This is a heavily cropped and much shrunk copy of an image taken recently with the FZ30 camera at full zoom. I think I can be pleased with the camera's performance.

I have had the FZ30 a few days now and although the wife inconsiderately managed to break her foot by missing the last step in the dark two steps up when she thought she was "down" I have managed to take a few photographs.

A DSLR el supremo it is not but it will satisfy all but the most discerning. If this camera had been available even 10 years ago it would have killed the SLR market outright IMHO.

I am a now-converted "Pano" fan and it will take a big shake up from Canon to get me back to their prosumers. This camera is everything that the Pro100 should have been.

The only remaining gripes are the fact that the relatively small sensor doesn't do "high ISO" terribly well and the rotating screen doesn't rotate n-way. The screen cannot face upwards when the camera is logically hanging down from your fingers in portrait mode.

You cannot use the flip lcd for framing portrait-mode because the screen will not fully rotate and even holding it "upside down"(hand underneath)and working the shutter with your thumb although possible is not satisfactory as the image is upside down.

It also had a right-side and a wrong-side when using it at an obtuse angle and trying to take an obtuse angle shot with the flip screen is an exercise in gymnastics. But these are small niggles.

Not having an "n-way" rotation is probably designed to prevent the well-known Pro90 problem of screwing off one of the connecting wires inside the lcd mount. The flip lcd looks and feels a cheaper type constrution than that on the Pro90 even if larger in size.

Panasonic obviously did not fit a directional sensor and wire in the screen to avoid reliability problems and then "hid" this by limiting the rotational ability of the screen itself. This is a major failing in an otherwise brilliantly conceived camera.

The Pro90 had 2.6 effective mp and 10x optical zoom. The FZ30 has 12x optical zoom with its 8 mp but if you are happy to "make do" with 3 mp you can have 19.1x optical - and it works! Golly-gosh this is almost a birder camera :) (You can even if a tele-attachment if you are so inclined - but personally if I wanted big-zoom I would just stick to a big lens on a DSLR)

Whilst the Pro90 was competent and slow the FZ30 has moveable focus points all over the place and high speed focus settings.

The focus and zoom controls are on the barrel and manual control is just like the "big-ones" and adjusted logically by back and front control wheels.

Auto focus, auto focus macro, manual focus, and auto with touch up macro - no problem. The standard setting magnifies the centre of the screen for fine manual focus setting and works "just a treat" as I have found - try doing that with your mirror set-up on your DSLR!

Zooming is lightning fast with manual control and as the index is marked you can pre-set the zoom if you now the length you are looking for. Internal zooming lens - yahoo (I like it).

Panasonic have worked out their controls and menus well and little touches like 2 custom white balances, two settable scene modes, continuous focus on or off, OIS continuous or at shutter press.

This is getting close to perfection in the carry-about camera class and will satisfy most general purpose duties and whilst it may still not satisfy the most fastidious we must all agree it is a real bargain at the price of much less than I paid for my last EOS lens.

Pro90 fans can safely upgrade now - the FZ30 has my recommendation.

PS takes good pictures as well :)