 You
are here: Home
>
Digital Camera Reviews > Panasonic
FZ50 |
Panasonic FZ50 Review
|
Review
Date: Oct 30, 2006 |
Category:
Prosumer
- Advanced Amateur
USER'S EXPERIENCE
Friday, September 29, 2006 - Here's what I receive
in the box:
- Panasonic FZ50 (Silver body)
- 32MB SD memory card
- Shoulder Strap
- Lens cap and Lens Hood
- Rechargeable Li-ion Battery and Battery Charger
- Interface Cables: A/V, USB
- English and French Instruction Manuals: Operating
Instructions
- Software CDs: Digital Camera 2.4 (ArcSoft
PhotoImpression 5, ArcSoft Panorama Maker 3,
Silkypix Developer Studio 2.0SE, Lumix Simple
Viewer 1.1E, Panasonic PHOTOfunSTUDIO -viewer-
1.1E, USB Driver 1.0)
I just finished reviewing a top-end DSLR before
I did the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and
was struck at the large difference between how
a DSLR handled and how a non-DSLR -- even a prosumer
one -- did. But, even though the difference is
substantial, the FZ50 comes the closest to
a SLR-like experience. In fact, the Panasonic
FZ50 provides many SLR-like features that are
implemented very well and makes it truly enjoyable
to use. This, from a company that only recently
ventured into manufacturing digital cameras, is
a major accomplishment.
The Panasonic FZ50 has the two dials so prevalent
on DSLRs. It is interesting to note that the Rear
Dial does not naturally fall under your thumb.
In fact, you need to arch your thumb a bit back
to reach the Rear Dial. You would think this is
bad, and so did I at first. But consider that
if it did fall right under your thumb then everytime
you picked up the camera and held it with your
right hand, your thumb would more often than not
inadvertently rotate that Rear Dial, with possible
disastrous exposure results. (I quickly found
that out with the Nikon D200 and you can read
all about it in the upcoming review.)
Like a couple of other camera manufacturers,
Panasonic insists in placing Playback on the Mode
Dial. This is usually a great bother because you
need to rotate the dial from your preferred shooting
mode eveytime you need to review your images.
If you the see a picture and want to take it,
you'd have to first rotate the dial back to P,
A, S or M before you can shoot; by that time,
the moment could have passed and an apportunity
missed.
But, the Panasonic FZ50 circumvents this irritation
with the REView button (CURSOR DOWN). REV not
only allows you to see the last image you've taken,
but you can also scroll through all the images
on your memory card, then delete one, many or
all. Touch the Shutter Button, and you're instantly
back in your shooting mode. Te review movies,
you unfortunately cannot use REV and have to go
into Playback.
With Picture Adjustment, you can customize the
Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation and Noise Reduction
level desired.
I find the MF FOCUS option to be very convenient
when you want to PREFOCUS on a position (e.g when
panning). Set camera to MF, press the MF FOCUS
Button to quickly focus using AF. Now the camera
is prefocused and the focus won't change when
you finally press the Shutter Release Button.
The flip-out LCD is similar to those found on
the Canon's consumer digital cameras, but because
it does so at the bottom of the camera (instead
of at the side), it seems less functional.
I'm not sure how many of you take pictures above
your head or surreptitiously at right angle, but
I would guess not too many and not too often.
You can do all that with the FZ50's LCD. However,
I find that macro and other low-angle shots cry
out for a LCD that can be rotated at an angle
for comfortable viewing, and the FZ50's flip-out
LCD fulfills that need perfectly.
Usually with high resolution EVFs (the FZ50 EVF
has 235K pixels), I have sometimes noticed that
my eyesight suffers a bit after using it for a
long time. I've not noticed any problem with the
FZ50's EVF.
One of the most endearing feature of the FZ50
is, of course, the manual zoom. It is simply a
delight to use, allowing you to zoom at the speed
you want and to stop at any focal length. It is
smooth, precise and the lens does not extend past
the barrel! You can also zoom during picture recording
and produce special zoom effects (such as my not-so-inspiring
example below, but you get the idea).
It's not only that the FZ50 has tons of practical
features, it's the way they are implemented and
accessed intuitively. I like the FUNCTION button
for quick exposure setting changes; the MF FOCUS
button that focuses quickly using AF in MF mode
then lets you rotate the manual (fly-by-wire)
focus ring for spot on focus; the Front and Rear
Dials (à-la-SLR) for shutter speed, aperture,
program shift and exposure compensation control;
the flip out LCD for easy low-to-the-ground composition
(I find I don't really need it for any other use);
super silky smooth zoom and effective optical
image stabilization.
Is the Panasonic FZ50 perfect? I love it, enough
to award it an Editor's Choice. But there is a
caveat: noise is a problem with Panasonic's image
sensor. The fact that the Panasonic FZ50 can only
be used at ISO 100 (and perhaps ISO 200) for professionally
acceptable detail and noise level is the only
major disappointment I experienced with an otherwise
almost perfect "bridge" prosumer digital
camera. In this respect, the ISO 1600 and "Intelligent
ISO" features are just so much marketing
"noise."
To summarize, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
is without doubt the best of the prosumer/advanced
amateur models, coming close to a SLR-experience
and absolutely enjoyable to use in the field.
As long as you stay within ISO 100 (and perhaps
ISO 200), you can be guaranteed of very good to
excellent image quality, and I recommend it on
this basis. (If you absolutely need low noise
at high ISOs, it's time for you to cross the "bridge"
over to a DSLR.) It has only the "low noise/good
detail at high ISO" hurdle to overcome. Achieve
this and the Panasonic FZ50 may well become the
standard by which all other "bridge"
prosumer digital cameras are measured against.
|
|
|
