Page 1 UPDATED VERSION Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 User’s Manual by Graham Houghton...
Page 2 All illustrations for this book were photographed using the Panasonic Lumix GH3 with 12-35mm F2.8 X series lens. All other examples of image effects etc., were photographed using the Panasonic Lumix FZ200. The reference to any manufacturer’s product is done purely to illustrate an example...
Page 3: Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements This eBook is dedicated to all my friends and subscribers on YouTube® who have given me great feedback on the video tutorials that I have produced for this camera, and many others. Your encouragement and constructive comments have helped to develop the idea to create this book and other tutorial material.
Page 4: Preface
This is where this guide book about the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 will help. It explains the purpose of each of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 functions and controls, how you should use them and, more importantly, why.
Page 5: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents ......................4 Chapter 1 ........................7 Introduction ......................7 About You the Reader ....................9 Getting Started with the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 ........... 11 Memory Cards ......................14 Lithium-ion Battery Care ..................16 Fitting the Lens Hood ..................... 19 Memory Card Capacity ...................
Page 6 Auto Exposure and Auto Focus Lock ..............91 Semi-automatic Exposure Modes ................92 Aperture Priority Mode ..................94 Shutter Priority Mode .................... 95 Manual Exposure Mode ..................95 Other REC Mode Functions ..................102 Quick AF......................102 i.Resolution......................103 i.Dynamic ......................105 Chapter 3 ........................106 How Photo Styles Change Image Quality .............106 About photo styles ...................106...
Page 7 Wide Angle conversion ..................174 Telephoto Conversion ..................178 Lighting for Video and Stills Photography ............181 Using External A/V monitors for live View in Recording mode .......185 External Microphones Used For Video Recording ...........186 Wi-Fi Cards .......................189 Tools Menu Setup Options...................192 Reading Histograms ..................194 The End Of The Book But Just The Beginning! .............202 Image Gallery .......................203...
Page 8: Chapter 1
Fear not, help is on its way in the form of this guide book. I really believe that this guide will be your best resource for learning all of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 features and how to embrace digital photography to the full.
Page 9 After all there are not many ways of expressing for example “hold down the shutter button half way to lock the focus and exposure”. This guide is truly aimed at Panasonic Bridge camera veterans who have upgraded their camera and also to complete newcomers to digital photography.
Page 10: About You The Reader
Considering the very different skills levels was a more difficult decision as the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 is such a fantastic camera that it covers a huge spectrum of potential people who will buy and use it, from absolute beginners who have never owned a digital camera before to the professional with years of shooting experience who may be using the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 as a backup camera.
Page 11 Panasonic Lumix FZ200. You might feel like I do that the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 will provide a tool to capture great images in a variety of situations without the added hassle of a DSLR and lens systems providing you with a very quick, lightweight and feature rich machine to do it with.
Page 12: Getting Started With The Panasonic Lumix Fz200
You will want to shoot fantastic images. The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 can do that too. All you need is this guide book and a little practice. The first step is to familiarise yourself with the camera, the first three chapters of this guide will ensure you will do that.
Page 13 Finally you will learn how to make key settings using the menu system, so you will be able to fine tune the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 to operate exactly as you want it to do for your style of photography (or make multiple set ups easily accessible from the mode dial via the C1 and C2 settings).
Page 14 Typical SDHC cards which can be used with the camera Although the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 has a built in 70MB of memory this is hardly sufficient for everyday shooting and does not allow you to use...
Page 15: Memory Cards
Let's begin by taking a look at what you will need to consider when purchasing additional memory cards. The memory card that the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 utilises is referred to as the SD standard. This “secure digital” card format is an industry standard in terms of size and shape but unfortunately the way in which the memory “write”...
Page 16 Panasonic specifies a memory card with a minimum class rating of 4 for use with the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 if you intend to shoot video. If you are primarily interested in shooting still images with this camera then you may consider less expensive class 2 cards but the saving is very minimal.
Page 17: Lithium-Ion Battery Care
A new card is normally pre-formatted with FAT32 but does not have the file structure the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 uses. When you take your first shot with the new card the camera creates the necessary file structure for you. Formatting in the camera is preferable to formatting in a PC as this erases the whole card and creates the required file structure.
Page 18 You may have noticed that Panasonic have gone to great lengths to warn you about the use of counterfeit or third party batteries because of the...
Page 19: Battery And Memory Card Compartment
Again for safety reasons it is best to keep spare batteries in the protective case in which they are supplied to prevent short circuit on metal objects in your pocket, or camera bag with the risk of fire or explosion. During continuous use the battery (and the camera) might become quite warm however this is normal and should not be considered as a malfunction.
Page 20: Fitting The Lens Hood
Fitting the Lens Hood Fitting the lens hood on the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 is essential. It helps to prevent damage to the front element of the lens but, more importantly, it helps to reduce flare from light which may otherwise fall directly onto the front surface of the lens.
Page 21: Memory Card Capacity
The lens hood correctly installed onto the front of the lens. Note the index mark is at the 12 o’clock position. A video showing this procedure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- uozw-_KvDs Memory Card Capacity For Stills Photography – using JPEG only, RAW considerably less Image Size In Camera 32GB...
Page 22: Avchd Format Specifications
AVCHD is an HD video format that uses Advanced Video Coding (AVC) compression (also known as MPEG-4 part 10 or H.264). Video Standard The AVCHD specification was jointly developed by Sony and Panasonic. AVCHD allows for HD recording (1080i, 1080p, and 720p) and SD recording (480i and 576i).
Page 23 Color Recording Method The AVCHD color sample ratio is 4:2:0, with 8 bits per sample. This means basically the camera uses more brightness information than color. The human eye is far more sensitive to changes in light than color. To save file size color is encoded at a reduced level and de-coded during replay or editing to restore the original color hue.
Page 24: Camera Tour
A guide to the most commonly used controls and features of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200. Focus assist/Self Timer indicator F2.8 25-600mm (35mm eq.) Lens The Panasonic Lumix Front Elevation Mic/Remote Port AF/AF Macro/Manual Focus switch Focus button Speaker Manual zoom/ (focus) slide sw...
Page 25 Zoom Lever Stereo Microphones Auto Video button Shutter Button Flash Head Burst Mode Mode Control Dial Flash Release Flash Hot Shoe Fn1 Button EVF dioptre adjust Power Switch Top view Back Control Wheel Playback Button AF/AE Lock Button EVF/LCD Switch Display Button Fn3 Button Navigation Buttons...
Page 26: Description Of Controls And Switches
Description of Controls and Switches Top of camera Power switch - turns the camera power on or off. Mode Dial - by means of this dial you can preselect a shooting mode and determine the amount of control over the automatic function that you have, just turn the dial until the shooting mode you require aligns with the index mark.
Page 27: Front/Sides Of Camera
Flash Hot Shoe - allows the use of external flash guns, or flash triggers to be used for creative flash photography or this shoe can be used for holding accessories such as a microphone or video light. Stereo Microphones - these two microphone ports allow the camera to record audio during video recording operation.
Page 28: Back Of Camera
Microphone/Remote release port - behind the rubber dust seal is a 2.5mm socket. This port is a dual function device allowing an external microphone (like the Panasonic MS-1) or any other electret condenser microphone with a 3.5mm female to 2.5mm male stereo adaptor cable to be used.
Page 29 4 Way navigation button - provides access to navigating up and down through the menus and also the pre-set functions of ISO control (top) Self-timer (bottom), White balance (right) and AF mode (left). Menu/Set button - this button is used as the method to enter the menu system and also to provide the “setting”...
Page 30: Mode Control Dial
Mode Control Dial The mode control dial is the key to setting the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 to giving you the control you desire to create great images. By selecting iA (intelligent Auto)
Page 31 The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 supports four aspect ratios; Square format 1:1 HD format 16:9 35mm format 3:2 Rectangular 4:3 Choosing the right format will depend on the primary intended use of the image. If for example you set an aspect ratio of 3:2 then this is ideally suited to photographic prints such as the most popular print size of 6 x 4 inch (152 x 102 mm).
Page 32 If you choose to shoot with the 4:3 aspect ratio then you will have an image which corresponds to the new international print size of 6 x 4.5 inch (150 x 114 mm) or the 8 x 6 inch (203 x 152 mm) print size. All other sizes will again requiring some image cropping to fit the standard frames Here is a chart of popular print sizes and pixels required to print (at 300 dpi)
Page 33 1:1 aspect 3:2 aspect ratio 16:9 aspect ratio 4:3 aspect ratio 4:3 image in HD video 3:2 image in HD video 16:9 format still in HD video Sample Images at the 4 Aspect Ratios...
Page 34 Note how in the HD movie stills the 4:3 image fills more of the frame, in some situations this grey (or black) border may be acceptable depending upon the context of the video. In most cases though it might be better to crop this image to fill the frame and lose this distraction.
Page 35: Image Quality
meet the 1920 x 1080 pixel requirement. I normally shoot always at the highest image size as this allows more options for cropping or doing, for example a picture zoom within a video clip. Image Quality - this is the camera setting which allows the image to be written to a file on the memory card in either a RAW and/or JPEG format.
Page 36: Camera Sensor, Iso And Light Sensitivity
Panasonic Lumix FZ200 will underperform unless you intervene to correct its automatic behaviour. As you may be aware the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 has a small sensor, essentially the same size as that normally found in the small compact digital camera versions.
Page 37: Does Size Matter
Simplistically, the digital sensor (the digital equivalent of film that you may have previously used) consists of a large array (4000 x 3000 in the case of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200) of light sensitive calls called “photosites” - you may commonly have heard them referred to as “pixels”.
Page 38 There is also a primary color filter above each photosite. These Red, Green and Blue filters are arranged in a mosaic pattern over the whole surface of the CMOS sensor. The most popular arrangement is the “Bayer” system where there are twice as many Green filters as there are Red and Blue to simulate the spectral characteristic of our own eyes.
Page 39 1/2.3 inch sensor Full frame sensor The image focused by the lens, shown by the red light paths is what will be “in sharp focus” on the sensor surface (red bar). The parts of the image which are farther away would be focused within the position shown by the green bars and those parts nearer by the position within the blue bars.
Page 40 The parts of the image which are sharply focused at the sensor surface compared with the appearance of the objects which are either in front or behind of the principal point of focus give rise to this “out of focus” look. It is determined by two elements, the lens focal length and its aperture.
Page 41 It's like listening to an AM station on your radio. You can hear the background hiss. Turn up the volume to hear the radio station more clearly and you notice the associated increase in background noise. When processing the image data into a JPEG file mathematical formulae are used to reduce the appearance of noise by effectively blurring the pixels.
Page 42 Crop Factor - the crop factor is a multiplier number which is the ratio of the width of the sensor compared to that of a “full frame” 35mm sensor. The 1/2.3 inch sensor has a crop factor of 5.6x based on 35/6.3 This explains the notation on the camera lens.
Page 43 Shutter speed - this controls the amount of time that the light passing through the lens diaphragm (or f-stop) reaches the sensor. The amount of time multiplied by the light passing through the aperture setting gives us the exposure. When the aperture is set to a value which we want for a particular depth of field then there will be an associated time value (or shutter speed) required to achieve the correct exposure so that the image looks correct.
Page 44 To crystallise this, think of the correct exposure as being a glass into which we will poor some water. When the glass is 50% full, that is our perfect exposure. If we pour in water very slowly (representing a low intensity of light) it will take longer (the shutter speed analogy) to reach the correct exposure level than if we poured the water into the glass more quickly.
Page 45: The Exposure Triangle
value also amplifies the “noise” in the system resulting in images with lower visual sharpness and image contrast. This noise usually appears in the darker areas of the image (the shadows) but even if the camera is used outdoors in bright sunlight, say in order to get a fast shutter speed for an action photograph the resulting image will be visually un-sharp compared to one shot with lower ISO numbers.
Page 46 In the exposure triangle, shown on the previous page, the entire relationship is shown for the inter-relationship of ISO, Aperture and Shutter speed. In the centre of the triangle is the perfect exposure which will show as 0 EV on the camera exposure meter. If we make modification to one element of the exposure we have to make an opposite compensation to one or both of the other.
Page 47: Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Intelligent Auto Mode Shooting (iA) The iA shooting mode is the fully automatic mode by which the camera takes control of every function to deliver the best possible image quality. In this mode, which we usually refer to as, “point and shoot” employs automatic scene selection, intelligent sharpening, face detection, subject tracking, dynamic range improvement digital zoom and more.
Page 48: Menu Systems
Menu Systems To begin to explain the menu systems employed with the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 I would like to illustrate the convention I will use to access menu items for example: Menu/set ▼Picture size ►3.5M Menu/set means press the menu set button, cursor down to Picture size option (using the 4 way navigation button) and then cursor right and then select the 3.5M setting and then press the Menu/set button to close and save...
Page 49 If your image type matches one of these pre-set conditions the camera will apply settings which the Panasonic software developers have determined are best for these conditions. If a match is made then the symbol changes at the top left of the screen from iA to one of the pre- set icons.
Page 50 With the top mode control dial turned to align the iA position against the moulded index mark on the top of the camera body and then when the MENU/SET button is depressed we are taken into the first of the menu choices for the intelligent auto mode.
Page 51 Page 1 selected Stills (rec mode) You can now select any of the options in this menu list by cursoring down to the item and to make changes you cursor to the right whilst on that menu line. In illustration 30 the menu item selected is the Picture Size;...
Page 52 The next item in the menu list on page 1 of the iA menu choices is Color Mode This is used to modify the way in which colors are recorded with the Panasonic Lumix FZ200. This setting can be made for Standard, Happy, B/W or Sepia.
Page 53 iHDR intelligent high dynamic range is a method by which the camera can attempt to embrace a scene of high contrast and process the shadows and highlights to compress the tonal range recorded. With this method you will see more detail in the shadows and the highlights may be retained but the overall effect is to give you an image which...
Page 54 Face recognition may fail if the size of the image is too small (or zoom is used and the face is too large) for the software to analyse, or if the subject is too light or too dark or is in motion I will cover face registration later in this guide book.
Page 55 Exposure adjustment In this illustration the control selected is the exposure compensation option which allows you to brighten images where the camera is underexposing or darken those which are being overexposed. Use the left and right navigation keys, or turn the back control dial to make the adjustment and then press MENU/SET to lock it.
Page 56 Background defocus Background defocus This control effectively gives you direct access to the aperture control. As we know selecting a large aperture (smaller f stop number) gives us shallower depth of field (DOF) making the background blurred, or defocused. The slider control shows the icon of a head and distant mountains, by default the camera selects the wide open f2.8 aperture to give the most defocused background as you use the navigation buttons, or turn the back control dial, you can move the slider to the right.
Page 57 To illustrate just how good the iA and iA+ modes can be I have included, by kind permission, some images by Peter Sheppard from New Zealand who uses the FZ200 extensively on his travels. Please check out his work: http://flickr.com/peteshep/sets In the following images you can see the richly saturated colors, yet retaining good flesh tones, detailed shadows in the very bright side- lighting and little highlight loss on the specula reflections from the metal.
Page 58 Peter Sheppard – Phyang Festival Ladakh. Himalayas Peter Sheppard – Tibetan-Buddhist monk at Shanti Stupa Leh, Himalayas...
Page 59: Using The Scene Modes
Using the Scene Modes Scene modes are automatic modes with exposure parameters which have been pre-set to give ideal images in those matching situations. If you are using the iA mode an see that it has incorrectly recognised the scene type (by looking at the icon at the top left hand side of the display) it is recommended to switch to the correct scene mode by using this method otherwise the image...
Page 60 try to select a background which is not too obtrusive. This will make the portrait shot look much better with a nicely blurred background which will emphasise your subject. Soft skin. Is similar to the portrait mode scene mode however in this mode some softening of the image is introduced to mask any slight skin imperfections.
Page 61 Aim to be facing your midway position after 4 seconds and the completion of the arc in about 8 seconds. Keep the button fully depressed throughout the entire movement. The image sequence is terminated when you release the shutter button, you stop panning the camera or the camera capture window closes.
Page 62 The technique basically means you will be framing the subject, pivoting your body through a 180 degree arc following the subject in the viewfinder and trying to keep the image at one position in the frame as you pivot. Press the shutter release as the subject is opposite you and then keep the camera moving at the same speed and direction as you do so.
Page 63 Night scenery mode Handheld nite shot. In this mode the camera performs multi - exposure, high speed bursts and then processes them into a single image which then has increased subject brightness and reduced noise. In some cases there may be subject ghosting if the subject happens to be moving for example.
Page 64 HDR image Food. Allows you to capture food dishes with natural looking ambient light. The camera will choose a wide aperture and ISO of 400 to achieve this so there will be reduced depth of field and possibly more image noise using this mode.
Page 65: Using The Creative Control Mode
Glass (through). This mode is designed to allow you to shoot images through glass, such as in cars and trains or aero planes or through building windows. It may not work if the window is dirty as it will cause the camera to focus on the dust rather than at the subject.
Page 66 The effects are maintained even if the camera is turned off and on again, white balance is locked to auto and ISO sensitivity is AUTO. Expressive - the image effect control adjusts the saturation of the colors in the image from pale to highly saturated. Retro - the image effect control adjusts the color emphasis from yellow through to red.
Page 67: Examples Of Creative Control Effects
To create the central band of sharpness you need to press the Fn3 (function 3) button adjacent to the navigation buttons. This opens a display where the vertical (for landscape images), or horizontal (for portrait images) position of the band can be set using the navigation buttons ▼▲...
Page 68 Retro less Retro more High key Low key Sepia Monochromatic Impressive art High dynamic...
Page 69 Cross process, green channel Toy camera Blur, hard Blur, soft Star (no highlights to effect) One point set for hat, low effect One point, set from face, low One point, set from face, high...
Page 70 The miniature effect One point color (some red remains of the brickwork –same hue) We have now had a brief, introductory tour of the fully automatic (plus a brief look at user customisation) modes. Before we look at the semi-automatic modes we need to consider and understand file formats available for recording our still image files on the SDHC card.
Page 71: Choosing Image Format And Quality
This method of saving the image information into a small file on the SDHC card uses a compression system to reduce the file size. In the case of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 it can use one of two levels of compression, one described as Fine JPEG and the other Standard JPEG.
Page 72 They can also be printed directly from the SDHC in printers equipped with a suitable card reader. Because of the smaller file sizes it does allow you to use the Panasonic Lumix FZ200's burst speeds to advantage as the amount of time the images remain within the camera buffer are considerably reduced compared to the same RAW file format.
Page 73: Exposure Metering Modes
Let's take a look at how it achieves these two functions. Exposure Metering Modes The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 offers three ways in which the camera’s optical system can be used to determine the correct exposure.
Page 74 To access the three modes; MENU/SET zoom lever twice to “T” setting to get to page 3 ▼▼► Multiple area. In this method the camera effectively uses what you see on the LCD display to evaluate the distribution and intensity of the light falling upon the sensor.
Page 75 Here we routinely use the feature called exposure compensation to counter act the way the camera has reacted to this scene. (●) is the symbol for the multiple area method Centre weighted. When we know that the central area of the image is the most important area from which to evaluate the exposure without the result being influenced by brighter, or darker, areas outside this central area we can use this method to our advantage for example if shooting a...
Page 76: Autofocus Modes And Styles
We can now begin to look at how the camera determines when a subject is in focus when it utilises one of the autofocus modes and styles. Autofocus Modes and Styles In the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 automatic focus system we have a choice of four modes and three styles.
Page 77 Again the camera uses light falling on specific areas on the sensor to utilise the difference in contrast an image has when it is in sharp focus and when it is out of focus. By moving the focus lens element within the lens optical system the camera can quickly find the point at which the image has maximum contrast which directly relates to being in perfect focus.
Page 78: Number, Position And Type Of Autofocus Points
The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 has 23 such points which can be used in “23 area” method. This is particularly effective when the subject may not be in the centre of the screen, for example a flying bird.
Page 79 Most High end cameras have many cross point areas which may be combined together to form very elaborate autofocus set ups. The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 has, as I understand it, just one central cross point focus area. 23 Area Method.
Page 80 A solution is to select the 1-area method as this gives you total control over the size and position of the target area for focus. It is a simple matter then to position the target over the principal point of interest and the camera will be forced to use this area.
Page 81 Focus Tracking Mode This mode allows you to define the target and the camera will attempt to follow the movement of the subject whilst you compose the picture and take the image. Focus tracking To set up the focus tracking mode first align the target area onto part of your subject which has high contrast, good definition...
Page 82: Autofocus Styles
Autofocus Styles Now we have defined the method by which the autofocus will operate we can consider the three styles which are available to us; the AFS, AFF and AFC Autofocus styles AFS (autofocus single) This style is most suited to static shots or subjects which do not change focus distance during composition.
Page 83 In the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 this calculation is made every 1/100 second. Of the two modes AFF (autofocus flexible) is cited as the one to use if there might be a change in direction of the subject, i.e.
Page 84 The further away from the camera the subject is the smaller amount of motion is needed by the focus lens/motor. The nearer the subject is to the camera more movement of the focus lens/motor is needed. If the rate of distance change exceeds the rate at which the opto-mechanical system can keep pace with the focus will not be achieved resulting in the subject being out of focus (not to be confused with subject motion blur which is due to too low a shutter...
Page 85: Manual Focus
Manual Focus The implementation of manual focus is somewhat of a mixed blessing. It’s a worthwhile addition to the functionality of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 however the mechanics of its control can border on frustration at times. In video mode it is almost impossible to achieve a manual “focus pull”...
Page 86 Once the switch is set to this position the camera will allow you to set the focus distance by rotating the back control dial, moving it to the left moves the focus distance closer to the subject and to the right farther away.
Page 87 The area under the target will be magnified when the back control dial is rotated (if the MF assist is enabled). Clicking the switch inwards will alter the magnification to x4 to give a highly magnified view of the image. A second click gives x10.
Page 88 Depending upon the distance the subject is to the camera, the current aperture setting and focal length of the lens (zoom setting) the length of the yellow bar will indicate the actual DOF (depth of field) that the image will have when the picture is taken. The wider the zoom is set (shorter focal length) combined with a smaller aperture (bigger f-number) the more DOF will be captured.
Page 89 Background blur or “Bokeh” from shallow DOF The normal operation of the Zoom slide switch on the side of the lens barrel can be programmed to act as a manual focus lever. This can be set up in the “tools” menu. A more satisfactory way to achieve this is to program the functionality of the Fn3 button to select the operation of this switch to be either Zoom or Focus operation.
Page 90: Continuous Shooting Modes
Continuous shooting modes With the continuous shooting modes you can effectively shoot with reduced image size up to 60 frames per second. Full resolution images are recorded at either 12, 5.5 or 2 frames per second. At the full 12 fps burst rate you can capture up to 12 images in one burst whilst at the slower speeds you are limited only by memory buffer.
Page 91 Burst 2 fps with or without AF. Burst 5.5 fps with or without AF. Burst 12 fps Single AF only. Burst 40fps, lower image size, electronic shutter and single AF only. Burst 60fps, lower image size, electronic Burst mode with flash enabled, 2M image and single AF only.
Page 92: Auto Exposure And Auto Focus Lock
Auto Exposure and Auto Focus Lock This is useful when you want to take a picture of a subject outside the AF area or the contrast is too strong and you cannot achieve appropriate exposure. To use as the AF/AE LOCK button, set AF/AE LOCK /Fn2 in the Setup menu to AF/AE LOCK.
Page 93: Semi-Automatic Exposure Modes
Semi-automatic Exposure Modes We have seen how useful the iA mode is to new users to the Panasonic Lumix FZ200, however as we have seen as this relies on the camera processor deciding which one of the 8 automatic scene modes to categorise your image in order to produce a correctly exposed image.
Page 94 This will now allow you, through rotating the back control dial, to select new combinations of aperture and shutter speed. By default the camera will set the widest aperture (lowest f-number) to allow a reasonably fast shutter speed depending upon the ISO being either set manually or by the camera itself.
Page 95: Aperture Priority Mode
The effect of program shift, through allowing you to preset the aperture that the camera will use in this mode, is remembered by the camera until you either turn off the camera or, turn the back control dial back to the original setting.
Page 96: Shutter Priority Mode
Again exposure compensation can be used to correct for any images which are light or dark due to metering errors. Manual Exposure Mode Manual mode unleashes all the creative control of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200. It allows you, the user, to take full control of all the picture taking decisions.
Page 97 you have full and independent control over each of the three parameters. As with setting any exposure mode manual exposure (M) mode is achieved by turning the top mode control dial until the M is aligned with the index mark on the top of the camera. The key elements are aperture, shutter speed and ISO.
Page 98 In the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 the lens has a “constant” aperture of f2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. So no light loss and no increase in ISO or a reduction in shutter speed is needed! This can be a major advantage for use with wildlife photography where light levels are usually quite low.
Page 99 Again, like shutter and aperture scales, there is a relationship between successive numbers in the ISO table. Higher values relate to higher camera sensitivity. Higher sensitivity allows us to capture low light level images with hand held shutter speeds of 1/15 second or so! 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200: are the full f-stop equivalent values.
Page 100 So let’s take the example of the capturing a silky waterfall. We understand the need for a long shutter speed of perhaps 1 second. We also want the lowest noise in our image so we must select as low an ISO value as we can.
Page 101 The meter is displayed, lower centre of the screen. The scale represents the amount of under to over exposure with a range of plus or minus 3 EV (f-stop). You can see the aperture value of f3.2 and a shutter speed of 1/500sec, ISO 100.
Page 102: Shutter Speed
aperture With ISO set, the exposure is balanced using a combination of aperture and shutter speed giving the 0EV reading on the meter scale shutter speed Using the manual exposure mode allows you to take full control over your image exposure. We have now taken a look at the full and semi-automatic modes, and concluded this section with a look at full manual control.
Page 103: Other Rec Mode Functions
We have seen all the shooting modes available on the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 camera; let’s take a look at some of the other “REC Mode” menu options which can be adjusted in these modes. Other REC Mode Functions In the set up mode for stills photography there are a number of additional parameters which can be enabled, or disabled, depending upon the type of photography employed.
Page 104: I.resolution
Confusingly, Panasonic call this “Extended Optical Zoom”. They claim this to be equivalent of an increase in optical zoom for the reason that the “cropped image on the sensor” provides a final image quality that shows no deterioration in print quality.
Page 105 The “Digital cropped image” From the area in red outline in the illustration the resulting image is produced. It has the same pixel density as a full sized image size therefore the resulting maximum print size is much smaller. (divide image width x 300 to get actual print size for normal photo prints!) If you look closely at the set up menu it gives you a clue! At 12M 4000 x 3000 pixel, A2 print 16 x 20 inch...
Page 106: I.dynamic
The other feature of i.Resolution, if not set to i.zoom, is to apply sharpening to only those areas of the image where there is large amounts of contrast changes – i.e where there are plenty image details. In large areas of equal tone such as in some skies and open landscapes the software does not “sharpen”...
Page 107: Chapter 3
Chapter 3 How Photo Styles Change Image Quality About photo styles The photo styles appear as the very first menu item when you enter the REC Setup menu in any of the semi-automatic or manual exposure modes. These offer the user a way of “fine tuning” the way in which the camera processes the image from the sensor and saves it as the JPEG image file on your memory card.
Page 108: Photostyle Setup
If you are going to use the image directly on a website, social media site or for regular sized photographic (or home photo printer) prints then it makes sense to have the camera do all the processing for you so that you end up with a file which will require no further work, or post- processing as it is normally known.
Page 109 By selecting the photo style option in the menu and pressing the navigation key to the right ► you will see the first of the photo style choices – Standard. Keep pressing the navigation key and you will cycle through the other 6 options.
Page 110 For ready to use JPEG files the very slight increase in sharpness and the removal of the noise reduction setting (which usually adds blur to mask the image noise) produces very acceptable images. In a high contrast scene it is useful to reduce contrast to -2. In a scene with flat or low contrast lighting push the slider up to +2.
Page 111 The information regarding the image properties can be viewed; if you are using a Windows OS based pc, via the file properties dialog box under the Details Tab. Here in the illustration is the exif (exchangeable information file) for one image taken using Standard photo style with -2 contrast, ) Saturation and +2 Sharpness.
Page 112: In Camera Post Processing Of Images
In Camera Post Processing of Images With the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 it is possible to alter and create a copy of an original image in the camera without destroying the original image in the process. This is done by using “in camera” editing.
Page 113 Select ON from the menu choice And press Menu/Set A new copy of the image is created and saved on the SDHC memory card. The “auto retouch” option will correct slight exposure and white balance errors and tries to bring out any detail in shadows. When you save the new image it is automatically displayed.
Page 114: Creative Retouch
Creative retouch Select the required image and use the UP button▲ to open the retouch option. Select Creative Retouch and then Menu/Set. Use the Up navigation key to scroll through the options until you reach the effect that you wish to create.
Page 115 The screen will show a preview of the finished image after the effect has been applied and any effect based options are shown For example in the Toy camera effect you can apply a color tint to the final image. Any effect can be “undone”...
Page 116 Samples of In Camera Creative Editing Original image Toy camera Mono...
Page 117 Sepia Expressive So with very little effort you can shoot and edit an image in camera and produce some very pleasing results – often by combining two or more effects on top of each other. The advantage is that the original file is never changed so it is always available for re-editing if you so desire at a later date.
Page 118: Post Processing Jpeg Image Files
Post Processing JPEG Image Files All digital image files benefit from some degree of post processing to achieve a better final image quality. Camera designers tend to err on the cautious side when applying things like sharpening filters in processing the camera JPEG file.
Page 119 Most people associate photo editing with Adobe® Photoshop or similar program but there is an alternative and it’s free and it came on the green colored disc that you probably ignored when you unpacked the camera. It’s Silkypix® and is a really easy program to use and has both Windows and MAC OS versions included on the disk.
Page 120 Open the Silkypix program and then choose open file: you can browse with a neat preview of the file you select, click OK. (This will only work for images created with the Panasonic range of cameras!) Silkypix® File open dialog The program will open the file and apply some “automatic”...
Page 121 The file opened for editing Adjust Exposure (circled) hover mouse over the values to see screen preview The controls all give “real time” preview on screen of the final result. Just hover the mouse cursor over the values to see how it will look. In the above illustration I have the mouse hovered on -1/2 adjustment value and you can see it has adjusted the exposure compared to the original file (above).
Page 122 If you are familiar with using tone curves you can adjust highlight, shadow and mid-tone with the curves dialog screen. Or you can use the presets available under the contrast setting. If you think the white balance needs adjusting, again either use the auto or manual control to do this.
Page 123 Here is the original JPEG and the image after I made adjustment with Silkypix® The Original JPEG Image After adjustment of contrast, color temperature and sharpness...
Page 124: Development Of Camera Raw Files
Photoshop Elements® - the ACR plug in. However, Panasonic have given you SilkyPix® in both the MAC and Windows™ OS’s to “develop the Panasonic CR2 file. It is a very convenient way for you to experiment using the RAW files and witness just how much more information can be extracted from the camera image.
Page 125 We have seen how existing JPEG images can be edited using this program, the only difference when you “develop” the CR2 RAW file is the addition control of “de-mosaic” and noise reduction. De-mosaic is required to decode the pattern of the Red, Green and Blue filter distribution pattern used on the sensor.
Page 126: Comparison Of Raw Versus Jpeg Images
Unfortunately Silkpix® isn’t very well received by users. It isn’t as easy to use as Lightroom. I guess you could say that it is more of a scientific tool – a software laboratory tool! In my personal experience, using this program also to process my JPEG images for noise reduction and sharpening is a real bonus;...
Page 127 100% crops of the same images Jpeg file Processed RAW As I think you can see from the 100% crop images above there is a little more shadow detail and a very slight increase in sharpness. Had the JPEG image been processed for sharpness the result would have been comparable to the RAW file, if not better in this case! The camera does perform an exceedingly good job of rendering the out of camera JPEG’s given the changes suggested to the Standard Photo...
Page 128: Exposure Bracketing (Auto Bracketing)
Exposure Bracketing (Auto Bracketing) The use of exposure bracketing allows us to make a series of exposures with a pre-set level of over and under exposure. It is useful in situations where we haven’t the time to keep dialling in, or out, exposure compensation.
Page 129 Here is an example of the auto bracket exposure sequence. Normal exposure Normal exposure - 1/3EV exposure bracket +1/3EV exposure bracket...
Page 130 If you want to combine the three exposures to make one HDR image the subject must have no movement otherwise this would appear in the final composite image, ideally the camera should be mounted on a tripod or other solid platform. Here is a HDR from auto bracketed exposures: Normal exposure -1/3EV...
Page 131: Taking Pictures With On Camera Pop Up Flash
Taking Pictures With On Camera Pop Up Flash In-built flash head Taking flash pictures with the in-built flash unit of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 is essentially an automatic operation. There is an option to adjust the output flash power in the semi-automatic and full manual mode but not in the iA or iA+ modes.
Page 132 Otherwise it will output enough flash power to illuminate the scene correctly if the subject is within the camera’s flash range of 30cm to 13.5metres (with auto ISO set). When in any other camera mode (PASM) it is possible to control some of the parameters used for flash photography.
Page 133 Pop up flash light modifier The “pop up” flash modification of a small piece of kitchen tissue held in place with a small piece of adhesive tape. Direct “on-camera” pop up flash result Using the tissue light modifier...
Page 134 Flash can have a variety of uses from providing the only source of illumination for a scene or providing “fill in” light to counteract strong backlighting. It can also be used to cancel the effect of ambient light which has an undesirable color balance such as with fluorescent light, which tends to be slightly green in color.
Page 135 In the flash setup mode is the option to set a front or rear curtain shutter. Front Curtain Sync - is the normal flash mode, with the flash being fired near the start of the shutter opening. The flash finishes quick, and freezes the motion, and then the slow shutter remains open longer, and can blur due to the continuous ambient light, So the ambient blur appears later (out in front of where the flash fired), appearing to lead the...
Page 136: Manual And Pre-Set White Balance
Manual and Pre-Set White Balance Automatic white balance, in most cases, generally does an excellent job of setting a neutral color balance in the camera produced JPEG image. It does this by looking for any pixels which are considered as highlights, or have values close to mid grey tone.
Page 137: Setting Manual White Balance
The Flash preset again adds a more yellow hint to counteract any “blueness” that may occur using flash as an illuminating source. The Incandescent preset corrects the strong re-yellow cast that is often predominant in scenes illuminated solely by tungsten lamps. As there is a marked difference between tungsten halogen and plain tungsten filament lamps the color correction may not be ideal.
Page 138 Fine tuning the operating point of the white balance point which was set by the camera allows you to match subject and image colors more closely. The image control has two axes; Blue-Amber and Magenta-Green. Moving the yellow dot with the navigation keys allows you to add a color bias to the image in any of the axis directions, or by positioning the dot within a quadrant between the two axes allows both colors to be added.
Page 139 of the target too high and will not allow a set point to be created. In this situation you will need to use 18% reflective neutral grey card. These are available from many on-line photo accessory retailers. A set of three white balance point calibration cards.
Page 140: Face Detection And Recognition
Face detection and recognition These are the two distinct operations needed by the camera to allow faces to be seen and used for setting primarily focus but also exposure. Face recognition will attempt to identify faces in an image and set the principal focus based upon a priority list assigned by you at the point of registering a face with the camera database.
Page 141 Repeat this for any new face you want to add to the camera database. You can store 6 faces. With Face recognition ON whenever the camera recognises a face it will display the name of the subject, will track the subject if it moves The camera is capable of detecting 15 faces in a scene by looking for a eyes/nose/mouth configuration.
Page 142: Recording Video
With version 10 of iMovie and version 10 of Final Cut Pro for the Apple Mac the native editing of Panasonic AVCHD files is now supported without the need for intermediate conversion to an Apple friendly file such as Quicktime.
Page 143 AVCHD OPTIONS MP4 OPTIONS Whichever mode you set the camera to record in this mode is common to both recording video in the fully automatic iA and iA+ modes and all the semi-automatic and fully manual modes. To start recording a video clip in any mode, apart from the creative video mode (the movie camera icon), it is a simple matter of just pressing the red record button on the top plate of the camera.
Page 144: Creative Video Mode Recording
being used by the camera in recording the current clip. In the iA and [iA+] modes any parameters which have been set, for example, background defocus, [brightness adjustment or color tint] will be recorded in the video clip. In semi-automatic modes; P, A or S the White Balance only is used, all other parameters are ignored.
Page 145 The Creative Video Mode Selected with the mode control dial. Recording is started and stopped using the Shutter release button Options are: Program auto Aperture priority Shutter priority Manual exposure High speed video These options are all selected from the creative video mode menu. These modes use the metering mode currently selected to establish the correct exposure.
Page 146 2.5mm microphone port on the top of the camera. Panasonic produced a dedicated microphone the MS-1 for this camera. It is a battery powered electret condenser microphone. However any microphone of a similar style, such as the Rode® Videomic will work if you use a 3.5mm to 2.5mm adaptor.
Page 147: Programming The Camera Function Buttons
Programming the camera function buttons By assigning commonly used menu functions to the programmable function buttons Fn1 – Fn3 you can quickly recall menu items or set camera conditions very quickly. Fn1 and FN3 can de directly assigned whilst Fn2 is a shared option of either AF/AE lock or the Fn2 button.
Page 148: Custom Setups
Custom Setups One of the most useful additions to the camera setup options is the ability to create, and use, “custom setups”. The custom setups allows you to define and recall specific setups you might want to make for your style of photography. There are 4 setups you can make: C1- this is directly accessible just by turning the mode control dial to the C1 position.
Page 149: How To Photograph Anything
“travel pictures”, “sports pictures”. Instead I have tried to concentrate on giving you the tips and techniques for using the features of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 to take any kind of image you want”.
Page 150 Large depth of field at wide angle setting If we move the subject extremely close to the camera then we can get a similar DOF effect that we get if we were to use a longer telephoto setting, as in the example below where the subject is just centimetres away from the lens.
Page 151 By understanding how lens focal length and subject to lens distance affects the DOF you can determine what method to use. In some situations it may not be possible to get the camera so close to the subject. Photographing insects may be an example of this. To achieve the result of a shallow depth of field, that is one with a very blurred background, at a reasonable distance from the subject we will need to resort to using telephoto settings, i.e.
Page 152 The OIS only compensates for camera movement; any subject movement is still recorded in the image. So even though OIS allows us to shoot with at least 3 f-stops of equivalent shutter speed advantage it does not arrest subject motion. In the illustration below of the “Big One”...
Page 153 To capture motion blur we need to use longer shutter speeds. In the example of capturing waterfalls with silk like appearance we used shutter speeds in the order of ½ to 2 seconds long. To achieve these longer times, especially in brighter ambient lighting we need to use neutral density filters to reduce the amount of light entering the lens.
Page 154: Low Light Photography
Low Light Photography Shooting in low light levels presents a significant challenge to any photographer, not only users of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200. How do we quantify low level light? Take a look at the selection of images below. Each one could be considered low light as there is no...
Page 155 In many of the images shown above there are some similarities. The overall exposure times are less than 1/30 second. Could this be our definition of “low light” photography? Each of the images shown required a different technique to capture an image of good quality.
Page 156: Close-Up & Macro Photography
Close-Up & Macro Photography We have seen that using a wide angle setting with the lens and moving close to the subject will allow you to take some extreme close-ups such as the one shown below. Close-up using 25mm setting and a few centimetres from the subject Whilst this does give great results it can lead to “perspective distortion”.
Page 157 The basic lenses are of just one element construction, some are multi- coated to reduce reflection however the majority are just optical glass. This is fine if you just want to experiment with close-up photography and provided you understand some of the limitations they will give you excellent results like the image below taken with such a set.
Page 158 To overcome the limitations of the single element lenses special lenses called “achromatic” lenses are available. The most popular are the ones available from “Raynox™” and simply clip onto the front of the lens. The “Raynox™” M250 close up lens is very popular for use in close up photography What about the change in focus, or more importantly the working, distances achieved with the addition of these close up lenses? Well, by...
Page 159 using the zoom lever to achieve x4 optical zoom and we fit a #2 lens in front of the FZ200 lens, the magnification would be 100/500, which is 0.2x. This means that a 10cm wide image would be 2mm long on our 8mm wide sensor.
Page 160 Two examples of small models photographed using the #1 close up lens and then a superimposed background added. Die cast Model and Church interior added. Plastic Model with a digitally rendered background.
Page 161: Accessories
Accessories There are several “accessories” which you can purchase to allow you to make better images. They may be to add additional lighting to a scene such as with an external flash gun, or add stability to the camera whilst taking a picture with a long exposure time or maybe just a convenient way to carry the camera when out and about.
Page 162 A selection of 52mm filters used to modify the light entering the FZ200 lens. Neutral Density, Circular Polarising and Fluorescent light correction (FLD “Rose”). We have discussed neutral density filters previously when looking at extending the shutter times in order to capture silky flowing water or to set the shutter speed/shutter angle in videography.
Page 163 Circular polarising filters are most useful for darkening skies as well. Without a polarising filter. With a polarising filter attached. The filter can be screwed directly onto the camera lens. Watch out for the thickness of some of these filters. Some of the thicker ones have more metal around the filter glass and may cause vignetting to occur at wide angle settings.
Page 164 filters. Whole systems of filters have been developed to create a variety of effects. Some of these can be reproduced in post processing however you have the visual confirmation that you have captured the effect you want at the scene before you leave. The original Cokin™...
Page 165 Daylight white balance. Daylight white balance with the FLD “rose” filter attached.
Page 166: Tripods And Other Support Systems
Since the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 isn’t really a heavy camera, many of the lighter tripods are adequate to support the camera payload. Many of these fall into the “travel”...
Page 167 The new “gorilla pods” with articulated jointed legs offer a versatile way to hold the camera in situations where either tripod or monopod would not achieve the desired result. For example the “gorilla pod” can be used to support the camera on fences, tree branches and railings etc., as well as in the conventional tripod configuration.
Page 168 Whichever system you use it is worth using either the inbuilt 2 or 10 second timer or a remote shutter release to commence the exposure to minimise any camera shake from degrading the image. An example of 2 wired remote releases. The one on the left is just a basic focus/shoot device whilst the other is a...
Page 169: External Flash
Panasonic do a range of TTL (through the lens) compatible flash units DMW-FL220E – a small unit with a guide number of 22 DMW-FL360E –...
Page 170: Tilt And Swivel
The values indicated will be one half of the FZ200 lens setting. It will select the largest zoom setting which is smaller than or equal to the lens focal length used. Zooming can be also done manually; the zooming is done internally with no physical change in size of the unit.
Page 171: Auto Exposure Mode
The “pre-flash” method has a drawback though, it can a bit annoying for anyone being photographed. Also, the pre-flash means that the main exposure is slightly delayed. Not by much, but it could be enough for you to miss a crucial timing. Auto exposure mode You can also use the auto mode on The FZ200 camera, in which case it will read the aperture and ISO information directly from the camera.
Page 172: Using Non-Ttl Flash Units
Using a compatible TTL extension cord to allow off camera work Using non-TTL Flash Units It is possible to use non-TTL flashguns with the FZ200. Most modern flash guns have a low “trigger voltage”. This trigger voltage is the voltage which appears at the base of the flash unit and connects with the internal circuitry of the FZ200 camera.
Page 173: Wireless Flash Triggers
Sunpak PZ42X (Canon unit) used here in manual mode. Set the iso/aperture to match the camera settings and the unit will auto expose at this level. Wireless Flash Triggers If you have a flash gun with a high guide number and other useful features like bounce/swivel but it has a high (more than 30v) trigger voltage it might be cost advantageous to purchase a wireless trigger system.
Page 174 the non-TTL units they again have to be used in the full manual mode. Most units support both hot shoe and the PC (pronto-compur) cable connections to allow connection to a variety of flash guns. My National dual head flash gun with side flash bracket used with a PC cable connection to a “hot shoe”...
Page 175: Wide Angle And Telephoto Conversion Lenses
Wide Angle and Telephoto Conversion Lenses Wide Angle conversion Although the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 has a reasonably wide angle setting (25mm equivalent) there are times when a slightly wider view would help. In interior architectural shots, landscapes and group photographs this extra few millimetres of coverage could make all the difference.
Page 176 Firstly, a note of caution about using these conversion methods. The weight of the suggested conversion lenses is quite high and a very specific discipline is needed to use them. If you do not follow the discipline you may cause damage to the lens and/or the zoom motor gearbox.
Page 177 There is a very small amount of color fringing at the edges of the image, however distortion is well controlled. The second lens is similar to the Panasonic LWA52 wide angle 0.75x conversion lens. It is a much bigger lens and weighs twice as much as...
Page 178 Minolta ACW100 0.8x wide angle convertor 25mm camera only With Minolta ACW100 0.8x convertor 20mm This lens has no color fringing and extremely sharp edge to edge.
Page 179: Telephoto Conversion
Reset your Sleep setting to your preferred value. Telephoto Conversion Panasonic do market a telephoto conversion lens and a mounting tube for the FZ200 camera. The lens is the DMW-LT55E and needs the adaptor tube DMW-LA7. The adaptor tube screws into the ring of the lens barrel and then any 55mm close up lenses, or the LT55E lens can then be screwed into the adaptor.
Page 180 Lens at 600mm Lens at 600mm plus 1.7x Teleconvertor Illustration of the X 1.7 magnification of the LTE-55 lens. In my own testing with the lens, the additional magnification necessitated using a higher shutter speed to reduce blur caused by hand shake. Given the high price of the lens and adaptor combination plus the shutter speed limitation, I now use x 1.5 digital zoom with almost identical results to the optical magnification for those situations where a slight increase in...
Page 181 You could, of course, do this in post process using a re-size and crop operation. If you use the lens and tube combination you need to set the lens conversion feature to “tele T” in the set up menu. This sets the zoom to x24 and then limits the minimum zoom to x14 and increases the OIS operation to adjust for more image movement from the increased magnification.
Page 182: Lighting For Video And Stills Photography
Lighting for Video and Stills Photography Quite often we will need to add some additional lighting to be able to capture video with enough scene brightness to overcome some of the issues with noise in low light video scenes, especially those with lots of shadow areas.
Page 183 I have used a variety of lighting methods as shown below for use in table top photography. 50W Tungsten Halogen Spot 200 lux 120w Tungsten Halogen Flood 700 lux Variable Color LED Spot (3W) LED 3x 1 Watt 800 lux spot 36 LED 4W (can be ganged together) 280 lux LED Model 5004 2x 3.5W 600 lux...
Page 184 Color Rendering tests of the light sources. 120w halogen, 610 lux 50w halogen, 235 lux 36 LED x2, 240 lux 3 LED spot 770 lux Tests using each light source at 1 metre distance. Only light source. Manual white balance before each exposure.
Page 185 There are many different lighting solutions available now using high efficiency LED’s. Many have variable dimming facility and are well color corrected. “High end” video lighting is very expensive and is not necessary in most of our amateur needs. If you are considering investing in professional grade lighting you will soon find the cost of these lights becoming more expensive than the FZ200 camera.
Page 186: Using External A/V Monitors For Live View In Recording Mode
Using External A/V monitors for live View in Recording mode We know that the Panasonic Lumic FZ200 has an A/V (audio-visual) port on the side of the camera for playing back stills and video on an external composite audio-video signal into a compatible television, or monitor.
Page 187: External Microphones Used For Video Recording
When recording video it is essential to a capture good, clean audio soundtrack. In in-built stereo microphone pair of the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 capture reasonable audio quality when the sound source is fairly close to the camera. Once the sound source is away from close proximity, the camera will tend to ramp up the automatic gain control resulting in “thin”...
Page 188 of vibration and handling noises. The capsules are covered in acoustic transparent foam which helps to reduce any wind noise. The microphone is fitted with 2.5mm right angled plug which mates with the 2.5mm remote/mic socket on the front right of the camera. Performance is almost identical to the inbuilt microphones with just the advantage of wind noise and zoom motor noise reduction.
Page 189 There are many electret condenser types available, some with their own amplifier and others directly connected to the camera. Lavalier microphone with inline power adaptor Worn close to the mouth of the user, usually clipped on to the collar of a coat or shirt, held in place with a “tie clip”...
Page 190: Pick Up Pattern
The ultimate choice of microphone will also be influenced by what is referred to as the “pick up pattern.” Understanding the various pick-up patterns can help you to not only maintain a good volume, but also to avoid picking up unwanted noises that might be present in the room.
Page 191 There is a way to “retro fit” the transfer of images wirelessly by use of the “Eye-fi” sdhc cards available from Eye-Fi or, in Europe only, from Sandisk retailers. The Eye-Fi Mobi cards are available in larger capacity (32GB) and higher speeds (class 10).
Page 192 You can also have the card become an “Unlimited Storage” device. In this mode the card will transfer and then erase the images on the card (when the capacity limit that you set has been reached) – thus you can shoot continuously both stills and video (up to 2GB in file size) and have the card transfer these in the background to your paired device/cloud service.
Page 193: Tools Menu Setup Options
Tools Menu Setup Options In this section it’s time to take a look at some of the options in the “tools” set up section of the main camera menu. The “Tools” set up section of the main menu. On the first page of this menu we have the clock setting option, which is the first menu you are presented with when you initially turn on a new camera.
Page 194 On page 2 of the set up menu we have seen the functionality of the function buttons and the option to program the lens side lever as either focus or zoom. LCD Display option allows users to customise the way the LCD screen is calibrated.
Page 195: Reading Histograms
Guide Line option allows you to select a display overlay which is useful for such things as getting your picture composition stronger by using the “rules of thirds” grid lines (the top selection). The lower grid line option allows you to set the horizontal and vertical positions of two guidelines which are displayed.
Page 196 Here in this example of a “high key” image where there are more areas of white in the image the “skew” of the histogram is more towards the highlight end of the chart. The histogram only displays the distribution of pixel values in the scene to be photographed;...
Page 197 Here, with the camera in Manual mode, the histogram looks to be displaying a perfect exposure whilst the exposure meter is showing the image to be very much underexposed. If you half depress the shutter button you will see the “live view” of the way the image will be taken with the whites and mid tones crushed into the blacks.
Page 198 The Exposure meter display On page 4 of the “tools” menu we have the options of: Video recording Area - This outlines, on the LCD display, the area which will be recorded in video mode. There is always a slight crop of the image when the camera starts to record video and by having this set to on you will be able to preview exactly what will be cut off around the edges of the frame.
Page 199 On page 5 of the “tools” menu: MF assist - set to “ON” will allow the camera to magnify the area set up as the target thus allowing you to set critical focus when using the manual focus method. Economy Mode - allows you to set the time before the camera goes into its “sleep”...
Page 200 If you never reset the numbering sequence it gives an indication of the number of exposures that you have completed with the camera. The camera starts numbering from 100-0001 so after each 1000 images the folder number will increase to 101-0000 and so on. My present image sequence is 119-0005 which means the camera has taken 19,005 images in its lifetime.
Page 201 This will work when the AV cable is connected. Vierra - link allows the control on the camera playback through the Vierra™ interface standard on Panasonic Televisions via the HDMI cable between the two devices. 3D - playback allows users to specify how the 3D files created with the camera are displayed on a 3D or a conventional 2D Television.
Page 202 to the SCN position. AUTO: Display the Scene Mode menu to allow you to select. OFF: Display the screen of the currently selected Scene Mode. Menu Resume - The last operated menu position is saved even if the camera is turned off, when you next access the menu it will return here. Version Display –...
Page 203: The End Of The Book But Just The Beginning
The End Of The Book But Just The Beginning! I hope that this guidebook, based upon my experience with the Panasonic Lumix FZ200, has been useful in some respect. The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 is a fantastic camera. It is by no means a professional camera however it is capable of...
Page 204: Image Gallery
Image Gallery A few sample images taken with the Panasonic Lumix FZ200.
Page 208 Table of Indexes AF/AE, 24, 27, 75, 80, 91, 146 AFC, 81, 82 AFF, 81, 82 AFS, 81 Aperture, 5, 41, 44, 45, 92, 94, 95, 96, 98, 144, 147, 148, 195 Auto Focus Lock, 5, 91 Auto retouch, 5, 111 autofocus, 3, 8, 10, 12, 25, 26, 75, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 89, 102, 161 AVCHD, 4, 20, 21, 22, 25, 141, 142...
Page 209 EVF, 24, 25, 27, 28, 61, 130, 193, 198 Exposure Bracketing, 5, 127 exposure compensation, 49, 53, 54, 60, 64, 74, 75, 94, 95, 100, 127, 142 Exposure meter, 100, 197 Extended Optical Zoom, 103 Face detection, 5, 139 Flash, 5, 24, 25, 26, 130, 131, 133, 136, 168, 171, 172 Flash Hot Shoe, 24, 26 Focus button, 23, 26...
Page 210 113, 192, 200, 201 metering, 10, 25, 54, 73, 74, 75, 92, 94, 95, 99, 127, 144, 147 MF assist, 85, 86, 198 Microphone, 27 mode dial, 11, 12, 29, 200 Motion Deblur, 51 Night portrait, 61 noise, 34, 39, 40, 43, 44, 45, 51, 60, 61, 62, 63, 98, 99, 109, 123, 124, 125, 126, 154, 181, 184, 186, 187 Noise reduction, 106, 108...
Page 211 Shutter Priority, 5, 95 Shutter release, 25, 144, 145 Shutter speed, 42, 45, 92, 95, 98, 147 Silkypix®, 34, 118, 122, 125 Single Area AF, 79 Soft focus, 66, 112 Spot Metering, 74, 75...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 User Manual

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