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The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 is a prosumer digital camera with a large 12x Optical Zoom lens, 10.2 megapixel image sensor (CCD), ISO of up to 1600 (using their new intelligent ISO control which detects movement in shots and beefs up the ISO rating automatically) and 16:9 VGA video.
The FZ50 also featres image stabilization, is claimed to have less noise than it's predecessor (the FZ30) as a result of it's Venus Engine III technology, a flip out 2.0 inch LCD and faster auto focus.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 will hit stores in September 2006 (no mention of price yet).
Compare prices on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and Get the Latest Price on the "Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20K at Amazon
Featuring Intelligent Image Stabilizer by MEGA O.I.S. and World’s First* Intelligent ISO Control
*For a digital still camera, as of July 19, 2006.
Panasonic today introduced the 10.1-megapixel LUMIX DMC-FZ50 with MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) featuring powerful 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 35 mm to 420 mm on a 35 mm film camera) f/2.8 LEICA DC lens, as a successor to the DMC-FZ30, which has received high acclaim worldwide.
The DMC-FZ50 boasts a 10.1-megapixel high resolution CCD for its image sensor and Venus Engine III for the image processing LSI, making it possible to record a image at max. ISO 1600 high sensitivity setting at full resolution. Furthermore, by dramatically reducing the noise levels that challenged its predecessor, the DMC-FZ50 is able to capture 10.1-megapixel full resolution images even in high sensitivity recording.
To fight against the major cause of blurred images, Panasonic invented the MEGA O.I.S. system taking advantage of its superior lens technology to compensate for handshake – a feature which has long been incorporated into the LUMIX range of cameras. In addition, to also compensate for the other major cause of blurred images – movement of the subject – the FZ50 is also equipped with the world’s first* Intelligent ISO Control (hereafter I.I.C.) within the advanced image processing LSI Venus Engine III. When set to the I.I.C, the Venus Engine III detects the subject’s movement and adjusts the ISO setting and shutter speed to best suit the subject movement and the light condition automatically. Panasonic’s excellent image stabilizing system allows users to take clear, crisp images in any situation automatically, leaving everything to the camera.
From a point of view of further improving the usability of its predecessor, the DMC-FZ50 is equipped with a new Function Button which serves as a shortcut to quickly set frequently-used settings such as recording image size, light metering, AF area, white balance, and ISO sensitivity. Also, thanks to the newly incorporated custom setting function, your frequent setting patterns can be memorized and it can be instantly applied by simply selecting this function with the mode dial. The 2-inch LCD flips out to 180 degrees, making it easier to view even when shooting from high or low angles. As for optional accessories, the DMC-FZ50 is now compatible with TTL external flashes. Finally, the battery life is greatly extended by approx. 29% compared with its predecessor allowing the FZ50 to shoot approx. 360 images on one charge* (CIPA).
The LUMIX DMC-FZ50 faithfully inherits the well received basic specifications from its predecessor FZ30 such as the manual focus ring and manual zoom ring, yet enhances the image sensor up to 10.1-megapixel. Noise is drastically reduced with this new FZ50 achieving a rendition of even higher quality images. The DMC-FZ50 is bound to spark the imagination of high-end users and join the Panasonic LUMIX high-end model lineup.
* Based on the CIPA standard.
10.1-megapixel CCD and f/2.8 12x optical zoom LEICA DC lens
The DMC-FZ50 includes a 10.1-megapixel high resolution CCD and the f/2.8 LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 35 mm to 420 mm with a 35 mm film camera) lens. The lens unit is comprised of fourteen elements in ten groups including three aspherical lenses and an ED lens, All these are incorporated to generate low distortion and high optical performance while preserving the compactness of the unit. The Extra Optical Zoom, made possible by using the center part of the 10.1-megapixel high resolution CCD, further extends the powerful 12x optical zoom to up to 21.4x for 3-megapixel image recording (17.1x for 5-megapixel and13.4x for 8-megapixel recording). High resolution images with richer gradation are always assured with these LEICA DC 12x optical zoom lens and the 10.1-Megapixel CCD.
More than just a MEGA O.I.S., LUMIX’s image stabilizing system further evolves
Taking advantage of its superior lens technology, Panasonic invented the MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) system to fight against the major cause of blurred images. It compensates for handshake and is now featured on the entire LUMIX range, and has been highly evaluated and appreciated by the users across the world. Every slight hand-shake movement is detected accurately with the sampling frequency at 4,000 times per second and will be compensated to render clear, sharp images. In addition, movement of the subject, the other major cause of blurred images, is suppressed by the advanced image processing LSI Venus Engine III with the Intelligent ISO Control (hereafter I.I.C.) and max.ISO1600 high sensitivity recording capabilities. The world’s first incorporation* of this I.I.C. allows the automatic adjustment of the suitable ISO setting and shutter speed that best suits the situation by analyzing the speed of subject movement. If the subject is moving, the ISO setting would automatically rise to allow high shutter speed. On the other hand, if the subject is still and no movement is detected, you can take beautiful natural images with a low ISO setting.
Accordingly the new LUMIX automatically takes the best countermeasures against any causes of blurred images with MEGA O.I.S. compensating for hand-shake and the I.I.C. compensating for movement of the subject. Image stabilizing system is further evolving with LUMIX.
*For a digital still camera, as of July 19, 2006.
Dramatically reduced noise with Venus Engine III
The DMC-FZ50 adopts the Venus Engine III to realize high sensitivity recording at max. ISO 1600 at full resolution. The noise reduction system is greatly improved by removing noise at the processing stages in series. First, critical noise is roughly undraped and the chromatic noise and the luminance noise are separated to respectively go through the supplemental noise reduction process so that the remaining noise is appropriately minimised. In addition, chromatic aberration is also reduced so beautiful images are assured even in telephoto shooting.
Despite the significantly increased performance of the camera, the Venus Engine III consumes only 80% of the power utilized by the Venus Engine II and is able to achieve a longer battery life of approx. 360 pictures (CIPA) on a single charge. With its multi-task image processing capability, the Venus Engine III also boasts outstanding response time with an industry-leading level of shutter release time lag of as short as 0.009 sec*. minimum and the shutter interval of 0.8 sec*. Together with the fast startup time of approx. 0.7 sec., the quick response of DMC-FZ50 enables easy capture of those spur-of-the-moment shots. The DMC-FZ50 also allows unlimited consecutive shooting up to the capacity of the SD/SDHC memory card***.
* Not including the time for AF.
**The number of recordable pictures depends on the memory card size, battery life,
picture size and image compression.
Intensifying functionality in pursuit of full manual controllability
The DMC-FZ50 succeeds the high operational ease and the good design that have been highly acclaimed with its predecessor DMC-FZ30. Two exclusive rings on the lens barrel provide manual control of zooming and focusing, allowing quick and fine control that cannot be achieved with button or lever operation. This feature will be highly valued by high-end users not only for its precise controllability but also for the feeling of manual operation. With the two dials located under the index finger and the thumb, you can compensate the exposure directly in addition to the shutter speed and the aperture smoothly and naturally. The newly added Function Button serves as a shortcut exclusively for the commonly used settings such as recording image size, light metering, AF area, white balance, and ISO sensitivity, allowing them to be set easily.
For further improvement, your frequent setting patterns can be memorized and can be instantly applied by just selecting the newly incorporated custom setting function. White balance now can be finely adjusted with a reference to the horizontal axis for amber to blue and vertical axis for green to magenta. Furthermore two composition guideline patterns can be overlaid on the normal shooting screen.
Free-angle LCD and high resolution EVF to extend shooting potential
The 2.0-inch flip-out 207k high resolution LCD is adjustable to 180 degrees both vertically and horizontally. This assists smooth shooting even in high- and low-angle shooting positions. The pixel mixed readout method performed at the CCD achieves high sensitivity to offer sufficient brightness for easy shooting even in low-lit situations. The Power LCD function boosts the brightness level by 40% to secure clear view even in sunny outdoors. The DMC-FZ50 is also equipped with the 235 k pixels high resolution EVF to encourage active shooting. Not OVF but EVF can provide the benefit of being able to check white balance, real-time histogram and the DOF(depth of field) before shooting.
Faster AF
The AF mode can be selected according to the shooting situation: 9-point, 3-point high speed, 1-point high speed, 1-point normal speed and Spot. In the 1-point and 1-point high speed AF mode, the AF area is selectable from the nine focusing areas with the joystick to best fit the composition of the subjects. Also, the AF assist lamp facilitates quick, accurate focusing in situations where focusing is difficult due to the lack of light.
Clear, bright, wide VGA motion image recording for viewing on wide screen TV
In addition to standard VGA (640x480) at 30 fps motion image recording, the DMC-FZ50 also records stunning full-size movies in wide-aspect VGA (848x480) at 30 fps. Shooting is one thing but viewing is another, and you will be suitably impressed by the 16:9 moving image when it is displayed on a wide screen TV. The brightness level of these motion images is also enhanced as a result of the pixel mixed readout method performed by the CCD. Zooming in while recording motion images is also possible with the manual zoom ring, while image clarity is secured by the Optical Image Stabilizer.
Included software and optional accessories
To edit and develop RAW files, the “SILKYPIX Developer Studio 2.0SE” software application is bundled with the DMC-FZ50. Using this software, you can freely adjust various setting such as exposure, white balance, and so on afterward with the RAW files to take maximum advantage of digital camera photography enjoyment.
The DMC-FZ50 is compatible with all the same accessories as the FZ30. In addition to those, the DMC-FZ50 is also compatible with the TTL external flash (GN50 or GN36). This expandability enhances the potential of shooting to make DMC-FZ50 a true high end camera.
DMW-LT55 Tele conversion lens
DMW-LW55 Wide conversion lens
DMW-LND55 ND filter
DMW-LMC55 MC protector
DMW-LC55 Close-up lens
DMW-RSL1 Remote shutter
DMW-AC7 AC adaptor
CGR-S006 Lithium ion Battery (710 mAh)
DMW-FL500 External Flash (GN50)
DMW-FL360 External Flash (GN36)
DMC-CZA30 Leather Case
The DMC-FZ50 will be available from September 2006.
DP Review has posted their review of the Panasonic DMC-FZ50 where they write - 'And so, to sum up; for the serious user the FZ50 is without doubt the best equipped, best specified and best handling 'bridge camera' on the market today, and under the right conditions it produces superb output. It is a rewarding and enjoyable photographic tool that - once you've learned its quirks - offers a compact 'all-in-one' solution to anyone wanting a huge zoom range without all that lens changing and all that bulk. Inevitably this involves a certain amount of compromise; the smearing of fine, low contrast detail that is the hallmark of the Venus III engine limits the FZ50 to low ISO settings for any serious photography unless you're happy to accept that you'll never be able to produce big enlargements. For me this is an acceptable compromise, and - though I wish Panasonic would drop the megapixel race and concentrate on picture quality - it does produce excellent printed results.'
Camera Labs reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 where they write - 'we’re still awarding the FZ50 our Recommended rating simply because despite its problems, it remains one of the best super-zooms around and is available at a compelling price. The zoom range is massive, the optical quality of a very high standard, and thanks to effective stabilisation, it’s quite possible to shoot static subjects under low light at 100 ISO and enjoy excellent results. And remember it's smaller, lighter and cheaper than most DSLRs while thrashing kit lenses in terms of range, quality and stabilisation, not to mention having no worries over dust. In these respects it’s a great camera, but don’t kid yourself you’ve got 10 Megapixel quality at anything other than the lowest sensitivities.'
CNET reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50K and gives it a rating of 7.4. They write - 'Overall, images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 were impressive, especially for a Panasonic, whose cameras tend to be noisier than this one. We still saw some noise, even at its lowest ISO, but some of this may have been worsened by compression artifacts, which showed up to turn some diagonal and curved lines jaggy. Exposures were generally accurate, and colors were well saturated. Also, we saw very little distortion from the lens at its midpoint and also at its furthest telephoto settings. At its widest, the lens showed some noticeable barrel distortion, though you'll likely notice it only if you're shooting something with straight lines, such as a skyscraper or a telephone pole. For a non-SLR lens, it's very sharp. We saw lots of crisp, fine detail in our shots at lower ISOs.'
Photoxels reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and writes - '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.'
DPexpert reviews the Panasonic DMC–FZ50 camera and writes - 'The Panasonic is a difficult camera to rate. The lens and image processing are so good and the image stabilisation so effective that you want to love it. And for static images it is hard to beat. For a tourist this could be the ideal camera. But for taking pictures of moving subjects it is simply too slow in its responses. You are almost always a beat behind the action. The FZ50 is perfect for Venice but a letdown at the school sports day.'
Lets Go Digital reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and writes - 'In practice, the Panasonic Lumix FZ50 left an excellent impression. It truly is a pleasant camera to work with; comfortable in your hand and solid to the touch. In fact, it feels just as if you were working with a digital SLR camera. However, the Panasonic FZ50 is a whole lot cheaper than a DSLR with this type of focal point and image stabilisation! This certainly makes the Panasonic FZ50 worth considering. Although you will lose out on a certain degree of speed; particularly the image speed when shooting continuously, you will find user ease and convenience are prime aspects of this camera. All in all, we can only conclude that the FZ50 is a very mature and complete digital camera, as well as the ideal substitute for a DSLR camera. Although there certainly is room for improvement, especially where the high ISO settings are concerned, we can look back on a successful concept. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 is an advanced digital Megazoom camera that will undoubtedly appeal to the creative photographer. A shining star!'
Megapixel reviews the Panasonic DMC-FZ50 and writes - 'It seems the DMC-FZ50, although slightly more prone to noise than its 8-megapixel predecessor, should offer as good an image quality as the FZ30 had. Yet, when set to capture JPEG images, artefacts are visible, and the results are disappointing. In our opinion this is due to the in-camera image processing, as when 100 ISO images are captured in RAW format and processed using Silkypix, the results are very good.'
Imaging Resource has a review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and writes, "While digital SLRs continue to come down in price, all-in-one ultra zoom cameras like the 10.1 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 are there to answer the call with incredibly long, high-quality zoom lenses. In the Lumix FZ50's case, it's the manually controlled 12x Leica-branded lens that makes the camera compelling. Other helpful features on the Panasonic FZ50 include MEGA O.I.S., the speedy Venus Engine III LSI image processor, and top-flight functionality including a very good movie mode, a new Intelligent ISO Control option, and a new Function button for easily switching commonly used settings such as ISO and White Balance. Despite some chroma noise when shooting at ISO 800 and above, and a couple of speed bumps in the camera's general operations, the Panasonic FZ50 provides a very attractive alternative to entry-level digital SLRs."
Compare prices on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and Get the Latest Price on the "Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20K at Amazon
Posted by Darren in our Panasonic category on July 19, 2006