Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 DMC-FZ330 User's Guide

This really is an excellent book/guide. Graham should be applauded for producing it; yes, it is expensive (I have the colour version) but that is the price you pay for a niche product. I believe I will consider it good value as I work through it with my camera.Graham's style is very clear and his explanations easily followed. l am aware my FZ330 is a very capable camera but having had it well over a year I realize I, more than often, use it as a point and shoot, only occasionally exploring its capabilities. With this guide as my mentor I am already expanding my use of the camera - and, more to the point, enjoying the experience.I highly recommend this book (as I do Graham's blog, his website and his newsletters). If you have a FZ300/330 you will not regret for a moment purchasing it.

The name 'Graham Houghton' means two main things to a lot of people .... technical expertise and clear communication. If you haven't already encountered his superb demos, reviews and tutorials on YouTube, then put the coffee machine on with a full reservoir and get browsing. It was GH's tutorials about the FZ200 which first made me an avid follower of his uploads. At that time I was still using an old and much-loved Fuji S7000 and then a not-really-loved Canon SX60HS. I decided to change and by then the FZ300/330 had just been released. It was GH's new tutorials and demos which made me decide to buy that camera. Ever since that purchase I - and, I suspect, hundreds of others - awaited the publication of this book with bated breath and anticipation. Lumix manuals can be a tad opaque but Graham's careful exploration and explanation of the workings, functions and possibilities of the FZ300 are a revelation. The book has most definitely NOT been a disappointment and has lived up to everyone of of those expectations.There are a couple of minor downsides. The first is the cost. In his Blog, Graham expressed great disappointment that he couldn't get the price down any lower after using Amazon's own publishing system. But, being the generous soul that he is, he has offset this by producing a downloadable e-book in pdf format. I decided to buy the paperback and haven't regretted the decision - but you must decide for yourself. £25+ is quite a wodge of cash, but in my opinion it is WELL worth it for the sheer range of topics and tips that Graham covers. The colour photos are many and (for me) massively better than monochrome alternatives.The second downside isn't really a negative, it's just a need to point out that Graham's explanations, ALTHOUGH VERY CLEAR, can sometimes be lengthy and occasionally quite technical. But, let's face it, the FZ300 isn't probably going to be the first choice for a newcomer to photography and many buyers and users will, I suspect, be upgrading from a previous and less complex camera. As far as bridge cameras go, the FZ300/330 must surely be up there amongst the very best. It isn't as 'superzoomy' as some but personally I just don't understand this obsession with humungously long zooms. (I recently encountered a 'Zoom Snob on holiday ..!!! What a fool.) But I won't digress and start commenting on the camera which, in my view, rates 10 out of 10.Back to the book ... if there is one tiny weakness, I would personally have liked to see a far more comprehensive index. There is one, but it barely covers 3/4 of the final page. But that's just me being niggly.If you have an FZ300/330 and find the official Lumix manual too opaque and lacking in clarity and/or detail, then Graham's book is your answer. If you can't afford the full-colour version then there's the downloadable monochrome version. (I believe Graham makes the coloured images available as well so you can print your own ... but I'm not 100% sure about that. Check his blog.)My only remaining wish is that Graham will now pay some attention to the equally amazing Lumix LX-100 which has become my 2nd camera.

I have found this book extremely helpful in understanding the settings available in this camera to get the best results, with clear explanations of how the setting changes things rather than simply how to make the settings (which is all the Panasonic instruction manual does). I found some of the colour image reproductions rather poor hence only 4 stars in place of 5 stars. Nevertheless, highly recommended.

Why did I buy this book? The instruction booklet and CD which came with the camera is useless. I wanted to know how to use the camera. I forked out £30 with postage for Graham Houghton's book and ... I still have no idea how to use the camera or what it can do (other than using it in idiot mode) Read the last paragraph on page 239 and tell me what that means for example! Does anyone read these things before they are sent to print? I feel totally frustrated and annoyed. Don't buy this book unless you want to end up hurling it and your new camera across the room in frustration.

This book is an essential purchase for all owners of the FZ330 - it is an excellent users guide. It is well written and easy to follow and in conjunction with Graham's very informative You Tube tutorials it enables you to get the very best out of an excellent camera. Highly recommended.