Panasonic FZ200 review

The Panasonic FZ200 is a new bridge camera. Often unfairly dismissed as not being a tool for proper photographers, this niche area of the market never the less has become increasingly popular over the years. The biggest headline feature of the FZ200 is its huge 24x optical zoom which impressively manages to maintain an f/2.8 aperture across its entire 25-600mm equivalent focal range. Although it uses a fairly standard 1/2.3 inch sensor, Panasonic has only used 12 million pixels on its sensor, which helps make it more capable in low light situations. A fully articulating 3-inch LCD screen can be found on board, along with an EVF. A whole host of direct controls also suggest that this camera is aimed at those looking to be a bit more serious. Unusually, for a camera of this kind, the FZ200 can shoot in raw format, which gives much more flexibility when it comes to editing images and again shows Panasonic's desire to attract a more advanced market. The build quality of the FZ200 is very good, with a deep grip helping make the camera feel very comfortable in the hand. On the left of the viewfinder is a button to switch between using the LCD and EVF. It's a real shame that there's no eye sensor to automatically switch between the two of you, but it's really a minor complaint. As for the viewfinder itself, it's not as good as those found on the latest crop of compact system cameras, so you may find yourself only using it when it's tricky to compose using the EVF. We found that the FZ200 produced bright, vibrant images in our testing. The camera's low light performance was also reasonably good, especially as the f/2.8 constant aperture meant that fast shutter speeds and low sensitivity shooting is possible. With its large size and relatively high retail price, the temptation may be to plump for an entry-level DSLR instead of the FZ200. However, it's worth noting that a camera such as this is incredibly versatile, and acts as a great all-round, or possibly even back-up, camera. The FZ200 is available to buy now. For a full review with sample images, visit TechRadar.com/read this week's issue/read this month's issue.