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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 sample photos

CNET examines photo quality from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47, a 24x ultrawide-angle megazoom.

Joshua Goldman
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Joshua Goldman
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1 of 6 Joshua Goldman/CNET

ISO comparison

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47's photo quality has improved from this camera's predecessor, the FZ40. If you're a pixel peeper you probably won't be thrilled with the noise and artifacts you can see when photos are viewed onscreen at 100 percent. But unless you're planning to regularly make prints above 8x10, you'll likely be very happy with the results. Like most point-and-shoots the FZ47 does well up to ISO 200, so the more light you give it, the better your photos. However, ISO 400 is still good for small prints and so is ISO 800, as long as you don't do much enlarging and cropping. I'd stay away from ISO 1600, though, as colors desaturate and you'll get a lot of yellow blotching from color noise.
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2 of 6 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Macro

If you like to shoot close-ups, the FZ47 can focus on a subject as close as 0.4 inch from the camera. Its photos at 100 percent are as sharp as others I've tested, but at smaller sizes they look very good and the f2.8 maximum aperture gives you some depth of field to play with.
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3 of 6 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Color

Color and exposure are very good. Colors are bright and vivid without looking unnatural. As you get to the FZ47's higher ISO sensitivities, though, there is a noticeable drop-off in quality, particularly at ISO 1600.
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4 of 6 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Zoom range

If you're looking for the longest lens around, the FZ47's isn't it. However, the quality of the lens is quite good and still very long going from an ultrawide-angle 25mm to 600mm (35mm equivalent), or 24x.
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5 of 6 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Fringing

Panasonic usually does some in-camera correction for fringing, but in high-contrast areas such as these branches it's very noticeable, even at smaller screen and print sizes.
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6 of 6 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Creative Control mode

Panasonic's Creative Control mode gives you some easy ways to change the look of your photos while you're shooting. Options are Expressive (pictured), Retro, High Key, Sepia, Miniature Effect, High Dynamic, Pin Hole, and Film Grain.

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