A tele-conversion lens with 1.7x power (equivalent to 826.2mm on a 35mm film camera) and a close-up lens can be mounted using a lens adaptor.

An ND filter and new PL filter are also available to provide the FZ28 with true high-end camera capabilities.

DMW-LPL46 PL Filter

	Panasonic DMW-HDC2 Component Cable Adapter (official description) This cable helps give a much better video quality when you connect your FZ28 to an HDTV set compared to what you'd get with a standard (yellow) video cable.
	Panasonic DMW-LA3 Lens Adapter (official description)
	Panasonic DMW-LT55 55mm Tele Conversion Lens (requires Lens Adaptor DMW-LA3 for attachment) (official description)
	Panasonic DMW-LC55 55mm Close Up Lens (requires Lens Adaptor DMW-LA3 for attachment) (official description)
	Panasonic DMW-LMC46 MC Protector (official description)
	Panasonic DMW-LND46 ND Filter (official description)
	Panasonic DMW-AC7 AC Adapter (official description)
	Panasonic CGR-S006A/1B Li-ion Battery Pack (official description)
	Panasonic DMW-CZS7 Soft Camera Case (official description)

DMW-CZ18 Camera Bag (official description)

Read more on the Panasonic FZ28.

Image samples

PopPhoto's FZ28 Sneak Preview

PopPhoto has about 8 images in their FZ28 sneak preview.

The weather off Manhattan was a little hazy that day so a little contrast had to be added to the images in Photoshop.

You don't get to download any full-sized images but they did provide cropped comparison slices of ISO 100, 200, 400 and 800 photos.

Official examples of pictures taken with the Panasonic FZ28

Panasonic.jp has a gallery of 4 sample JPEG photos for you to download.

The text is in Japanese, but Google's translation service output is surprisingly quite accurate in translating the camera settings into English.

All were shot at ISO 100.

You'll get a good idea of skin tone from the portrait sample. This photo stands up very well to pixel-peeping - the skin texture looks natural and has wonderful tonality, overall detail is sharp, plentiful and doesn't display any hint of smearing from heavy-handed noise reduction.

The cat's fur is sharply-rendered, but I can see traces of chromatic aberration around the blades of grass in the background.

The image of a butterfly on a lantana bloom was taken at full telephoto zoom (486mm) and the amount of detail captured is just excellent.

The lotus flower photo is very good too - absolutely no complaints from me.

I find these set of images very much more superior in terms of image quality when compared to official samples shot with the older models from Panasonic - this is very encouraging indeed.

I do think these FZ28 photos are far better than what I can get with my Olympus SP-570UZ.

Two portrait samples

Panasonic.net has provided two full-sized official FZ28 portrait samples for download.

The first portrait is interesting because it shows you the amount of background blur you can get with the FZ28's lens zoomed in all the way to the max. 486mm and the aperture wide-open at f/4.4.

The second portrait shot at 117mm and f/4.0 has excellent sharpness, definition and detail.

Full-sized FZ28 pics from Infosyncworld

You can download the photos from here.

The pixels in this set look a tad bit unrefined when compared to the official samples, but I think the image quality is acceptable. We'd have to delve into the EXIF and understand the camera settings to make meaningful comparisons.

Skin tone in the people shot is very good, and that's saying a lot.

Feature and specification highlights

Imaging sensor: 1/2.33-inch CCD.

Resolution: 10.1 MP (megapixels). This compares with 8MP on the FZ18.

Lens: Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT. There are 11 elements in 8 groups, including 3 aspherical lenses and 2 ED lenses. The ED lenses minimize chromatic aberration that is likely to occur in telephoto images.

Zoom and aperture range: 18x optical zoom, 27 - 486mm (35mm equivalent). f/2.8-4.4.

You get to also use the zoom range during motion picture (video / movie) recording.

When activated, an automatic crop mode (Extra Optical Zoom function) uses the center area of the CCD to capture a 3MP image giving you the impression of having a 32.1x optical zoom at your disposal. This cropping could have been done in an image editor (say Photoshop) but is a convenience to those who would rather have it done in-camera.

Teleconverter: 1.7x (optional).

Imaging engine: Venus Engine IV.

Continuous burst mode: 13 fps (frames-per-second) in High Speed Burst Shooting mode. More specifically, in speed priority mode, you sacrifice resolution in order to gain speed - 13 fps in 2-megapixel (16:9) recording, 12 fps in 2.5-megapixel (3:2) recording and 11 fps in 3-megapixel (4:3) recording.

The FZ28 manages 2.5 fps in full resolution mode up to a maximum of 5 images in standard mode, or 3 images in fine mode.

Panasonic claims that the mechanical shutter mechanism on the FZ28 gives better image results than what you'd get from other cameras which use electronic shutter mechanisms

The newly-added Flash Burst mode makes it possible to take continuous shooting with continuous emission of flash up to a maximum of 5 images in 3-megapixel (4:3), 2.5-megapixel (3:2), 2-megapixel (16:9) recording.

ISO range: Goes up to ISO 6400. At ISO 6400, you'll only get images in the following resolution and formats - 3-megapixel (4:3), 2.5-megapixel (3:2), 2-megapixel (16:9).

Battery life: 460 photos on a single charge (CIPA).

USB ports: Now supports 2.0 HS (compared to the FZ18).

Internal memory: Increased to almost 50 MB (compared to the FZ18).

Image stabilization: Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. is implemented in the FZ28, and has mode 1 and 2. In AUTO mode, the camera will automatically select either mode 1 or 2 depending on the zoom ratio being used.

iA (intelligent auto) mode

In this mode, the camera practically takes over and make automatic decisions for you such as activating Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection, and Intelligent Exposure. This leaves the you free to simply compose the shot and press the shutter button.

The Intelligent Scene Selector will automatically select one of 5 scene modes - Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, and Night Scenery - that the camera thinks will best suit the shooting situation.

The newly added AF Tracking function automatically (and continuously) tracks the subject once the AF has been set. The autofocus is always "on" in that AF acquisition and tracking of the subject is performed even before the shutter button is pressed halfway.

The FZ28 continually monitors the light source and automatically activates the backlight compensation function if it detects that the light source is behind the subject.

Face detection accuracy has also been increased, allowing continuous AF/AE (auto focus / auto exposure) adjustment even if a face moves or turns sideways to the camera. Up to 15 faces can be simultaneously detected.

The Intelligent Exposure function automatically suppresses blocked shadows and blown highlights.

Color bracketing: Three color styles of images - color, monochromatic and sepia - can be captured with a single press of the shutter button.

Manual controls:

The joystick on the rear of the Panasonic FZ28 lets you quickly make changes to manual focus, manual exposure and other settings:

All the usual manual adjustment capabilities you'd expect in a camera of this class are there, plus a few other innovations.

In manual focus mode, the focal length and depth of field are displayed in accordance with the zoom range.

A custom setting function that lets you store up to 4 sets of frequently-used settings you often use in memory which can then be instantly recalled using the mode dial.

Focusing: To match the shooting situation and subject's position, the user can select from six auto-focusing methods: AF tracking, face detection, multi, 1-point high-speed, 1-point normal-speed, and spot. With the 1-point AF or spot AF method, the auto-focusing area can be chosen freely from the entire field of view with the joystick or cursor button. Various group area patterns can also be selected in the Multi method.

Instant switching between AF and MF is available with the independent AF/MF button. The DMC-FZ28 is also equipped with AF Macro button and it activates the One-Shot AF function in MF mode with a single press of the button.

Movie / video: High-definition (HD) 1280 x 720p motion images at 30 fps. An optional DMW-HDC2 HD Component Cable allows output from the FZ28 to be viewed directly on a HD-ready TV (HDTV). Sound can be recorded and the lens zoomed during movie capture. The file format used for movies is Motion JPEG.

LCD: 2.7-inch LCD with 230,000-dot resolution.

Electronic viewfinder: The viewfinder resolution has been increased to 201,600 dots.

Dimensions: 117.6 x 75.3 x 88.9mm.

Weight (with battery): Approximately 417g.

Resources

Panasonic FZ28 accessories.

Official Panasonic FZ28 websites

Panasonic.net

There are animated Flash graphics showing how AF tracking works in iA (Intelligent Auto) mode (a Quicktime video is also available) and how the AF point can be moved with the joystick controller at the back of the camera.

Panasonic.com

Panasonic.co.uk

Here's a quick link to a Canon flash tutorial written by Charles E. Gardner.

The article teaches you how to properly set up your Canon flash guns for proper lighting.

Almost everything you need to know about using multiple flash units is covered including ratios, how to mix in ambient lighting using slow shutter speeds, proper positioning for flattering portraits (oblique short lighting, full-face short lighting, flash for candid shooting), fill:key combination and other topics.

Thanks to Charles for not leaving any of the juicy bits out.

The article can be easily adapted for use with other flash systems.

In this post, I show where you can turn off noise reduction in Nikon Capture NX 2, and two techniques for performing noise reduction (NR).

Turn off Noise Reduction

If you shoot RAW images with Noise Reduction turned on in-camera, you'll see that noise reduction is also applied when you open the NEF file in Nikon Capture NX 2.

The graphic above pertains to the noise reduction setting sliders that you can access from the Edit List under Develop > Camera Settings. Note also that the intensity is set at 18 while the sharpness is set at 7. These are the default values if you had shot the image with in-camera High ISO noise reduction set at On (Normal).

To turn off noise reduction, simply remove the tick in the indicated checkbox.

1st technique: Turn on "Better Quality" noise reduction

The 1st technique simply involves putting a tick in the indicated checkbox (or leaving it on in the first place).

Next, select the desired values for Intensity and Sharpness, and make sure you select Better Quality from the Method drop-down list (the default is Faster).

Even though this works well in most cases, there's something you need to know about the noise reduction Capture NX2 performs.

From the screenshot, you'll notice the words "Color Noise Reduction". You would expect that NX2 only performs chroma noise reduction, but if you look closely, you'll notice that luminance NR is also performed.

If you want only chroma NR to be performed without touching the luminance channel (a.k.a. detail), you'll have to employ the 2nd technique.

2nd technique: Apply Noise Reduction as a New Step

Using this method allows you to adjust the opacity of the luminance and chrominance effect of the noise reduction, which is similar to what you can do with Photoshop layers.

Firstly, make sure you turn off the default noise reduction in the Develop > Camera Settings section of the Edit list as explained near the beginning of this post.

Next, click on the New Step button found at the bottom of the Edit List:

You'll see a new Adjust section appear with an empty adjustment step (labeled '1. Select Adjustment'). Click on the Select Adjustment drop-down box and select Noise Reduction.

At this point, the labeling of adjustment step changes to '1. Noise Reduction'.

Next, set the desired parameter values. I normally enter 18 for intensity, 7 for sharpness as per the default values for Normal noise reduction. Don't forget to select Better Quality for Method.

The next step is important. Click on the little gray arrow next to Opacity, and the noise reduction step will be expanded to show the following:

Click on the All drop-down box, and select Luminance and Chrominance:

Finally, adjust the opacity for the Luminance channel to zero, while leaving the opacity for the Chrominance channel at 100%:

Comparisons

Here are 100% crops from an ISO 6400 photo taken with the D700 (see this post for the original files) - I'll leave it to you to decide which NR method you prefer. Personally, I would normally go for the 2nd technique of NR, but in this case, I thought the default NR method (1st technique) worked out to be better overall, despite the small loss in edge sharpness.

Without noise reduction:

With better quality noise reduction:

Noise reduction with luminance / chrominance channel blending adjustments:

Well what got my attention is Tip 5: I'd never read about this "Break A Pattern" method before, so I thought I'd give it a shot with a photo below, "Lens caps and an SDHC card":

OK that was an extremely poor implementation of the tip, but I had to shoot something as soon as I read the article, otherwise I would tend to forget about it over time.

Shot settings and equipment for those interested:

1. Nikon D300 on mirror lockup (MLU), aperture priority, ISO 200, f/8, 1/1.6s, and my favorite settings.
2. Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro for Nikon lens
3. Gitzo GT1931 tripod
4. Phottix Cleon N8 wireless RF remote control (real handy when shooting in mirror lockup mode - read the review).

First, make sure the photo you want to perform the NR (noise reduction) on is already selected in the Library.

Step 1: With the photo open in Lightroom, click Develop.

Step 2: Grab the scroll bar on the right and scroll through the list of adjustments until you come to the Detail section. Click the screen capture below for a larger version.

Do you see the color noise on the white paintwork?

Step 3: Adjust the Color slider in the Noise Reduction section until the chroma noise is reduced to a satisfactory level. Try not to go beyond what's necessary as too much reduction would de-saturate important color areas in the photo. Click the screen capture below for a larger version.

I had to use the value 70 for this photo.

Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions.

First, click the thumbnail below to view a large version (open it up in a separate browser window if necessary) of the screen capture that I've done to show you the steps.

Do you see that there are traces of red / cyan CA around the edges of the building?

Step 1: With the photo open in Lightroom, click Develop.

Step 2: Grab the scroll bar on the right and scroll through the list of adjustments until you come to the Lens Correction section.

Step 3: Adjust the Red / Cyan chromatic aberration slider until as you see the CA disappear. Every photo is different, so it sometimes helps for you to make a big initial adjustment in one direction (cyan CA becomes red CA and vice versa) and then slowly go the other way until the CA is removed satisfactorily.

For this particular photo, I had to dial in a -10 for the red / cyan CA adjustment.

Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions.

Highlight features, specifications and capabilities

Sony Cybershot DSC-W300 13.6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot

Form factor

The Cyber-shot W300 is a pocketable and compact digital camera designed with point-and-shoot simplicity.

Memory / Storage

The W300 has 16MB of internal memory.

You'll need to purchase Memory Stick Duo or Pro Duo cards for additional storage.

Sensor

13.6 MP CCD imager.

Lens

Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens.

Zoom range is 35-105mm in 35mm equivalent terms.

Optical viewfinder

Yes.

Titanium-clad body

Ultra-hard titanium coating offers premium look and finishing while being highly-resistant to scratches and fingerprints.

2.7" rear LCD screen

Image stabilization

The W300 features Sony's Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization (meaning, in the lens rather than the sensor) to reduce the the occurrence of blurry photos resulting from handheld shots taken with low shutter speeds.

ISO

The W300 can automatically boost ISO to 6400 when you're taking photos in low-light conditions.

Noise reduction

The NR (noise reduction) strength is user-selectable from the following values: High, Low, Standard. Sony claims that with the Low setting, noise is reduced without sacrificing too much detail.

HDTV output

High-definition component output capability on the W300 means you can view photos on a compatible HDTV set.

Continuous burst

The W300 allows you to capture 3 MP photos at 5 fps (frames-per-second) when its on extra high-speed burst mode.

At full 13.6MP resolution, you can only capture 1.9 frames every second.

Sony's Smile Shutter technology

Sony claims that the camera is able to recognize faces in the scene and can be set to automatically take the photo the minute the subject smiles.

Face detection technology

With this feature, the W300 automatically adjusts exposure, AF (autofocusing), white balance and flash control for up to 8 faces in the scene.

Intelligent scene recognition technology

The W300 automatically selects the appropriate camera settings depending on one of five detectable scenes the camera is presented with.

An advanced mode allows you to take two photos in quick succession - one with automatic settings, and the other with optimized settings.

Autofocus

The W300 has 9 focus points.

There's a provision for optimized auto focus in macro ranges.

Other image enhancement capabilities

1. 5 color modes are available. One of them is the "Real" mode which applies less in-camera processing to photos and gives a more faithful color reproduction.
2. 12 scene modes. There is an "Underwater" mode which adjust the camera's white balance so that your snorkeling or diving photos come out looking more natural, and not with the usual bluish tint.
3. D-Range Optimizer Plus adjusts the photo so that the darker, shadow areas are lightened up a bit, while detail in harsh highlights is retained as much as possible.

Weight without batteries

156g (5.5oz) (187g with battery and an Memory Stick Duo card inserted)

Dimensions

94.3 x 59.0 x 26.8 mm (3.7 x 2.3 x 1.1in.)

Resources

Read The Sony DSC-W300 Journal.

Sony W300 press release

I like the version presented on DPReview.com.

Sony W300 Gallery at PBase.com

When you're at the W300 gallery, don't forget to hit your browser's refresh button to view the next set of random images.

1. Joseph S Wisniewski is amazed how Nikon managed to launch so many new, class-leading cameras, lenses and flashguns during the period of 2004 - 2008.

Posts by Thom Hogan

1. Indeed, one of the D3 sensor's high ISO gains comes from putting a multistage amplifier at the photosite, before read noise that comes downstream.

2. A summary of Nikon's technical accomplishments in the eight years spanning the period from the introduction of the D1 right up to the D3 / D300 / D700.
3. Thom Hogan explains why Nikon's exposure meter is the way it is, where negative is towards the right.
4. Thom Hogan reveals that there was a period of time (especially after the Nikon D2H fiasco) that Nikon lost almost all their name photographers.

I'll have to admit that I hardly understood a word of what was being discussed but you might find it useful to note that the main differences can only be observed in the darkest parts of the images.

Look especially for posts by ejmartin.