a low level light test video between the Lumix TZ7 and FZ38 (FZ35) cameras
1,950 views · Published 30 December 2009 · 6:21 · Indexed 12 October 2026
Channel: Graham Houghton · 2009 · Science & Technology
A controlled test video between the two cameras at 10, 50 and 120 lux light levels. AVCHD lite mode for tests. The FZ38 has a slight advantage over the TZ7 in the lens aperture at maximum opening by about 1/3 of a f-stop. Although not a significant amount it does give a marginally cleaner (less noise) picture. The FZ38 has more manual control - for example exposure lock so that as the camera moves across darker/lighter areas the camera does not respond to these changes thus making the scene more consistent. It also has intellegent contrast control which helps prevent burnt out highlights. In the final comparison, the GH1 is used to film at 10 lux. With its maximum aperture of F4.5 on the kit lens the results are really poor! - even with post processing the noise is accentuated. The new 20mm pancake lens at f1.7 helps however at £250 it costs more than the FZ38. I leave it up to you to decide based on your need, however my personal preference is the FZ38 as it performs beautifully in most situations. See my West Highland Way video for sample stills!
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