Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ50

[minimeeze]

Does anyone have this camera? The OH has decided he'd like a camera for his birthday and has plumped for this one. He doesn't want a DSLR as it'll be too complicated for him and he doesn't want the hassle of having to cart around a load of lenses, despite my best efforts at trying persuade him to have a D40 or D50.

Any opinions? :shrug:

 

[whiteflyer]

My dad has one of these, and I must say that in good light it's very good. The 12x zoom and IS really is fantastic. Very well build and easy to use, but has full manual control too.
On the negative there is lot of picture noise at high ISOs, but keep it at 100 and the images are fine.

My dad is on the forums too, so maybe he'll post to say how he likes it.

 

[minimeeze]

Thanks Whiteflyer - have heard that there seems to be a lot of noise on these cameras.

 

[Gandhi]

Hi Min,

I used to have an FZ30 and many of the pictures I first posted here were taken with that. It was a fantastic camera, the lens was as sharp as nikon pro glass and canon L stuff. Noise was an issue above about iso 200 but I mostly used it for landscape stuff so left it on iso 80 and used a tripod.

The FZ50 has harsher NR software than the 30, so the jpegs come out of the camera looking a bit soft and watercoloury at higher iso's. Not a problem if you can teach him indoors to shoot raw and process after.

Noise ninja and neat image do a very good job of cleaning up noise as does DxO labs raw processor, which has profiles for the paasonic cameras.

If I was in the market for a bridge camera I would definately get one again, but would try and find a 30 rather than the 50. The extra 2mp means no more detail as it's all destroyed with sensor noise.

Might be best to take a card to shop and get a few test shots to look at home first?


Hope that helps?


(p.s. We need another meet in the south cos I owe you a sausage supper!)



P.P.s If you want, I can mail you some raw files out of the FZ30 so you can have a look at them in detail. Just PM me!

 

[minimeeze]

Hi Min,

I used to have an FZ30 and many of the pictures I first posted here were taken with that. It was a fantastic camera, the lens was as sharp as nikon pro glass and canon L stuff. Noise was an issue above about iso 200 but I mostly used it for landscape stuff so left it on iso 80 and used a tripod.

The FZ50 has harsher NR software than the 30, so the jpegs come out of the camera looking a bit soft and watercoloury at higher iso's. Not a problem if you can teach him indoors to shoot raw and process after.

Noise ninja and neat image do a very good job of cleaning up noise as does DxO labs raw processor, which has profiles for the paasonic cameras.

If I was in the market for a bridge camera I would definately get one again, but would try and find a 30 rather than the 50. The extra 2mp means no more detail as it's all destroyed with sensor noise.

Might be best to take a card to shop and get a few test shots to look at home first?


Hope that helps?


(p.s. We need another meet in the south cos I owe you a sausage supper!)



P.P.s If you want, I can mail you some raw files out of the FZ30 so you can have a look at them in detail. Just PM me!

Thanks for the input Ghandi - very helpful, and I think you've just sold it to us!

Yes, another southern meet sounds like a great idea. We'll have to arrange one for sometime in the summer!

 

[Baldy Bob]

I've had one for a few months now and it is great. Yes there is noise issues at higher ISO, but I do nostly day shoots anyway. Also as it has TTL I have invested in an Olympus FL 36 flash to light the gloom. I have now got to learn to get the best from the new flash.

 

[minimeeze]

Thanks!
I took the plunge and bought him one anyway - I'm impressed by what I've seen so far. The only niggle I have with it is the viewfinder, as it's a digital image rather than an actual image (if that makes sense), but then I don't have to use it, and boyfriend seems happy with it!