Latest – Review and Sample Test Photos by Steves-Digicams (added 07 November ’07)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 features:
- 12x Optical Zoom lens
- Flip out 2.0 inch LCD
- 10.2 megapixel
- ISO of up to 1600 (using their new intelligent ISO control which detects movement in shots and beefs up the ISO rating automatically)
- 16:9 VGA video
Check Current PriceRead More Reviews – (updated 07 November ‘07)
| Steves-Digicams |
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| Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 Video Guide | |
| ImagingResource |
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| PCMag |
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| DPInterface |
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| DCRP |
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| LetGoDigital |
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| Sample Photos at Flickr | |
| Photoxels |
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| CNET |
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| Camera Labs |
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| * Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 Review Roundup | |
| PhotographyBLOG |
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| DPReview |
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Steves-Digicams – 07 November’07 – reviews the Fujifilm FinePix Z10fd and was impressed with the Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 12x optical zoom lens. Here’s an excerpt from their review conclusion -
“From the powerful Leica zoom lens to the angle-free LCD, the FZ50 is an awesome value packed with some advanced features usually found only on expensive dSLRs. And you’ll never have to change a lens. Lightweight at only 1.62 lb (734 g) with battery and memory card, you can take this camera anywhere.”
ImagingResource – 1/24/2007 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is the verdict. “On the downside, the Panasonic FZ50 really struggles when shooting at higher ISO levels, producing images that are marred by excessive chroma noise. While this would seem to be a serious problem for people who like to shoot in low light without a flash, the Lumix FZ50 offsets these issues with its MEGA O.I.S. and the camera’s very fast (f/2.8- f/3.7) lens. Also a tradeoff is the camera’s design. While its bulky, tough-looking exterior will appeal to macho shooters, others might just find the camera imposing and be turned off by the fact that it’s bigger and heavier than most entry-level digital SLRs. Other issues are less forgivable including the early shutter penalty problem that jams up the camera if you press the shutter button too quickly after taking a picture. Very annoying.”
PCMag – 1/6/2007 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is the verdict. “In my still-life test shots, I observed very little noise. Overall the color was very good, although there was a slight reddish cast. Still, the colors were strong and vibrant. There was very little fringing in the image. In the daylight shot, the image was underexposed by about one f-stop, yet there was a lot of detail and strong contrast. My flash test shot contained very good illumination without blowing out any highlights. But it’s good to know that you can regulate the flash exposure by changing the flash output.”
DPInterface – 12/1/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is the verdict. “The only non-SLR things about the Lumix FZ50 are those shutter speed limitations, whereby faster settings are available only at smaller apertures, and image quality. While the new Venus Engine III processor tries to keep up, performance (such as continuous shooting) doesn’t increase with lower image resolution selected and the in-camera processing reduces noise into smeary output which make detail inspection useless at ISO 400 and above.
And another thing is the FZ50 is fairly expensive for a fixed lens camera. For the price you pay for it, you could get an entry-level digital SLR: Canon Digital Rebel XT, Nikon D50 or Pentax K100D (though a lens to match the FZ50 would cost a whole lot more).”
DCRP – 11/15/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is their conclusion. “Do I like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50? Yes, quite a lot. Am I disappointed that Panasonic stuffed a tiny 10 Megapixel sensor into it and then turned the noise reduction to eleven? Very much so. The FZ50 is definitely the best designed ultra zoom out there, and it’s a real pleasure to use. It’s also the largest and most expensive of the bunch — in fact, it’s even bigger and more expensive than some digital SLRs! If you’re a person who doesn’t plan on taking a lot of high ISO shots then I can certainly recommend this camera. If you want to shoot at higher sensitivities, be prepared to spend time in Photoshop to get the best results, or perhaps consider a digital SLR (though you’ll never get a lens like this on one of those).”
LetGoDigital – 11/6/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is their conclusion. “In practice, the Panasonic Lumix FZ50 left an excellent impression. It truly is a pleasant camera to work with; comfortable in your hand and solid to the touch. In fact, it feels just as if you were working with a digital SLR camera. However, the Panasonic FZ50 is a whole lot cheaper than a DSLR with this type of focal point and image stabilisation! This certainly makes the Panasonic FZ50 worth considering. Although you will lose out on a certain degree of speed; particularly the image speed when shooting continuously, you will find user ease and convenience are prime aspects of this camera.”
Photoxels – 10/29/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is their conclusion. “To summarize, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 is without doubt the best of the prosumer/advanced amateur models, coming close to a SLR-experience and absolutely enjoyable to use in the field. As long as you stay within ISO 100 (and perhaps ISO 200), you can be guaranteed of very good to excellent image quality, and I recommend it on this basis. (If you absolutely need low noise at high ISOs, it’s time for you to cross the “bridge” over to a DSLR.) It has only the “low noise/good detail at high ISO” hurdle to overcome. Achieve this and the Panasonic FZ50 may well become the standard by which all other “bridge” prosumer digital cameras are measured against.”
CNET – 10/21/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and they rate it 7.4 out of 10. They write – “The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 performed well in our tests, especially for a 10.1-megapixel superzoom. It took 1.1 second from start-up to capturing its first image, and thereafter took 1.2 seconds between shots without flash and 1.3 seconds with the flash turned on. Raw shooting slowed the shot-to-shot time to 4.5 seconds. Though it doesn’t seem so, that’s really impressive for a non-SLR digicam. Shutter lag measured 0.5 second in our high-contrast test, which mimics bright shooting conditions, and rose to 1 second in our low-contrast test, which replicates low-light surroundings. In burst mode, we were able to capture 5 VGA-size JPEGs in 1.69 seconds for an average of 2.96fps, and 3 10.1-megapixel JPEGs in 1.6 seconds for an average of 1.87fps.”
Camera Labs – 10/18/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixelPanasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is the conclusion – “That said, we’re still awarding the FZ50 our Recommended rating simply because despite its problems, it remains one of the best super-zooms around and is available at a compelling price. The zoom range is massive, the optical quality of a very high standard, and thanks to effective stabilisation, it’s quite possible to shoot static subjects under low light at 100 ISO and enjoy excellent results. And remember it’s smaller, lighter and cheaper than most DSLRs while thrashing kit lenses in terms of range, quality and stabilisation, not to mention having no worries over dust. In these respects it’s a great camera, but don’t kid yourself you’ve got 10 Megapixel quality at anything other than the lowest sensitivities.”
PhotographyBLOG – 9/20/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixelPanasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is the conclusion – “The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 is simply a joy to use, offering a DSLR-like experience whilst avoiding some of the problems that DSLRs have (principally dust on the sensor and the lack of live view via the LCD screen). It’s a stylish, straight-forward, advanced camera with that 12x Leica zoom lens as its main attraction. On the other hand, the move to a 10 megapixel sensor hasn’t done this camera any favours, stopping me from recommending the DMC-FZ50 more strongly. If you’re really interested in the massive focal range on offer and you don’t want a “proper” DSLR, then the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 should still find a place on your shopping list, despite that persistent issue of noise.”
DPReview – 9/8/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixelPanasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 and here is the conclusion – “And so, to sum up; for the serious user the FZ50 is without doubt the best equipped, best specified and best handling ‘bridge camera’ on the market today, and under the right conditions it produces superb output. It is a rewarding and enjoyable photographic tool that – once you’ve learned its quirks – offers a compact ‘all-in-one’ solution to anyone wanting a huge zoom range without all that lens changing and all that bulk.”
DPNow – 8/3/2006 – has had an opportunity to test drive the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ50 at the Barcelona press event resulting in a sample photo gallery and a series of photos to test the FZ50’s noise performance.
Sample Test Photos
[Sample Test Photos at Steves-Digicams]
[Sample Photos at ImagingResource]
[Sample Photos at DPInterface]
[Sample Photos at DCRP]
[Sample Photos at Flickr]
[Sample Photos at Photoxels]
[Sample Photos at Camera Labs]
[Sample Photos at PhotographyBLOG]
[Sample Photos at DPReview]
Specifications
[Official Panasonic Specifications]
Owners Manual
Press Release
SECAUCUS, NJ (July 19, 2006) – Panasonic today introduced the LUMIX DMC-FZ50, the successor to the critically acclaimed DMC-FZ30, featuring 10.1 megapixels and Panasonic’s revolutionary Intelligent ISO Control technology which compensates for subject movement to decrease image blurriness – an industry first. The DMC-FZ50 will have an MSRP of $649.95.
The LUMIX DMC-FZ50 with MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) features a powerful 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 35 mm to 420 mm on a 35 mm film camera) f/2.8 LEICA DC lens. It also boasts a 10.1-megapixel high resolution CCD for its image sensor and Venus Engine III for the image processing LSI, making it possible to record an image at a maximum ISO 1600 high sensitivity setting at full resolution. Furthermore, by dramatically reducing noise levels, the DMC-FZ50 is able to capture 10.1-megapixel full resolution images even in high sensitivity recordings.
“Panasonic is staking a strong claim in the digital camera market and we’re doing it by constantly seeking to improve upon the proven winners in our FZ series of long-zoom cameras,” said Rich Campbell, Director, Digital Imaging, Panasonic Corporation of North America. “The debut of the FZ50 is an example of our commitment to pushing the envelope with technology like Intelligent ISO Control, advanced image processing with the Venus Engine III LSI, and manual focus, ISO and aperture controls. These advanced features make picture taking an enjoyable and successful effort for the most demanding photo hobbyist, or the newer photographer who is learning to get more out of advanced digital photography.”
Panasonic is synonymous with clear, stable picture taking, and incorporates MEGA Optical Image Stabilization into all of its digital cameras. The worldwide debut of the revolutionary new Intelligent ISO Control (IIC) feature on Panasonic’s LUMIX cameras signals the arrival of a new level of photographic excellence. IIC allows high sensitivity recording at full resolution (1250 ISO maximum) made possible by the advanced image processing LSI Venus Engine III. When set to the IIC, the Venus Engine III detects the subject’s movement and adjusts the ISO setting and shutter speed to best suit the movement and the light condition automatically. Panasonic’s intelligent image stabilizing system allows users to take clear, crisp images in just about any situation.
Among the enhancements from its predecessor, the DMC-FZ50 is equipped with a new Function Button which serves as a shortcut to quickly set frequently-used settings such as recording image size, light metering, AF area, white balance, and ISO sensitivity. A newly incorporated custom setting function memorizes the user’s frequent setting patterns so they can be instantly applied by simply selecting this function with the mode dial. The FZ50 also has a 2-inch LCD which flips out to 180 degrees, making it easier to view even when shooting from high or low angles.
The DMC-FZ50 is now compatible with TTL external flashes creating greater flexibility for shooting in a wider range of conditions. The long battery life will allow the user to shoot approximately 360 images on one charge* (CIPA), yet another way the FZ50 stakes its claim to a premium spot in the digital camera market.
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