at home with it in no time. I can just see you and David elbowing each other for the best place to shoot from. Both having the same camera means you can rule out the equipment and it's all down to you to prove who can get the best images. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in your house.

You mention the marshes. Is Gilbert the seagull still there?

David and I fight like dogs over all sorts of things! Not much contest over the images though - he's the 'kit man' and I'm undoubtedly the best togfa and processor, innit.

He uses Picasa and I use CS6 on one lappy and Elements 11 on the other lappy. I also have LR too but hate it with a passion so I gave it to David though he won't bother trying it.

Our youngest son also uses Picasa, the eldest (the ultimate geek) uses CS5 or CS 6 and the middle son just mails me folders with a million pics from weird and wonderful places and asks "would you mind, pleeeeeeeez" because he cba with photography but likes the end results when I send him a pile of 7x5 of his snaps direct from Photobox. Yeah they all like getting a parcel from Photobox but guess who organizes the orders and pays for them though.

As for Gilbert - he's still around the lake with his friends. The owners of the lake and farm have sold up now though so I don't know what's gonna happen to their land and tracks. We can't, or won't, stay in the camper there either. The new owner of the camping field stuck a load of 'sheds' on there, called them 'pods' and I think you can probably guess the rest.

The lake is still there and always will be but it's not so nice in that area since Lydd Airport became ' London airport -Ashford International' and the whole atmosphere changed. It's also had an effect on the Nature Reserve - all the shacks turned into holiday lets with ridiculous prices, tourist coaches everywhere and car parks springing up in what were quiet spots just 5-6 years ago.

We set off to go there last week and had to give up and turn back home - did just 5 miles in 2 hours - roads blocked by accidents and East Sussex installing meters and closing the lanes and setting up diversions that got blocked in less than a heartbeat by prangs. It's a different world down here these days - hopeless

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

Hey Shoppy, this little camera is full of surprises and can be remarkably quick at times. I was fiddling about this afternoon when one of the latest batch 'baby Kevins' scuttled along the fence. I managed to home in on it quickly and was lucky enough to grab a quick snap when it paused for a brief couple of seconds.

Here's the result ... I'm keeping it 'cos I always like to get one or two of the weeny ones.



Pol

[Rodbender]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

That's a good'en Pol. Nice to see the results someone else gets. We had to take our doggy for a haircut today and as it's way out in the country I always take the camera just in case something worthwhile shows up. Today just sitting in the car outside the groomers, feeling sorry for myself, I was playing with the zoom. Popped a few off and when I got home found I had more that expected. First shot shows the view from the car, and the second a shot with the zoom extended to 1200mm. Geezs there's a pigeon on top of the aerial.





In the first shot you can see a row of trees. Just in front of these is a road, see car transporter and just the other side of the road the corn fields. All this and I didn't get out of the car.

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

I never cease to be amazed at just what you can do with that zoom, so easy to use too! I especially love that car transporter picci

I have another picci from yesterday that demonstrates the sharpness and quality of the zoom. I'd snapped a Starling at the bottom of the garden, grabbed it on 600mm and it seemed to be a reasonable snap so I did a 50% crop. It's a cluttered shot, not really a keeper but it does show the amazing quality of the lens and camera.

I'll go off and upload it and post a copy after I've dealt with the washing machine and grabbed a cuppa. (we're on Eco7, cheap leccy until 8.30am).

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

Here's the Starling pic. The last thing I expected was to get anything much in the way of bird pics but this one truly astonished me.

The bird was approx 40-50ft away and it was swinging on the top of a feeder - barely visible against the trees and shrubs behind it.

I'd snatched the shot at 600mm equivalent, noticed the bird seemed to be quite sharp and visible so I did a 50% crop from the full frame and this is the end result. Not at all bad from a 50% crop from a handheld shot at off a lightweight bridge camera!



Pol

[Rodbender]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

Just imagine how good that lens would be on a camera with a larger sensor, plus the f2.8 constant aperture, what a combination that would be. The lens I had on the FZ20 with only 6mp was good but this is even better. I had a day at the zoo a while back and did that zoom prove useful. As always the critters are at the back of their cage. A lot of disappointed kids and photographers. Here's a shot of one that I spent some time showing to people, on the rear display, who could just see the animal at the far end of the enclose.

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

That's a beautiful shot and I'd be well pleased if it were mine.

I don't wanna think about the size and weight of a 1200mm f/2.8 on a dSLR.

Blimey, you'd need a long vehicle and police escort to get down the road with it, not to mention the crane and scaffolding you'd need to set it up and hold it stable when you wanted to snap a picci.

Pol

[Rodbender]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

Here's the Starling pic. The last thing I expected was to get anything much in the way of bird pics but this one truly astonished me.

The bird was approx 40-50ft away and it was swinging on the top of a feeder - barely visible against the trees and shrubs behind it.

I'd snatched the shot at 600mm equivalent, noticed the bird seemed to be quite sharp and visible so I did a 50% crop from the full frame and this is the end result. Not at all bad from a 50% crop from a handheld shot at off a lightweight bridge camera!

Pol

Pol don't give the camera all the credit. The FZ200 is just a tool in your skilful hands.
As for my image. Not as good as most of the shots from that day. Kept only to show that without the zoom there would not have been a picture.
Shingles is improving slowly, but God does it HurrrrrrrTTTT.

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

Pol don't give the camera all the credit. The FZ200 is just a tool in your skilful hands.
As for my image. Not as good as most of the shots from that day. Kept only to show that without the zoom there would not have been a picture.
Shingles is improving slowly, but God does it HurrrrrrrTTTT.

The zoom is the real fun part of the camera for us at the moment. We have a couple of 'Neanderthals' living nearby and they're just within reach of that zoom (from an upstairs window) ... you can probably guess the rest.

I'm pleased to hear your Shingles is improving. If your GP didn't give you anything topical you could try using an cold pack, eg ice cubes or a small bag of frozen peas wrapped in a muslin cloth (or tea towel). Just something to ease it temporarily on and off for short spells.

It's a miserable time for you at the moment but at you'll mend so keep yer chin up and yer spots as cool as possible.

Pol

[Rodbender]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

Took this a few weeks ago. What do you think. A little sweet pea.

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

That's absolutely beautiful, gorgeous flower! I love Sweet Peas, used to grow them myself along the full length of the wall on the side of the house (approx 32ft wall) and the fragrance used to be overwhelming - not to mention the overflowing vases.

I can't do it now but my neighbour has planted some in a large tub with a canes arrangement around the tub and she's succeeded in getting a nice show from just a few plants.

Did you grow the flower yourself? Did you use a macro setting or did you use the zoom or what?

Very well done anyway.

Pol

[Rodbender]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

First I can not take any credit for the flowers in our garden. My wife Carol dose all the gardening and I used to do the labouring, but now I pay someone to do that for her. These are growing around a wrought iron stand, which constantly gets blown over by the wind.

Settings for the camera were. Macro focus at almost full zoom. Stand back and adjust position till focus locked. 800 sec. F4.

Two Questions. Why does my exif data not show here, but does on other forums. Also if I upload the wrong image to my gallery, how can I delete it.

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

Settings for the camera were. Macro focus at almost full zoom. Stand back and adjust position till focus locked. 800 sec. F4.

Two Questions. Why does my exif data not show here, but does on other forums. Also if I upload the wrong image to my gallery, how can I delete it.

I gave up on growing flowers because of the awful soil here as well as the huge surrounding trees; the wind also being another factor. We also ended up getting rid of the greenhouse because of the annual mayhem when the winds blew out the glass and it scattered all over the lawn and paths.

In answer to your gallery questions ...

I don't know why the exif isn't showing in the gallery, that's one for Ian to look into.

Deleting the wrong image is easy, or should be. I just looked at one of my own and the edit/delete is still functioning normally. Here's what you do ...

Click on the image you want to delete, then click on the 'drop-down arrow (top right) and you'll see a little camera icon. Select 'edit photo' from the drop-down menu the scroll down to the box you can tick to 'delete photo'.

I'll see if I can get a screenshot if you can't find the small arrow for the drop menu.

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Panasonic FZ200

...
Click on the image you want to delete, then click on the 'drop-down arrow (top right) and you'll see a little camera icon. Select 'edit photo' from the drop-down menu the scroll down to the box you can tick to 'delete photo'.

I'll see if I can get a screenshot if you can't find the small arrow for the drop menu.

Pol

Here's a screenshot showing where to find the arrow for the drop menu (top right just below where it says 'upload photos'. Chooose 'edit photo' then scroll down where you'll find a tick box to delete the photo.




Pol