Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ60 Pro Reviews

The Panasonics FZ62 continues the proud tradition of the Lumix superzoom series, and is a very capable camera. Image quality is good throughout the focal range and in a variety of lighting conditions, while the combination of advanced functionality and features for the more novice shooter mean that it will appeal to a variety of photographers. There are a few flaws in its performance. While it's well designed, the lack of any control of the zoom barrel is a touch of an omission. The fact that the full area of the LCD screen can't be utilised in conjunction with the full resolution of the sensor is also a shame. Finally, it's a shame that Raw capture has yet to become standard on high-end bridge cameras, and especially one that is currently priced well north of £300. On the whole though, the FZ62 is an excellent bridge camera and one that, if you're willing to part with the relatively high price tag, will reward you with excellent images and a pleasurable shooting experience.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ62 is a modest but solid upgrade of last year's FZ48 model, principally adding more megapixels, much faster burst shooting, expanded ISO range and more creative effects. While image quality exceeds its predecessor, despite the resolution increase, it's not all good news - the eye-catching 10fps burst rate can only be sustained for 3 images, while Panasonic's second-tier bridge camera still lacks the RAW support that the more expensive FZ200 model offers. Despite the increased megapixel count, the FZ62 actually offers slightly better image quality at higher ISO speeds. Noise is first apparent at ISO 400, becoming more obvious at ISO 800, with ISO 1600 exhibiting more artifacts along with smearing of fine details. The new fastest setting of ISO 3200 is only worth using as a last resort.

The Lumix FZ60 / FZ62 is an affordable version of Panasonic's Flagship FZ200 superzoom, sharing the same 25-600mm zoom range, but with a differrent 16.1 Megapixel MOS sensor and lacking many of the premuim model's features, most notably, an f2.8 maximum aperture that's constant throughout the zoom range, high resolution electronic viewfinder, articulated LCD screen, RAW files, flash hotshoe and 1080p60/50 video. That might sound like you're missing out on a lot, but bear in mind the FZ60 / FZ62 is a little over half the price of its more capable sibling and it begins to look like an attractive deal. Then factor in a higher resolution MOS sensor which produces great quality images with excellent high ISO noise perfomance and it starts to look like a bargain. The FZ60 / FZ62 also includes many of the more expensive cameras features, such as Creative Control filter effects, 3D images, and stacking modes for improved low light performance.

Not much different to last year's FZ48, but that's no bad thing. A solid all-rounder at a great price

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ62 looks and feels very much like a DSLR - it has a mode dial with full manual controls, plenty of buttons for easy access to many settings and an electronic viewfinder. If you want a camera with similar functionality to a DSLR without the need to carry around lenses, the FZ62 is an ideal camera with its ample zoom range, but there are smaller cameras out there with a similar amount of optical zoom. Although all of the features make it an ideal travel camera, it doesn't have GPS, which is found on many cameras these days. The battery life is excellent, there is 10 fps continuous shooting and image quality is good. Overall we are happy to highly recommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ62.