81
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
$1,000.00
Released January, 2006
The Pros:Great image quality in Auto mode, which is basically point & shoot. Can be set to fully manual mode to emulate DSLR type action, giving control over shutter, f/stop, etc. Great macro-mode allowing extreme close-ups of objects like flowers or electronics.
The Cons:Using ISO greater than 400 may introduce unacceptable graininess, so this camera is not ideal for very dark photography such as Aurora Borealis. It's a rather heavy camera, so carrying it around with you when browsing at an Expo might become fatiguing. Rather pricey MSRP.
A 10.1 Megapixel "mega-zoom" digital camera with 12X optical zoom, digital image stablization, fully automatic or fully manual control, and a robust on-device software suite for image manipulation and programming modes.
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Includes standard-format video recording. The lens is manufactured by Leica. Out of the box, it supports f/stop 2.8-11, ISO 100-1600, shutter speedsof 1/2000 to 60seconds, in standard or widescreen resolution. It has a built-in flash, and supports external flash modules. Supports Class 6 SD cards. Tri-Pod mountable (comes with a mini tri-pod). Includes several a/v outlets. Color LCD at back swivels in any direction.
User Reviews (1)
Pros & Cons
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1
Great image quality in Auto mode, which is basically point & shoot.
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1
Can be set to fully manual mode to emulate DSLR type action, giving control over shutter, f/stop, etc.
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Great macro-mode allowing extreme close-ups of objects like flowers or electronics.
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1
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Ease of use and easy learning curve of even advanced options.
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Robust user manual with good cross-referencing.
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Supports additional lenses or filters to be mounted with fairly standard sizes; but none are required to take fantastic photos.
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VERY fast boot-time. You can start shooting almost immediately after pressing the on switch.
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Great image stablization, reducing motion blur from shaky hands without sacrificing image clarity.
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Excellent color representation, and fine white-balance controls if the auto doesn't get it right (which it usually does)
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Great battery retention mechanism.
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With a Class 6 memory card installed, even RAW format images are stored quickly. In JPG format, rapid shots in bursts of 3 are only split-seconds apart.
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Robust physical build. It feels well built.
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Using ISO greater than 400 may introduce unacceptable graininess, so this camera is not ideal for very dark photography such as Aurora Borealis.
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It's a rather heavy camera, so carrying it around with you when browsing at an Expo might become fatiguing.
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1
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Comments (1)
Michael R Ireland:
#panasonic_lumix_dmc_fz50 We bought this camera on Ebay a couple of years ago when the Canadian dollar was at 1.10 US dollars. We spent just over $800 CAD for it at that time, and we have never regretted it! This thing takes fantastic pictures. It's a great cross between SLR type controls and automatic point-and-shoots. Basically, when you are at a birthday party and want to snap a bunch of cute kid-shots, you'd just put it in auto and let the camera handle everything. All the pictures turn out fantastic. When you want to set up a shot for something special, like a macro close-up of a perfect flower, you can put it in fully manual and set the f/stop, the shutter speed, the ISO, focus, metering etc etc etc ... and you can change it on-the-fly by rolling a couple of well-placed scroll wheels. This allows you to take 20 different shots with different settings to try to get that perfect macro.
Now, I do have one beef with the camera, and that is that it introduces a fair bit of grain at higher ISOs. In fact, I have found that the grain at ISO400 to often be unacceptable, and 800 or 1600 is totally unacceptable. This means that taking pictures of Northern Lights often results in less than ideal photos that you probably can't submit to your favorite desktop background website.
Mar 9, 10
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