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The Panasonic DMC-FZ38 is the newest superzoom snapper to grace Panasonic’s camera range. With a 12.1MP sensor alongside a Leica-made 18x zoom lens and the ability to shoot 720p AVCHD Lite video, it looks mightily impressive on paper. Read our full Panasonic DMC-FZ38 review to see if it can match the hype.
The Panasonic DMC-FZ38 itself is constructed of solid plastic and follows the usual superzoom design blueprint: there’s a good-sized grip on the right side, with a chunky mode dial for switching between styles and priority modes close by. A pop-up flash and stereo microphone sits above an electronic viewfinder and the 2.7-inch LCD. There’s also a removable lens hood to reduce the chances of flare when shooting outdoors.
While there aren’t any truly innovative shooting modes here (there’s no headline-grabbing feature to match the Sony HX1’s Sweep Panorama, twilight or ultra high-speed 10fps shooting skills) the Panasonic DMC-FZ38 nails the important stuff dead on: it’s very easy to take stunning stills with this camera, thanks to its rapier-sharp detail, easily adjustable settings and very low barrel distortion at the wide angle end of the zoom range. The one area that disappointed is high-speed shooting: at full resolution, you can only shoot 3fps, and that in a single burst rather than continuously.
The optical image stabilisation works a treat too, allowing you to snap away at relatively slow shutter speeds without encountering shot-spoiling camera shake. This means you don’t need to push the ISO up too much to get decent shots – thereby reducing the amount of noise in your stills.
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Serious shutterbugs will appreciate the range of manual control on offer, not to mention the ability to shoot in RAW format for maximum post processing potential in Photoshop or another editing package. But the Panasonic DMC-FZ38 is also suitable for digital photography novices, thanks to the likes of the Intelligent Auto mode and face detection, plus a huge range of specialist scene modes for capturing everything from fireworks to babies to food.
We shouldn’t forget about the camera’s HD video talents, which are particularly impressive – you can easily adjust aperture settings for instance, which are often off-limits in rival cameras. There’s also better-than-average quality stereo audio. Sure, it’s no Panasonic GH1 – but HD video makes for a very decent backup feature here.
