An outstanding camera and lens. But you need to shoot in RAW to see DSLR like results!

Panasonic FZ-50 review | Panasonic DMC-FZ50S 10.1MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

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	• Panasonic DMC-FZ50S 10.1MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver) Panasonic Panasonic, 2006 average customer review:based on 156 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Panaxonic DMC-FZ50

This is a great camera! I reviewed digital cameras for months before deciding on this camera. I bought it for it's zoom power and high MP. I have yet to learn most of the features, but I've been doing great using the auto mode. It's a large camera, not one you can stick in your purse or pocket. But if you want a high zoom camera that takes great shots, it's worth the bulkiness!

An outstanding camera and lens. But you need to shoot in RAW to see DSLR like results!

Eighteen months after its introduction, this is still probably the best "bridge" camera out there. But you need to shoot in RAW and process with with an application like NeatImage for professional quality results. Noise is NOT an issue if you are willing to follow certain rules.

This review is long. Read on if you are considering purchasing this camera, or jump straight to the Conclusions, Pros and Cons sections at the bottom of this review....

Although I've been a film SLR photo-enthusiast since my mid-teens, starting with a Canon AE1 some 25 years ago, I've taken to digital photography given the improvements in recent years. Still a sucker for classic styling, I initially took to the look of the Leica V-Lux1, only to soon find out that the Panasonic Lumix FZ50 is more-or-less a rebranded Leica that can be had for $300 less! Being practical minded, I went with the Panasonic.

In addition to its classic design, the Lumix FZ50 is an outstanding camera in most respects, from the really exceptional Leica lens, to the solid, professional build quality, the well laid out controls, and the ergonomic user interface. This camera puts the photographer in control, allowing a range of options from fully automatic to fully manual. The 12X optical zoom (or 20X optical zoom if you choose to shoot in 3MP) is able to produce exceptionally sharp and detailed pictures with vibrant colors, even at low light. The autofocus and image stabilizer are just outstanding.

Now, I wont lie to you and say that this camera replaces a DSLR. It doesn't. My wife has a Canon Rebel XTi DSLR which can, if you look closely enough, produce more detailed pictures than the Lumix FZ50. BUT you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in image quality in a computer screen or an 8" x 10" print - unless you view the pictures in actual size. Besides, the colors producted by the Panasonic are actually slighly more vibrant than those from the Canon.

Now I'll get straight to the flaw that is oft repeated in many an editorial review of the Lumix FZ50. These reviews talk about the image noise that becomes apparent when you shoot in low light or in ISO400 and above. To see the effect, check out the "DCRP" review of the Lumix FZ50 at dcresource_dot_com. In particular, compare the night scene pictures of the San Francisco waterfront at various ISO levels and compare those pictures with the pictures in the similar DCRP review of the Canon Rebel XTi. You will see that the Rebel XTi does a much better job in noise-reduction at higher ISO levels than the Lumix FZ50.

Now the real problem is not the noise per se, but the noise reduction artefacts produced by the Venus III engine in the camera. The internal software (i.e., firmware) is overly aggressive in noise reduction. It seems to employ a "water coloring" approach to noise reduction, which produces progressively softer images as the ISO gets higher. (Think of it as as a software paintbrush that gets thicker as the ISO gets higher). At ISO 100 and 200, the NR leaves the images relatively sharp. At ISO 400 and higher the NR leaves the images considerably softer and causes details to be lost.

Some editorial reviewers say that Panasonic crammed in too many pixels in the small CCD and that 10.1 MP is overkill. But I beg to differ! The lens and CCD combination in this camera is oustanding and are NOT the problem. Read on.

All digital cameras produce a degree of image noise. If you look at any RAW image you will see a degree of noise, even those from high-end DSLRs. It's conversion from RAW to the JPEG image that the Venus III engine does a rather shabby job.

HOW TO GET BEST QUALITY RESULTS:
Now that we've seen the problem, the solution is rather trivial. There are two basic options. The easy way is to correct the jpeg images produced by the Venus III engine. The best way is to override the Venus III processor altogether by post-processing the RAW images.

1. THE EASY WAY
First, the main rule of thumb, NEVER shoot any of your serious pictures in anything higher than ISO200.

(Note that fully automatic mode tends to use higher ISO's in low light. Use the program "P" mode instead and leave the ISO at 100).

Download the demo version NeatImage as well as the "noise profile" file for the Panasonic FZ50 from NeatImage_dot_com. The demo version is free and works really well. After you copy your pictures from your camera to a folder on your PC, run NeatImage, load the appropriate profile file and process your pictures.

NeatImage saves the files with a _filtered.jpg extension. The great thing is NeatImage allows you to batch process multiple files in a folder.

2. THE BEST WAY
For even better results, shoot all your "boutique" pictures in RAW and use the supplied SilkyPix software to convert the pctures from RAW to JPEG. SilkyPix basically replaces the Venus III engine's firmware, to enable you to do the conversion from RAW to JPEG externally on your PC.

(The SilkyPix manual, and a free software update, are available at their website. You need to install SilkyPix from the supplied CD first, which provides a link to the website from the Help menu).

Run SilkyPix and open the *.RAW file you want to convert. You need to click the NR button on the left panel which brings up the Noise reduction options. I left the NR settings at their default(s). You can play with NR as well as the other settings, "Exp", "WB", "Sharp", "Tone" and "Color", if you like but the defaults work just fine. Then click Developments(D) menu, select Developments(S) and save the output to a jpeg file.

Then run NeatImage on the file developed from SilkyPix, using the appropriate noise profile file for the Lumix FZ50.

Do this and you will see outstanding pictures. It will be very hard to now tell the difference between picture quality of the Lumix FZ50 and a DSLR like the Canon Rebel XTi when you shoot in RAW and process with SilkyPix and NeatImage.

CONCLUSION:
While the Lumix FZ50 is not a true DSLR replacement, it CAN replace a DSLR in many occasions, given the 12X optical zoom (35mm equilvalent: 35mm - 420mm). However, you must shoot in RAW and post process for best results.

PROS:
- Professional, heavy build quality and feel
- Exceptional Leica lens
- Manual focus and zoom rings let you overide Auto
- sharp auto focus, even at low light
- accurate vibrant colors
- image stabilizer
- program shift ("partial manual" mode)
- spot metering
- 12x optical (10.1 MP)
- 21x optical (3 MP)
- Decent video output
- Supports 2GB SD cards
- Support 4GB SD HC cards!
- Flash hot shoe

CONS:
- Blotchy noise reduction at low light or ISO 400 and higher. (Read the review on how to avoid this problem.)
- Small LCD (2").
- Built-in flash tends to overexpose slightly. I use an external flash for better results.

ACCESSORIES:
I use these accessories with my camera:
- Sunpak DS-20 5-Position Bounce-Tilt Shoe Mounted Flash with Wireless Auto Slave.
- Lowepro SlingShot 100 All-Weather Digital Camera Backpack (Black)
- Hoya 55UV 55mm UV Filter
- HOYA 55mm Circularizing Polarizer Filter

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Panasonic FZ-50 review

This was a 'just after Christmas' present from my wife since I'd been lusting for this camera since I'd first read about it's introduction. I really like the ease of use of the digital format. I decided to keep with the big zoom all in one camera because of the problem of dust that I used to have with my old SLR film cameras, and that I'd read about with Digital SLR's also. I've been taking lots of pictures as I'm learning all the features this camera has over my previous Panasonic FZ-3. And in another review I'd read and agree with, STUDY and READ the manual!! Especially if you're doing anything more than just point and shoot in auto program mode.
So far, love it! Down in price now to a great deal. It's a large camrea, and a little heavy which I like to assist in keeping steady for some shots. Zoom is great as always. You can adjust resolution from RAW all the way down to 2 MP. 10 MP is great for croping zooms on shots and still keep the clarity, which is why I wanted this camera to begin with. I have to have a viewfinder as my getting older eyes can't adjust with just a view screen like so many cameras only have now. All info appears in the viewfinder or the flip down and rotatable view screen off the back. I like that the view screen can be stored in a closed position to protect it. To see what this or other cameras can do check out the camera search on Flickr. There you can see exactly what a camera can do through various photos. You don't need to sign in to do this, click on the link and pick the camera from the lists and you can check out all types of pictures taken by just that model of camera. Its really great. Bottom line, if you're thinking about this one. Especially if you are moving up from another Panasonic super zoom, get it! It's a really great camera!

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Capable near SLR camera

I have had my FZ50 for about 6 months now and I really like the camera, but I feel they could do more. I've taken the camera on two trips to Africa and a few other trips and have gotten some good shots. On one of the trips I was with someone who had a Canon digital SLR and comparing shots about half of his were better than the ones I could get with the FZ50 and the other half you could not tell the difference. This was in the same light, situation, and we were both using auto white balance, exposure, etc. I know the FZ50 is not an SLR and probably if I had not had the other shots to compare, I probably would not have known any better. I learned to just take a few more pictures and delete the ones I didn't like later.

The FZ50 replaced a Konica Minolta Z3 and there are some things I like better about both. The Panasonic has some neat features like a higher megapixel count, being able to get higher equivalent zoom rates by going down in megapixels (its using a smaller portion of the sensor and in effect cropping), the rotating and tilt screen, and the manual twist zoom. The biggest feature I missed from the Minolta was the progressive and high speed capture modes which were really useful trying to take wildlife or action shots.

I really like the feel and usability of the FZ50. I particularly love the manual, twist zoom. It allows you some very fine control over the zoom versus a motorized zoom. The controls are very intuitive and easy to use. The rotating dials in the front and back of the camera are a great idea and very easy to use. They can be used to control different things depending on mode and selections you make in the menu. Another great feature is the program shift, where you can "shift" the aperture up or down from its automatic setting to be able have some control over depth of field. A few times the auto focus seemed to have some problems focusing on the right thing and it was easy to use manual focus. I found times when I was having trouble, the person with the SLR was having to manually focus too. The quality of the pictures from a lens standpoint were great with no noticeable distortion in the entire zoom range. the batteries have pretty good life, but if you are planning to do a lot of shooting I would recommend a second battery. The Lenmar one Amazon sells is as good as the Panasonic one that comes with the camera. As some of the others mentioned I would also get a fast memory card.

As for the things I wish were better with the camera there aren't too many. I wish there was some way to turn the noise reduction off. In the pictures that I didn't feel were as good as the SLR, it was usually because some of the details were lost. I did a little research and found that it may be due to the noise reduction. It took a while and I found the noise reduction selection buried in the menu (its in the Pict Adjust section) and switched it from standard to low. This seemed to help a little, but didn't totally solve the problem. I wish I could turn the noise reduction totally off and see how the pictures looked then. I really wish the burst mode was faster too or the camera had a high frame rate capture like my Konica Minolta had.

I think this is a good camera for what it is and in spite of its limitations I like being able to only take one piece of equipment rather than having to lug lenses, separate flash, etc.

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Holy Sh........!!

I am a amateur photographer that was looking for a good "bridge" camera, one that had great auto features but could also take my hobby into the future where I feel more comfortable putting it into manual control. This was no easy decision...I must have spent 3 months searching, reading, re-reading reviews from all the camera (online) mags, consumer reviews, editor's choices, forums, yadda yadda. I finally settled on the fz-50, actually was a choice between the 50 and the new fz-18. I went with the 50 over the 18 because of the more dsl like size and weight, the manual zoom and focus rings (you can even zoom while shooting video!), the flip down screen (though smaller than I would like) and the flash hotshoe. The 12x optical zoom is plenty for me, I can always add a telescoping lens to it later. Right out of the box (minus some battery charging time lol) I was shooting some great photos in my backyard. The image stabilization is great but I think I still need a tripod (my hands are a bit too shaky fer perfect every time photos lol). Anyway, if you are like I was and having a hard time deciding between the 50 and the 18 just know that this is a substantial camera where as the 18 seemed like a toy when I held it. To me this camera was very much worth what I paid for it and if I had the dough I'd buy one for all my friends who are avid photo takers. I am VERY satisfied.

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