What is your opinions about Panasonic DMC-FZ50 10.1MP Digital Camera?

[HK71]

Hi to you All!

I am a keen analogue (Nikon F6) user. I really get the taste only with

analogue bodies. I am just considering to have a digital "in handy" to get

some "sketchs" about the places and the subjects that I would shoot in near

future. But also I would like to use it -not for my pleasure as hobby- but

documentation of events, birthdays, vacation etc. To tell you the truth I

really don't want to loose my flexiblity and quality of picture with my F6,

primes and 80-200 :). What do you think is it worth to consider. As you know

it is highly automated toy with low level Leica lens. So please send your

comments about this piece. I am also open to your alternatives.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Hakan Karademir<div></div>

[Nowhereman]

Don't know whether the problem is your English or just a truculent approach; but whar sort

to answers do you expect when you ask about a <i>highly automated toy with a low level

Leica lens</i>?

<p>

--Mitch/Potomac, MD

[ronaldo_r]

Mitch - Hakan's English is way better than yours. He asked people's opinion on this camera - what is it that you don't understand?

 

"truculent approach"?

 

Truculent = defiantly aggressive. Au contraire, Hakan's post is very polite and crystal clear. Which cannot be said about your, Mitch Alland, attitude.

 

defiantly aggressive

[Greg M]

Hakan,

 

I have an FZ50. It's possible to produce very good images, but really requires utilizing RAW capture so you can process the file the way you want vs. the processing system Panasonic has installed, especially if you use an ISO setting beyond 200.

 

Here are a few images I've shot with mine if it helps at all..

 

http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/gallery/2770372#147468576

 

http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/gallery/2805463#149803494

[godfrey]

<center>

<a href="http://homepage.mac.com/ramarren/IoM-4/PoA-lighthouse-0730usFR.jpg"

target=new>

<img src="http://homepage.mac.com/ramarren/IoM-4/PoA-lighthouse-0730s.jpg"

border=0></a><br>

Point of Ayre Lighthouse, Isle of Man<br>

<i>©2004 by Godfrey DiGiorgi<br>

Panasonic FZ10<br>

ISO 50 @ f/5.7 @ 1/800sec, f=24.8mm<br>

<br>

Please click on photo above for a larger rendering...<br>

</i>

</center><br>

A Nikon F6 is a 35mm film camera, not an "analogue" camera. ;-)

<br><br>

The Panasonic FZ series digital cameras have all been very good performers, the FZ50 is

no different. The Leica-design lens is excellent, the features are extremely good for a

photographer's camera. It has neither more or less automation than your "toy" Nikon F6.

<br><br>

To achieve the ultra-zoom lens range in a modest sized package with a reasonably fast

lens, they use a relatively small sensor. This limits the FZ50's sensitivity: it returns best

image quality in the ISO 100-200 range, and particularly when you use RAW format

capture and learn how to do high quality image processing.

<br><br>

I've sold quite a few photos made with its 4Mpixel predecessor, the FZ10. IMO, the

Panasonic FZ cameras are amongst the best fixed-lens digital cameras around for a

serious photographer.

<br><br>

Godfrey - <a href="http://www.gdgphoto.com" target=n11>www.gdgphoto.com</a>

<br>

[jcuknz]

I doubt if it will be as good as your film camera but I've been with Pany FZs for three years now and think they are as a working tool far superior to my SLRs. You will have lots of resolution at 10Mp and image stabilisation to help you hand hold at 432mm equivalent angle of view. Maybe it is a plastic tool but only today I slipped on a patch of ice and the camera left my hands ... it is still working AOK ... last time I did that with my SLR I broken the prism and lost metering ... it had a metal body. The Leica originated lens gives me pretty good results so it may be a plastic toy but it is a hell of a good plastic toy, brilliantly designed from a ergonomical point of view, turning out good results within it's limitations principly 100ISO to 400ISO, but best at 100ISO :-)

Apart from incorporating a 4/3 or APS sensor I can't see what they can do to improve the latest FZ50 model.

Buy it and learn it's faults and good points and have fun with it :-)

Your needs are not very demanding so I'm sure it will work for you.

[HK71]

First of all, not that kind of any answers from your side Mitch! I would like to thank you(!) for your English lesson indeed. I really don't aunderstand people's behaviour in such a simple question. I do not want take it further. I think message is given and that was the main focus. By the way Ronaldo I would like to thank you, for your kind support vs Mitch's strange answer.

 

Because my profession is purchasing, I always want to be sure that I purchase the best buy in all terms(performance, value for money). Without any doubt,SLR systems are much more serious instruments than point&shoot cameras. I use Nikon F6(whatever you call it) and with a point shoot like FZ 50 at least, I hope to get what I see correctly without any negative effects to support preliminary sketch. My main instrument will always be my F6. So for now,I really don't have any near future plan for digital as main camera. My critisim to FZ-50 is my personal opinion and have a right to call it as I like. This does not mean to criticize FZ-50 owners. Unless, I wouldn't consider having one, would I?

 

Greg,Godfrey, thanks for your comments and for your nice pictures.JC uknz thank you for your kind and detailed comment on my question, I think this camera is enough for me and for my needs. They were fruitfull comments on my question guys, thank you all!

 

Kind Regards,

Hakan Karademir

[jcuknz]

You are most welcome Hakan ... we all have views and often are loath to change them ...I have seen little point in using other than top line jpg but actually shot some RAW on my last trip. So we will see ... I hastilly changed back to jpg ['seven dots' with Panasonics] when I found I had half used my usual storage card :-)

[Nowhereman]

Hakan, sorry that you don't understand that when you give a highly negative view to begin

with -- "As you know it is highly automated toy with low level Leica lens." -- most people are

not going to bother to respnd, despite some of the sanctimonious chastisement meted out

by a couple of the posters above.

 

--Mitch/Potomac, MD

[jcuknz]

A point about the digital camera is that they are capable of many things for many people but most just use the features they require.

 

I love playing with my cameras so I guess they could be called toys, and they certainly are highly automated if you don't work with the manual over-rides. But your comment did raise my heartbeat slightly :-)

[HK71]

Dear JC uknz;

Yes they are toys! :-) Especially for the ones who really loves and miss taking photos. My favourite toy is my F6. When I use the word "toy" it was not for degrading it. Just to mention it is full of specs, supported by newest technoogy, in a tidy small box to explore. I mean it is not simple as a FM2 in which you get basic settings for taking a picture. With newest point&shoots you do not have to get lenses like this for 400 mm focal length.(see attachment):-)