Panasonic Lumix FZ330

[Testudo Man]

Thank you so much for the details of all the settings you have found to be best.
I ended up sending the camera to Panasonic's recognised repairers after I phoned them last Tuesday. They had me check various settings and then said they had run out of solutions, so I was to send it in. Hopefully I will hear back from them soon and have a repaired or replacement camera.
I have to admit that I get really confused with the various modes and particularly with this model hot having a macro mode. Your suggestions are very much appreciated and will allow me to give the camera a thorough test when it comes back. I just hope I get it back while there are still butterflies around to experiment with!!
Actually, today it has been pretty windy and drizzly most of the day, but despite that there were still 31 Red Admirals feeding on my orange buddleia and yew berries!

No worries there Nick, i hope you get things sorted with either a repair, or a replacement. Good luck with this, lets hope they sort it out fast for you.
The FZ330/300 is a really good camera for butterflies, its worth putting in the effort, i just think once you get the hang of all the relative settings, you should be good to go.
Cheers Paul.

[jonhd]

Only just caught this thread. Sorry in advance - a couple of really basic things:

• If you're using the viewfinder (I rarely use the LCD screen) - You're absolutely certain you've adjusted the FZ330 dioptre (viewfinder sharpness) knob to suit your eyesight?

• I thought Panny 'iAuto' mode defaults to using Facial (Recognition) Priority? If it does, that would not be great for butterflies!

Hope you get it sorted.

Jon

[Jack Harrison]

Nick (I think it was) commented on no macro mode.

I have made numerous experiments over the years and my preferred method now is to photograph from long distance using telephoto on my bridge cameras.  Sometimes, it's not possible to step back (mind the cliff behind you!)

Here is an uncropped but resized image taken today.  And then a crop from that same image.  Click on image for a larger version).

The equivalent focal length on my Canon SX 50 was 1200 mms.  A huge advantage with taking from distance using long telephoto is that the background is blurred (called bokeh).  This is not the case with a macro lens when the background can be distracting

But if you really want to operate from very short range, get a simple screw-in planar close up lens - cheap and cheerful 52 millimetre thread.   If you want a higher quality close up lens, get a more expensive achromatic.  But I can't say that I have noticed any great advantage.   Don't be lulled into getting something 'dedicated' to the camera.  It will do exactly the same thing at much greater cost. 

Jack

[NickMorgan]

I thought I should update everyone on the camera situation.
I contacted John Lewis Partnership, who I had bought the camera from on-line. They gave me the option to take it to one of their stores (nearest a couple of hours away) or to phone Panasonic and they gave me a contact number. After a discussion with a technician they asked me to send the camera to a company that they use for repairs. A few days later I received the camera back with a note saying they had changed the lens assembly and checked it was OK.
So, I tried all Paul's settings and there was a bit of an improvement with the pictures, but still no real part of the Red Admirals I was photographing was in proper focus. It wasn't possible to see individual hairs on the body, or scales on the wings.
The camera appears to be behaving exactly the same as Pete's FZ330, so possibly a quality control issue. Certainly, it isn't producing pictures that are anywhere near as good as my old FZ150.
So, now to see if I can return the camera to John Lewis' and then to decide what to do.
Having e-mailed Pete, he isn't sure he would recommend the Panasonic FZ1000 and to be honest, the 330 has rather put me off Panasonic now. Shame, as I love my FZ150 so much.
The Canon PowerShot SX70 looks like it may be a good option. Any thoughts?
I really appreciate everyone's help on here. It has been so good being able to talk through the issues I was having and receiving advice and recommendations. Thank you all very much.
I remember reading years ago that Panasonic start production of their cameras in Japan and then, as new models come out, they switch production of their older models to different manufacturing plants in other countries. I notice that my FZ150 was made in Japan and the FZ330 was made in China. I wonder if that is relevant?

[Jack Harrison]

I have both a Canon Power Shot SX50 and a Panasonic FZ200. Not a lot to choose between them, but I normally use the Canon for its longer reach and possibly a slightly better quality lens. The Cano gives perfectly reasonable results at ISO400 so don't be put off by the smaller aperture at long telephoto (as compared to the fixed F number with the Panasonic). Used Canon SX50s are relatively cheap.

I had considered an SX 70 but it seems that the only real 'improvement' over the 50 is more bells and whistles.

Jack

[NickMorgan]

Thank you Jack,
That is good to hear about the Canon Powershot. I have had a couple of Canon compact cameras which gave great results. Mind you, my old FZ150 gave great results, too! I just need to see if I can somehow persuade Panasonic to let me return the camera for a refund.

[Testudo Man]

Hi Nick, at least you gave it a go mate.
If i were you, i would try to find a hardly used, minty fresh, low shutter count FZ150.
"Fleabay" (or other sites for 2ndhand gear) could be an ideal place to find such a camera??
You know the workings of your favoured FZ150 very well, so sometimes its better to stick with what you know/prefer.
All the best, an i hope you can find what you seek, cheers Paul.
PS. Ive found some great 2ndhand cameras in the past, an have been very pleased with buying/using them

[Neil Freeman]

I notice that my FZ150 was made in Japan and the FZ330 was made in China. I wonder if that is relevant?

My old FZ150 was made in Japan too (I am not sure if they all were) and the FZ200 that I brought to replace it after it had too many knocks was also made in China.
Not only did the FZ150 feel to be of better build quality but I always thought that I managed to get better photos with it.

Cheers,

Neil

[Andy02]

Out of interest , does anyone on here use the Sony RX10 IV for butterfly images. I do and with pretty good results but , i don't consider myself to be an expert photographer. I find my best results come from full 600mm lens which is recommended for macro photography. This also means that you do not have to approach the insect closer than 1.2mtrs.
Does anyone have tips for use with this model.

[Padfield]

Hi Nick. I've used a Canon SX70 HS ever since my SX60 got dunked earlier this year (these cameras are not waterproof). I normally crop, process and resize pictures before posting to the web, but just so you can judge for yourself, I've uploaded a cropped (to bring it below the file-size limit) but otherwise unprocessed shot below. Red admirals seem to be the test species, so I took one today, specially for you!

The picture was taken from 3m (camera to butterfly), in slightly hazy sunshine.

Here's the shot as I would normally display it:



And here's the original, straight out of the camera (jpg, not RAW):

Guy

[NickMorgan]

Thank you for thinking about me Guy!! That is the sort of standard of picture that my FZ150 produced and still does (but not consistently).
An update on the FZ330 saga: I contacted John Lewis again and said I wasn't happy with the camera and asked for a refund. They said they wouldn't accept it back, because it had been repaired and deemed to be in good working order. After a bit of messaging backwards and forwards they asked me to return it to them for them to check. It arrived back yesterday with a note in the box from the same repair company that Panasonic had previously asked me to sent it to. The note said that it had been checked and "the focus is working to spec".
So, now I am stuck with a camera that doesn't produce pictures that I am happy with. To me it seems that it is not fit for purpose. Of course, I can't now try it out on butterflies again until the spring. Although, I see little point in trying it any more, as I don't see how it can produce better pictures, having tried all sorts of different modes and settings.
Maybe I will just have to cut my losses and see if I can use it as a trade in on a different camera.

[NickMorgan]

Final update on the Lumix FZ330:
It seemed that the fault with the camera was how it processed or stored the pictures. The butterfly would be beautifully in focus as I depressed the button, but the preview was noticeably very poor.
Having been sent back for repair twice without resolving the issue I e-mailed Panasonic to let them know my displeasure. I received a brief response from them saying to try switching off the image stabilisation as "it doesn't always give the desired results"!
No difference, so I decided to trade it in against another camera. I waited until this month, as there would be little chance to try out any new camera on butterflies until about now.
So, I have decided to buy a Canon Powershot SX70 HS. What is good enough for Guy is more than good enough for me. It arrived this week, so I am just waiting for some butterflies to appear now!
Any tips on settings would be greatly appreciated.

[Padfield]

Hi Nick. I feel a certain responsibility now!

First, for butterflies, I always use the P setting on the wheel - never automatic. For long-exposure star shots &c., I use TV. The P setting lets you configure exactly what you want.

It’s good to know how to navigate quickly to all the various settings in the menu, as you may wish to change between them for different butterflies. For many butterflies - especially small ones, and if you expect to crop the final result - it helps to have a 1.6x digital zoom applied (sort of ‘pre-cropping’). For larger species, this may mean you can’t get in as close or use as high an optical magnification as you would like. Similarly, I use tracking focus most of the time but switch the tracking off under some circumstances (for instance, you can’t use macro mode, which is useful for eggs and small caterpillars, with tracking). Tracking focus works best in good light and is particularly useful for birds in flight. There are many metering options too, and which you use may depend on conditions and the colour of the butterfly. Another thing to know how to access swiftly is exposure. When photographing silhouetted birds in trees, I jack up the exposure to bring out some colour.

If there’s some particular thing you want to do, or some setting you need advice on, don’t hesitate to post on here or PM me. I might or might not know the answer, but I’ve been using Canon PowerShots since 2005 so I’ve acquired a little knowledge-base.

Guy

[NickMorgan]

Thank you so much Guy. Please don't feel responsible about my camera choice. There really isn't very much choice in the price range!
I am looking forward to giving the camera a good try out, if we get any decent weather, which doesn't look too likely in the near future!!
We had a bit of brighter weather yesterday, so I was able to try it out on feathers and wild flowers! (I have only seen four butterflies here this year!!)
It is interesting that when I ordered the Powershot I was told it was out of stock. I checked all the suppliers I could find and they all told me they had no stock. Eventually, Canon sent me a list of suppliers and after spending an evening checking the shops on the list I managed to locate one in Inverness! It seems that supplies of this camera coming into the country are very limited for some reason.

[Jack Harrison]

Nick:

decided to buy a Canon Powershot SX70 HS.

I have a couple of Canon Powershot SX50 HS. I had a third but it fell out of the car and I drove over it when it was in a puddle. It's a tough camera but even so that stress was too much for it - the screen broke.

Good camera and I'm sure the 70 is even better.

Jack

[NickMorgan]

Thank you Jack,
I will try not to put it in a puddle or run over it!

[Padfield]

Actually, that's a good point - these cameras are not waterproof. They're OK getting splashed and I even left my previous PowerShot outside overnight in the raing (in its carry bag) without damage; but then I accidentally dunked the same camera in a cattle trough last year and it appeared to die completely. In fact, some months later, I managed to get it to work again (so they are very durable ...), but by that time I'd already bought its replacement.

Another thought: get a spare battery. The batteries are good and last a long time, but their life is reduced if you top them up to full every day, so better to have two and use them more completely.

Guy

[MikeOxon]

Another thought: get a spare battery. The batteries are good and last a long time, but their life is reduced if you top them up to full every day, so better to have two and use them more completely.

It seems that lithium ion batteries last better if they are never fully charged. My laptop has a facility to restrict charging to 80%, which I use except when I know I'm going to be away from a charger (rare). It's not so easy with a camera, of course, but I agree that you should not rush to recharge fully unless it's really necessary.

Mike

[Jack Harrison]

If anyone wants a spare battery (fully charged) for a Canon SX50, then there is one in the River Nairn at Cawdor.  Unfortunately, as I took the camera out of its case, a spare battery came out with it, bounced off the wooden bridge and out of sight.

But that was nothing like the disaster to my car.  I had recently (500 miles earlier) had new front tyres fitted.  A pothole, speed bump (whoever invented those ghastly things?), or typical modern hazard ruined the sidewall of a tyre.  And it's not as if I drive quickly.  Only a week earlier, in her car, my wife picked up a massive staple and that tyre was ruined.

Of course the mantra is "cut taxes, cut taxes" and let us pay much more in other ways.  Bring back the Road Fund Licence to help maintain roads and not simply treat is as general taxation.

Jack