New Camera for Fiancee

By +Nik Louch
in Digital Camera Lab

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Grand Master

+Nik Louch Subscriber²

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It's my fiancee's birthday soon, and she has expressed an interest in moving beyond the "point and shoot" compacts we have all had, and moving to something a little better but not full-on just yet.

I have looked around and found that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 is within the budget I have set. It seems to be getting great reviews for what it is.

I cannot find, however, any info on how I could apply filters to it - such as a polarising lens or such. I have seen them on eBay for this cam, but it doesn't seem to have any screw thread!?

Also, I am looking at a Panasonic Refurb for ?128 - but dubious about the "refurb" bit...

Can anyone help?

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Grand Master

Nicholas-c Veteran

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The panasonic FZ-8 is a great camera for what it is, its between point and shoot and DSLR (can manually set stuff but not change lenses).

The panasonic FZ-8 comes with a "Lens adapter" which screws onto the camera body and then you can screw on any 52mm filter

Grand Master

Marshalus Veteran

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Factory refurbs are basically new machines, the camera has probably had a fault which was replaced with new component whatever failed at factory, its probably in as new condition.

Either that or the original owner returned it saying "there is something wrong with it" just because he didn't like it, wanted to be a pain, etc... and when the techs at the warranty center got it they didn't find anything wrong with it and sent it back out. Not really "open box" but not really "refurbished" either.

Grand Master

+Nik Louch Subscriber²

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I think the barometer here would be "Would you buy it in my situation?"

I am going to buy - but having emailed the seller last night and not hearing - will wait and see how long their response takes.

See, I CAN afford to buy it at full price, but at ?130 I will be able to get her a filter, spare battery, mem card, etc.

Grand Master

+Nik Louch Subscriber²

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Yeah, that's a nice compact camera. I think my Fee want's something more like I posted. However, thanks :)

Keeping in mind I know nothing about the camera, strictly from a perspective of "new" vs "refurbished" ... yes.

Well, you're a respected voice around here, and respect carries a lot of weight even in unknown situations. Thank you :)

Grand Master

Marshalus Veteran

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Heard back and got the usual "Refurbished can mean many things..." line.

So looked - only had a 3 month warranty. Is this something to be wary of?

Just use the holy living crap out of it during that 3 months and hope that anything that will go wrong with it happens in that time :)

Grand Master

+Nik Louch Subscriber²

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I'm sure she will :) Also got her:

Leather re-inforced case (she is clumsy)

Polarising filter (been told this is almost a necessity in bright sunlight)

LCD hood (we often go to very bright places)

Hand grip strap (she is clumsy)

Wide-angle lens (seemed worthwhile)

Extra battery + foreign charger (we are always travelling)

Should keep her happy for a while :)

Thanks for all the help here!

  • 4 weeks later...
Grand Master

+Nik Louch Subscriber²

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Sorry for being so late in updating this. Well, she got it and was very happy. Her first play was in her mother's garden last weekend - I was away and she's got a book on how to use a camera properly. She's taking random pics looking at settings, and notices a bee on a plant. Snap - upload. Bugger me if it's not damned good. And she wasn't even using any macro settings/lens...

Cheers for all the help, I will be setting her up on Flickr or something soon.

Also thinking of a fish-eye lens just fo some fun shots.

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