Comparing the new FZ50 against the previous FZ30, you gain a few things; longer battery life, support for SD cards larger than 2gb, and lower noise at high iso. The noise levels in the Fz50 are much improved (Not that they were that bad in the Fz30 anyway). What you have here is a tremendous camera- great clarity, sharp pictures, and a large zoom lens. This is probably the best camera you can get before you step up to an actual DSLR.

My FZ30 was stolen in this past Spring and I decided to wait until the newer version, the FZ50, arrived before buying a new camera. This was a tough decision for me as I have five grandchildren and take a lot of pictures of them. Over the years, I have owned over dozen digital cameras. When a new model that strikes my fancy arrives, I am usually the first to buy it. The old one goes to my kids. My camera before the FZ30 was a Canon 20D. A great camera but with the lenses too heavy. The FZ50 is better in many respects to the great FZ30. I am not going to compare all the new features but when taking a picture at 12X of a local lighthouse from my porch about a mile and a half away I can clearly see the 3/4" whip antenna. It is the only camera that I have every had that could do that.

I just got my first set of prints. noise levels seem low, I was hoping this was the case. I put it on full auto including ISO under some pretty iffy conditions hoping for the best and got very nice 8x10's. I shot some big water birds under not so good light with the lens cranked all the way out and let her ripp! Sharpness was very good .exposure was too! I'm not new to digital cameras and I have been dissapointed a lot, but this looks very hopefull. I tried to put it under bad conditions to give it a work out, and so far it's passing the test for me. panasonic's claim of lower noise levels seems to be true. this one might keep my attention a while.

After using lots of other cameras and not being satisfied I decided to try the fz50. Boy I was shocked! I was in the woods walking a trail early in the morning. Came across several deer, the light was low and the camera was set on full auto just to see how it would work. The lens was out to 400mm and the camera set iso 400, Itook the shot not expecting it to be any good. A trip to the local Wal Mart got me a 8x12, I was afraid to look! to my suprise it was GREAT. Oh, I forgot to say the shutter speed was only a 1/15th of a second. How that is possible even with optical stabilizer is amazing. Panasonic got it right this time, no more worries about digital noise as far as I can tell. It would get 6 stars if I could.

In the past, I've owned or used several Panasonic Lumix models. All were good digital cameras. The FZ-50, however, is something very special.

The Leica approved lens design is, as always, superbly sharp. From a butte with a 50+ mile view, landscapes of wheat fields were crisp and highly detailed and the 10 megapixel images withstood enlargement well. Color fidelity is also excellent though a bit on the muted side: easy enough to quickly correct in any image editing program.

The new optical image stabilization (OIS) algorithm which compensates for both hand shaking and subject movement is absolutely brilliant and works incredibly well.

The ability to shoot at ISO values up to 1,600 goes hand in hand with the new OIS abilities. No one could resist testing a handheld digital camera in a dim environment at ISO 1600. Needless to say, the images are noisy. But at ISO 1600, what would you expect? Handheld photos shot at 1/20th of a second at ISO 1600 in a dim restaurant were filled with both detail and noise. Remarkably the color balance was very well-handled: the incadescent restaurant lights were recorded faithfully along with the neon and halogen lamplight streaming in through the blinds from outside. Very, very impressive.

Much of the noise could be ameliorated in Photoshop or similar programs with appropriate plug-ins. The high-speed capability is well worth the trade for noisy images. Purists may want noiseless images at ISO 1600, but it's unlikely they will ever get it. Practical photographers, on the other hand, will definitely appreciate the capability and undoubtedly will exploit it.

Ergonomically, the FZ-50 is practically a work of art. All of the frequently used controls are accessible with the right hand. The enlarged hand grip is just perfect for my large hands and the shutter release is perfectly positioned, something I am not able to say about most of the digital cameras I've used. The electronic viewfinder is sharp and is boosted for low-light focusing. (There is also an AF-assist lamp.) The flip-out LCD may be positioned for high and low angle shooting or reversed for self-portraits.

At about 1-1/2 pounds, the FZ-50 is a joy to carry for long periods.

The menu system is very accessible and quick and easy to adjust.

The few scene modes I tried worked well. Shooting pictures from a car moving at 60 miles per hour worked surprisingly well in the sports action mode.

Shutter lag is remarkably slight: the Panasonic Venus III engine lives up to its billing. Response is not up to the level of a Nikon or Canon DSLR, but it is certainly faster than any other midlevel digital camera I've used. Burst rate of about one frame per second are routinely attainable.

The FZ-50 will do RAW, but it is on the slow side. Either use an extremely fast SD card or avoid RAW where you need to be prepared for one exposure after another. JPEG files at full resolution (3,648 x 2,736 pixels) are quite good and will withstand, in my opinion, enlargement of about 4 - 5x.

I think SD card compatibility may be an issue with 4GB cards. I tried one and the camera refused to boot. A variety of 2GB cards worked without a problem.

The battery is rated for 360 shots between images. The test used by manufacturers uses one shot every 30 seconds, I believe. My experience with the battery didn't allow for more than 300 shots before the warning indicator started flashing. I don't know how many more shots I could have gotten, but I would definitely advise having a second battery for this camera.

I did not try the movie mode, so I can't comment on that.

Overall, the FZ-50 is more than satisfactory in every way. It is not a replacement for a Canon or Nikon DSLR, but is in many ways more satisfying to use. It is lighter than either a Canon or a Nikon; its 12x Leica approved designed lens covers 35 - to 425mm. Image quality is superb and the OIS is fantastic. I would highly recommend the FZ-50 as a travel camera or just for everyday use.

Jerry

Blows away any camera I've ever used. 5 minutes after my first use, I put my Canon S3 IS up for sale. At highest zoom, photos are incredibly sharp and detailed. The controls, buttons, everything seems well thought out and uncluttered, unlike the Canon where I was continually pushing something by mistake that was continually messing up my photos. This is my 3rd Lumix and I wouldn't get rid of any of them.

Perhaps you've heard: one of the most difficult targets for photography = birds-- super small **and** super frisky. Most texts urge you to buy a dSLR, with a VERY long AND fast zoom. Such lenses are heavy, big, 4-figure expensive AND require stabilization. To outfit yourself accordingly, you're looking at a minimum 2 grand outlay (camera body, walk-around lens, fast super-zoom lens, tripod, etc). On the other hand, this 10mp all-in-one camera STARTS with a built-in 12x zoom. This yields the 35mm equivalent of a 35mm to 420mm lens, WITH an aperture of f/2.8 to 3.7. In English: fast, and with serious reach. Yet, there's a delightful surprise: you can EASILY drop down to 5mp, getting in return a 17x OPTICAL zoom. Bird still too far away? Drop the camera's resolution down to 3mp--- now you've got a 21.4x OPTICAL zoom. This is NO software-based gimmick, folks, as the quality of the image remains incredible throughout. The camera simply hones in on the central image (i.e., the central 5mp or 3mp area), cropping out the excess sides, thereby effectively increasing the optical zoom with NO image deterioration. As I already have Panasonic's LT55 telephoto 1.7x converter lens (used with my now-old FZ7 camera), I can just screw that directly onto the FZ50 lens, for still more reach. And again, none of this is "digital", so we're still talking super optical quality throughout the reach. Keep in mind-- this is all **with** image stabilization! It's so very good / crisp/ detailed, that I now **keep** it at 3mp whenever I'm shooting birds, so I can enjoy that mind-blowing extra optical zoom. Now, if some of the technical jargon in the preceding paragraph spooks you, know this: I purchased my first digicam (FZ7) a few months ago. I knew nadda, photographically speaking. But I added "PCPhoto Digital Zoom Camera Handbook" to my cart, enjoyed the easy but super-informative read during a weekend, and was shooting up a storm in no time, actually KNOWING what the different options are all about. Later, when I started wondering about actual "technique," a quick trip to my local bookstore introduced me to a UK monthly magazine, "Digital Camera" --- truly useful info in every issue, not to mention the included teach-me CD with videos. If you prefer to just point and shoot, there's a "auto" mode for you. If you like scene modes, you'll find plenty here from which to choose, including night scene, fireworks scene, and party scene. There's a zoom ring, instead of a moving lens jutting in and out. If you prefer to sometimes indulge manual focus, you'll love the new focus ring on the lens. Nice touch: the system auto-magnifies the target as you rotate the focus ring, encouraging maximum sharpness. That's the thing about this ultra sweet package: nice touches abound, making for an marveloously smooth and easy user experience. There are two dial rings, which you manipulate with your third finger and thumb (as index finger sits in shutter release). Both dial rings are to the right of the camera, one in front and the other in the back. Ergonomically, this means that your eye need never leave the electronic viewfinder (or LCD) in order to tweak exposure. These can be customized, allowing one to no-think change aperture and exposure compensation on the fly, with a simple, quick twirl of a dial ring (the selections/result are visible on the EVF/LCD). A "function" button allows equal ease in tweaking white balance, flash, bracketing, ISO sensitivity and more. Read: no hunting thru the system menu! Want to add an external flash? No problem-- there's a hot shoe. Like to crop pics within the camera itself? Do it in "playback" mode-- it's your option as to whether to retain or trash the original. Want to save your tweaking settings as an "option"? Use one of the 3 personal customization slots available. Prefer an EVF? Got it. Want a move-it-around sharp LCD? Wish granted. Wanna zoom your pics during playback, to doublecheck for sharpness? Also dirt easy, via a max 8x zoom. Wear glasses? So what, there's a diopter adjustment dial next to the EVF. You can even get an optional shutter release cord. 55mm filters, as well as the LT55 teleconverter for the FZ7, work fine here without a special converter-- just screw the add-on to the FZ50 lens itself. But it's an either-or proposition, i.e., can't use a circular polarizer with the teleconverter lens. Small loss, given the series of optional built-in optical zooms you can get from this beauty. Third party batteries work just fine. Just look for a CGR-S006A equivalent. (I got cheapie DynaMax-- works great.) The charger is ultra-convenient. Not quite the size of a deck of cards, it just plugs into an outlet -- no cords. I always have one battery in it at home, so switching is a no sweat/delay deal (pop in and out). Very healthy battery life also (more than 300 pics, despite keeping the system at "10 minutes")! One negative: while there is a burst mode, it's rather slow. That irked me, but everything else is so profoundly sweet, that I've opted to live with it. Just too much incredible goodness here for me to elevate this one item to deal-breaker status. One special note: if you just start shooting when you get the camera, you might be disappointed. The pics may appear softer than you anticipate. Go into the menu, select "Picture Adjustment", and tweak saturation, contrast, sharpness and noise reduction until you get a personally satisfying result. Worth the extra effort! Still not sure about coughing up your hard-earned dough for the FZ50? Yes, it's a little cheaper elsewhere, but check out Amazon's return page (Help >> Return Policy >> Product Specific Policies >> Camera & Photo) -- it confirms a very generous 30-day return policy, from date of receipt. My bet is that, like me, you'll quickly adopt this baby as your own, tossing the Amazon box long before that 30 day period expires. And, you'll never look back. -------------In the Box camera (duh!) 32mb SD card battery battery charger USB connection cable AV cable CD-ROM Shoulder strap (nice!) lens cap lens hood

I purchased the Panasonic FZ50 primarily to take pictures of my daughter's soccer games (she's 10). The more I get to know the camera, the more I like it. It's the best camera for me, short of purchasing an SLR and several lenses.

Since one of the biggest strenghts is the Leica lens, I've learned that zooming in to frame the shot (versus taking a wide-angle picture and cropping on the computer later) provides the most crisp results. The pictures I get in full daylight are quite remarkable, especially when printed at 4x6.

Further, I really enjoy the easy access to ISO sensitivity. I start out at ISO 100, and if it gets cloudy or dark I can quickly adjust to ISO 200 or 400 (or higher) and still get the "stop action" pictures. At higher ISO and 4"x6" prints, the increased noise is not an issue. I think it's flattering that people are comparing the "noise" of the FZ50 to that of DLSR's (which, of course, have less noise at high ISO's).

I am now exploring the focus (and auto exposure) lock functionality, which really speed up taking a photo. When the action dictates, I can lock in and then fire shots so quickly that I think I am using an SLR.

Another usability feature I really like is the manual zoom. It is so much better to turn the ring to zoom in or out than the mechanical ones I have used in the past. I no longer miss a shot because my camera couldn't zoom in or out in time. I do not recall another camera in this class having a manual zoom ring.

This camera seems to be quite misunderstood. I have read review after review, and most complaints deal with the "noise" of the camera. There is in fact an issue with noise if you plan on shooting above ISO 400. But thinking about this, anything above ISO 400 would prduce some noise in most cameras. Even my digital SLR has noise when I go above ISO 400. If you plan on shooting outdoors, this camera has done well. Indoor shots using the flash are great. No red eye.

ISO ratings came about from film cameras. They set the speed of the film. Even in a film camera, as you increase the ISO, you increase the grain of the film. I do not see a big problem with noise at 100 and 200. And for me, I do most shots outside, so it is fine. I think sometimes people are looking for a "Perfect" digital camera, and as far as I know - there is not one. But for the money, I would take on my Canon EOS 30D any day with this camera, and I would be pleased.

This camera has wonderful features, a very crisp lens, and an excellent zoom range. I did find the 4X digital zoom sort of useless, just like the 120X Zoom on Pansonics Camcorders!

But if you are looking for a compact digital camera that will offer you great shots, this is well worth the money. I have owned 3 Digital SLR's that cost in the $1000's, and I still choose this camera.

I have some test shots up on my web site if you wish to take a look. You will be amazed. I would recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a reliable camera that will give great photos - both for the experienced user and the novice. Very well built, solid feel, and many features.

You can see some test shots at thewayoftheartist.com

Enjoy

This is my fourth digital camera and comes to replace my Dymage A1 that stopped working right after its warranty expired. I am a serious enthusiast photographer since 2001. The FZ50 is a handsome and light digital camera with wonderful features that work for me, such as the moving LCD screen. The screen turns all around allowing you to take yourself a picture. But the beauty of this is in some special pictures, such as putting the camera at ground level and shoot from there or lifting your camera over a crowd and still be able to frame your shot well. The full Manual Mode works so great that I might abandone the automatic all together. Pictures in the DMC-FZ50 were coming out overexposed in the automatic mode; I have solved this by shooting at S priority. One more thing: No review talks about it, not even the Panasonic official description of this camera, but the DMC-FZ50 has a very decent macro. I have been taking close up pictures my cats and of the flowers in my garden and they came out really good. For a simple person like me, 10 megapixels help me when I need to crop a third of a picture in my computer and still retain printing quality. Actually, the camera lens are excellent and I have not experienced any "noise." The viewfinder is very clear. Besides its great Zoom, this camera also takes EXCELLENT indoor pictures, better so if you use a tripod. The crude reality tough is that, although it is very easy to learn and operate, this camera is no instamatick. So you need to know some photography to really enjoy all its features and get back what you paid for. The bottom line that works for me is: I'm small, fragile and not really rich, I just cannot see myself carrying expensive SLR digital cameras with heavy and costly interchangeable lens. And, frankly, unless you want to make it into the photography business, you will not need more than this camera to take excellent pictures. In fact, this is the type of camera that might take you into the next step of your picture taking experience because it is very rewarding; so you will be taking good pictures like crazy.

This is my first Panasonic camera so I am coming to this completely objectively. People seem to be divided into two groups regarding the FZ50 (and by extension, most of Panasonic's recent digicams) - those who find it's image quality impressive despite it's limitations and enjoy it's superiority in most other areas and those who feel the FZ50 should have been a lot more than it is, lacking the output to back up it's DSLR stylings and not being a revolutionary upgrade over the FZ30. I stand somewhere in the middle but leaning more towards the first view.

The fact is, the FZ50 is a great bridge / mega zoom all-in-one digicam. The huge 12x focal range really is liberating and I just could not go back to a measly 3x zoom ever again. The superior quality of the Leica lens, which really is the main selling point is not to be underestimated - it's very sharp, producing next to no chromatic aberrations with truly effective stabilisation and I think is far superior to the lens of current competition. As everyone points out, to get this quality of (stabilised) lens over such a huge focal range for a DSLR would usually require more than one bulky lens and would probably cost well over a $1000, so you can't really find anything to grumble about here.

I absolutely love the manual zoom and focus, which means you can fine tune to a degree that you just couldn't with a mechanical zoom - it's also silent and saves valuable battery power. I've found colour representation in the photos to be realistic although I must say that on every digital camera I've used, photos have never appeared quite how my eyes saw the original scene colour wise. I've found auto white balance to do a good job in most situations so far and this can also be fine tuned when in manual mode. The flash output can also be set to varying degrees, which is useful when you want to retain a more natural look in dimly lit conditions. The ergonomics as everyone points out are also great, the FZ50 feels comfortable and your hand position will feel natural around it.

The flexibility of the twist out and swivel LCD screen is also not to be underestimated, allowing more versatile shooting angles than a fixed screen would give you. I really wish the screen could have been bigger though - I'm sure Panasonic could have extended it to 2.5" as there is a border around the screen which could have possibly been used up with extra pixels. However, the screen is great. At 207K pixels, everything is nice and sharp and there is no ghosting unless in very dim light. I am a little confused though as even though the EVF has a higher resolution than the LCD screen at 235K pixels, it is very noticeably less detailed in both colour and sharpness - can anybody enlighten me by leaving a comment?

And so we come to image quality - the real bone of contention between the two camps. I have to say that I agree with a lot of those who complain about Panasonic's decision to up the pixel count from the FZ30 to 10mp whilst still using the same sized sensor, which is a fraction of the size of a DSLR. The (now infamous) Venus 3 engine covers the noise well but as others will point out, at the cost of smudging out fine detail. Unfortunately, when Panasonic in their FZ50 press release said that high ISO noise levels were much improved over the FZ30, they didn't quite mean they had made a breakthrough with sensor technology, they simply meant they had developed a better way to hide the noise!

Having said that, my photos have really impressed me with great clarity and colour and the main digicam review sites have pointed out that the image quality is above average in this anyway superior class of consumer digicam, and you can see this from their test shots. Also, if you go onto some of the Panasonic forums such as at [...]you'll find some great examples of what can be achieved with the FZ50 and I'm sure you'll be really impressed. And at low ISO 100, some comparison tests show the FZ50 to give lower end DSLR's like the XT a good run for their money! But you do have to ask what is the point of putting in 10 megapixels if you have to print and view at sizes that a lower megapixel count would give you because when viewed at 100%, the effects of the heavy noise reduction can look pretty ugly. I would have much preferred a 6mp FZ50 if that would have resulted in less noise for the Venus 3 to work with. If I'm right in saying that a larger sensor would then result in a smaller focal range then Panasonic have probably tried to get the best from all angles and successfully so - however, Fuji have shown that great strides in sensor technology can be achieved.

To conclude, the FZ50 is a great advanced digicam and really impresses in all areas. It's a lot of fun to use because it's so comfortable and makes such a wide range of shots possible not to mention being extremely responsive and quick. The effects of the heavy noise reduction will only be an issue if you plan on viewing and printing large and using the high ISO's but otherwise image quality is great. For the advanced consumer who wants the best there is before the expense and bulk of a DSLR, then the FZ50 is the one to choose.

I've had this camera for a couple of weeks, now. I upgraded from a Sony Cybershot 2.1 megapixel model with so much shutter lag that my kids would be in the next room when it finally fired. This Lumix has a lot of positive reviews with good reason- this camera rocks. It both looks and feels (slightly lighter) than a digital SLR. It has very little shutter lag, burse mode takes 1-2 shots per second, 3 in sequence or unlimited. The sound it makes taking a picture is extremely satisflying. Autofocus is brilliantly quick and manual focus uses onscreen assist to help those with poor eyes (me). Unlike an SLR, you can use the LCD to frame and shoot your pictures. You can use the full-auto mode for teriffic pictures or you can dabble with all the settings if you're just learning photography. I splurged and bought a 2GB SD card which seems to go on forever with this camera. Battery life is good- included recharder is small and easy to use. The only complaint I have is some noise on high ISO pics, although I am fine with the low ISO. This is a brilliant camera. Go get one.

I'm not a professional photographer but have had more than a passing interest in photography I have owned other digital cameras and this is the best and easiest camera that I have ever used. The controls are very very easy and intuitive to use. In most situations the delay between pressing the shutter and the camera taking the picture does not exist. In low light you will experience a small delay so follow through or turn the lights on.... In low light outside the camera will enhance the image in the view finder so you can see the detail that would not normally be visible. The image stabilizer is worth at least 2 f stops. You can us the 2x digital without any noticeable loss of picture quality or sharpness.

At 10 megapixels, these pics blow up to 11x17 without problems or loss of resolution. And with the added capability of the Camera Raw format (gotta have the latest Adobe update to use in Photoshop), there is no effective limit to the retouching that can be applied before the pic even gets to PShop. Clear, sharp and artifact free even at the full 12x zoom (tripod needed for lower light conditions). The built-in flash works beautifully and the hot-shoe allows for more professional indirect flash lighting; same as any more traditional SLR. While the lens is not interchangeable, it does have superb range of focus and zoom.

Whether pro or amateur, this is the camera to consider for those who take their photos seriously, but cannot afford the full multi-thousands of dollars this-is-what-I-do-for-a-living photography studio. Don't be surprised to see this camera used by the pros to back up their studio cams and on-the-road systems.

I have been using the FZ-50 for a couple of months now and it takes fantastic pictures. The Leica 35-420mm (35mm equivalent) lens is amazing, the colors are vibrant and the camera is a hugh improvement over our older Panasonic FZ-10 camera. The pictures tend to be a little noisy at low light and high ISO but still very usable. I normally shoot Nikon D200, but my spouse, because of vision problems, prefers the EVF of the FZ-50. She lets me use it occasionally and I was able to take a tight crop on a 10MP image I shot, blow it up to 16"x 20" and earn a merit in a professional print competition. So overall we are very pleased with the FZ-50. I rated it four stars because of a few nits:

1. The battery door closure is a little too easy to open, and doesn't feel secure

2. The on-off switch is located so that when the camera is put in a camera bag it tends to rub and switch on.

3. The dedicated TTL flashes from Panasonic are too expensive. The Olympus FL36 and FL50 seem to be the same as the Panasonic FL360 and FL500 respectively and the Olympus flashes are much lower cost. We have the Olympus FL36 and it works very well with the FZ-50.

Considering the price of the camera, this is a lot of capability for the money. The lens is what "makes" this camera and if the lens, EVF, size and weight are right for you then this is a good choice.

We sell digital images and compete regularly in juried shows. The DMC-FZ50 image stabilization is extremey effective. Hand holds at full telephoto at ridiculously slow shutter speeds. Single click to access exposure corrections. Saturated blue skies almost as good as my Kodak Z730. Commercial quality prints at 12x16". Macro is weak compared to my tiny 5 meg Pentax Optio S4 which takes superb closeups. The macro function only works at full wide angle and often you have to be physically so close that a small subject is shadowed by the lens or lens barrel. In actual use dark noise is quite low in spite of the reviews and Noise Ninja can sample the image and smooth it nicely with its default values. This works great on slightly blotchy intense blue skies here on Cape Cod. Buy a 3rd party high capacity battery if you plan to do much flash shooting. Camera is largish due to fixed lens barrel. This also contributes to its very fast time to first shot and easy use with a polarizer. Only reason it is not 5* for us is the macro issues.We will probably buy a second one.

The FZ-50 is an amazing camera, the use is quite intuitive and the functions/programs really do well. The lens is superior. At high speeds the pictures get a lot less noisy than I have seen it in other cameras. Due to the stabilization I took picture in dark setting with lower isos and got very good results.

I totally recommend this camera. There is no flaw that I would know of after about 2.5 months of extensive use.

Well, I've had the FZ50 for about six week now and I always get that Christmas feeling every time I unzip my bag to use it.
The last camera I've owned was my Fuji Fine-Pix S602Z, its amazing what the same money can get you three years later. As old as my Fuji is, it still beats my Panny in burst mode by a factor of two (mainly due to file size) and it has a closer macro focusing range also, 1cm with Fuji vs 5cm with Panny. That being said the FZ50 blows the Fuji out the water in all other areas.

With the FZ50, you cannot zoom in macro mode, but that's a small price to pay to have SLR type zoom ability, the motorized zoom can do a number on the camera's battery, so I give a big thumbs up to Panasonic on this. I haven't had any noise problems (because I've been staying at the 400 and sub ISO range) The form factor is the best I've had, the controls are in the right place and sensibly spaced ... like a PlayStation controller . Picture quality is awesome ... the zoom is awesome, with a friendly menu system. Focusing is fast and the lag time is the best I've had with a non DSLR camera, but I'm not reaping its full potential since I have a slow SD in the camera. I need to get a SanDisk, Extreme III Secure Digital card (one of the fastest card out there). This camera has a quality feel to it which is important to me.

The camera way exceeds my expection in all areas. The only negative I have to say about it is the noise reduction ... it works too good. When an image is zoomed in at 100% you can see notice a little loss of detail due to the powerful noise reduction. Shooting in raw mode will nullify all the in camera processing, but your obviously going to have to be able afford files that's 5-6 times the size on your card. This camera is identical to the Leica V-LUX 1 digital camera in every way except for the image processing parameters.

I was torn between a DSLR and this, because we use a Canon DSLR at the job very often, but all things considered, I'll recommend this Digital cam as a great everyday camera my image comes out just as good or even better than our office Canon, besides, the extra few % of flexibility/improvement from a DSLR and lenses isn't worth the expense hassle or fatigue for me. (seeing that I'm not a career shooter)

I purchased the FZ50 to replace my old Nikon Coolpix 5700 that was able to take excellent pictures but lacked in easier controls.
Pictures taken with FZ50 are great in color, but due to high processing, would recommend getting raw pictures to get out the most of it.
Noise is an issue with this camera in low light conditions. Both my Coolpix 995 and 5700 were able to take better pictures in same light conditions, and this is the reason why I give it 5 starts.
Controls are very easy and focus/zoom rings are awesome. Even the small dial controls in front and back of the camera are pretty well located.
Most of the pictures I will be taking are outdoors, so Im not so concerned of the noise issue.
Overall you will not get all the features and control in other camera in this price, you will not get dissapointed

I went from A Nikon Coolpix 8800 which is a more expensive camera than the Fz50 but let me tell you, The Panasonic FZ50 takes better pictures in all types of light.....by far. I had absolutely no problem with Tungsten lighting as others have. You will LOVE this unit. It is extremely close to a DSLR because is doesn't have a button to "Zoom" you have to do it by hand like you do with a DSLR but it is actually alot nicer than a button powered zoom. This camera is SUPERB.

I'm going to keep it short and sweet and just say that I could not be happier with this camera. I am only a novice when it comes to photography, but this camera, while preserving simplicity for novices, will tempt you to take it to the next level with its amazing feature set. I wanted to buy myself a camera that would put me a year or two ahead of where I technically need to be, but I didn't want to spend a fortune on something that would be simply "too much camera." This is the perfect compromise.

I love Amazon, but you should be able to get this camera for under $500. And if you plan to shoot video or RAW images, I highly recommend you splurging for the SanDisk Extreme III 2gb SD card. Total investment with accessories may run you up to $700, but this is worth it. You will not be disappointed.

But don't just believe me, read one of the most comprehensive reviews on the Web regarding this camera, and then make an informed decision on whether it is right for you:

[...]

I think pretty much everyone agrees that the FZ50 represents excellent value, design, quality, and ergonomics. It's clearly the standout winner in the "super zoom class".

I've been into amateur photography for 25+ years, mostly 35mm film but slowly graduating to digital over the last 10 years or so. I can say this is one of the most pleasurable camera's I've ever used regardless of price.

In every respect but image quality this is the "best" camera I've ever owned and that includes major players like Canon, Contax, Leca, Sony, and Pentax. I can't say enough aout all the qualities I love in this camera (most are covered in many, many other reviews) so I'll concentrate on the most prevalent complaint about this camera - image quality.

First off, for those of you that just want to print or e-mail snapshots - there is no image quality issue - buy this camera and be done. For those that want enlargements up to 8x10, be cautious of ISO settings over 200 but images up to those limitations are in the "excellent amateur" category. For shots outside this range - just how bad is the image quality?

For you film buffs, think of the FZ50 as a budget 35mm film camera loaded with 100iso store brand film. All you would ever need for casual use, and with careful lighting and composition, capable of award winning photos. In a pitch you can push this 100iso film 1, 2, 3, 4, or even 5 stops (200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200). Push it one stop and you can barely see the difference. Push it 2 or 3 and you can start to see the increase in "grain" and decrease in dynamic range. Push it 4 or 5 and you have some great surveillance photo's but they look the part and are not going to win any awards.

Given the 1/1.8 size image sensor in the FZ50 is about 5% of the size of a full frame 35mm sensor you would never expect images as good as the FZ50 produces even at its base 100iso. The professionals have a lot to say about noise and image quality, but take a look at their sample photos (even print them up to 8x10) and most folks would be very happy with the results.

So take a look for yourself before some of the reviews scare you!

I am best described as a "gifted amateur with a good eye." I've had photos published in national publications and I am the official photographer for a national beauty pageant, and bought this camera in late October just before our national event.

This is my 3rd digital camera. But in the past I have used analog to photograph the pageant (Cannon Elan 7). I chose Lumix FZ 50 mainly because of the 12X Optical Zoom, the number of pixels were also very important to me. I was very pleased with both.

It's very easy to use. The day after I got the camera I it to Central Park for an hour and got some great shots after only a quick glance through the manual.

The zoom lens is great -- I love not having to carry extra lenses or be bothered changing lenses!

I didn't use 10 mp's -- mostly I kept it on 8, and I am very pleased with the color, clarity and detail of the photos. I ocassionally changed to 5 mp's for less important shots (things I know will only go into our newsletter). The color on the 5 mp shots wasn't as good, but adequate for it's purpose.

The camera is usually very fast in terms of lag between pushing the button and the shutter actually firing -- there were several ocassions when there was a significant lag. And sometimes it takes it's time focusing. I was impressed, however, that the camera can focus practically in the dark.

The Lumix is not as good as my Cannon Elan at capturing moving subjects -- even if they're not moving very fast.

I bought the Sunpak 383 Auto Flash (a recommended accessory) with the camera. It's not a bad flash, but not adequate for my needs. At times with the pageant I have to photograph quickly and repeatedly. The flash could not keep up with me. It takes a long time to recycle. Also this flash goes through batteries very quickly (including titanium batteries). The batteries get very hot -- you can feel it through the casing. I plan to upgrade before my next important event.

Overall: I love this camera and highly recommend it.

Everyone seems to be shocked when I say I bought a Panasonic camera. But believe me it is good, not only good but excellent. With 10 MP and 12X zoom what more do you want. YOu can attach lenses if you feel the need of it. I really like the camera a lot and i rate it A+

I chose to purchase the (silver) DMC-FZ50 over a well-known dslr for a number of reasons: First, because the lens on this camera covers my needs entirely. Plus, it's a Leica-engineered Elmarit lens, so there are no questions about the quality. I very rarely photograph sports or fast-moving subjects, so the cumulative lag times aren't much of a factor for me. Photographs aren't entirely made by the camera. Much of it, believe it or not, depends upon the photographer's skills. You can split technical hairs till the cows come home, but if your compositional skills suck, your photographs suck. No amount of camera will make up for it. That being said, this camera is more than adequate in the hands of talented photographers, amateur or pro.

Bought this FZ50 camera from Amazon last week at a good bargin price--477.00. And added some 1GB memory cards and an extra battery. All arrived intact. I've had a Panasonic FZ10 for a few years and it still works perfectly. The FZ series has moved on to the FZ20 and the FZ30--and by the time I got around to thinking of buying a new model, the FZ50 came alone. Recent price made me jump, partly for concern that the model could be discontinued for the next new thing.

Having now seen some 90 (so far) digital image from a FZ50 for myself, the noise issue simply isn't there for images shot during daylight at lower ASA sensitivities (100, maybe 200). The little CCD sensor can't be expected to do well at higher ASA settings, but I was surprised at how nice all the test shots turned out. Detail in images shot at 100 ASA is simply grand. The higher telephoto shots show sharp, unimagined detail, without apparent chromatic problems (red, blue, etc. fringing around objects near edges of an image). This improvement over the FZ10, I think, is a result of the Venus III processor, rather than the lens, but all the same the images are very clean and sharp from edge to edge at wide and moderate aperature settings used so far (F3.5 to F5.6).

The camera is rich with features, but the best in my opinion is the Focus/Exposure lock botton. The Focus/Exposure lock has three settings in the menu:

1) Focus lock
2) Exposure lock
3) Both focus and exposure lock together

Since the auto focus and the manual focus work so well, I selected exposure lock. Because the view finder is a digital image that reflects the exposure one is about to make (with shutter half-compressed), the ability to detect whether the image might be over or under-exposed makes the exposure lock very useful. One only has to find a slightly dimmer or brighter image on which to lock exposure and return to the desired image with a modified exposure setting very quickly. The locked exposure is released when you press the button again. Wonderful feature.

This is not the camera to get if you want to reproduce large, smooth prints, though smaller prints up to 11x14 inches ought to look pretty nice. Instead, this camera is a unique, all-in-one-piece, wide to telephoto tool able to capture subjects near and far in wonderful detail. Being an illustrator, this camera is perfect for capturing the nut and bolt resources for future work--be it rabbits, birds, people, landscapes, etc. The Image Stabilization (set in menu to work only when pressing shutter) works very well and greatly helps the very good lens get the best shot--my opinion, anyway, after seeing the first test results. I could clearly read our town's name on a water tower some 3 miles away and was able to take some surprisingly sharp hand-held photos of the moon at full telephoto.

Bought this FZ50 for my wife--another one of those Homer bowling ball gift purchases.

I chose to purchase the (silver) DMC-FZ50 over a well-known dslr for a number of reasons: First, because the lens on this camera covers my needs entirely. Plus, it's a Leica-engineered Elmarit lens, so there are no questions about the quality. I very rarely photograph sports or fast-moving subjects, so the cumulative lag times aren't much of a factor for me. Photographs aren't entirely made by the camera. Much of it, believe it or not, depends upon the photographer's skills. You can split technical hairs till the cows come home, but if your compositional skills aren't any good, your photographs won't be any good. No amount of camera will make up for it. That being said, this camera is more than adequate in the hands of talented photographers, amateur or pro.

There are some other nice things about this camera: the length of the lens stays the same, from 35mm to 420mm. The lens cap has a front release, so you can remove it while the lens hood is attached. In fact, either lens hood or lens cap can be removed without getting in the way of the other. The factory-supplied battery lasts me 523 shots at an outdoor temp of 68 degrees F, and it's small: 1.63 x 1.38 x .75 inches. The battery charger is the same size as a pack of cigarettes. You can un-clutter the view through the viewfinder by choosing not to display anything! And, instead changing pixel dimensions, you can actually see and select what megapixel you want, from its maximum 10MP, to 2MP!

By listening to what photographers want, and collaborating with Leica, Panasonic has turned itself into a major camera manufacturer. The result is a very usable and much-recommended camera.

I have never taken pictures this well. This is my third digital camera since 35mm. I have the first version DMC FZ20 w/ leica lense and 12x optical zoom. I dont know how they made it better the FZ50s? I have taken thousands of photo's and the re-charge battery and memory cards are still good. Optical quality is supurb and affordable. Buy Panasonic\Lumix FZ camera, you will be pleased.

If you read the various reviews of the DMC-FZ50 on the 'Net, you will see many remarks about the high noise level of the Panasonic sensor at high ISO settings. The same reviewers will post sample photographs for your perusal -- pay close attention to them. First, on many of them the noise is not objectionable at all. Second, they are JPEGs produced by the Venus III engine. Yet, this superlative camera can produce RAW images. With the SilkyPix software included with the camera kit, you can bypass the Venus III noise reduction (RAW images do not use the camera's noise reduction circuitry). The SilkyPix noise reduction software (or that available in Adobe RAW Capture) is superior to the Venus III, and will produce final images that equal those produced by the Canon Rebel XTi or the Nikon D80.

With the debate over noise levels now moot, I challenge anyone to find a comparable camera with similar features at ANY price that can best the DMC-FZ50.

I bought this a few weeks ago,after trying to decide between a digital SLR,or a super-zoom digital camera. I almost got both in this camera.The Leica lens is superb. The anti-shake function works beautifully. The zoom renders crystal clear photos. The close-up lens set,and the WA lens I bought with it are exactly suited to the camera.The LCD viewer is large,crisp,and bright.
Some have said the camera is "heavy." I say so what?? It has an excellent feel and heft to it,and I like that.It's substantial.
Plus,there are about 14,000 functions on the camera.All easily understood/explained.Lots of tweaking available for those of us who like hands-on photography.I have a very nice little 5.1 mp Nikon which I will use for my point-and-shoot photos,even though it also renders wonderful photos on its own merit.
When paired with a good photo program(I use Corel,Adobe and Microsoft),you can spend hours playing with the photos,and I guarantee you will be very pleased with what you create.Get a good printer!!!!!

I purchased this camera a few weeks ago to replace my hopelessly broken and outdated Kodak EasyShare. I bought it because I wanted a camera that I could grow into and not want to replace in 2 years. Megapixels will always go up as the years go by, but I wanted a camera with a strong feature set beyond that. This camera certainly has that to offer.

When I purchased this camera, I must admit I did have some concerns about having to use the ring on the lens to focus. My old EasyShare had a simple point-n-shoot button. Once I got the camera though, I found that I do not miss the button at all. I prefer this method of focusing, it allows you to point and shoot but you can also take the time to focus in much more precisely on a shot.

I love this camera!!! It is alot of bang for the buck, imo.

Excellent in all respects except buttonology is not intuitive. Lots of manual use to learn to use properly

is a bombastic camera that i had ever own.
lens, LCD monitor and user friendly GUi make me amazed on it.

I'm still learning -- this camera does A LOT -- but what I've done with it so far, I love! I've pretty much only used the "auto" setting but I've taken some great pictures! Even at night -- with and without the flash -- I've gotten some great pics. The zoom is awesome. We were in the mountains over the Christmas holidays -- I was taking pictures and was able to zoom in on houses that were barely noticeable with the naked eye. The picture quality is awesome. I'm very pleased with this camera.

The only problem that i see , its that the LCD screen dont have a good resolution when using the Zoom, but is Good. I think is normal , the high resolution add the high zoom .result in a bad resolution of the LCD screen . But I am happy with the camera. I love this camera...

This is a wonderful camera if you want a light weight, walk around camera that has a huge zoom range. However, for the same price of this camera you can also get a low end DSLR that will have better picture quality and the ability to switch lenses. There is a great deal of noise, especially at the higher ISOs with this Panasonic. With DSLR, depending on which you purchase, there is definitely less noise. Also this camera will take filters, which is huge because it allows you to be even more creative just like with DSLRs. It really comes down to if you want a point and click, or a camera that will allow you to continuesly grow with it in photography.

While camera brands such as Canon, and Nikon, get most of the media play, Panasonic also has an excellent line up of top grade cameras. The DMC FZ50 is the top of the line in a NON DSLR. Great quality pictures from 36MM wide angle to 425MM Telephoto. The body utilizes Panasonics world leading stabilization system as well.

I was contemplating a DSLR but didn't really want to lay out $1500+ and carry around an extra lens for telefoto. I've been shooting with an SLR for 35 years, even used to have my own dark room so I expect quality in my photos. I need the camera for travel (landscapes and animals) and for shooting my art work for jury entries and publication. The latter need to be high quality.

My first digital was an Olympus UZ 730, great camera with 38-380 mm, very lightweight, nice photos except that it was only 3MP. It is very hard to find anything above 8MP with a long zoom. I read the reviews about this Panasonic and I know I made the right choice.

I've only had it since November but I already have taken it on a camping/hiking excursion and re-shot some of my artwork.

The best was on Jan 2 when the first full moon of 2007 rose over the very reddish Sandia mountains here in Albuquerque. I ran out in the snow and zoomed my lens out to its furthest. The shot is gorgeous! I wasn't so sure about the ability to keep steady but the IS gave me a crystal clear shot. That really convinced me.

The menus and dials are very easy to navigate. I like that the zoom is manual and not motorized as was my Olympus. You get more control over it. The battery isn't being used either. I still prefer to use the view finder but the LCD is very nice and large and the ability to swivel is great.

I have a friend who spent close to $5000 on one of the NIkons and its so cumbersome she doesn't want to carry it around. I admit, the Panasonic is heavier than I would ideally like but there's no way to get that much zoom and MP in a smaller body.

I generally like to manually adjust my settings but I tried the "snow" setting last week after we had the record breaking 2 feet of snow and the color and light were just right and it was still early in the morning.

I highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants more than point and shoot but why spend thousands on a DSLR when this one does it just as well. With my Olympus 3MP camera, I was able to enlarge the high res shots to 11 X 14 so with this Panasonic, I'll feel very comfortable enlarging even more and submitting for publishing.

Also, I almost got conned into buying from a "cheap" web site but it's classic bait & switch. The low price they quote doesn't include a battery and charger and they want $150 for those. So glad I bought from Amazon. Got a good price on a second battery too.

Excellent Leica lens, great optical zoom and many choices for resolution, focusing, etc. I've owned a number of digital cameras and believe me, this one is very nice indeed! The image stabilization works very, very well. I did purchase the add-on Panasonic flash for extra range for night and wildlife photography - however the normal use the built-in flash works nicely.

You wont regret buying this camera.

Spent over six months researching digital cameras before making this purchase. Since I will be using on an African safari, the camera had to be capable of handling photos from extreme close-ups to long distances very quickly and with little effort. With zoom capability of 12x and numerous automatic program settings this camera fit the bill perfectly. The only negatives I found are viewing via the viewfinder is poor and it comes with a memory card that is nearly worthless. However, compared to other competing models in the extreme zoom category, the DMC-FZ50 takes the cake.

This camera is great, I have used a Cannon AE1 for over 25 years now. Have tried several digital cameras with out satisfaction. Always using the AE1 for quality pictures. This camera performs neck and neck with my AE1. The extended zoom is awesome, the high sensitivity mode is great for low lighting. Often indoors I do not use the flash. I recomend a second battery for taking a lot of pictures or for using camera all day. If you want a great camera and do not want a SLR I recomend this camera highly.

This is the best bang for your buck! The zoom is as much as anyone really needs and the resolution is phenomenal. Many prefer Nikon and other brands, but this camera has a glass lens -- not plastic or polycarb! The only thing you need to buy extra is a bag, hefty fast SD, and a UV lens cover -- no extra expensive lenses. Furthermore this unit is much less expensive than those other brands. Oh yeah, and Panasonic products are always focused on ease of use, so this thing has a low learning curve.

I purchase this camra to take macro pictures of roses and could not be happier. Takes all other types of pictures with the same quality. I have only taken point and shoot pictures with great results. During bloom season I will use a tripod and cable shutter release. I purchased a Sony A-100 a few months ago and this camera out performs the A-100.

I read a review on this camera in Businessweek and decided to buy it immediately. Good camera so far. The technology appeared overwhelming initially but after spending time reading the manual, I had no problem using it.
Great performance. One problem I have with it is how fast the battery runs down. Another, is the type of battery it uses. For somebody like me that intends to use it abroad (West Africa), my powershot that uses convectional battery is still better.

Great camera and just to let others know: The Olympus FL36 external flash performs perfectly with TTL metering with the FZ50. I had to do a lot of searching before I found a compatible flash without paying Panasonic's high price. (I think this flash is made by the same people that make Panasonic FL360!)I purchased the Flash from Amazon, cheaper elsewhere, but I like Amazon's service! (No, I don't work for Amazon!)

Excellent Leica lens, great optical zoom and many choices for resolution, focusing, etc. I've owned 4 digital cameras and believe me, this one is the best hands down! The image stabilization works very, very well. I added the 1.7x lens which is sold out for $229. What a buy! For the first time I have a camera stronger 714mm than my Bio. I was in good light in a swamp in Florida this week shoting straight up a tree. With the zoom at max 20.4x or 714mm the stabilizer was saying stop-stop. I hit the shot time after time. Ten shots but I got 3 perfect pics of a 2" bird forty feet over my head. Walked from 7am to 4pm in the swamp. And the only negative is I need to buy a wider strap for hours of walking. Some reviews warned me of the battery, so I bought a spare. There is no way to use up two batteries from sun rise to sun set. I used 2 of the 2gb level 3 cards. Thank you Panasonic. You need to get a new photo edit software. I copied the jepg pics over to my old software to edit ok. tom

The camera provides fluid access to, and through, its menus. Battery life is does well providing hours of picture taking even with the LCD screen on. Amateur photographers will enjoy the ability to choose from 2 compression settings as well as the capability to shoot in RAW format. The extended zoom comes in quite handy for making sure that you get the right picture while you're still out in the field. The extended zoom is not digital zoom, but allows you to drop the megapixels down and zoom in even further. At 3MP and full zoom your optical zoom reaches 21.4X. That, is amazing. I can still get an 8x10 with 3MP. Good luck finding a better camera for your dollar.

Just got this camera based on the reviews I've read here and all over the web. It's fantastic and it definitely merits the great reviews. The Leica lens is a beautiful thing.

However, I have been trying to run the digital video directly into my Mac (so I can view the live feed on my computer) and, to my dismay, the only AV cable provided ends in an RCA (analog) terminus. This means that I have to buy an analog-to-digital converter box in order to take the DIGITAL SIGNAL from the DIGITAL CAMERA and have it read by the computer.

Makes lots of sense, doesn't it. (Especially since TV signals by law have to be digital now, so your average TV is probably going to phase out the analog i/o altogether.)

I called Panasonic to see if they make an AV cable that ends in a DV terminus. They do not. I put in a request that they do so. The guy took down my request but explained that they would have to look at the economics of it. Grrrr.

But if they get enough requests, they might do it. So if you have any interest in viewing live feed on your computer or via the digital input on your telly, please call Panasonic and add your voices to mine, so they make this cable! After all, it's kind of weird that you can't just plug and play--a design flaw? Or a marketing ploy since they might want to force you to buy the camcorder?

That's the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5. Still have to experiment and get to know the features better, but it takes lovely pictures, feels great in your hand and gives you a lot of control. BTW: definitely buy a larger memory card. You can find them online for fairly cheap these days. The 4GB cards have to be SDHC in order to work with this camera (I read that somewhere in the manual).

Since all the great attributes of this camera have already been described in many of the reviews here, I won't bother repeating them again other than to add my voice to those who say that this is one great camera.

I originally thought about buying a digital SLR but decided to go with this one instead because of the convenience of the zoom that comes with this model as opposed to having to lug around multiple lenses which would have been the case with a DSLR. The Panasonic DMC-FZ50 takes great photos and should meet the needs of most photography enthusiasts.

My main intention for buying this camera is to take pictures of my kids. I need a camera that is capable of taking a picture very quickly and still be clear. I have owned 3 digital cameras in the last 2 years and always find something that I wish was better as soon as I turn it on. I am, in no way, a pro at photograghy but I love to take pictures. My co worker has this camera and let me take a few pictures with it. After the first couple of pictures I was in love. My only hesitation was the price. I am glad that I paid the extra because I can't find one thing I would change on this camera. It is so easy to use and there is so much I can do with it. It is great with up-close portraits of my children and nature shots at last minute. The menu is easy to use and I love the trimming feature.
I also have to say that the shipping price was cheap and the service was excellent. I ordered on Thursday and 11 pm and received my camera on Tuesday evening. I work for USPS but I have to give UPS credit.

Thanks
Crystal

The camera itself has good features but I'm wondering who would buy this camera at its' price point. A real serious phtographer would opt for a true SLR camera for a few hundred more. A casual amateur don't need to spend this kind of money. A Sony 7.2 Megapixel with 12x optical zoom (or other similar brands) for $360 would save substantial money and meet the needs of substantially all amateurs looking for a better high zoom camera. I don't see real value in this camera.

So far I have had no complaints with this camera. It gives me all the manual options I like to have. I love the way it recycles so quickly so I am ready to take another picture. Somtimes the camera is out of focus and I can't quite figure out the problem. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I'm sure it's a setting that I'm not quite of. With all the options, I sometimes forget what setting I have it on.

I won't repeat the many pros and few cons that others list; I mostly agree with what they have already said.

BUT... before I bought this camera, I downloaded the Operating Instructions book and read it to make sure the camera has the features I am looking for, namely a nice tight, movable Spot AF (AutoFocus) function for much more accurate AF.

Page 90 clearly states that the SPOT AF may be moved to any of the same nine AF areas that one may choose in the larger non-Spot AF modes. This is simply not true. The Spot AF area is permanently placed dead center in the viewfinder and cannot be moved. A call to Tech Support merely got me a word-for-word repeat of what the book says, along with an admission that the book appears to be wrong, and emails to Panasonic go unanswered (I had been prewarned by a highly reputable local pro camera shop that the reason they won't carry Pansonic items is because of the horrible Customer Service. I guess they were right).

As far as the over-agressive Noise Reduction (resulting in softer images than neccessary) others have mentioned in reviews around the internet, this only affects jpeg images. You can avoid this by shooting in RAW mode instead of jpeg, and do your own Noise Reduction in Photoshop with a NeatImage or Noise Ninja plug-in. IMO, anybody serious enough about their photography to buy a $500 camera with a Leica lens shouldn't be shooting jpegs anyway.

RAW gives you ALL of the data that the sensor picks up, allowing you to make an extremely wide range of adjustments in post processing without degrading the image quality, but jpegs process in-camera, permanently throw away all of that valuable extra data, and apply heavy sharpening. Sharpening should basically be the last thing done to a photo before printing, as any adjustments, processing or resizing done after sharpening often looks like garbage.

Overall, I'm still thrilled with the FZ50; it has earned its place among my Canon DSLRs. If you don't need movable Spot AF, and you can take the time and effort to shoot in RAW, this is a superb camera and well worth the price!

The camera feels good to handle.Not as heavy as it looks.Very attractive looking too!Start up time is nice and quick.Auto focus is very quick also.And so is the time between taking pictures.The zoom ring is nice and smooth.I like that you can raise your optical zoom up to 21.5X from 12X just by setting the megapixels for each picture takin down to 3 mega pixels instead of 10.And you can't see a difference if your printing 4x6 pictures.The image stabilizer works great too ! The focus ring takes time to get the hang of.Indoor pictures you'll wanna use the flash for clearer pictures.If you walk in a totally dark room and take a picture with the flash on it'll light up the whole room.The pict-bridge works great too on a pict-bridge printer.The LCD is bright & beautiful.It gets brighter the the brighter it gets in the room or outside so you can see it better.All in all this camera is awesome.You can attach lenses to it.The wide angle lens gives you about two more feet on each side and the telephoto lens brings your object about 3 feet closer to you.The video is great too ! You can zoom while taking a video.The only bad thing about this camera is the software it comes with.Besides that though I love it !

This is my 3rd digital, after 20+ years of film.. this is the first one I can confidently say trumps any of my old 35mm SLRs. The lens is superb, the handling / controls is fast and intuitive, and makes grrrreat prints even into the larger sizes like 8x10, 11x14 and 16x20. Even at iso800 you can get great 11x14s. Advanced shooters will appreciate the hotshoe, ability to go full-manual, manual zoom and focus rings. A great all-rounder with a monster zoom for when you only wanna lug one camera. This puppy has earned its place in my bag. This camera really isn't for the Instamatic crowd -- this camera's more geared towards enthusiasts, and I think it's tough enough to even do some pro work. For the point n' shooters, put in dummy mode, and click away... for the seasoned vet, choose your poison.. program, aperture / speed priority, full manual, custom.. etc etc etc. I've had mine six months and it still makes me giddy ^.^ One last thought.. this thing should be absolutely perfect for those interested in learning photography. Did I mention the lens is absolutely stunning? It's a Leica design, and behaves like it.. sharp corner-to-corner, even when wide open.

Great camera, fantastic value. lots of daily usuable features, lightweight handles well, easy to use.Definitely recommend this camera to any serious photographer.

I made the mistake of ordering this camera to substitute buying a pro camera. The color and noise was terrible. If you want a great point and shoot camera get the Canon powershot s50 while they are still available. The camera has pro features, it was so good they stopped making it because it should have been in the pro camera line at a much higher price tag. If you want to see s50 pictures go to [...] and search my gallery Cathreen Styles. All most all of the pictures in the gallery were taken with the s50. I am going to buy another just to have when mine breaks. By the way, I did end up buy a pro camera, mainly because of the look. I got the Canon 30d and love it!

Seems Panasonic has finally dropped the hammer on the pseudo DSLR market, with 420mm at 12x or 749mm - 21.4x at 3mp is outstanding especially with OIS. excellent pictures out of the box, menu operations are plentiful, NR can be reduced and the jog dials front and back for Aperture or shutter is very professional.

Leica lens is crisp and sharp, I shoot in Aperture priority with NR at minimal and the pictures even in Jpeg look like they have been post processed, simply amazing.

After experiencing this camera I sold my Nikon D80, attachment lens and soft pictures Nikon was giving me is unacceptable, i went thru every menu option including using the much hyped RGB3 which by the way gives cartoon colors has no comparison to the Panasonic.

High speed USB is my only complaint for data transfers, Noise reduction for higher ISO noise is a bit over powering but acceptable but controllable at your liking, a 3" ,screen would be nice but maybe on the next model.

BTW, moon shots with the Raynox 2020 at 3mp give a zoom of 47.08x optical or 1647 mm optical, hand held shots with OIS (image stabilization) enabled gives jaw dropping pictures, you actually have a telescope with OIS at your reach, simply amazing.

100% satisfied.

I am only an amateur photographer, but still . . . this small camera with the long nose gives performance one might expect from an SLR film camer costing a lot more, and a lot more complicated to use. I caught the digital bug sevearl years ago. My latest before this beauty was a simple little Canon SureShot 3mp. A great camera, but this camera has the same simplicity, but takes pictures which are much more refined in terms of sharpeness for not much more than I paid for that camera four years ago!! This Panasonic Lumix has a Leica Lens, which can' t be matched by any other camera but it's twin Leica camera--a much more expensive piece of equipment. The long lens might put you off if you are an average family photog, but if you want an all around 35mm-12X camera without a huge heavy expensive bag of lenses, like me, this baby is for you. It only looks massive. It is quite lite and manageable. I use it for bird photographsy, but it could be great for any situation where you need to get really close up in just about any lighting situation with ultra-fine resolution. Don't want to spend mega bucks for a mega-camera? This is the answer. I love it, and I think your will, too. Easy to use, and easy on the wallet. If you're not quite there, try the next model down, with the same focal length but 6 mp, for a couple hundred less. Another terrific buy. No, I don't work for Panasanic. I'm a retired print editor.

Jim Isham

this camera takes great pictures for travel and outdoors. If you intend to take family photo's indoors you will need a large room for group shots as it's 35-420 zoom. Having said that I am very happy with this camera and it's long list of functions. The software is better than some I've seen. The camera is easy to use right out of the box. Make sure you buy a memory card. The battery ahs a very long life but I bought a spare so I wouldn't be caught without my camera. My only complaint is photo's load slowly to my computer compared to other cameras.

I'm a former 35mm photographer who's a little older and not as spry as I once was and I eventually got out of the habit of lugging a case of equipment everywhere I went. I got re-energized in photography with digital but a small compact point and shoot left me wanting more. Digital SLR's are pricey and as a friend pointed out I'd be back to lugging a case of equipment around me with her. She recommended this model and the more I looked at it the more I liked it.
It is a fixed lens model, but with a 12:1 optical zoom what other lenses would really need. It start up fast, zooms and focuses internally so there is no moving barrel to have to hold on to. It has just about every feature an advanced amateur could want. It does macro. And it has an optical stablization system that works as advertised.
So far I haven't come across anything that it can't do. This is a nice unit for an advanced amateur or even semi-pro who doesn't want to go full digital SLR yet.

I'm not entirely new to photography. I had two canon pocket cameras (35mm) and a Sony digital pocket camera, so I had some expectations about what could be done. I have to say that the FZ50 has blown me away. In the automatic mode, it's great for point and shoot. I doubt I'll ever use it for video clips, but I've been able to include pictures in my power point presentations that have been very helpful. I have been slowly acquainting myself with the various modes and capabilities, such as the macros for closeups. This process will take several months at least. Well worth the price.
Quality is outstanding and everything works as it should. I'm not sure that the extra memory (10.1 MP) is actually necessary, and if you could get a FZ30 for less, that would actually be a better deal for most folks.

I just received this camera as a gift.
I love the idiot-proof menu.
The instruction guide was actually readable.
It feels like a film SLR, and the size is perfect for smaller hands (my boyfriend finds the buttons and controls a bit too cramped).
Image quality is great, though I've not used it in a wide variety of settings (yet).

Another feature which I LOVE about this camera is the flip screen. This appears to be the most "advanced" digital camera with this feature. As an artist and model, I shoot myself alot. The flexible flip-screen allows me to get odd angles and self portraits.

My only complaint is that the auto-release is a maximum of 10 seconds (making complex self-portaits difficult). I got the remote shutter accessory, so hopefully this won't pose too much of a challenge in my self-portraiture!

What a steal this camera was! Just got it in the mail this week, and it's proven itself to be well worth buying. I love pretty much everything about it. Pictures, even in auto mode, are crisp and detailed. If you like the photography side, aperture, shutter, and focus settings are VERY comprehensive.

I have never had a "real" camera before other than a cheap 35mm one, and haven't taken any photography classes or learned anything about photography. I only read a little bit online about the basics, and within 2 days I was adjusting the settings for the scene's needs and WOW the pictures turned out great. If you are interested in photography, this is DEFINITELY the camera for you.

One thing to mention, however, is that the SD cards are really fast while in the camera, but once you connect the camera to a PC via USB, the pictures take a while to load in order to edit (with Photoshop). I highly recommend a fast SD card, like the SanDisk SD Extreme III.

Battery life is pretty good, even when doing video. Videos look and sound great, and you can take pictures while you record video. I had been looking at this camera for 2 months and finally bought it, and it's well worth it. If you're on the fence about this or a more expensive Canon or Nikon, I'd go with this unless you're super hardcore.

5/5 Stars for an excellent product at an incredible price.

I've had this camera for about 4 months now and I am very pleased with it. The pictures are clear, focus is quick and the options endless. This is my 7th digital camera and I have purchased 2 close up lenses and a T-con 1.7x for it which has really made it versital. The large manual zoom and anti-shake are the best part of the camera. It is a very clear lens and I like that when the focus is on manual it gives a zoomed in look at what you are shooting. The FZ-50 is as close to a DSLR as you can get without all the expensive lenses to drag along. The manual settings let you set-up the camera for you personnel needs. I'm really enjoying this camera.

I have been looking for a good DSLR like camera for a while. FZ50 is the best that I can find in the market today. Many reviewers point out noise problems which I also found annoying. But if you can not wait for another 6 months or so, this is the best you can get. Fujifilm's S9000 may have lower level of noise, but it doesn't come with image stablization, which is more of an issue for me.
In sum, if you need the camera now, FZ50 is the "best" available. If you can wait till July, then look for Panasonic's new release around that time.

Beautiful results up to 11X14. Great color automatically and the added bonus of white balance manipulation takes care of almost any situation found in the field. I am especially impressed with the fine Leica optics and the image stabilization really comes in handy. Very low price for a machine of this fine quality. I have used the camera heavily for about two months and it is holding up to the every day use very well.

Two downsides that don't bother me, but may concern some people. (1)No interchangable lenses, but the 12X zoom takes care of enough situations for me. (2)No pc flash recepticle, but I use a radio control from the hot shoe, or a Panasonic dedicated flash, so this is not a concern to me either.

The Panasonic FZ-50 offers great versatility. With its variety of operating modes, you have opportunities to be creative that just aren't available in most of the digital cameras. The 35mm to 420 mm zoom feature,(12X zoom) coupled with the wideangle and telephoto converters, close-up lenses and additional hot shoe flash gives this camera so much lattitude that you would be carrying pretty close to twice the weight in an DSLR camera, comparably equipped with the range of lenses required to cover the range of the FZ 50. The 10.1 MP resolution allows for poster size prints up to 20 X 30 with almost no loss of definition and no graininess. The range of options, Lenses,filters, etc. is limited only by imagination. They even make a submersible case for when you want to catch the action under water. As a Nature & Wildlife photographer, I don't think I could ask for a better, more versatile camera.

This is my third digital camera and the best to date. This camera has the latest technology to diminish or reduce altogether camera shake and produces clear pictures. I particularly like the function button which allows you to instantly change various settings such as the Autofocus and metering mode, ISO sensititivy and picture size. Tests done with the zoom magnification were impressive as well with good clarity even at 21.4x. The features of this camera will be thoroughly utilized in an upcoming trip involving wildlife shots and was purchased just for this adventure.

It took awhile to get comfortable with the setup of the camera's manual but perserverance is eventually rewarded.

I really enjoy Panasonic DMC-FZ50 10.1MP Digital Camera. It suits perfectly to beginners and experienced photographers. The quality of photos and the ease of camera's use are almost perfect. Try it and you will see it yourself.

Simply amazing camera. Panasonic and Leica is the best combination. The Panasonic FZ50 camera made in Japan. The same camera is Leica V-Lux-1 costs $400 more for red dot label.

I have been shooting regularly with the FZ50 for about a year and this is my second Lumix camera, my first being a FZ20. I am a wildlife photo-artist and the pictures I've taken with this camera are often the stars of my portfolio. I would have given it a five star rating if not for the nagging problem of noise at higher ISO levels. This is a product of an imperfect processor and a small sensor. I also feel Panasonic packed too many pixels on the chip - a marketing ploy. That said, I will count on this camera as a solid backup and cary-around camera for some time. The Leica lens is a real beauty and it alone is worth the price of the camera. If you are an old Pentax 1000 shooter as I was, and this is your first digital camera - or you are upgrading from a point and shoot - go for it. You will not be disapointed. Just be prepared for some graininess or, if you use noise reduction, smearing at 400 ISO and beyond.

This is the best "near" SLR on the market. Great pics and features. Can be as easy as one-click to use or you set any of the photo settings manually for the desired affect.

I'm gradually working my way up the Digital camera ladder. I started with a small, inexpensive point-and-shoot then, after a couple of years decided to stretch my skills. Now, after buying this camera I'll be going back to school to learn how to use it more effectively and efficiently. It is a terrific camera and spec-to-spec is the same as the Leica only a fwe hundred dollars less. It's a good buy!

3200 pictures later and I can honestly tell you this is the best "prosumer level" camera for under $500 that you can buy today. Top of the line in all respects and nearly "idiot proof" when you want to keep shooting pictures without setting up every shot. Great for kids and active shooting (sports), failry rugged (not indestructable), great design and overall ergonomics. Great add-on availability for lenses, batteries, etc. and reasonable pricing.

This was an upgrade for me, I had been in the market for several months and after many experiments with different brands and different features, the Panasonic DMCFZ50 Lumix won me over. Its very compact, sleek, lots of features, light (compared to others in the same category), and the pictures are unbelievable! The only con i have with it is there are so many features you really have to play around with it you just can't jump in and start taking wonderful pictures. The user guide is great but you really need to set down with it and view all your options.

ENJOY!

I haven't taken many pictures yet, but first impression is GOOD. I took SHARP pictures that look TERRIFIC even when you zoom in, even better than my last camera.
You should know it does NOT weigh 4 pounds as Amazon states; it is actually about a pound and a half. It's bigger and heavier than typical point-and-shoots (due largely to the big lens) and the case you have for your existing point-and-shoot will not fit, but the camera is light enough around the neck to satisfy most people.
Surprisingly, the manual is pretty good! It gives you some idea what different modes and features are really useful for, and, when it references another topic covered elsewhere in the manual, it gives the page number so you can look it up.
I also appreciate the ability to make fine adjustments quickly before you lose your shot; animals don't pose for long and without this feature, you would lose a lot of shots toggling through to different modes, or worse, switching to all-manual mode. It's like having limited manual flexibility in the different fixed scene modes -- the best of both worlds, so to speak, for anyone except a really experienced photographer who needs no help.
My complaints so far are relatively minor:
(1) The zoom is manual, a dial on the lens, rather than the motorized type you are probably used to. It's not as convenient to reach. If I could change one thing, that would be it.
(2) The menu buttons are small. Why? There is plenty of empty space around them.
(3) When you take a picture, it doesn't stay on the LCD screen long enough to get a good look at it.
(4) The swivel rotatable screen works nicely, but is a bit small.
(5) No lithium battery option, only the rechargeable pack (although it seems to last long enough with extensive LCD use). It seems to me regular lithiums lasted longer in my old camera than this battery pack does, but I DO LIKE the charger that is included with the camera. It is VERY small and plugs straight into an outlet. It will fit in any camera case so you can take it along with your spare battery and SD card and always have it on hand.
I will update later when I have more experience with this apparently superb product.

first: i am not a DSL person even though i have a long background in photography. who needs to lug extra lenses for a greater zoom range? before i bought this camera, i was locked into nikon. all of the twist coolpixes right up to the 8800 [which i just sold].

first the minuses. its not quite as beautifully built as the nikon superzooms, and the image in the swivel LCD does not automatically reorient itself as does the image in the 8800's LCD.

i cannot emphasize enough how great it is to zoom [and focus when you are in manual mode]using rings on the lens rather than rocker switches. it reminds me of how long its been since i've used a zoom lens on a 35mm camera. it is so much more natural using your left hand holding the lens and twisting to zoom, moreso because this is a 12x zoom. the 'throw' to go from one end to the other of the twist ring on the lens is just a bit more than a quarter turn [about 110*] making this camera much quicker zooming, in and out, than other super zooms with rocker switches.

does anyone reading this have any experience manual focusing with any digicam short of SLRs? its just not done for a variety of reasons. with the fz50, not only can you manual focus, but when you do a center area rectangle of the screen enlarges to let you manual focus with precision heretofore not available in a camera of this class.

other customer reviews have lauded the photo quality and discussed the relative effectiveness of optical image stabilation which i won't cover here. i will mention though that the fz50 is the easiest camera to use that i have owned, much more intuitive than all of the nikon coolpixes. you rarely need the manual, which, by the way, is also superior.

this is not a small camera; it won't fit in your pocket. but pricewise, at around $450, its only 100 bucks more than the best of the pocket cameras. i keep a pocket camera around also, but i bring this along 90% of the time. it is identical to a leica model, but the leica is MUCH more expensive, and the differences are very minor.

I really like the camera but the 32MB Flash Card that came with it only held 6 pictures and the battery ran down after 56 shots. Fortunately I also bought a 2GB flash card and an extra battery.

This camera does it all and very well at that! I purchased this camera to do a wedding photo shoot, had a week to practice and the pictures came out very nice. Anyone who has ever shot a wedding is well aware of the differences in lighting, depth of field and action changes that go on throughout the day. I found the ability to adjust white balance, lock focus, use a fast auto focus option and adjust both zoom and manual focus using lens mounted rings instead of buttons a major advantage with this camera.

This is the first digital camera I bought...and I'm very happy.
I used canon,sony and olympus..all borrowed from friends and this camera is at par with all these.
Looks big but easy to carry and snap pictures.Learners/beginners can use the auto mode untill they learn how to use other options standard in all digutal SLR cameras.I liked the swivel LCD display and easy to use menu too.

Good camera..worth buying..

What can I say, great camera with too many options to ork with...Definately for a more advanced user than the point and click aficando...

When digital cameras first came out, I looked down my nose at them, preferring to stick with my old Ricoh manual SLR until a digital arrived that could offer me everything I wanted at a good price.

Then along came the Panasonic Lumix FZ50. I read every review about it I could find, I compared it to every other similar camera on the market, and eventually, I decided to take the plunge and buy it.

The camera has not only met my expectations, it's exceeded them. It's basically got all the features of a digital SLR but without interchangeable lenses, but considering the fact that it's got a massive 12x and an optical image stabilizer to remove the blur you'd normally get at that end of the zoom range, I really don't care. If I want near-telephoto shots I can just zoom in. If I want super-wide shots I can just buy a wide-angle lens and screw it straight on. No changing of lenses required.

This camera also has manual everything, tons of special shooting modes, and two features that really set it apart from similar cameras from Fuji and other brands: a manual zoom ring and a manual focus ring. I'm from the old school of film SLR photography and I really love being able to just grab a ring with one hand and turn it to get the focal length and focus I want quickly and selectively. I hate messing around with joysticks and rockers and other electronic doohickeys so the Panasonic's manual zoom and focus rings were really the deal-makers for me. I also love being able to shoot in different aspect ratios, at different megapixel levels, and at different quality levels, from standard JPEG right up to RAW. Yes, this camer shoots RAW, giving you the best possible post-processing options for your photos available. When I shoot high contrast photos, I expose for the highlights (like blue skies), shoot RAW, and then in post, I "develop" one exposure for the highlights, one exposure for the shadows, and combine the two in Photomatix to give me a beautiful, perfectly exposed image with a very wide dynamic range where you've got detail in both the highlights AND the deep shadows.

A lot of users of this camera have complained about noise, and yes, it does creep in at low light levels, but it's nothing you can't easily remove with either Noise Ninja or Neat Image. If you use a tripod in low light and a low ISO combined with a slow shutter speed, you'll really have no problems, as with any pro camera. Otherwise, just use a flash! No biggie.

Overall, I am completely in love with this camera. It comes with a USB to RCA cable so you can instantly plug it into any TV and show everybody your fabulous images, or you can flip open the little screen and show them on that.

Oh, and it also has other pro features like a live histrogam and other great stuff. If you want a camera with pro features but the DSLRs are out of your price range and the compact cameras just don't have enough pro features for you, seriously look at buying this camera. It's the perfect middle-ground between the compacts and the DSLRs, and apart from not having interchangeable lenses, I am hard pressed to think of ANY features this camera lacks that you'd normally find in a DSLR. It has everything. For wedding work, family snaps, landscape shots, whatever you need: this is, in my opinion, simply the best camera you can get at this price point.

My personal photographic experience: Almost 0 knowledge on f-stops, etc...but lots of push and shoot experience, dad is a SLR photo nut. I am a biologist, so wanted a camera to take into the field.

1. Overall, I rate my camera 8.5/10. I have had it since just after it came out. The pictures are excellent, BUT, for those of us who shoot in shady areas (BIRDERS), THE CAMERA HAS BIG PROBLEMS WITH LOW LIGHT LEVELS. So far, I have not been able to produce any excellent bird photos that I would say are magazine quality. If you can afford it, make the jump to Canon/Nikon. However, I do take my camera everywhere and I have lots of great pictures now. I took a lot of Crane pics at Bosque del Apache and got some excellent shots, but at twilight, when it really matters, the pictures were EXTREMELY grainy.

1A. Birding: I use the camera primarily to help me id birds I see. It is great for that, even in low light, but not twilight low light. It is fast, focuses well, and zooms in nicely.

2. Lots of good things about this camera too. It would be great for anyone not worried about low-light. The speed setting is fantastic. When we were driving 80 down a highway, I took a picture of an oncoming truck from a long distance, and was able to zoom in CLEARLY on the driver.

3. The manual focus ring is great!! Since I am focusing through branches, I can tell the camera exactly what to focus on. This is important. Despite this great feature, I still have trouble with the focus sometimes, it seems clear through the viewfinder, but doesn't turn out.

4. BEST OF ALL: the camera buttons are so intutitive, that after a little practice, you don't need to look at them. They are easy to use as you are looking through the viewfinder. I love this! (everything except the dial on top I mean).

5. The zoom does live up to its reputation. This is superhandy for sneaky shots of relatives or deer. I have gotten some great deer pictures.

Great camera--its everything I expected and more. The intuitive menu is easy to learn. I love the digital image stabilization and 12x zoom.

DO not compare this to DSLRs as they have much larger sensors, and with the same quality lens and focal range, will cost many times more. This is way better then a point-and- shoot. Will give results inferior to a DSLR for very low light conditions and for very high speed actions. Else, for 95% of us who are happy with ISO 100 and 200 (sometimes 400) equivalents, this is truly a great camera. Remember, your photos are also a function of your personal experience, practice, the camera lens, etc. For the money, this cant be beat as it is a sheer joy to handle. It handles like a DSLR without the extra weight and costs of lenses. 12X optical zoom on Lecia is very good and can be extended to 21X zoom with lower MP size. You can buy fairly cheap macro lens to shoot the close-ups of bug's eyes - get Raynox 150 or 250. Look at www dpreview dot com for more comprehensive review.

The photos are not perfectly clear. They are good but not perfect as the photos I took with my Fugifilm FinePix S7000. It has way to many menues and sub menues. It will take daily use to remember all the different settings. The operating instructions are very complicated and confusing. If you are out and have a problem with a setting and you don't have the instruction book put the camera away. I like the LCD monitor because it folds closed to protect it.

Great price for value. Great optics and features.

One complaint of others is at higher rez gets grainier. Just like print Film to me, I expect that. It takes good light to get good pictures, physics has not changed.

I always wanted a Leica and this is the closest I will get to owning one. It feels good in my hand as well. I am having a blast with it.

I recommend it and have fun with it. It is a great camera.

This camera went dead on me less than two monts light use. Sent to Panasonic Service Center last August 22nd(received there) and until now(Sept 7th) they are still waiting for the part from Japan being shipped by boat!! I can not believe that Panasonic does not have this critical part in stock. Be very careful with this camera. At any rate, i was not also really totally satisfied with the quality of the pictures due to its over-bearing noise reduction system. I will just be happy if they can not be repaired as promised and just give me a refund. I think this will be my 2nd and last Panasonic camera.

At the firm I work for we needed a quick solution for high resolution photo's that looked professional and could be taken on the fly. We also needed a camera that could shoot decent video.
Well I found this camera and got both.

First, this camera is excellent for hobbyists and beginner to intermediate photographers. It's not an SLR so theres a bit of seperation between you and the lense but it really doesn't make a big difference with this camera.
I've had it and used it constantly for almost a year now and have yet to be let down. We have used it professionaly with excellent results.

I bought my own for home soon after and I am still happy with my purchase.
With a tripod and a remote you can get some great night shots, I've posted a few here.
The camera also has a lot of great features for beginners like a grid that breaks your image into 3rds to help with composition and full auto or full manual everything.

The Zoom is really impressive and the auto focus will rarely let you down.
For manual focus the camera does a digital zoom preview so you can get a clear image of what you are focusing on before you snap the shot... brilliant!

Ive noticed a lot of people complaining about terrible noise.
The cameras ISO is set to 1600 by default.. at least mine was. 1600 will produce lots of grain. make sure you go in and set it to 100-200 for less grain if thats what you'd like.
That said it's still got a bit of noise in the blue channel, this is usually due to compression techniques used to save files as jpeg.
If you have a digital image editing software like photoshop you can open the blue channel run a noise reduction filter and most of the noise will disappear.
Else Raw format may help eliminate a bit more noise but will take up more space on your card.

It also takes the 4GB SD cards which I have also purchased and filled with video and photos twice now. A really nice feature for those who are sick of running out of space. Being that Im not a good photographer I'm usually lucky if I get 4-5 good shots out of 200, so Having a card big enough to hold all my failed attempts is very nice.

Good battery life, especially if you only use the view finder.

The LCD swivels and flips! This is great for getting shots where you can hold the camera away from your head and still see what your shooting.
I've used it quite a few times now.

I've also purchased the wide angle and teleconversion lenses as well as the remote for long exposures.
The lenses dont make as big a difference as I'd hoped but they do give a bit of extra oomph to the camera.
The remote is great if you can find it cheap.

For the price this is such a great deal. I've recommended it to two of my friends so far and they are both thrilled with it.
If your willing to learn a bit about photography and it's principles this is a great camera to get started with.

Here's a couple cons though for the sake of being non-biased.

It's kinda bulky, if your looking for a point and shoot you can take anywhere look for a smaller camera, this will not fit in your pocket or your purse.

It has a limited lens selection. It's not an slr so additional lenses other than those made by panasonic for the FZ50 will need an adapter and wont produce the kind of results they will on SLR's.

It's shaky! For some reason all of the big digitals I've used are just shaky cameras, maybe it's my hands but they seem to be really hard to hold still. Even though this camera has a nice stabilizer anything more than 1/20 and I get slight blur. Because of this I recommend a tripod and/or a remote for shots that you can take your time on.

The built in flash is weak. It's not terrible by any means but it's not what you need for pro-quality shots most of the time. With some practice you may get some decent shots though.

Bit of a learning curve. But if you didn't expect that you'd be buying a powershot now wouldn't you?

THIS IS AN AWSOME CAMERA YOU CAN CONTROL IT FROM FULL MANUAL TO FULL AUTO. JUST BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE DOWNLOADING. THE CABLE AND THE FEMALE CONNECTION ON THE SIDE OF THE CAMERA ARE VERY SENSITIVE AND IF YOU PUSH OFF CENTER OR TWIST THE CABLE IT WILL DAMAGE THE WIRE FINGERS IN BOTH THE CABLE AND CAMERA...I'M VERY GLAD I WAS UNDER WARRENTY....I SENT THE CAMERA BACK TO THE VENDOR"EXPO ELECTRONICS" IN N.J. AND THEY SENT ME A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT....
AS FOR THE PICS...THEY ARE GREAT. WITH THE LEICA LENS AND ZOOM ON THE LENS INSTEAD OF ZOOM TOGGLES, THE CAMERA IS A DREAM TO OPERATE...

I'm an experienced photographer with 35mm and medium format experience. I'm still learning how to use this camera's bells and whistles-which are many. I typically use the high-res RAW setting and develop the images with the software provided with the camera. The results have been very good. I also use Adobe Photoshop to work the images with positive results. Focusing using the LCD screen in manual mode has taken some getting used to. If your accustomed to split micro-prism style focus screens like me, you may find it a bit of a challenge to get crisp focusing with this camera. Any issues I'm having with image quality is mine-being at the beginning of the learning curve. I've taken some good images in low light situations using the 800 and 1600 ISO. This is my first digital camera and I'm glad I wasn't able to purchase another manufacturer's camera because the model I was considering was back-ordered. As a result, I was forced to start looking at other cameras.

I love this camera, as a design student I try to stay away from stock images and i try to take my own pictures, this camera really fits me well, those 10 mp really work well for all my purposes. the only thing is that you don't get to change lesses but hey! even without that it is still great, really good closeups too! Best Camera i've ever had! get it!

Pros: Up to 17x optical zoom depending on resolution setting. With the 4x digital zoom (with expected decrease in image quality) you can really zoom in on things. Plenty of resolution/aspect ratio combinations to select from. Buttons are within easy reach. Changing things like ISO, image resolution, shutter and aperature are relatively easy. Flash has a pretty decent range for a built-in. Image stabilization is great, but at high zoom, tripod or some kind of stable base is very helpful.

Cons: A little on the heavy side and rather front-heavy. Make sure your tripod is good and stable if you're using one. Battery door is easy to accidentally open. Fortunately the battery latches in so it won't fall out if the door is accidentally opened. LCD screen flips down (nice feature) and swivels to point out (useful for self-portraits), but for some reason the image doesn't invert itself (or I just haven't figured out how to make it invert yet) so you see an upside down image.

Other Thoughts: 710 mAh Li-ion battery pack that has gotten me through at least 4-5 hours of shooting on a full charge. Purchasing an extra battery is probably a good idea. Combine it with an 8GB SDHC card and you can practically shoot forever. Would be cool if the function of the front and back dials could be customized. Use a separate card reader to get pictures off. USB connection on this thing is S_L_O_W. Take the time to RTM. The camera can do a lot of things, and figuring all of them out goes faster if you at least skim the manual.

It's my first Panasonic Camera, I have a 2 Sony Cybershot and one Olympus. This is a very good camera, has a lot of features. Takes nice pictures.
One bad feature is the small LCD, I would like a bigger one (perhaps a 3"). The zoom is great, and when you use a tripod your photos are better. I'm thinking to buy the external flash because the built-in is not very good. But instead of all I recomend this nice camera.

I have always been a fan of Nikons and recently purchased a new D40X with two lenses. My wife loves photography but the technical aspects of the DSLR were a bit daunting. Still wanting a camera that gave the options of an SLR, manual, aperature settings was a goal. After discovering the possibilities of the DMZ-FZ50 we thought it might be a great compromise. It has been great photographic addition, and the results have been stunning.

It's the Leatherman Super Tool of the digital photography world! I bought this camera three months ago and I am loving it more and more as I am getting to know it better. This is my sixth digital camera (had had and old Sony FD, little Canons A60, A70, and A85, as well as a lovely Olympus C-2100UZ which the FZ-50 will replace). Short of going DSLR and investing a car's price on lenses, external flashes and other gadgets, this is as far as you can get, and it is not bad at all. The talk about noise is exaggerated and this baby manages to deliver a virtually noise free image at ISO-400. Let's face it folks, that's more than you need in real life. I shot 35mm for donkeys of years and very rarely did I exceed ISO-200. The lens is a killer Leica 35-420mm 35mm equiv. at a whooping fast f/3.7 aperture at the far end of the super zoom. It is even faster (f/2.8) if you zoom out. And it is tack sharp! And it has an optical image stabilization that really works! Leica is producing a copy of this camera that is marketed for $900 street price, which is a carbon copy save for the red dot and a slightly modified "Leica looks" algorithm, and is slower in every operation as a result. I think this is the baby to go for, so don't hesitate, you will get more value for your money than you can imagine.

Pictures I have taken with this camera are generally excellent. The combination of a Leica lens, image stabilization, and long zoom range make it an ideal camera for a variety of situations. There are more built in functions than you would normally use but it performs well in basic program mode. This model provides TTL flash capability but the Panasonic dedicated flashes are overpriced.

Absolutely the best value out there. Images incredible and easy and intuitive to use, especially for a traditional user.

My previous camera was a Canon S2is and I intended to get a S5is. After reading multiple professional reviews, I decided to go with the Panasonic DMC-FZ50 and I wasn't disappointed. I do a lot of wildlife photography, which requires quick zooming. This camera with it's manual zoom feature is better and faster than I ever imagined. It is super fast from power-on to clicking the shutter and the images are sharp. It has an easy to follow menu and the ability to establish your custom (most used) settings. If you intend to print larger than 8X10's, be sure to keep the ISO under 400 and preferably 200 and under. This is a large camera, not a pocket camera, but the closest thing to a DSLR without having to change lens. I've been using digitals ever since their inception and the is the best one yet!!

Why would anyone buy a more expensive camera? Everything you need in a camera is built into this one. With a 12X Optical zoom who needs extra lenes to carry around. This camera is a bargain with excellent quality.

I began my digital photography hobby with a Lumix DMC-FZ1, which had similar glass to the FZ-50. I told myself if I was still shooting in three years I'd buy a "real" camera, and when the time came, I shopped the Nikons and the Canons first.

However, I had grown used to the best asset of the FZ series: that phenomenal 12x optical Leica lens. I shot the full range of the lens, verified by analyzing tens of thousands of photos from the previous three years. I simply couldn't get the versatility out of a DSLR with add-on lenses unless I spent four or five times my budget.

I've owned the camera for 6 months now, and I still feel it was the best investment for me and the kind of photography I do. More serious photographers may want the granular control of being able to switch lenses, but if you're on the fence - or if you want just one piece of equipment to take phenomenal pictures while traveling - there is nothing else that compares in the realm of SLR-like high-end digital "point and shoot" cameras.

The Pros:

12x optical zoom in a variable-aperture Leica lens. Its light retention through the full range is outstanding, and the inclusion of image stabilization makes it possible to really use the far end of the zoom.

RAW mode (particularly in concert with Adobe Lightroom, although the included Silkypix software is passable) allows you to recover elements you'd lose in a JPEG when you're shooting in less than ideal conditions.

Easy to navigate menus and the ability to save your favorite manual settings as scene modes to save time on the fly.

High-resolution widescreen-format video is on par with low-end digital video cameras, although you must have a very fast high-capacity SD card to take advantage of this mode.

Time-to-shoot from off position is dramatically improved over previous models in the series, and burst mode is very good when capturing JPEG images.

Full manual control gives you almost all the functionality of a high-end DSLR; Scene modes are relatively well-designed and usable, although the absence of a macro mode (replaced with a macro auto-focus option) will irk some shooters.

Good management of color and light in low-light settings (with expected noise) make it possible to use this camera for snapshots as well as more serious endeavors.

Support for hotshoe flash attachments allows me to do strobist work with my Nikon- and Canon-DSLR aficionado buddies (but be careful to buy a flash designed for DSLRs). I shoot with a Sunpak Super 383 and wireless Cactus flash transmitter/receiver units.

Adjustable flip/twist viewfinder makes it possible to get this big camera into unlikely places and still get exactly the shot I want.

The Cons:

Since it was built before the advent of 4GB high-capacity SD cards, it only supports 2GB cards. A firmware update could fix this, but none has been forthcoming from Panasonic. This is only an issue when shooting RAW for long periods of time between downloading the data from the card, but it has been a limiting factor for me on a few occasions. Related: writing 20MB of RAW data to a card, no matter how fast, takes a long time. Expect to wait 3-4 seconds between RAW shots.

Obviously, you cannot buy new lenses for this camera, although you can add wide-angle and macro attachments. When adding attachments, you will need an external hotshoe or off-camera flash due to the attachments blocking the on-camera flash.

Speaking of the on-camera flash, it feels like an afterthought and produces deer-in-the-headlights effects in almost every situation. Any serious hobbyist will want an external or hotshoe.

The intelligent ISO mode produces extremely noisy images in low light conditions. When I want a really good shot in such a situation, I switch to full manual, get out my tripod, set the shutter speed to the minimum, and use the delay timer to avoid jitter from pressing the shutter. It's unfortunate that you can get substantially longer exposures in the night scene modes, because they employ intelligent ISO. Panasonic warns against using any other remote shutter technology, and provides only a wired remote shutter release for this camera.

USB transfer speeds from the camera are awful - slower than USB 1. You will absolutely need a card reader to get your data for processing. I purchased a 2GB high-capacity SD card that came with a special reader. Note that regular SD readers cannot handle the high-capacity cards.

In conclusion: Clearly, there are limitations to this camera. Most of them could be remedied by spending thousands of dollars on a true DSLR. For the money, though, you can shoot like a pro and only your witnesses will know the difference.

I've had 3 different Nikon Coolpix cameras over the past 6-7 years ending with the 8700. Since Nikon no longer makes the high performance Coolpix cameras any longer, I began checking around. I'm the photographer for a weekly newspaper and we primarily use digital photos. I needed minimum 8 megapixels and minimum 250 eqivalent optical zoom.
I'd never heard of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5D, but I was aware of the high reputation of Leica lenses. With 10 MP and 420 equivalent zoom the Lumix is a great deal at a much lower price than my Nikons. I am very happy with this camera.
The Lumix is a bit larger than the Coolpix 8700 and the macro settings are more limited, but the larger screen and high clarity make up for this.

I purchased this camera to take photos of wild birds, it exceeds my expectations. It is an extraordinary camera with a Leica lens. Photos are sharp, clear and true to color.It is very user friendly. With the built in stabilizer feature it is difficult to take a blurred photo. I am exceptionally pleased to own this camera.

Cheaper than any dSLR with just as good features and picture quality. Purchased in Aug 2007 and has traveled with me to Egypt, Thailand, Indonesia and Belize. Great companion to travel with. Pictures are exceptional. All the features have a bit of a learning curve, but after that it's all you and the viewfinder.

I've had the camera for 5 days now.
It's worked perfectly. The zoom is something really impressive, the definition on the pictures with 10.1MP it's just outstanding.
it's a great camera and really easy to use.
So far the only thing i've disliked is the flash. Will review some more later.

If you know photography (not from the ads that support a magazine), you know what the word Leica means to quality. The camera is super and the focus is fast, very important so you don't miss the shots you are looking for. If you think any of the other lenses out there can compare to a Leica, than stick with the magazine ads you read and remain ignorant of true quality. The ads for most cameras are the same as the TV promos for the comedy shows. They all claim to be the hit of the season or VERY FUNNY or some such nonsense. Most are off the air 6 months later because words in an ad don't make a good show. Ths same with the camera and lense people who claim their stuff is so good. Most are very good, but they don't compare to a Leica.

I researched cameras for weeks relentlessly until I finally bought this camera. I read probably 300 reviews and articles about different cameras. I was starting to lose my mind, literally. The problem is, for as many good things people have to say about different cameras, there are always plenty of negative comments that can scare you away. One person says the camera is too heavy, another says it is light...one says the pics look like crap, another says they are beautiful...Well, I finally pulled the trigger and bought the FZ50, and I can honestly say that it was a very wise decision.
I am a novice at best with cameras. I had no problem turning this camera on for the first time and immediately go right into taking great pictures. The auto mode allows me to do that. The pictures are crisp and clear even when blown up in to bigger sizes. The colors are wonderful. Yes, the pics are not quite up to the level of some dslr pics I've seen, but they are wonderful nontheless.
The camera looks awesome, and feels great in your hands. It is a good size and weight. All of the controls are easily accessed right at your fingertips.
One aspect of the camera that was impotant to me, but may seem silly, is that once it is focused, when I push the button down to take the picture, it clicks, and takes it right away.(unless you are using flash..(about a second delay)) this is very important to me because I cannot tell you how many great pics I've missed of my dogs or kids because my old camera didnt take the pic until 3 secs after I depressed the button. It was very frustrating.
The best part of the camera is, like I said, you can take great pics right out of the box with the auto mode, but the camera has so many other modes and features to learn, that I can see myself learning new and exciting things and growing as a photographer throughout years to come. The camera really begs to be learned and challenges you to go out and take cool pics.
The FZ50 is really a fun, easy (if you want it to be) camera and I suggest it to anyone who is looking for a camera in this price range. You will not regret your decision.
Here is a great website that I found where you can go to see TONS of pics taken with only the FZ50:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/panasonicfz50/
the FZ50 group hold contests from time to time for best pictures too..hopefully you see one of mine there someday!

This was my first point and shoot camera. Oh man! the images are stunning. I have been using it for a year and have tried a dozen of point and shoot cameras. This is the best among them. It is very easy to use in auto mode. Great that it has rings for zoom and focus.

The LCD view finder is small but is decent enough.

I've had this camera for one year now and I'm still learning things about it. I had a 35mm Sigma SA7 SLR with two lenses: a 28-70mm & 70-300mm (which I still use ocassionally) before I got this Lumix FZ50. The FZ50 does the job of both lenses (except wide angle not as good as the 28mm). You may need a wide angle conversion lens which I plan to buy as soon as I have extra money so I can get extra wide shots. So now I carry one camera instead of the 35mm camera plus two lens and covers & hoods. It's a lot easier when I go out just to have fun. I also learned how to make the 12X zoom even more. Instead of 10MP you can set the camera to 5MP or 3MP and get SUPER MEGA EXTENDED OPTICAL ZOOM!!! Plus I haven't even used the digital zoom yet!!! The flip-out LCD screen is awesome since I can rotate it anyway I want which is helpful when I'm standing infront of the camera and trying to set up a shot or shooting over a wall or crowd of people. The battery lasts a decent amount of time & it takes great videos. I took this camera to Jamaica in August and I have awesome pics to show. The tropical colors & beaches are vivid and everyone says the pictures look like post cards or magazine pictures. The bottom line is this: It's expensive but worth it. It takes great pictures. It has 99% features of an SLR camera without all the extra lenses. I can do a lot of stuff in the manual mode just as I do with my SLR. It fits nicely in my hands with the controls & menus easily accessed. OH by the way you can add audio to the pictures when you take them or after you decide to keep a picture. That's a cool feature because I can take a picture make comments about the scence or subject so later when I'm reviewing them I know exaclty what I was thinking. If you are just learning to take pics like me, it's good to remind yourself what ISO or f/stop or focal length or shutter speed etc was used. After a while you'll teach yourself some tricks of the trade. You will need 2GB SD cards or higher if you take pictures of everything like me and you can get accesories cheap if you buy nonbrand names. I highly recommend this camera except for the wide angle is not that wide it's only about 38mm eqv. It would have been perfect if below 30mm eqv.

Great camera - awesome handling.
Too bad noise, even in bright daylight at ASA100 is excessive.
This is not even CLOSE to a DSLR subsitute.

Great Camera the only down side is buy a 2gb memory SD CARD. The one it comes with only lets you take 1 picture then it's full so buy the 2gig sd card. Other then that it's a great camera. No complaints.

Wow, I love this camera. The shutter speed with manual focus is almost nothing. Even less with the flash off. And with automatic focus it's still really good.

At the moment, I still haven't figured out how to use all the functions of this camera, but leaving it on automatic works ok enough. Taking 640x480 movies is awesome, I might not need to ever buy a video camera.

About 7 months ago i got an XTi after hearing how dslrs are oh so amazing and oh so much better than point and shoot or "super zooms" like this. this was actually my first choice, but i ignored better judgment and went with canon; not one of my better moments. you see, what they don't tell you is that most DSLRs come with a kit lens that is an insult to paperweights everywhere - if you want that $6-700 body to do anything impressive, you might want to have a grand or two on hand for quality lenses. that's fine for some people, but i decided to sell the XTi and go with my first impulse.

i LOVE this camera.

- tilt/swivel lcd (i'm not fond of viewfinders)

- leica lens. included lens hood. nuff said.

- you can actually lower the megapixel count and try out different resolutions...given the small sensor and the large file size for 10 mp pics (especially raw), this can be a handy tool for adjusting both of those factors.

- great built in flash and all, but the fact that there's a hot shoe helps quite a bit if you pick up a lighting kit.

- handles great; i have big hands, but it feels like an extension of them when i hold it. light as heck considering the relatively big size (for a supposed p&s, anyway.)

- shoots raw...and this is important because:

the only major complaint people have in otherwise rave reviews for this seems to be the overzealous noise reduction engine and the noise over iso100; shooting in raw bypasses the engine and therefore doesn't suffer from what dpreview calls its "sledgehammer approach to reduction". the included software makes it super easy to convert it after the fact as well. as for the noise itself, i never shoot over iso100, so it's not an issue for me. i just turn up the f stop or use the flash with some diffusion...as long as it doesn't mess up the dof i never have to worry about it.

- the movie mode is only limited by the size of your memory card.

- the menus and settings are super easy if you use the manual. i looked up how to set the white balance (it stores two custom settings, by the way) and never had to look at it again...it's that simple. speaking of the controls, there's an added bonus for canon p&s owners:

- i have an old powershot and the button/menu layout on this is very, very similar. i tried it out with some night shots and within literally 5 minutes i was able to change settings and navigate menus without even looking at the controls. awesomeness.


it's hard to pick the right camera - even with a ton of homework - so go with your needs. i did my homework for 3 months before deciding and still didn't pick the right camera for me. like i said, if i won the lottery or whatever i'd buy up the next mark II 1d EOS v.1.2 4k mamiyablad i laid eyes on...since i'm on a budget this is a perfect fit for me and anyone in a similar situation.

...and trust me, i've been looking at photography sites long enough to say that a $5,000 camera won't help you if you're talentless and a point and shoot won't stand in the way of genuine skill or inspiration - no matter what the legion of DSLR snobs may say.

50 stars for this one.

This camera is a great buy for those that are just beginning in photography and can't afford the high priced DSLR World. The optics are great, can't get too much better Leica. This camera is more than enough and will keep you very busy learning the art of photography.

I have had the FZ20 for several years and my wife surprised me with the FZ50 for Christmas. It is a definite winner and a massive upgrade for me. The pictures are sharp, the camera feels great in the hand, full manual controls are wonderful and it packs more in a small package than you can likely get anywhere else. My only gripe is that they REDUCED the frame rate from the previous two releases of the high-end FZ series. I'm sure there's a good reason but for me it makes no sense. I think it's max speed now is 1-2 frames per second. Other than that though, I seriously can't imagine a better camera for the price.

I am an American working in Baghdad. My camera has to be digital, fast, light, versitile, rugged, and EASY.
I bought the Panisonic DMC-FZ50 a year ago when my first camera (a Fancy Fuji) died an untimely death. I bought the package with all the extra lens adaptors and have never used them. I finally packed them and sent them home. The camera as is, is more than adequate for all my still / video needs. It has held up very well in this harsh environment. I do recommend the filter pack as it is good protection for primary lens. I have never needed a spare battery but will get one soon anyway. A good full size, light weight, quality tripod is my most used acessory.
I have carried the camera, filter pac, and tripod in my backpack all over Europe and Baghdad and the weight is definitely not a problem.
If you do not have a real steady hand, a good walking stick or monopod is handy for shooting video. 2-3 high speed 4 gig SD cards are a usefull addition if you want to shoot a lot of video.
The only thing this camera isnt is discreet. When you pull it out everyone knows what you are doing.
Return business is the best recommendation and this is the third camera like this I have bought. I am buying another for a friend who wants one just like mine.

Too often people purchase a digital camera expecting the purchase price to increase with it's ability to capture high quality photographs. The reality is, a seasoned photographer could take better pictures with a good cellphone camera than a novice with a dSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera.
What you get with a camera like the FZ50 is the ability to grow into the camera.
You can begin with it in a fully automatic mode and with good composition skills you'll get good pictures.
Once you learn all the features ALONG WITH the rules and techniques of photography, your pictures will improve.

I've been taking pictures for over 30 years, and have gone through everything from 35mm rangefinders to a Hasselblad medium format camera. As for digital cameras, I started off with one of the first digital cameras, a huge Kodak camera that took 640x480 pictures (less than a megapixel) had a fixed lens, and cost about $1600 bucks. Since then I've been through a few smaller point and shoot cameras that were small enough to take everywhere. Recently I realized that I needed more camera than what fits in my pocket. I needed better quality, more zoom range, and the ability to use a high power flash. Initially I looked at dSLRs and decided that I didn't want to deal with multiple lenses, and having the burden of getting dust inside the lens/mirror/sensor anytime I did a lens swap. The FZ50 gives me a great choice of focal lengths...if I need to go wider than the lens, I can get an adapter. If I need to go longer, there's an adapter for that, and unless I start taking bird pictures or stalking my neighbors, I think I'll have enough zoom. What really excited me about the FZ50 were the manual controls on the lens. The focus and zoom rings still control servos that actuate the lens, but it feels like a manual lens, and it's faster as well as more precise than pushing buttons.
After shooting with a Lumix TZ1, I knew that the Leica approved lens would be great.
I'll leave it to the techies to discuss sensor sizes and all the electronics of the camera. All I really needed to know about the electronics was "where do the batteries go". If I planned on submitting pictures for Time magazine, I might be more interested in a larger sensor or better noise handling....but if I were doing this for a living, I'd probably have several dSLRs with different lenses on each one.

I take pictures of family, friends, and things. I don't plan to print anything larger than 11x14 (a 4mp camera is adequate for that), and I actually plan to share most of the pictures digitally rather than printing....so large file sizes are not optimal. Another reason I opted against a dSLR is because I like to shoot video clips without carrying around a video camera. dDSLRs don't shoot video (maybe one day they will, but not today). Also, whereas many digital cameras don't allow you to zoom when shooting video, the FZ50 does.

The FZ50 is great bang for the buck...it looks and feels like the 35mm SLRs that I grew up with. I looked at Canon's G9 and while it has similar features, it didn't look like a prosumer camera....at least not to a consumer. Sometimes it's important to pull out an SLR looking camera so that people will get out of your way. It distinguishes you from aunt Emily and her point-n-shoot pHD camera, but still simple enough that you can hand it to her and say, "Press Here Dear".

All in all, it's a great camera for novice to intermediate photographers, with the controls an advanced shooter expects in a camera. If I were shooting professionally, this would be the camera I'd take on vacation to save the wear and tear on my work cameras. If I need to take a professional photograph for someone, this is a camera I can rely on for a high percentage of situations. Lots of room to grow into this camera, and while it does most of the things I'd like, I couldn't give it 5 stars because it's missing a wireless remote shutter control, it would be nice if the flip-out LCD came out far enough for when composing self-portraits and if was submersible like my wife's pHD camera...it would be perfect. Again, the key to taking good pictures is not getting the most expensive camera...it's learning how to take good pictures with whatever camera you have.

I got the camera for Christmas thinking it would be all that I needed to shoot action shots at my son's basketball games. So far they are mostly blurry and nothing Sports Illus. would be interested in. I don't know what I am doing wrong and have read the manual backwards and forwards a half a dozen times. I need help! Anyone with tips on how to shoot indoor, action shots please email me Darren967@aol.com

Thank you!

This camera is better than i expected its very fun to take pictures with. I love it. I wouldn't ask to change anything about it. I recommend this camera 100%

I've been using this camera just a about 4 weeks now and I must say I'm impressed by what I've seen so far.

I used a Fuji s5100 for 2 years prior to this and so I had to get used to the larger size and weight of the FZ50. I was also considering the Fuji s9100 but having blurred many a shot (I know-tripod)with the s5100 due to hand shake at lower speeds I decided to try the FZ50 because of the optical image stabilization (OIS) and I have seen a great reduction in blurred results. The 12X zoom is amazing (actually 13.4x at 8 megapixels) and lens clarity superb.

The only thing I find negative is the color saturation. I find my Fuji produces more vibrant colors that stand out or "pop". I do more saturation adjustments in Photoshop than before. Of course I'm still learning the nuances of this camera so it may be too early to tell.

The 32 meg card is a joke so I got a 2 gig SD and I'm burning my photos to disc much more frequently so as not to use up HD space on my computer (which you should do anyway). So far I'm very happy with it but I reserve further comment as my proficiency grows. I love my Fuji but that comes with famaliarity after 2 years of use; I'm starting to feel that way about the FZ50.

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)

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!

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!

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.

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.

After taking about 650 photos with this camera, I think the FZ50 is a great camera! The most important requirement that I had was that the camera I bought had sharp focus. The leica lens on this camera is superb. All of my shots are crystal clear on what I wanted to focus on.

The center weighted auto focus works superbly allowing me to get sharp focus on close or distant objects and disregarding unwanted objects like a car or bushes or a stranger that can't be avoided. There are also 9 point, 3 point and spot focus if you want them. There is an auto focus assist lamp built-in to allow focusing in dim light.

The optical image stabilization in the lens is also superb. I can hand hold at full 420mm zoom (12x) and still get sharp focus. There would be no way I could do that without the OIS in the lens. Goes without saying that the OIS works superbly at the wide end of the lens too since the long end is the hardest.

The manual zoom ring on the lens. This is absolutely superb and I can never go back to toggle button zoom. The focus ring on the lens when manually focusing on a bird through branches or a subject through glass is superb and I can't imagine not having it. BTW, the zoom is non-extending and completely contained within the lens. Therefore air is not sucked into the camera by an extending lens when zooming which can allow sucking in dust too.

The hot shoe allows mounting an external flash and using TTL (Thru The Lens) exposure metering. I bought a FL50 flash and it works perfectly with the FZ50 using TTL. I can take bounce flash photos at parties that can look like the pro photos now.

Don't let reviews of poor low light operation scare you off. Think about what you normally shoot. Outdoors during the day? Indoors using the flash? Outdoors at night using the flash? This camera can take great, clean looking shots in those conditions using no flash or the built-in flash. With an external flash it's even better. 99% of my photos are in prints of 4x6 or 5x7 inches. They look great. The few 8x10 photos also look great. I've read that 13 x 19 inch prints from this camera also look great. There may be a slight issue with noise in low light situations where you cannot use flash but those shots will probably be better than your current point & shoot so not to worry. But what percentage of your shooting is in a low light situation? If shooting low light, switch the camera to RAW and remove noise in post processing.

There are so many other functions that are super. Live histogram overlay on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder allows setting the right exposure "before" taking the shot under difficult situations. Tic-tac-toe grid overlay allows composing the shot properly and level. Exposure bracketing with 3 rapid shots (darker, mid, lighter) to insure you get the right exposure. Burst mode when you need to take photos rapidly, either 3 shots or to the end of memory if you like. The list goes on and I can't mention them all.

I don't have the least regret buying my FZ50. I don't have to change lenses to get 12x zoom like most DSLR camera with kit lens have to do. I'm estatic with the sharpness of my photos. What's not to like?

Skylark

Most definitely I am not a professional photographer yet part of my income has been from shooting photos. I changed to digital cameras in 1997 to a Kodiak 50. Most of the photos were for online catalogs and usually were just snap shots. This is about my 6th digital camera because I don't want to start carrying all those lens and light meters aropund any more. I have really enjoyed the progess that has been made in digital photos in just 10 short years. I use this camera daily or at least 3 times a week.
In my opinion this is the very best camera that most of us will ever need unless you shoot photos of sports or NASCAR or other such moving activities. At higher ISO the camera does not match the really nice DSLR's yet most of us will be satisfied with even these results from this camera. If you want to spend 3000 on a camera and maybe 4000 to 5000 on a couple of lens and other accessories you can take better photos a few DSLR's however in some shots this camera has even match there performance. Everyone now seems to use Photoshop or other software to enhance there photos. It is not necessary, but if you are publishing photos you almost have to have both. The 1st thing you should do is take at least a weekend just to study the manual and if you use it often it will just take a few seconds to setup for every shot. I do shoot in both auto, manual,and scene modes. It really only take a little pratice to shoot great shoots with this GREAT camera.

dpreview gives this one a 'highly recommended' rating in its review. i agree with that. the pictures and the prints you can get with this camera are very, very good. their review uses more glowing adjectives.

i was really impressed with the colors it gives. i have an older lumix fz10 with a 12x leica lens and 4 megapixels, but the colors are far better with the fz-50. and that makes it more fun and exciting to use.

this camera will have more noise in the higher ISO settings than a two thousand dollar slr. but in the lower ISO range it makes great pics.

so read the dpreview.com review, because it does a great job of summing up the strengths and weaknesses of this camera.

Well, i have just purchased the Panasonic FZ50 for about 3 weeks now, after about 600 test shots with it i have come to a conclusion that this FZ50 is by far the best FZ i've ever own. I have owned FZ7, FZ10, FZ15, FZ20(2), FZ30 and now FZ50. No surprise to me, this FZ50 IS out do the rest of its family, by far as image quality, FZ50 gives almost perfect pictures, the sharpness from its Leica lens is amazingly sharp, full of details contrast, full of depth of field, im very pleased with it..
I must say its got some noise from iso 100 to 800, but i know it before hand, so now i use noise reduction software to remove it afterward easily..i think most all point and shoot cameras do have noise issue, so this is no exception.
I have put it thru the iso tests, i shot at all iso setting from 100-1600, the results were very pleased, from iso 800 i can see noise creeping in, then comes iso 1600 it shows even more, but both can be a quick fix to me..both were usable images.
Now!, comes the colors, i think FZ50 has a bluish cast to all images, but FZ50 has a custom white balance 1 and 2, so i usetilized that by set a custom w/b 1 for the outdoors and 2 for indoor w/o flash. they turned out perfectly, totally awesome..
I must also mention about the bokeh, FZ50 has a minimum of bokeh at tele end, therefore it gives you extra depth of field. I love this camera for its tele, at max 420mm at f3.7 it produces very sharp, contrasty images. Anyone who tries to buy that big lens at 400mm f3.5 you will pay an arm and a leg for DSLR use and you will need a pro tripod to hold it sturdy, but not on FZ50 i can shoot it handheld w/o any problem due to its OIS optical image stabilizer.
I also add on the Raynox wide angle 0.72x adapter to it so i can get the range from 25mm to 420mm..What a range for anyone to have for everyday use.
I also bought the 3rd party battery grip holder for it too, the grip holds 2 batts, i can shoot for a week or about 500 shots.
Finally. I love this camera, i want to carry it with me everywhere now. I may try to use it in my studio soon..
Good luck
Chao
JV

It's just that good, so well engineered, ergonomic, great menu system, many accessories available. Get yours while it lasts: Panasonic has said it will make no more in this FZ series.

I won't try to compete with the reviewers with OCD who salivate over its technical characteristics. But you will feel good about owning this, believe me.

Get an aftermarket extra battery (lots cheaper than Panasonic's) for those times when you want to capture wide screen video (Yaaaaa! and you can zoom while shooting) along with an SDHC category 6 memory card (for under $80 you can get 16GB cards now!!!!).

You can get accessory lenses but from my experience with a cheaper tele adapter you would be best to pay Panasonic's prices for their tele and wide-angle lens adaptors.

As someone who used to lug around heavy SLR film cameras with a raft of lenses, flash, etc., I have never looked back after using this. It will do most of what a serious photographer wants. Or, spend four to ten times as much for the high-end digital SLRs.

The DMC-TZ5K by Panasonic is a new alternative you might look at also: Amazon will be shipping it in April 2008. I has the new Venus IV processing CPU (engine, they call it) with the capability to capture 720P wide screen video (that's upshiftable to 1080i to your digital TV - wow!). I've ordered one so I'll be able to compare the two. Check my 'all my reviews' button in a month or two.

Link below:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

The FZ-50 is a Leica lens with a very simple body attached to it. The body has a very simple interface, especially if you have ever confronted the back side of a Nikon D200 with its many bells and whistles, menus, buttons, dials, etc. But the body is not the story, it only means a rank amateur can take sharp, beautiful pictures with this camera instead of spending hours studying a 200-page manual on focusing and metering. No, the story is the lens. The clarity and color that comes out of this camera is just wackily good. And there's image stabilization so you can take advantage of its 420 (digital equivalent) millimeters so that speck on the horizon can become your subject. I am a writer. I need to think about what I'm seeing and hearing, so taking pictures is an afterthought. Now the camera thinks for itself so I can concentrate on the right things. Just set the knob to "P" and forget it. Also, a swivel-out viewer means you can shoot from the waist or with the camera over your head if necessary -- or you just want a more interesting angle. If I needed something that would fit in a shirtpocket I would get the next Linux model down from this, also 10 megapixels, also with a Leica lens. Did I mention the price?

Being able to spend many hours on the internet, I did an extensive research to find this camera. Three month of comparing made me buying this camera. It fulfilled its promises and could not be any better. My objective was to have a product which is capable to provide 100% sharpness and top quality pictures under all circumstances - I got it!
I purchased the camera about one month ago, and used for high sensitive application in a clinic, but also privat for the family. No complaints.
Great pictures.
I was hesitating to purchase the FZ50 because of some evaluations regarding "noise" and "white" problems. I was not able to confirm these reports. These matters are really so minor that you have a hard time to find even these problems. The camera worked for me in a superior manner regardles of siruations and light conditions. I tried several other products of equal rank and the FZ50 outperformed every other camera even in higher price range.
The handling and simplicity is amazing. I started in the automatic range and then studied my way through the about 140 page instruction manual, implementing the offered technology step by step. I now developed trust in this camera and learned to use all features. Perfect construction - solid and very handy. I guess the bit larger size is just one advantage for speedy and easy handling. Already after a very short time the handling becomes automatically without searching for the bottons because everything is set up great and the handling becomes natural.
The only thing I was able to improve is the picture quality when using the flash. I added an additional flash which gives me a bit of a warmer tone compared to the build in flash.
Great camera which comes to unbelievable great price, outperforming fashionable brands like Canon and others...
The lens going practically to a zoom is the best and enables to go away from costly additional lenses.
I am happy and certainly would buy the FZ50 anytime again.

The Panasonic DMC-FZ50
I have been reading about this camera for months now both pros and cons
I'll will soon be taking a trip to Cambodia and needed a better Digital camera then what I have now, I have been a Leica owner for years and wanted to by the DMC 1 but too expensive and too much stuff to buy this camera really dose cover a lot of ground like most reviews say Heavy Cumbersome
but takes great pictures is right on the money you would have to invest
thousands to get the same pictures and most people want pictures and thats it, this camera delivers order the HI Speed card for this one it is worth the extra 30 dollars, I live in Reno and the Distro center sent it to me in one day it was at my door a 10AM I bought the $12 dollar Batteries and they work just as well as the original so save your money
buy this camera you will be very happy

This is the best camera I have ever owned, and I think this one is the perfect transition camera if you want to move onto a real SLR. The FZ-50 has a lot of functions you can control manually, which allow you to take some fantastic crisp pictures and the Mega OIS is a major plus.

Any one who wants a lot or little manual control but great pictures, this is the camera for you. The sensors are not at par with SLR's which are twice or thrice as much in cost, but the Leica lenses wont let you down.

All in all its a great buy, its very ergonomic as it is not as bulky as traditional SLR's fits nicely in the hand, and once you get to know all its intricacies its a fantastic toy.

I am a photojournalist with 30+ year's experience, and have been searching for some time for a good point and shoot to carry on my off days. After much research, I narrowed the field down to the Panasonic. I have not been dissapointed. The picture quality is excellent, and the build of the camera is sturdy and substantial. I like to kayak, and really wanted a point and shoot with a substantial zoom to shoot nature while out on the water. This camera has proven a good choice. I wish it were a little wider on the short end of the zoom, but you can't have everything in one camera. The controls are friendly, and after a little handling, it becomes very intuitive. Highly recommended.

If you need a DSLR-like point & shoot camera without the hassle of interchanging lens, this is your camera. It has a decent zoom range (35-420), decent stabilizer to handle movement & shake, decent ISO range, and one nice feature of the lens' moving parts being contained inside itself and allowing for immediate focusing response as you power up the camera.

I think, this Pana. FZ50 is the best camera that you can get, if you do not want to own a SLR. I gave it a three stars, because it does not take AA battery.

I was a owner of Canon products for years, for the past 1.5yrs I have been using a Canon 400D DSLR, I got so tired of lugging around lens and gear that I quit photography all together for a few month's That is until I found the FZ50!

The FZ50 is a remarkable camera for its price, In order to have a DSLR witht he range and quality of the lecia lens you would be spending around $5,000 on lens alone, There is no other comparision for this camera,

It takes excellent Macro, the color range is dynamic, and it has the best EVF I have seen on a camera, The Mega OIS is a better system than Canons Image stabilzation

It came down to the FZ50 and the Canon S5IS, I am so glad I read revviews and picked this Camera

For anyone sitting on the fence about Panasonic Buy this camera now, you will never regret it

I really didn't want to rate this product at this time. Not because of the product, but because of the poor service.

They did not mail it out until the day is was due at my front door step. They had a glitch in their system, recognized it, and sent the product out at Two day-air. (wonderful). Then more glitches happened. They sent the package with a note insisting that I personally sign for it.

They clearly should have asked me first. Like most people, I can't lose work and sit around for a four-hour UPS delivery window. I tried to contact them and get something done, but it didn't work. I called them several times (had to wait "on hold" for 30-45 minutes - BY THE RECEPTIIONIST, OR WHO EVER IS SUPPOSE TO ANSWER THEIR PHONE- each time). I consider that a rude way to conduct business. I also sent emails which to which they promptly responded. They offered serious apologies, but still no camera.

FINALLY, about 7-10 days behind the delivery schedule, the camera arrived. By then I was so disgusted with the company that I refuse to accept this shipment. I was fed up with the vendor.

Of course that called for another round of phone calls to which I was put on hold for over an hour - I finally hung up in disgust. Let me make one thing clear in their defense. The unbeliably bad phone call waits were just to get someone to answer the phone and conect me to the right department. The one or two times I actually got to peak with someone in the right ddepartment was otstanding. They are good people. That is why I waited more than month to offer my comments. They, I blieve, they did their best to get the camera to me. They had nothing to do with the UPS delivery system.

I am still waiting for my refund!!! They don't answer their phone (try calling thei number). They also no longer answer my emails

It's time for me to get Amazon involved. I want my refund!!!

Anyway, I finally brought the camera from another store. IT WORKS WONDERFULLY. BUY IT!

Great deal on this camera. It offers so much in control, and yet will still take a snapshot. It arrived on time, in good order, just as advertised. I was hesitant as it was a third party vendor (Adorama), but it was an excellent deal and completely as advertised.

I agree in full with what everyone says about the image quality and ability to take raw pictures. It is a remarkable camera. One complaint I had was its ability to autofocus in low-light levels. Even manual focusing, which appeared on the screen to be in focus later turned out to be out of focus. I would recommend to them to use a white light focusing mechanism instead of the red light that comes on in low light, near object situations. Cameras I have used with this white light have always autofocused better for me. What confused me(and this is more of an observation that a complaint) was the inclusion of this camera in a 'point and shoot' category. By definition, it is a point and shoot in that it doesn't have a mechanical shutter like the SLR cameras. However, the camera is rather large, and if one is expecting to take this camera in a carry-on on a plane, please refer to the pictures I uploaded using 2 other camera types against this camera.

Purchased FZ50 a year ago, I have a small professional photog business. It replaced the excellent FZ30 (which replaced an FZ20). I also replaced the TZ3 with the TZ5 for a "personal" point-and-shoot camera, so have extensive experience with Lumix. Tried D-SLRs, and other prosumer (mid-range) camera brands. This is a prosumer camera. A good Canon or Nikon D-SLR will take better pictures in many cases, but only if you can wade through the complex menus and understand more than the basics of photography, despite their claims for auto mode. D-SLRs have more options in most cases, but several friends who went D-SLR, thinking they'd get just a fancier 35mm replacement, quickly became unhappy with the complexity, but where they could handle it, the pix were easier to handle in Photoshop 5.0, and a few with CS2. Lumix has an excellent ability to "read" in the auto/scene modes. The FZ50 does have some limitations with hard shadows (can mostly be compensated for), on occasion will be slightly slow in focusing, and its flash (typical in this price range) is barely ok. It's only slightly smaller than a standard 35mm SLR. It has difficulty with action shots: the faster the action the more likely you'll get blur (running, volleyball, etc.). Use of an Extreme III or Ultra II (or other brands' equivalent) helps by speeding up the "write to" cycle significantly, but it just isn't a great action camera. For less than fast action, especially for everyday sunlit or overcast pix, even with movement, it is exceptional. I get many compliments for my work, and with 6.0 or CS3, the color is marvelous, only a hair below D-SLR. The anti-shake helps my old hands (I was a pro 40 years ago). I love the 12X zoom, and while 10.1 Mp files are very large, the 8 Gb (over 4,000 pictures possible), and 16 Gb SDHC cards (over 7,000 possible) are more than most prosumers will need. My TZ5 (8 Mp) will also do over 4,000 with those cards (the counter doesn't go that high, just says "999"). The FZ50, while not a pocket camera, is reasonably light, if (like its 35 mm predecessors) slightly bulky, yet it fits my hand well, and rarely makes my hand/arm tired. Relatively simple menu makes it easier and quicker for those of us who aren't high "techies" or quite as fast as we used to be. Telephoto is quick and smoothe. I hope Lumix continues putting out such great and quality features for a substantially lower price than a D-SLR, I'll keep upgrading. For those who want better than point-and-shoot, but aren't quite ready for expensive complex pro, this a great camera.

I was really on the fence about purchasing this camera but I couldn't be happier that I did. I'm thrilled!! My camera needs were: everyday use, amateur landscape photography, and most importantly product photos for my online business.

This camera takes beautiful product photos. Without even adjusting the settings you can showcase breathtaking details of your products while creating an attractive background blur. This camera delivers beautiful details at a manageable output that's easy to compress for web use.

Things I love:

The macro settings are fantastic! If you need detailed images this camera is perfect.

Low light - My canon point and shoot completely died so I had to hurriedly take a bunch of photos the minute this camera arrived. I took a few hurried shots in low light without changing any settings. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how well the images turned out.

Viewfinder - This has one of the most comfortable/larger viewfinders on digital cameras that I've ever encountered.

LCD - I love how the LCD flips down for optional use and allows you to protect your lcd screen. That you can tilt the screen at angle is fabulous!

Other notes: Definitely purchase a memory card if you don't already own a compatible one for this camera. Without changing file sizes or settings, you can only store 5 pictures with the memory card that is included in this package.

If you love digital cameras but miss the details of your old 35mm camera then this digital camera is for you. Yes, this camera is larger but it's NOT a pocket camera. It feels just like I'm using my 35 mm print camera, something I never thought a digital camera under $500 could ever accomplish.

This is just a great product. The best "bridge" camera on the market. It might be a little noisy at high ISO levels, just like any compact camera. Great cuality price ratio, just everything that you could expect from a compact. Besides, It allows you to be creative and to take decisions about your picture (Manual exposure).

This is the 3rd Panasonic Lumix that I have owned (previous 2 were the FZ5 and the FZ7). Again as with the previous 2, the FZ50 was an upgrade. I mainly upgrade to better enhance my photographic capabilities. I am far from being a pro but a notch higher than a novice. This camera provides flexibility and freedom to take your skills to the next level. First off, I like the 12x optical zoom (which can be extended up to 21x if yo taper down the resolution). There are no gimmicks to this feature, what you see distance-wise in the EVF or LCD is exactly what the lens projects. The 10MP resolution is quite of an overkill considering that you can make oustanding prints in the 5-6MP range. Nevertheless, having the ability to increase/decrease the resolution is very handy and re-assuring. The swivel-screen LCD is also a dynamic feature. Very incrimental if you need to compose an angled shot. The function button (as with the joystick with the smaller FZ models) is a nice feature to have if you want to jump in directly to some features without a longer scroll time on the menu button. The ability to handle SDHC is great considering a lot of the memory cards out there now are high-capacity. The camera itself is light enough to carry for extended periods of time. The flash is strong enough for normal conditions although I would advise you to buy an external flash if you need to compose shots in extra-ordinary conditions. The ergonomics of this camera is simply amazing! I do not have huge hands but it seems to fit my hand at just the right place. Shutter buttons and all the other buttons are easily accessible. There's not a lot of unnecessary movement required. Everything is within handy reach. The ability to shoot at ISO values up to 1600 goes hand in hand with the new OIS abilities although I seldom require shooting at those high ISO figures. The Venus III engine is superb although in my experience, you have to fine tune the NR down to its lowest level (or turned off in some cases) to get an outstanding shot. The MEGA OIS works just right and works all the time. You can actually do a test yourself composing a shot, with the OIS turned ON/OFF to see the difference. And the good thing is, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE! You also have the ability to do RAW with this camera but it is slow. JPEG is still the best. Unless you have a good photo editing software, JPEG will suit you fine in normal operating conditions. The Leica Lens is just superb, sharp and outstanding. No other camera (in my humble opinion) in this price-range and resolution can out-do the things you can be capable of doing. I'm very happy I bought this camera!

I bought this camera used. I had a few 12X cameras, I will be happy with this camera for a long time. It is a work of art to hold and use. I got use to the manual zoom pretty fast. The image quality is excellent. I hear about noise and noise reduction. I can see it, but only at full size on a large lcd monitor. Pixel peepers may see flaws, but in the real world, images from this camera make excellent 11X14 prints, maybe even larger. Colors are accurate, and images are sharp, and performance is pretty fast. It is a beast to carry around, like a family size can of beans around your neck. Still lighter than a SLR with equiv zoom.
The bottom line, this is the best you can get (in my opinion) in a 12X zoom or more, digital camera.

I love my FZ 50! I loved my FZ30 also and it sold me on this one. For what you may spend on a lens for a digital SLR you can have this camera that suits 99% of my needs. A zoom range of 35-420mm (equivalent)tack sharp optics, hot shoe for external flash,rotateable electronic view finder,sturdy construction, and more features than most of us will ever use, this camera is a good value for the money. I was content with the FZ30 but when I saw the FZ50 megapixel lust overtook me! The only drawback I have encountered is when I use a pc sync to my studio lights the camera defaults to F/4.0 which is not enough depth of field/focus for me when I am shooting a group photo. (I know I could solve that problem if I bought the dedicated flash and made it sync to my lights.) It was delivered much faster than when I order from NY based camera stores. Happy hunting- Bill in AZ

I am not a digital camera maven, nor am I highly experienced. I use these devices for my work as a glass artist and I view them from a very utilitarian perspective. The fine points of Venus engine noise issues and sensor size mostly escape me, and I do not analyze image quality with a magnifying glass. Nearly all digital camera images look good to me (Leica lens or not), just like nearly all pizza tastes good to me too. I needed a 10 meg sensor, an articulated lens and a good zoom all with decent battery life. The Lumix FZ 50 delivered on all. The 10 meg sensor was not so I could print out poster sized images with good resolution, but rather so I could shoot an image on site, and later on zoom into details I may not have paid attention to. With my previous 5 meg camera it pixelated too quickly, but the 10 meg gives me the "blow up" I wanted. The articulated lens is something I got used to on my Olympus C5060, and now deem a necessity. I regularly shoot over my head, on the floor, at myself, etc. and the movable LCD lets this happen easily. I never use digital zoom, so a good optical was important, and the FZ 50's is great. I particularly like; The zoom is manual so it is quiet, has less moving parts to fail, uses less power, and is fast. You can also decrease your resolution size and effectively increase your zoom to get really close without resorting to digital zoom. Hand in hand with the sizable zoom is the image stabilization. I had never had this in a camera before and would either lug my tripod around or search for some kind of bracing. While the stabilization is fantastic and does away with some of the aforementioned props, when doing an extreme zoom or very low level lighting I still use a tripod. Starting with a full charge the battery life is more than up to a typical days use for me, but I still bought two extras as their price is so low. I only have a few improvements I would have liked. When using the LCD for a self portrait it does not invert the image. It is a little tricker to frame the shot when it is upside down, and I am puzzled as to why Panasonic did it that way. It would have also been better if the screen flipped out from the top, so you could use it extended while also using a tripod. I would have like a wireless remote. The self timer and corded remote shutter release is OK up to a point, but if I want to get 40 feet away and do multiple shots the wireless would have allowed that. This camera will only shoot RAW and jpgs. Since I was used to TIFF as my default it forces me to think more about my file handling, but I am getting used to it. While the file sizes are smaller, I wonder why Panasonic did not give the user the option for that format. In spite of my minor criticisms, I love this camera and have had no regrets. The more I use it the more I appreciate it. Accessories purchased: Two extra battery packs, Wide Angle lens, remote shutter release, external flash.

I thought this was going to be a great little camera but just because Leica made the lense and Panasonic makes the body doesn't mean that it is quality. Leica also sells the same camera but Leica's software is much better. I don't know if the CCD is the same in both cameras, but the Panasonic has way too much noise in the image. I dumped my camera and bought a Canon 50D. Now this is quality. If you buy a Canon be sure to buy L lenses. Hope this helps.

Almost everything people that rated this camera five stars say is true. Nonetheless, there is one point to be considered: a camera at this price does not have any kind of sealing against moisture, sand or dust. After two years of use it began to freeze. I sent to Panasonic Service Center near Chicago and after six months they sent it back telling me it was better trash it than fix it because the circuits were rusty with moisture. I opened the set to take a look and for my surprise I found out the chassis(board) where the circuits are mounted is the same chassis(board) that hold the straps we use around the neck. Everything else around is just a thin skin, as I told, without any kind of sealing.
Just for you understand what I say is that right now this camera is for sale at 996US$ at Amazon. For 769US$ I bought a Pentax K20D with one lens. The pentax K20D is completed sealed against anything. So, a trashable camera like Lumix DMC FZ50 should cost no more than, let's say 150US$, despite Leica's lenses. So, if you care for the bucks you have in your pocket run from Panasonic

A great camera. It takes just about any kind of picture you want it to take - from landscapes to portraits. The light and the colors come through much better than most digitals.

I purchased an FZ-50 several years ago and have used the heck out of it ever since. It's withstood the beating of being used in a corrosive environment without any problems and continues to turn out quality photos. With it's top-notch Leica optics, it's undoubtedly a better camera than I am a photographer. If there are any shortcomings, they are minor--the lack of a flash sync socket or a "bulb" option on the shutter release being the only two things I've found bothersome. An inexpensive (around $20) hot shoe adapter will take care of the flash sync issue but there's no easy work-around for the shutter release limitation so if you're considering this camera for low-light, tricky flash or astronomical photography, you should look elsewhere. And, of course, the auto-focus and auto-exposure modes can occasionally be flakey, just as with any other automatic camera. Bracketing is always a good idea, especially since the camera makes it so easy to do. But good points of the FZ-50 far outweigh these minor shortcomings. As I mentioned, the optics are as good as you'll find anywhere and the ability to focus, zoom and and adjust exposure settings with honest-to-god, old-fashioned rings on the lens barrel if you choose are almost worth the price of admission all by themselves. No switch-controlled zoom motors in this camera--a huge plus in my book.

All that said, I'm not sure the camera is worth the current price, which is nearly double what I paid for mine. You could buy a DSLR for that price.

Quick Review. This is for the intro photographer to RAW and Manual Settings. Why? Cause you dont have to give up the big zoom of other panasonic cameras (this is 12x-21x depending on resolution). Also, this one has RAW capabilities, and a free RAW editor (wiki it if you dont know what it is, its amazing). Also, the Video with zoom and sound, make this a HD widescreen camcorder (800x450 pixels).

Canon Rebel, yeah, its $700, and yeah, its another $200-300 for lenses, which already puts it double the price of this.

You think these pics arent as amazing, check out my customer images.

This is a very nice camera. I've owned the fZ7, fz8, fz30, and now the fz50 and I'm not disappointed. I would have given it five stars but for the fact I haven't been able to get macro photographs with it like I could
with the other models mentioned.

I suppose with such a big lens you're better off using it for things far away anyhow. I was also unable to take a picture of a house from across
the street. I couldn't get the whole house in the frame. This was a bit
disappointing but I'm still recommending the camera especially for
those who want to bring far away objects closer like wildlife for instance.

It's also quite big, bulky, and heavy so be prepared to lug around a lot of weigh if you're going to carry it far.

It seems to be well made, has good battery life, has a nice heft, and feels good in the hand if you're right handed.

The hinged LCD is nice though I prefer one that hinges on the side so you can let the camera rest against your body while looking down at the LCD.

The viewfinder isn't quite as clear as the fz30 but it's adequate.
Four stars, good camera, shop for a good price. I prefer used that way
I know they work and shouldn't have any issues.