So today I found this old Panasonic camera, the FZ35, tucked away in my dusty gear box. Figured I’d actually try to understand what all those buttons and numbers on it really do instead of just guessing, like I usually do. Total headache at first, lemme tell ya.
First Things First – The Look & Feel
Pulled the FZ35 out, felt heavier than my phone for sure. That lens sticking out front looked complicated right away. Started fiddling with it. Turned it on – heard this little whirring sound as the lens zoomed out. Spotted the dial on top with letters like P, A, S, M. No clue. Flipped it to “iA” cause that sounded smart. Auto mode, fine. But I wanted to know why it picked stuff.
Started pressing every button on the thing. Like, seriously, every single one. There was this one button near the screen labeled “*”. Pressed it. Boom! Suddenly a whole bunch of icons popped up on the screen – things like ISO, WB, that kinda stuff. Felt like cracking a secret code! Tried changing the ISO setting just by spinning the dial next to the shutter button. Saw the screen get brighter and darker – okay, so ISO changes how sensitive it is to light. Messed it up, screen went totally black for a second. Oops. Hit the * button again and found the “Reset” symbol – thank goodness.
Getting Hands-On With The Zoom
Next big thing? That giant lens. It says “18x Zoom” right on it. So I pointed it out my window at a tree across the street. Pressed the zoom lever lightly towards “T”. Woah! That tree jumped right into my face like it was inches away. Pressed “W” and it zoomed way out, showing the whole street. This zoom is nuts! Held it steady? Harder than it sounds. My hands shook like crazy making the image bounce all over the screen.
- The Viewfinder Drama: Saw this tiny window near the viewfinder. Tried looking through it. Ew. Felt cramped and dark compared to the screen. There’s a button underneath it marked “LVF”. Pressed that. Suddenly the screen went black, and the viewfinder lit up! Okay, so LVF button swaps between looking at the screen or putting your eye up to the viewfinder. Useful if the sun is super bright outside messing with the screen.
- Video Mode Surprise: Spotted the red button near my thumb. Remembered that red usually means record. Pressed it. Heard a beep and saw a “REC” flashing on the screen. It was recording! I filmed my messy desk for a few seconds. Pressed the red button again to stop. Then I hit the playback button (the triangle icon). Saw my desk video pop up. Pressed “PLAY”? Nothing! Tried pressing the “SET” button in the middle of the control dial. Boom, video started playing. Why isn’t the PLAY button the PLAY button?! Weird. The sound wasn’t great, kinda tinny.
Dealing With Cards & Power
Time to see pictures. Went to pull the memory card out. Found this tiny latch on the side. Slid it open. The card was sitting there. Pushed it lightly – pfft – it popped out! Okay, push to eject, got it. Slid it back in until it clicked. Easy. Battery door felt flimsy though. Opened it carefully. The battery was inside. It says “DMW-BCJ13”. Pulled it out. Looked it up later – typical Panasonic. Feels weird how they use specific batteries sometimes. Would be easier if it was just AAs like my old point-and-shoot.
After messing with it for what felt like hours, here’s the lowdown:
- That Zoom Lever: Seriously powerful. Getting clear shots zoomed all the way in? Needs steady hands or something to lean on.
- * Button is Key: Forget diving into the main menu maze. This quick menu button? Lifesaver for changing stuff fast without getting lost.
- LVF Button Magic: Annoying bright sun ruining the screen? That little button makes the viewfinder work instead. Simple fix.
- Video Button Trick: Red button starts/stops recording. But watching it? Hitting “PLAY” does nothing. Gotta use the SET button to actually play your video back. Makes no sense, just gotta remember.
Took it outside later. Used the iA mode again, pointed it at some flowers. Held the shutter button halfway down – saw the screen focus. Clicked it all the way. Looked at the picture. Hey, not bad! Colors looked okay straight out of the camera. It’s an old thing, but it still works. Understanding the buttons finally, even just the basics, stopped it from being a confusing brick. Feels kinda cool knowing why pressing that button does that thing now. Still wish the battery was simpler though!
