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The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 is a bridge-style superzoom camera launched in July 2005, succeeding the FZ20 as the flagship model in Panasonic’s growing “super zoom” camera lineup. It’s aimed at enthusiast photographers who want SLR-like handling and a powerful telephoto reach in a single, fixed-lens body rather than an interchangeable-lens system.
At the core of the FZ30 is an 8-megapixel CCD sensor delivering a maximum resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels, paired with Panasonic’s Venus II image processor. The standout feature is its Leica-branded DC Vario-Elmarit 12x optical zoom lens, covering a 35-420mm (35mm-equivalent) focal range; the optical zoom can be extended to an equivalent 19.1x by reducing resolution to 3 megapixels. Unlike its FZ20 predecessor, the lens is fully internal and non-extending, contributing to a notably faster startup time.
The lens features a mechanically-linked manual zoom ring for smooth, silent zoom adjustments during video recording, along with an electronic manual focus ring. Panasonic’s Mega Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) system helps counteract camera shake, particularly valuable given the lens’s extensive telephoto reach. Autofocus offers normal and macro modes via a switch, continuous AF on/off, and one-shot AF, with focus area options of 1-point, 3-point, 9-point, or spot. Full manual exposure control is available alongside Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, and Program Shift modes, with metering options of Intelligent Multiple, Center-Weighted, or Spot, and exposure compensation adjustable in 1/3 EV steps from -2 to +2 EV.
Shutter speeds range from 60 seconds to 1/2000 second, with continuous shooting at up to 3 frames per second (9 images at standard quality, 5 at fine quality) or unlimited shooting at 2 frames per second. ISO sensitivity options include Auto, 80, 100, 200, and 400. Small screw-on accessory lenses, including a wide-angle, telephoto, and neutral-density filter, could be added to the front of the lens.
Handling includes a flip-down 2.0-inch LCD monitor (235K pixels) offering approximately 100% field of view, along with a 0.44-inch electronic viewfinder (235K pixels). The camera uses proprietary lithium-ion batteries and stores images on SD/MMC memory cards, supporting high-speed SD cards up to 2GB, with no internal storage, meaning a memory card is required for any use. The body weighs approximately 674g (23.8 oz) without battery and card, or 740g (26 oz) fully loaded.
Key Features
– 8MP CCD sensor (3264 x 2448 max resolution)
– Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 12x optical zoom lens, 35-420mm equivalent
– Extended 19.1x optical zoom at reduced (3MP) resolution
– Mega Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
– Non-extending, fully internal zoom/focus mechanism
– Manual zoom ring and electronic manual focus ring
– Full manual, Program AE, Aperture/Shutter Priority, and Program Shift exposure modes
– Multiple metering modes (Intelligent Multiple, Center-Weighted, Spot)
– Shutter speed range 60 sec to 1/2000 sec
– Continuous shooting up to 3 fps (or unlimited at 2 fps)
– ISO Auto/80/100/200/400
– Compatible with screw-on wide-angle, telephoto, and ND filter accessories
– 2.0″ flip-down LCD (235K pixels)
– 0.44″ electronic viewfinder (235K pixels)
– SD/MMC card storage (no internal memory)
