Name: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 12.1MP Digital Camera, With Free $300 Gift Card
Brand: Panasonic
SKU: IPCDMCFZ20G3
Price: 747.99 USD
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 4.41 (27 reviews)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 12.1MP Digital Camera, With Free $300 Gift Card

Panasonic DMC-FZ200

Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 12.1MP Digital Camera With $300 Gift Card

Adorama

Photography

Cameras

Digital Point & Shoot Cameras

Panasonic Digital Point & Shoot Cameras

Panasonic DMC-FZ200 

Top Rated Gear: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 12.1MP Digital Camera, With Free $300 Gift Card Color: Black, Memory Card Type: SDHC UHS-I, SDXC UHS-I, Model: Panasonic FZ200, Optical Zoom: 24x, Resolution: 12 MP

I PURCHASED THIS CAMERA ALMOST A YEAR AGO. AND SO FAR HAVE REALLY ENJOYED IT !  I HAVE TAKEN SOME GREAT PICTURES WITH IT SO FAR . IN ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIGHTING CONDITIONS.  IN THE AUTO MODE.  IT DOES ALL THE WORK. GIVES EXCELLENT RESULTS. IN ALL SORTS OF CONDITIONS. FAST ,SLOW,  LIGHT,  DARK .AND WITH ALL THE SPECIAL FEATURES IN THIS CAMERA.YOU CAN SHOOT IN VARIOUS MODES.WITH A CLICK OF THE BUTTON.GREAT FOR EXPERIMENTING IN PHOTOGRAPHY. FOR THE SPECIAL EFFECTS YOU HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET. FAIRLY SIMPLE TO USE. IF YOU HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE IN PHOTOGRAPHY.THERE ARE ONLINE VIDEO'S.  FOR HELP WITH THE DIFFERENT FEATURES OF THIS CAMERA. I WOULD RECOMENDED THIS CAMERA. TO THE HOBBIST PHOTOGRAPHER AND ABOVE. THE PRICE IS DECENT FOR WHAT YOU GET!

I PURCHASED THIS CAMERA ALMOST A YEAR AGO. AND SO FAR HAVE REALLY ENJOYED IT !

I purchased this for my teenage daughter. Her intended usage is primarily for video for her vlog and her amateur movies. She was using a small point and shoot and having troubles with it's limitations. I did some research and found this amazing deal on a great little camera. Very nice wide to crazy-long telephoto zoom lens with constant, fast f/2.8 aperture produces beautiful still images and very competent video quality. Between the improvements in high iso performance and the faster lens, and the articulated display, she is thrilled. Much better low-light performance and sound quality, too. I can see myself taking this along for occasional casual shooting use from time to time when I don't need or want to drag along my DSLRs and several lenses. Great job, Panasonic and Adorama!

Great little bridge camera!

Leica lenses are legendary. This lens is very compact and fast at 2:8 over the whole range of 25-600 mm. Lenses for a DSLR with this range and speed will cost much more than this camera.
 Sure, a DSLR can have overall better picture quality, but the FZ 200's Leica lens produces very sharp pictures. The stabilization works great, helping to insure sharpness.
  Because of the fast lens speed with telephoto use, the FZ 200 is especially useful with indoor events like sports and theatrical plays. The FZ 200 is terrific for taking travel photos. This camera has many uses
The FZ 200 is smaller than a DSLR, which can be a big benefit. DSLRs with a large lens can be harder to use, be more distracting, and require more space to move around in than the FZ 200.
 No need to change lenses with the FZ 200's 25-600 mm len's range, which means fewer missed shots.  The FZ 200 has a fixed lens. When lense are changed on other cameras, there can be the problem of dust entering the camera.
 The FZ 200 has numerous shooting options, including Artistic. 
 Using good photo technique and the camera's capability will give good quality pictures. I've taken many pictures with this camera that have been complimented. I love this camera.

A Lens With Speed, Range, and Compactness That's Unique

The FZ200 is now 2 years old and not the best choice for a super zoom. The FZ300 replacement model will improve on everything that's found on the FZ200. If your budget is limited to $400 than it's an excellent choice. The image quality is still very good and the video is also very good. It is light, has a nice EVF and quite responsive. The main limitation is in low light raising the ISO produces noisy image or video quality.  If your budget permits go for the FZ1000 which is a significantly better super zoom. The FZ300 just released is priced in between the FZ200 and FZ1000 and could be a very good choice too. I loved using the FZ200 for the 15 months I was using it and was very pleased with the image and video quality. Unfortunately for any camera, technology improvements are advancing so quickly that what was great two years ago is just ordinary and not special, today.

Excellent F2.8 Inexpensive Small Sensor F2.8 Super zoom.

Easy to carry all day. Great range of zoom and ƒ stops. Works well in low light and not noisy at 1600 ISO!

Would be MUCH BETTER at 16 megapixels, and it needed a closer focus Macro function.

16 megapixels and closer focus, OH, and a manual you can READ would have given this a 5 star.

Image quality not up to par with Nikon P600 ;~(, even shooting RAW.

Great Lightweight Bridge camera!

I had a Panasonic FZ100 and loved it but thought I would upgrade. The 200 has been improved in many ways in the quality of pictures. The higher ISO settings are now useful and give good clear pictures. No carrying large lens around and not having the right lens on the camera when you need it. Panasonic has done a wonderful job and I love the camera. Maybe so called experts can find faults with the camera, but for the normal person, I think this is the best camera in the world today.

Best camera I have ever owned

I've been involved in photography for forty years and during that time have owned many slrs and dslrs from Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Minolta. I've reached an age where I want the versatility of a dslr with its interchangeable lenses and the reach they provide but do not want the extra weight, expense  and inconvenience. The Lumix FZ200 is the perfect bridge camera reaching all the way from 24mm out to 600mm. The images it produces are crisp and the color puts me in mind of Kodak color... simply the best. It has an extremely bright EVF along with a highly readable LCD screen which is articulated to allow for self-portraits, low level photogrpahy and angling the screen away from the direct sunlight. Perhaps the best thing about the superb Leica lense is the constant f2.8 aperture throughout its range. There is so much more that can be said about this fantastic camera but to keep the review reasonably short I highly reccommend this camera to anyone interested in photography but wanting it all in a small package.

The FZ200 is the Best in its Class

So far,  I love this camera.  Pictures seem sharper than the FZ35 I had before.  One feature I love is the ability to apply effects after taking the picture.  The newly applied effect can be saved as a new picture, keeping the original intact.

Note the flash is not the greatest.  But the camera has hot shoe so even this is not really an issue.

05 2014 purchase

Still haven't fully utilitized everything this camera can do but at first blush it is everything I wanted. Light , quick with great creative features. Pictures are great so far. Easy to use and understand the menu and all mechanicals.

Looks and Feels like a Winner

This camera is lightweight and smaller than an SLR but delivers excellent results giving the user a lot of control if wanted or offers a large selection of settings to make it more of a point and shoot.  The Leica lens, high enough ISO and  huge range of mm makes for a very versatile powerhouse.  Will probably use this camera as my main camera moving forward.  Working on the perfect WB, Shutter stop, aperature and focus to shoot indoor hockey.  So far I like what I see.

Awesome powerhouse

I use it for land scape and for taking pictures of birds.  It has a fantastic zoom lens.  I took pictures from one side of Pudget Sound and got pictures of geese sitting on the beach, about 2 miles away. The dislike,I wish it was lighter and smaller.

Excellent zoom lens

I downgraded from a Nikon D7000 and before that  a Nikon D90 because of medical issues that caused the weight to be an issue.  I had to buy it without seeing it first and I was hesitant to do that.  I read many reviews which is why I'm writing this one.  At first I thought I might return it.  The ease of use which I had gotten used to wasn't there.  There are some features I really miss and some I'm very happy with.  I was used to viewing my shot immed.on the LCD screen.  On this camera there are some steps to take in order to view them.  However, being able to see in the viewfinder what the picture will actually look like makes up for that.  I'm starting to adjust to the different controls.  The pics are great so far.  Like I said, becoming familiar with it is the biggest obstacle.  The minor inconvenience is that when the tripod foot is on, you cannot change either battery or card.  All in all, I love this camera.

Loving this camera

I'm very much an amateur photographer – backyard hobbyist so bear with me on this review if I don't use a lot of technical terms. I previously owned a DSLR which I loved though I found it to be unwieldy to be lugging around a heavy photography backpack full of lenses and other equipment. I just wanted to take pictures and have a versatile camera that could fulfill the niche for the type of photography that I enjoy doing.

I did quite a bit of research online looking for a specific camera that would suit my needs. I finally decided upon the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. Granted it's not a DSLR or simple point and shoot nor do I expect it to perform like either. I have no complaints on the quality of pictures it takes given its class of a long zoom / bridge style camera. I've had some really nice pictures that my friends and family have commented on the clarity and quality.

As with all cameras there is a bit of a learning curve. My only real complaint would be the user manual is convoluted and not particularly user friendly if you're not well versed in camera terms or have an understanding of how things function. How ever for those of you who might need a little extra help there is an informative video series on Youtube by Graham Houghton regarding the FZ200. 

About the camera, for my personal needs the FZ200 gives me a good range between 25 – 600mm. That allows for up close shots as well as those with distance. There are quite a few modes to allow for different shooting styles. For some one who wants the simplicity of a point and shoot there is the IA mode as well there are pre-set mode for different styles such as scenery, portrait, panoramic, sports, night shots, etc. If you're a little more adventurous you can explore the other modes available that allows you to experiment and have settings to your preference taking control of how you want the camera to shoot all the way to a manual mode. 

A big bonus is you have both the LCD screen and view finder so what every your preference is you have them. Another thing I like is the camera is threaded to take 52mm filters; you can also get a conversion lens adapter for using telephoto or close up lens that Panasonic recommends for the FZ200. As well it has a hot shoe to add accessories like an external flash, remote shutter release and stereo microphone. 

 You may find you need a little editing after downloading your pictures onto your computer. That is to be expected with atmospheric haze and the occasional red eye or where the shadow depths are a little to deep in color saturation. A few minor tweaks and you have a perfectly lovely picture.

I have not shot in RAW or taken a movie so I can not comment on those areas. But knowing that those features are available I do plan on using them at some point.

Over all I'm very pleased with the camera and I would certainly recommend it for some one who wants to step up from a every day point and shoot or who wants a very nice walk about camera in addition to their DSLR. 

I give this camera a solid 4 point rating and would give it a 4.5 if that option was available.

Over all I'm very pleased with the camera and I would certainly recommend it

The iA (intelligent Auto) setting makes it easy to shoot professional looking photos. The 2.8 aperture through the full 24x mega zoom keep the photos crisp on telephoto shots. The burst mode at full 12M quality setting at 5.5fps is impressive to capture action shots of the kids in activities.  The AF (AutoFocus) zoom tracks well. Very nice camera for those not wanting to go to the extreme DSLR with multiple lens scenarios. HD video was impressive even at 24x zoom with AF tracking.

iA setting makes it easy

Before spending hundreds of dollars on a long zoom for my SLR, I did a bit of research about superzoom point and shoot cameras. After reading professional reviews and users' comments, as well as looking at hundreds of photos and talking with two avid photogrphers who bought the FZ200, I purchased one and have been testing as many functions as possible.
Although there are many features which I haven't tried yet, I have done enough to be enormously impressed.
The f2.8 lens which maintains that aperture at full extension gives the camera incredible range.
The menu is easy to use and with a bit of practice one becomes quite nimble accessing it in depth. The Fn buttons and the Quick access button allow short cuts to changing many essential settings. The auto ISO feature permits shooting quickly under changing light.The light weight of a camera with so many features makes it desirable for travel.
The stability control exceeds all of my expectations. Photos taken with the zoom extended to 600mm with shutter at 1/15sec show no blur. The addition of a zoom control on the right side of the camera frees the left hand for more rapid access to control buttons.
High Dynamic Range, intelligent dynamic range control, iResolution, exposure compensation, burst mode,and auto bracket are a few of the features which I have found especially effective.
Deciding which Aspect Ratio to use---4:3 or 3:2---prompted some experiments. Theoretically, resolution should be slightly lower at 3:2. I did not find this to be the case consistently. Testing with the macro settings or using the telephoto at full extension occasionally produced barely perceived differences and only at enlargements which exceed anything which one would use in a practical manner.
One criticism---which I share with the reviewers---is the noise produced at ISOs above 1600. However, with an f2.8 lens, one can usually avoid these settings.
Also, the minimum aperture of f8 might limit depth of field when using slightly higher focal lengths,even though my brief experience with the camera has not shown any serious flaws, even when photographing along the sides of buildings, focussing about midway between the camera and the far end of the siding. However, at least f12-16 might be a better choice for minimum aperture.
My limited use of the flash indicates that it is more than adequate for one which is top mounted. The presence of an f2.8 lens probably reduces the need for flash.
I have not owned the camera long enought to test many of the scene modes. the few which I have used---Portrait, Soft skin, Scenery, HDR, Night Scenery, and Handheld Night Shot---all seem to be properly exposed and satisfactory, although I have observed the best resolution and least noise with the Handheld Night Shot
This has been my first experience with an EVF. Having used an eye level view finder for decades---first with film cameras, then with digital---and preferring these to the LCD (which I use primarily to view photos), I find this one similar to the optical ones on my older cameras. It responds quickly and has the added ability to view photos and see all of the data about each photo, as well as a preview of the actual photo when the focus button is depressed half way.

I am unable to comment on the other Scene modes or Creative Control.

Because of lack of interest, I have not used the movie functions.

In almost all of this testing, the camera has been set in the Program Mode, with a few photos taken in the Intelligent Auto Mode, which I will probably not use often.
The manual focus, used only a couple of times, worked well when I took photos of rain drops on windows. Also, in-camera editing has been limited to cropping, since most of my "tweaking" is done with Adobe Essentials 9.

Based on these preliminary efforts, I anticipate very satisfying results when the camera is used for travel photos (scenery,architecture, people) which I particularly enjoy.

This intense, though limited, review of its basic function summarizes my very favorable impression of a remarkably versatile instrument.

An excellent versatile camera!

Light weight, compact body grip. Easy one hand operation. Great 600mm zoom, works really well with
low lighting.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200

I was disappointed with this camera. Close up photos were good but so is just about all cameras if there is enough light. Overpriced for what you get.

Not as expected.

It's bulky compared to any compact camera, so it may not be not your take-everywhere cam. But the fast response -- I prefer 5.5 frames/second -- means you capture subtly different changes in  facial expressions and physical actions.

Good burst and zoom, fair images

I have used many cameras over the years.  Recently, after being a "Nikon man" for years and years, I sold my Nikon DSLR and lenses, as it was becoming too cumbersome.  I wanted a single, fixed lens zoom that had high image quality (close to a DSLR), with compactness and ease of use (how many pictures have you folks lost while changing lenses, or carrying around a 6 pound bag full of equipment?).  At any rate, after testing out the FZ200, it was the equal of my Nikon rig that I sold, and able to be easily transported.  The Leica lens was amazing--the constant maximum f 2.8 aperture was what sold me on this camera, as many superzooms are a compromise.  I have owned others, and have not been satisfied.   At full Jpeg and Raw, this camera absolutely ROCKS in image quality and ease of use.  I would recommend it for anybody who doesn't want to drag equipment all day, and wants the comfort of a professional level one lens zoom.  Adorama was great in the purchase, and delivered everything promptly and  in great order.  I LOVE THIS CAMERA!!!

The best fixed lens camera ever!!!

This is my third Lumix (also ZS5 and LX-5)and I am very pleased.  I just returned from St. Croix and I took this gem instead of my Nikon DSLR....glad I did.  Outstanding experience and performance.  While "IA" setting is excellent....one should move off of that setting to see what this camera can really do.  I am quickly being converted to Lumix with their Leica lenses and superb user interface.

Another Panasonic Gem

purchased for its long lens and video capability, and for my partner to use as a point&shoot.

special not-exactly-digital extended zoom range makes this a wildlife shooter's dream come true. and unless you're a pixel counter, the images are still very very good.

and fast 2.8 lens, even at full extension, allows for lower ISO or faster shutter speed. have been able to capture wildlife videos that i haven't been able to before.

has very fast lag time, unlike older hybrid models.

good EVF finder helps see what's happening (but still isn't as good as a DSLR).

zoom control with left thumb allows much quciker handling.

my partner isn't a photog so wanted something easy. we've found that the Intelligent Mode consistantly produces excellent images yet is so simple we don't have to even consider using other modes. simple, easy, fast, and reliable. 

have had a number of hybrid superzooms over the years and this one is definitely best of the breed to far.

best current superzoom

Fantastic Camera

I bought this camera to use on an upcoming safari and it will be perfect for this. Lots of zoom and easy to use--I'm ready for my trip!

Awesome camera

I got this for travel occasions when I cannot lug around the dslr stuff. After lots of time with the heavy stuff, the light weight of this camera is very seductive. While the other stuff gets a lot less use now, it is more appreciated than ever...

Anyway, this is a different animal and a great, convenient, good-value-for-the money camera. Its lens is obviously very good and unique in the compact world. It is not the longest, but I'd never buy one of those f6 50x things. 

I'll set aside all fanciful wishes and just offer three practical criticisms. First, the so-called manual focus is basically worthless. This is not really a priority on a compact, but it's so bad I wish it wasn't even there. Second, this lens is an upgrade over the fz150, but I feel the processing is not better, and maybe not as good. Third, I wish it was a bit more rugged. I'd pay more for a more durable body. It takes great pictures, but feels like a toy, and needs to be handled gently.

Better than the rest; could be better

I own several high-end DSLRs with lenses to 800mm. There are times (trekking, mountain climbing, long days of walking around) when the weight of this equipment is simply too great. I have been looking for some time for a super-zoom that I could use on these occasions. This camera is the best I have found to date. The lens is the strong point. Ideal zoom range combined with constant f/2.8 aperture is fantastic. Image quality is as good as can be expected from a sensor this size (I am spoiled by my DSLRs). Others will be happy with ISOs up to 800. I personally only shoot this camera at 200 or less where I find I am willing to tolerate the noise given the tremendous weight savings (my equivalent DSLR setup would be 15 pounds). My only real disappointment with the camera is the user interface. I have found several examples where I can not quickly setup the camera to do what I want. Example: When I shoot from a tripod I turn off image stabilization and activate the 2 second shutter release. Normally, I register this in one of the custom settings. Unfortunately, this camera does not remember shutter release settings in the custom memories. Several other examples of little things like this which make setting up the camera cumbersome. If you are a P&S style photographer none of this will matter to you.  If you are an advanced photographer you will be frustrated knowing Panasonic could have easily done a number of UI related things better.

These frustrations aside, I will use this camera whenever I need a light weight configuration. There is no other camera on the market which currently comes as close to meeting my needs for a trekking/climbing/touring camera with decent image quality.

Great trekking camera

Replaced FZ100 with FZ200

My FZ100 failed, and when my money was refunded (I had luckily bought the extended warranty. No hassles. I was sent the original purchase price plus tax when they couldn't fix it.) The FZ200 is improved or superior in several ways. One important feature is that pictures appear cleaner (less noisy) at higher ISO's, at least one to two stops, than the 100. This further enhances the low light capabilities of the across the the zoom range f2.8 lens. I also like the capability of being able to change the ISO in 1/3 EV increments. I do miss the Silhouette mode the 100 had, but this is a minor quibble. Panasonic makes the only line of bridge cameras I have seen that still takes screw on filters, another big plus. I also love the spot meter which I use all the time in combination with the live view screen. The only feature that would really improve this line of cameras would be a lens that stops down to f16 (or even f22) like on real SLR's

I replaced FZ100 with an FZ200

Love the zoom and the speed!  Great for catching my kids with their quickly changing expressions. Beautiful pictures. I'm still learning how to get better pictures in low light, but it's promising. I love that I can take shots while taking a movie, and then get additional photos from that movie later. I love all the pictures I can capture of flowers, animals, scenery, etc, with 1 beautiful lens,  I've owned 3 Canons, but this has been, hands down, the best camera I've ever owned - perfect for me.