All good things come to an end and it’s time to move on from my Fuji FinePix F30 to something else…

After seeing my mate Len’s Ricoh compact I was tempted by the new one, the R10.  However, most reviews I read were less than complimentary.

So fishing about I hit on the Panasonic Lumix TZ5 via a quick perusal through the Canon and Casio range.

The TZ5 certainly seems to do the business as far as my particular needs go – and it’s got a medal!

What I’ve found particulary good, is expressed in this YouTube review by cameralabs.com.

Around the 4m30s mark, Gordon the reviewer fires the thing up for a 1sec startup and then demonstrates the 10x optical zoom available from the Leica lens system.  Just phenomenal especially when stage 1 stabilisation is employed!  Unfortunately, several reviews mention the microphone being on the top of the camera so that it’s easily blocked with a finger   -  This following video is probably the reason for this as you can clearly hear motor noise!

The best zooming example is probably this one:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zfh8z_QBchw    …and all from a hand-held compact.

The crucially different thing to my current machine is that it zooms while recording!  Also, the level of zoom should allow me to peep over into some egrets’ near here that I want to catch in the act, so to speak, of breeding, without disturbing them.  Global warming means it not happened before…

Watch this space.  I haven’t decided yet.

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