Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 review

Previous FZ-series cameras have become steadily slower as their resolutions have increased from model to model, so it’s great to see that the FZ38 is significantly faster than its predecessor. It took just 1.7 seconds to switch on and take a picture – a superb achievement for an ultra-zoom camera with a bulky lens. 1.3 seconds between subsequent shots is much quicker than average, too.

It’s disappointing that the 2fps continuous mode lasts for just three shots at the top quality, but lowering compression quality from Fine to Normal increases this to five shots. It’s also possible to capture around 100 3-megapixel photos at 7.5fps.

Our image quality tests revealed lots of positive traits, with sharp focus throughout the zoom range and reliable automatic exposures. However, the resolution hike has done more harm than good. Noise reduction artefacts were faintly visible in darker areas even at ISO 80, and at ISO 200 and above they became quite intrusive, smearing details as the noise-reduction processing struggled to hide the excessive noise produced by the sensor.

You’ll only get the full benefit of the camera’s 12-megapixel resolution at the very lowest ISO settings. This is disappointing, but it’s a common problem among ultra-zoom cameras. Compared to its competitors, noise problems are about average, and otherwise, this is an excellent performer in terms of image quality.

Panasonic has billed this as a hybrid camera, with an equal emphasis on stills and video, and rightly so. As a stills camera it sits towards the front of the ultra-zoom pack, while its video quality is as good as many pricier dedicated video cameras. We’re looking forward to testing Fujifilm’s promising S200EXR, but for now, the FZ38 is the best ultra-zoom camera we’ve seen.