Re: Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS20

I had been using an older Lumix (the DMC ZS7, IIRC, originally recommended to me by chick-on) and was very happy with it until the motor that controlled the focus started to get sticky and eventually froze up altogether. After spending a considerable amount of time looking for a GPS-enabled Canon with which to replace it (since I've never had a Canon break down on me), the only model I found that met my criteria was one that was constantly being dinged for uselessly-short battery life so I recently decided to go with another Lumix and bought the ZS20.

I quite like it (other than missing a couple of scene modes that my older Lumix had) but had two questions that some of you folks may know the answers to:

1. My old Lumix saved videos as .MOV files which I could just drag-and-drop onto my computer and watch in QuikTime. The new camera stores them as MTS files as part of a seperate file structure which, it appears, I can only watch with special software from Panasonic (I have the software so it's not a big problem but it makes it awkward to share them with people). Does anybody know of a good (preferably free) program which will convert from MTS to MOV (or AVI or MPEG or some other more widely-supported format)?
2. There's a 3D mode (which seems to take about 10 rapid-fire shots as you pan across a scene and then stores those shots in MPO format) but, again, I'm not sure how to view these or what to do to turn them into the sort of red-blue anaglyph images that chick-on (and others) have been posting here over the last year or so.

If you're using an apple computer (OSX), I'd say use the movie converter, "FLV Converter". It's free and I've had good results using it. I don't know if it's available for the Windows platform. I figured that you're using Windows because they outnumber OSX users by a significant margin.

http://download.cnet.com/Flv-Crunch/3000-2194_4-10909295.html

Originally I bought a Lumix ZS20 camera for my wife, but I steal it from her frequently because it's small (shirt pocket size), easy to use and takes very good pictures. I don't use the Lumix very often for movies as I have a dedicated movie camera. I have always downloaded any Lumix movies to "Final Cut Pro" (edit software) and I wasn't aware of the format problem. Maybe avoiding format problems is an Apple thing or is a function of the software.

Final Cut Pro isn't free (it's expensive), but most pros use it and I thought it might be good enough for me. Big learning curve for Final Cut Pro with all its bells and whistles.

Your camera is an excellent, small, light weight, backpack camera. I avoided the newer version of this Lumix model (ZS30) because too many people were having problems with the WiFi and it cost twice as much. This camera is ranked #3 in sales on Amazon in the point & shoot category. Obviously the best point & shoot cameras aren't going to equal high end cameras, but I wouldn't want to pack a bigger heavier camera along.

Bob

Thanks, Bob. Should have mentioned that I'm on a PC.

I actually carry a separate video camera most of the time as well but there are those times when either I don't have it with me or can't get it out and powered up in time...sometimes it's just faster to grab it with the P&S. As far as pro-level editting tools, none of what I do is anywhere close to pro quality...I like to think I have a reasonably good eye for composing a still photo but my videographer skills are...well, let's just say that some of the video highlights of our last trip (actually of most of our trips!) were

• the half-hour recording of the inside of my backpack (at least we could hear the conversation my wife and I were having)
• some clips where I just started shooting without looking at the monitor and discovered later that I had a number of ultra-extreme zoom clips (actually, I don't do that one very often anymore!)
• the times when I can't see what's on the tiny LCD in a bright sun and my narration is talking about how "I think I've got such-and-such-a-feature in the frame now but I can't be sure" and then, when I go to watch it at home, I discover that the feature in question is just off the top or bottom of the screen!

I've never even editted any of my video clips...they're mostly just for my wife and me to relive a bit of a trip after we get back home.

a) change the movie mode on the camera
b) if you want to make an anaglyph then you need to strip out the 2 pix that it took

for a) can look tonight and figure out how to change it
for b) I don't bother with 3D or panoramic photos in-camera
they are far inferior to what you can create just by moving the camera yourself

Yeah, not much help. But what do you spect from a bird-brain?

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Quote
chick-on
a) change the movie mode on the camera
b) if you want to make an anaglyph then you need to strip out the 2 pix that it took

for a) can look tonight and figure out how to change it
for b) I don't bother with 3D or panoramic photos in-camera
they are far inferior to what you can create just by moving the camera yourself

Yeah, not much help. But what do you spect from a bird-brain?

DOH! Didn't even to think that there was a mode setting! Not that it's easy to find since you get a different setup menu depending on whether the camera is in playback or shoot mode when you hit the menu button. At any rate...I found the setting and have fixed it. Now I just have to convert the clips I already did.

As for the 3D stuff, I wondered how good it would be but I stumbled across the setting and thought I'd try it...I think it's just designed to be played back on 3D TV's (which I don't have).

Thanks, bird-brain!

Quote
DavidK42
My old Lumix saved videos as .MOV files which I could just drag-and-drop onto my computer and watch in QuikTime. The new camera stores them as MTS files as part of a seperate file structure which, it appears, I can only watch with special software from Panasonic (I have the software so it's not a big problem but it makes it awkward to share them with people). Does anybody know of a good (preferably free) program which will convert from MTS to MOV (or AVI or MPEG or some other more widely-supported format)?

There ffmpeg: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/mts-video-conversion-672091/

I missed seeing this. I love my ZS19...same as ZS20 without GPS. My hubby is still using the ZS3, my neighbor had the ZS10 and dropped it...is now using the ZS25 (no touch screen on that.) My friend in Hawaii has the ZS10. My other neighbor has the ZS30...no touch screen but has an articulating screen. My overused ZS19 had a grain of sand on the inside lens from the Lost Coast this August (I smacked the camera to dislodge it) and the lens motor is noisy.

Of course, at this time, the ZS30 is very well priced. But I'd wait for the ZS40, which is going to have an electronic viewfinder! ( No touch screen.)

I, too, had to change modes for movies. I do carry a dedicated video cam, but you can't have both going at the same time. I have video conversion software, but it didn't work with former video...images were pixilated.




P.S. My major pet peeve with my ZS is ghosting or haloing on some "intelligent auto" landscapes (and color is a bit on the cool side.) For best results, I take some photos in at least three different settings.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2014 12:14PM by hikerchick395.

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