While the
DMC-FZ50 was never intended to be a complete overhaul of the well-regarded
DMC-FZ30 it replaces, it seemed that Panasonic was trying to address the gripes on the prior model, as well as toss in a few unexpected niceties to boot. Apparently the upgrade was a success, as the folks at DPReview found a lot to love about the evolutionary camera, especially for the price. Sporting the obligatory 12x zoom, 10.1 megapixels (up from 8), a TTL flash hot shoe,
SDHC support, 16:9 movie / still mode, Venus III Engine (upgraded from the Venus II), and an Intelligent ISO that adjusts up to 1600 on the fly, this hybrid megazoom packs an impressive spec list. Reviewers were quick to praise the high-end feature set, and felt that it outpaced the competition in terms of amenities, but did point out that image quality suffered due to the small sensor used to compensate for all those megapixels. The biggest digs came from the added noise and bleeding colors found at any ISO above 100 (like many Panasonics), but these qualms were quickly solved by downsizing the images for normal viewing / storage. Overall,
DPReview slapped a "Highly Recommended" tag on the FZ50, and apparently weren't too dissatisfied with the image hiccups, as they pronounced it "the best equipped, best specified, and best handling bridge camera on the market today." With a claim like that backing it up, dropping $650 on this shooter doesn't seem all that painful.
posted Sep 9th 2006 2:26PM
fz50 is a big shit, i have one and i am very disappointed , no quality photo, great camera, great lens but a shit sensor and i have to send it to Panasonic because when i shot in RAW has a problem, i made the buy by looking at dpreview review, and they are wrong. For future buyers my opinion don't buy, big noise levels, artifacts, is not delivering a good quality picture at least you shot in RAW, but my fz50 has a problem in raw, so i will just forget the 550 euros that i paid for this camera and i am going to buy another one and sure it will not be a Panasonic camera i think to go for a NIKON or CANON DSLR like this i making sure that i am going to have some good quality photos.
that is a damn sexy piece of camera
I
Certainly is high - very high - on my list.
Not surprising about the noise levels considering how much resolution they're trying to pack into that sensor. Similar problems were noted with the Nikon 8700 when they were pushing 8MP.
Lumix cameras ROCK, i've owned three Lumix cameras as well as a Nikon D50 and I still would favor my Lumix. Its just esy to use and offers just what you need.
Check out the FZ-7 if you want an inexpensive 6 MP 12x optical zoom with image stabilzation...
I was considering buying this camera last week for a few reasons one was the SD Card slot which most of my devices operate using this format but i ended up getting the Sony DSC-R1 instead, even if it mean spending twice as much for equal capacity Memory Stick Pro DUO cards. I'm glad i made the right decision now that i read this about the noise and color bleeding.
canon dslrs rock even more.
there are so much lenses to choose from.
I owned an FZ-10, then a Canon 350D with three lenses (which I lost travelling), then an FZ-30 - and now an FZ-50, which is the camera I would favor above them all. I don't see interchangeable lenses as a benefit for one minute - you've got virtually THE LOT in the FZ range! Lighter travelling, no dust getting into your camera with lens changes etc etc.
I'm sure they rock Gerald. I'm sure they do. Only problem you dingleberry is that this isn't a DSLR. So anyone who knows even a little about cameras and is in the market for a DSLR would never read these comments and thus would never get a chance to read your stellar review....they'd never get a chance to go get thems a Canon.....which is a shame cuz....you know....they rock even more.
Someone in Panasonic needs to be slapped for continuing to put the Lumix label so prominently on the cam, when Panasonic should be there, and Lumix should be secondary. Reminds me of their LCD monitors in the past where all you could see was "eView" on the front, no Panasonic brand. Very poor branding, IMO.
You know they are doing many things right when all I can really complain about is the branding :) The FZ7, FZ30 and FZ50 have all been reviewed well. One day, one day soon... I'll buy one.
Panasonic wants to minimize their visibility in the camera because it is perceived that Panasonic is a company that makes your microwave, TV and rice cooker. Not a luxury camera.
true, its a bad idea to have the Panasonic name on the camera. imagine buying a samsung car, or a sony rice cooker. its weird.
I'm probably gonna get flamed for this but for that price, I'd rather settle for an entry-level DSLR like D50, *ist DL, the new pentax, or even a used DSLR that's more advanced.
Tekdroid; In Japan product sub-brands are what consumers recognized more when shopping for a specific product from a specific manufacturer. Panasonic is the manufacturer, Lumix is the namebrand.
Calvin; FYI there are Samsung Cars and heavy construction machinery and in the beginning, Sony produce rice cookers. These are their products, they cannot go "anonymous" just because Americans, the only group of people that complaints more than they need to don't like them branded., if you don't like it, then you can take your money and buy a brand-less Chinese knock off. Simple as that.
panasonics just have too much noise at iso200 and above.
i always have to shoot at iso100 or iso50 because everything else is a blotchy mess
Hey, Andrew - there IS no 50 ISO with any of these FZs. Have you read the manual? Are you using this camera as the manufacturers advise? Try twiddling some dials, and shooting experimentally.
I contacted Panasonic in regards to SD cards [larger than 2GB] for my Lumix FZ7. Here is their reply:
"Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Panasonic DMCFZ7K. We apologize for the delay in providing you a reply to your inquiry and we hope that this delay has not caused you any inconvenience. The DMCFZ7K is not compatible with 4 GB SD cards."
When I inquired if there was ever going to be a firmware upgrade for the FZ7, Panasonic replied with:
"Thank you for your reply regarding your Panasonic DMCFZ7K. Thank you for your feedback it is appreciated. Panasonic will not be releasing a firmware update for the DMCFZ7K to make it compatible with 4 GB SD cards."
Doh! No SDHC for me!
You people who knock the panasonic FZ50 are full of shit or amatures.Learn how to use a camera.
i bought one a week ago, i was actually waiting for the new FZ50 for 2 months. it was a COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT that i returned it a fter one day of usage. i can clearly say that my Kodak 6490 performs much better than the FZ50 at the same light conditions. there is incedibly too much noise in all pictures-even in ISO 100 and under bright sunlight! if you ask me, NEVER buy this camera!!!
Hello Ozgur / Camera guy... I am planning to buy a digicam(with good zoom option and enough resolution) myself and was thinking about going for a FZ50. Could you please tell me what specific reasons you hated this camera. Do you see any complaints with the zoom control being available only by rotating the barrel compared to a switch available in some other cameras ?
Your feedback would help me in deciding. Thanks in advance
Roy
People who are serious about this camera MUST read the DPREVIEW review. The excerpts quoted in this article are so misleading as to be unbelievable. Essentially what they say is reasonably true *provided* you are happy with ISO100 and maybe ISO200. What isn't mentioned is thatDPReview note that the camera is not seriously usable for good photography from ISO400 up. (Just like my Minolta A2 which is much worse than the older 7Hi because of the larger MP with the same lens and sensor size - same problem as Lumix has here). A fine camera for some people - but not for many others. A review should at least make this a little clearer. Russell (NZ)
Roy,
Truthfully the FZ05's barrel zoom is meant as an upgrade. I own the FZ20, zoomable (same 12x 36-432mm equiv.), and having to wait to zoom from 1x to 12x electronically is a major pain. You almost always miss a moving shot because of it. Not to mention you are able to zoom in movie mode w/ the barrel zoom (it locks in the FZ20 at the zoom you're currently at). The biggest gripe about the FZ-## & Panasonic cameras is that compression is ridiculously strong, which causes artifacting (blotches). If you don't care about this, or you only print 4x6 prints, this will NOT affect you. The other is the ISO noise is incredibly high, I force my FZ-20 to stay at ISO 80 (the lowest). I just bought a Canon 30D dSLR, and the ISO 80 noise is comparable to ISO 400-800 on the 30D (of course this is an unfair comparison). I also own a Canon SD500 (yes, I love cameras), and even that has better noise at ISO 100-200. If you don't shoot in the dim lights though, ISO noise is not such a big deal, it tends to show up most in shadows. Again, 4x6 prints should not be affected at all, and you'll most likely notice it most on your computer, not the print.
The Leica lens on the FZ-20 and I'm assuming on the FZ-50 is amazing for it's size. Good color and contrast. A similar lens on a dSLR would be 3-4x as long and much heavier, don't forget, you are paying for convenience too.
I hope this helps. I can send you sample images with noise comparison and some daytime images using my FZ-20 if you need.
I found myself fortunate in buying this camera. Functioning well. Operational features far exceeds the price equivalence. Satisfying output.
Least scope to repent.
I enjoy reading all the technical banter (noise/bleed/sensor size, etc). Having been a Leica fan for almost 50 years and devoted to 35mm, a few years ago I bought an FZ10 to play with. Absolutely incredible! All my Leica 35s are parked. Gave the FZ10 to my daughter when her digcam died and got an FZ20. This camera with 35-430mm zoom and stabilization weighs less than the 35-70mm lens for my R8. With the hot shoe, I have strong flash when I need it. The features and price make it almost beyond belief. If you have to have a DSLR, great, and tone up those muscles for the weight you'll lug around to match this gem. And, yes, if another kid kills a digicam, I'll donate mine and get an FZ50. Noise? We used to call it grain and at 1600 you got plenty; a larger sensor would be nice but there ain't any free lunch in photography
Basically the noise issues boil down to the camera taking great JPEG pictures during the day but at dusk and at night noise becomes quite noticeable as you tend to have to boost the ISO. However, I can't think of a better lens unless you opt for a D-SLR. It and the RAW software the camera comes with the FZ50 are more than enough to compensate for the noise. You do lose the ability to autobracket when taking pictures with RAW but then again you can use the SilkyPix software to make pretty much any adjustment necessary to compensate for under exposure or over exposure.
Hi,
I bought the FZ-50 about three month ago and I regret it coz the picture quality is so bad. All indoor photos have too much noise and when there is enough light as in outdoor conditions, the smearing and excessive noise reduction just makes the picture all blurry like a water painting. With this camera you will NEVER get sharp pictures!
The camera is good... You got the 12x zoom lens which can zoom up to 21x when you shoot @ 3MP and there is also the new function button. Don't forget the good quality lens. But all that is useless coz there is a crappy sensor inside the camera and there is Venus III engine which smears all your photos and there is no option to turn it off.
Did I mention that the camera is SLOW and the camera has trouble focusing when shooting indoors...
If you want to buy a camera, spend a bit more money on a Nikon SLR or if u like Canon then get yourself a Canon 400D or something like that.
To all those who say that the camera is good, I agree with you about the hardware and specs, but not the picture quality.
When you're looking for a camera, all you see on the net is the camera specs; but they don't tell you about the picture quality in less than perfect light conditions or the ease of use. The only way to know if a camera is good is to use it. Forget the specs. The FZ-50 has good specs, but the pictures and horrible.
If u need any more info about this camera or other cameras, just send me an email.
Hope that helps... Help yourself by staying away from this camera and buy a REAL camera instead!
okay first i thought the camera was great and it is in some respects.
the manual zoom is a boon, I found the noise digital problems on the camera greatly reduced on the 8mp setting and low noise reduction setting. the problem with a small 10.2 mp sensor is that not enough light falls on the sensor. just go the the shutter setting and manually increase the shutter time. or increase the aperture on the aperture setting or do both on the manual setting. nothing like using the human brain. of course if you happen not to have a brain use the automatic settings on the camera. they are good enough for small prints no problem. I would agree the venus-111 noise reduction is over the top really smudging the sharpness at std and high settings but these pictures seem to paint print really well, without having to use imaging to print to canvas.
it is really a camera that benefits from a tripod using the more advanced features.
also it teaches you photography.
my nikon only buddy was blown away by some of my wildlife pix.
the lens is simply above class.
as a point and shoot class it is in top end of its class. remember ISO 400 was always grainy and blotchy in the old days of film. these settings on all of the canons and nikons i looked at all has noise problems but these are fixed by changing exposure and aperture settings. and auto bracketing.
the wide movies are totally cool. manual zoom and focus are really cool here.
if the firmware fix for the noise reduction comes an autofocus function during movie making would be higher on the list but then the camera would really compete with dedicated camcorders.
try the intelligent iso setting or set the ISO to 100 and then use the exposure button to decrease the exposure.or go to the manual setting and decrease both exposure with either increased/decreased aperture... it covers the ISO lower than 100 effective. by manipulating these settings I have taken great pix from ISO 100 to 1600. without the noise problems that others seem to have. remember panasonic gave us a camera which has a great deal of manual control over settings. If just one thing i would say is that the automatic settings only seem to give good pix in about 40% of the time. The lense is very good but at the price of an automatic system that could be overhauled a little. the SCN presets are very worthwhile using.
for point and shoot i would recommend you use the sports setting as this seems to better compensate for camera shake than the OIS....and gives the most reliable pix for general mixed shooting.
or increase the exposure sorry and decrease the aperture
try 8mp setting with the venus on low. also i find i need the tripod often. had an fz10 which was a much better point and shoot. panasonic have given us back the manual control but at a price of having to have some good basic predigital skills to get the best out of it. If you want a point and shoot fz7 and fz20 are better options. i would like to be able to turn venus off though.
It amazes me when these photo people get the camera and take a few days worth of pics then give it a review... Or they return it the next day!!! Holy crap did you also buy a car and the next day return it??? This camera is a pro-sumer meaning you need to get to know how the camera works and is for more advanced users. There is so many tweeaks you can do to the setting to get the pictures right... here is a hint on what i did the first few weeks when i got the FX50...Got a tripod. went to the city and country, took the same exact pic about 20 times while i messed with the settings. i did this perhaps 100 times writing down what settings and tweaks i did... when i compared the pics i could see the different settings that i liked and disliked. on some pics where i kept the shutter open longer and the ISO on 100 enev in low light i took some great detailed pics. sometimes i went to Baltimore City at 2am and went up on federal hill looking over the city...had the shutter open for about 30 seconds and the ISO at 100 or 200...wow what incredible shots they are...
Look, get use to using this camera and use it to the potential it has to use...then write the review...not after you just get the camera.
Hello :-)
I have bought recently [in the end of December] Panasonic DFZ-50...It is great camera for me as a begginer in taking pictures...
But there is one bug in it...There is Japanese and Chinese software...Does anobydy knows how to upgrade software and put an English language in?
I am from Poland/Europe, and I have no possibility to deliver it to USA for upgrade my camera...
I would be glad for any help for me...
If anyone knows something about that please send me an information about it via e-mail: lorens@wp.pl with "Panasonic FZ50 upgrade help" in topic :-)