FZ150 replacement announced

[EricY]

The Panasonic fz150 has proved very popular over last 12 months especially for wildlife it seems. Now the fz200 is announced (see Panasonic website), the big change is now f2.8 throughout the whole zoom range to 600mm instead of max f5.2 at long end. The web forums are full of praise for this developement but I probably will not upgrade as new larger spare battery would be required as well as a new adapter tube for the TC & price is likely to be around £499 in UK. Eric

[Ian Pratt]

Can anyone recommend the FZ 200 particularly for macro work? Also there are a number of wideangle lenses for the Lumix range of cameras, which can be bought separately. Can anyone recommend them from their own experience? Ian

[Wildmoreway]

I have no experience of the FZ150 but I did have an FZ45 for a while which was similar in handling and that used to manage macros OK.

This thread on Bird Forum might be of interest

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=239136

[EricY]

Ian, I read the dpreview.com panasonic forum virtually everyother day. Personnally I have seen nothing in the many posts on that forum to make me upgrade from the 150 (I have 2) to the 200. Just a few shots in expert hands have come up to 150 standards in bright light. Concensus seems to be that 200 requires a lot of "knowing" & in bright light at iso100 it is not as good as the 150. Possibly a subjective view but a lot of posters on that site have many years of experience in all camera forms. A couple of weeks ago I checked the prices on the supplier i have used in past & the 150 still available was still holding it's price same as jan'feb time & 200 was being offered with a mnfs cash back of £50 so net price was only £20 more then 150, that says to me 200 is not selling as well as it should given the supposed advantages of f2.8 for all 600zoom. Eric

[Ian Pratt]

Thanks for that Eric-very helpful. Ian