Nightsky Loc: Augusta, GA USA

I used 42nd st photo once. They had a good price on a lens. When I went to purchase it I found out it was grey market and they wanted extra for the USA warranty, then they tried to sell a lot of cheap accessories with it.

Stick with B&H or Adorama

BigWahoo Loc: Kentucky

Don't buy their acc. packages. You can get an extra battery on Amazon for under $15.00 with free shipping.
Aso you can usually find deals on SD cards. Make sure it is a class10 (high speed) card.

I Shot a Nikon F before switching to digital. I have a bridge camera now, Fuji HS50, and am happy with it.

Have Fun

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

The telephoto reach of the FZ200 is one of its great features. If you want more, Panasonic makes a telephoto lens that has been used on a lot of their cameras. You mount it with an adapter that is specific for the camera.

The Panasonic DMW-LA7 Conversion Lens Adapter:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/898275-REG/Panasonic_DMW_LA7_Conversion_Lens_Adapter.html

The Panasonic DMW-LT55 55mm 1.7x Telephoto Conversion Lens:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/396536-REG/Panasonic_DMW_LT55_DMW_LT55_55mm_1_7x_Telephoto.html

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

As many have stated above beware of 42st photo,and the accesssory stuff that you probably don't need at this time. The panny is a good way to get into digital. If money is a serious consideration you might want to look into a refurbished unit from B&H or Adorama. Many here on UHH (inccluding me) go the refurb route.

moffie100

That sounds like an exceptional opportunity for someone. Have you sent the warranty info in?

yhtomit Loc: Port Land. Oregon

If you have Nikon lenses you should go for a d800 or at least something Nikon.Have fun and cheers.

brrywill

I'm not familiar with the Panny cameras, but my new favorite SD card is the Scandisk Extreme Plus. Really zippy....I can't believe the increase in speed, and the price isn't bad.

fishmaven Loc: Ohio right now

Thanks for the responses. Here's an update: I ordered the camera from 42nd St. B&H and Adorama each wanted an extra $200 for the camera. They would have tossed in and extra $50 of stuff. Wow, I'd rather have the money. B&H said that 42nd St wasn't an authorized dealer for Panasonic. When I asked if they sold things that they weren't an authorized dealer for, the sales guy said, "of course." I thanked him for the info. BTW, no authorized Panasonic dealers on Amazon either...

To kwbybee: Great info, Graham Houghton also has a book on the FZ200, around $40 on Amazon.

To the Nikon guys: I've owned an F, a Photomic FTN, a Nikkormat and an FE2. I love Nikon, but I don't want to carry all that stuff any more.

To BigWahoo: many of the off-brand batteries don't show the power level in the camera. For an extra $20 I'll the get the Panasonics.

To brrywill: I have a Scandisk Extreme Plus coming with the camera. I got the 90m/s. I have no idea how much video I'll shoot, maybe none. Then again, maybe my niece's graduation walk...

Re used: I'm not directing this at any one person - I'm a newbie here, but when I mentioned 42nd St, it was like I picked a scab or something. If the honesty of a retailer of 50+ years is in question, where does an unknown person on a hobby forum stand? I have no hesitation to purchase from a friend or someone of a known standard, but I'm too new to jump into more than that.

Thanks again,
Dan

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I sincerely hope that you enjoy your new camera and that your experiences proves all disbelievers in 42nd Street (including me) abjectly mistaken.