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I LOVE this camera. I have two - I bought the second as a back up in case anything ever happens to the first one I bought almost 3 years ago. I have taken over 200,000 pictures with the first one and it's still going strong. It is sturdy, easy to use, produces beautiful photos, and also has many of the bells and whistles of higher-priced cameras. It's extremely versatile as in the user can set it on auto and let the camera do the work, or set it manually. Panasonic no longer makes this camera model and has replaced it with the G1 and the FZ28 - both of which I have bought and tried and did not enjoy half as much as the FZ50. The other two cameras don't begin to meet the standards of this camera. Panasonic should go back to the FZ50 model - it's superior and hard to beat!
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 is an older model super zoom bridge camera, which combines characteristics of digital point-n-shoot and digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. It was highly advanced when it was introduced in the spring of 2006 and remains a viable and cost effective option for many shooters’ needs today. Build Quality—Weighing in at 28 ounces (1.75 pounds) this camera is big and it’s BUILT. The FZ50 feels very DSLR-like. This impression is enhanced by the fact that it is the only point-n-shoot camera I’ve ever seen that has focus and zoom rings on the lens barrel instead of a rocker switch on the camera body. Autofocus is still activated by partially depressing the shutter button. Despite its bulk, the FZ50 feels well balanced and the controls are conveniently and logically laid out. While users coming from a featherweight point-n-shoot might be a bit put off by its size, those coming from digital or 35mm SLR cameras, and especially those with larger hands, will find the camera quite comfortable to use. Optics—Experienced photographers will attest that a camera is only as good as the lens on the front of it. A strong point for the FZ50 is its Leica 12x optical zoom lens with a focal range equivalent to 28-420mm. With the ability to go from wide angle to extreme telephoto, it’s all the lens most shooters will need and it is an amazingly sharp lens for a point-n-shoot. Unlike most extreme zooms, this lens doesn’t extend beyond the camera body like a bazooka. Not only does this make for nicer handling, it also means one can—and should—screw on a 55mm UV filter to effectively seal and protect the lens assembly from dirt and moisture. Electronics—The camera’s impressive lens is backed up with a 10.2 megapixel resolution image sensor. Considering that 6 megapixels will yield an acceptable 8 x 10-inch full-frame print, the FZ50 will deliver an image that is zoomable and croppable enough for most users’ needs. The camera also accepts SDHC memory cards with capacities of up to 32MB so there’s plenty of room to store full-resolution images. Although at about 1.75 inches, the rear screen is small by today’s standards, it was one of the of the first to feature movable rear screen that folds into the camera body to protect it, flips down for viewing, and can swivel to face the front of the camera for selfies. Flipping the screen down automatically moves the action down from the viewfinder. Although it has a decent enough built-in flip-up flash, the FZ50 also boasts a hot shoe for an external one, a rare feature on point-n-shoot cameras. While I have so far focused primarily on the camera’s positive aspects, there are a few fairly minor negatives to consider. While the FZ50 delivers super sharp images in bright light, image quality tends to deteriorate rapidly in dimmer environments without a flash. The camera is also a bit slower to focus than a DSLR and there is a slight shutter lag when attempting to capture moving targets. Bottom Line—Although the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ50 is now almost a decade old, its high-end (for 2006) features and low price (around $100 on the used market) still make it a viable option for many casual and hobbyist shooters—especially those with larger hands—who want to get more serious about their photography but don’t have deep enough pockets to shell out for a DSLR kit.Read full review
The FZ50 is a poor-man's SLR/Telephoto combo. You can use it to shoot in all manual and create photographs rather than pictures. There is nothing like it on the market these days. It shoots in RAW mode, and has nice video. You can zoom and manually refocus as you're shooting the video. I am into available light photography, although the FZ50's flash is great (I just like the warmer tones of natural light.) The camera's fast lens (2.8-3.5) is great for my needs. It is for the artisan who can't afford $1k for a camera body, and another $2500 for a fast telephoto lens. It's also got a lot smaller footprint than the aforementioned $1k body and tele lens combo (convenient, and leads to taking the camera along more often than I would something that comes in a suitcase.) Sadly, the new Panasonic Lumix FZ line no longer includes an ultra-zoom with all manual controls, but thanks to eBay I was able to pick up a used FZ50 to gift to my son who has been borrowing my own FZ50 so often it was cramping my style. I started out on the FZ10, which lasted me years, and thousands upon thousands of pictures, until I dropped it in a carport one day. I tried everything in it's league at the time, and nothing could touch the FZ50s performance.Read full review
I am an avid amateur photographer. I use my pictures for backgrounds and illustrations in my work. Before digital I had 2 camera bodies and 8 or 9 lenses that I hauled around with me when I was seriously shooting. That got old. I sold all of my gear and bought the Lumix FZ-30. I was overwhelmed. Why had this camera been soft-peddled so much? Then I dropped it. Panic. I found a used FZ-50 on e-bay and bought it. Then I fixed my old one. I do not want to be caught without one of these again. Why? 1. Zoom, zoom, zoom 2. Panasonic sells an incredible add on lens to increase that. 3. Manual controls. I have big hands and most cameras which have manual controls have small buttons disguised somewhere, that are impossible to find in a hurry. The FZ-50 has rings on the lens housing for zoom and focus that emulate 35mm controls. ALRIGTHT!! 4. Picture quality. I never took a picture I was really happy with until I used this camera. I usually get vivid colors and sharp pictures. The only weakness is hi-ISO shooting which can be come grainy. 5. SD Card. Relatively cheap and small. 6. Flash always there, though will take a more powerful unit. 7. Flip screen that lets you view from nearly any angle. Great for flower photography or other close up. 8. Great Macro mode. Clear focusing up close. Only three changes I would make. Standard batteries (the proprietary batteries are readily available on the "net" and not expensive.) less noise at hi-ISO, go back to the larger screen on the FZ-30 The first is not a really big issue as long as you plan ahead. The latter can be worked around by shooting 80-100 most of the time. My word to Panasonic: Advertise this thing for what it is. You should steal the marked with it!!Read full review
There is very little to say on this camera it is probably one of the best cameras out there of this price. First let's start by stating that Panasonic was the first out there to sell super zoom cameras with Leica lenses and all other brands just came along as they saw that the market was good. The quality of pictures taken by this camera are above of what an average user could ever need. I had professional cameras and I worked as a professional photographer some years ago. The digital camera I had back then was the Kodak DCS 760 that had cost me over $7000 new for just 6.0 MP. Now I know that this camera can take pictures just as good in good light conditions. It is a bit sensitive on the light conditions, you don't want to take pictures in dark areas with this camera because the sensor will become very noisy. The ISO (ASA) that I would recommend is 100 and not more than that if more is required than you will see a high noise effect on the picture. The internal flash is not very good, just as a point an shoot, but the fact that an external one can be used in TTL is just very good. I used several flashes not dedicated to the camera with good success. Also focusing in dark conditions is not the best even if it does have the IR assist light. Overall I consider it to be superb and unbeatable for the price you can buy it.... New or used.Read full review
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