ProductCritic: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 Reviews

Computer Shopper (100)

It’s an excellent 6-megapixel camera with amazingly low noise at ISO 1600, so ultimately the decision hinges on whether you want the 12x zoom lens for shooting faraway subjects or the high ISO performance for shooting in low light. For nature and sports photographers who prefer the former, the FZ50 is a sure-fire winner.

Computer Buyer (100)

Some 10-megapixel cameras fail to live up to their specifications, but the FZ50’s shots were packed with detail, especially in bright conditions. In low light, image noise became a problem and Panasonic’s noise reduction tended to smooth over fine detail too. The problem was typical for a camera of this type, but digital SLRs invariably produce cleaner, more detailed shots in low light.

Photoxels (90)

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.

Megapixel.net (89)

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.

Imaging Resource (86)

In addition to its great lens and optical image stabilizer, the camera offers an impressive 10 megapixels, solid sharpness, bright, punchy, colorful images, and a range of helpful top-flight features. Best of all, this camera is fun to use and makes taking sharp, zoomed-in images a snap for photographers of most skill levels. While some previous Panasonic models suffered from excessive luminance noise even at low ISOs, the Lumix FZ50 with its Venus Engine III LSI image processor seems to have solved those problems.

Digital Camera Resource Page (86)

Do I like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50? Yes, quite a lot. Am I disappointed that Panasonic stuffed a tiny 10 Megapixel sensor into it and then turned the noise reduction to eleven? Very much so.

Cameralabs (84)

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.

Digital Photography Review (84)

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.

Digital Photography Interface (83)

I’d recommend the Panasonic FZ50 to all but those who shoot at higher ISOs (presumably for low-light or spots). For that, you’d need to shoot in RAW and post-process (and the FZ50’s burst mode is for JPEG only) or get a digital SLR. A final note: If you like the FZ50’s lens, then let me tell you that SLR lenses to equal the coverage and speed would cost a whole lot more.

DPexpert (83)

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.

Luminous Landscape (82)

But, looking at the FZ-50 as a whole, what we have is a medium sized digicam of the super-zoom variety. In exchange for its almost DSLR size one gets a very nice 12X zoom lens and a whole raft of contemporary features. The trade off of size is made against the benefit of manual zoom control. The jump from 8MP to 10MP over its predecessor is compensated by its new image processing engine. The quality difference is therefore pretty much a toss, though to my eye leaving something behind when compared with similar featured cameras having lower pixel count chips.

PC Mag (80)

An excellent camera for those who want D-SLR-like quality and performance. It can also shoot video in both standard and 16:9 format at 30 fps.

Let's Go Digital (80)

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!

PhotographyBLOG (80)

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 is simply a joy to use, offering a DSLR-like experience whilst avoiding some of the problems that DSLRs have (principally dust on the sensor and the lack of live view via the LCD screen). It’s a stylish, straight-forward, advanced camera with that 12x Leica zoom lens as its main attraction.

NeoCamera.com (78)

Those looking for a high-resolution digital camera should look elsewhere. The FZ50’s sensor is too noisy to produce quality prints in sizes expected from a 10 megapixels camera. Those looking for a full-featured camera can be quite content with the FZ50’s ergonomics and speedy performance, as long as large prints are avoided.

CNET (74)

If you can get past its large size, Panasonic’s DMC-FZ50 is a decent choice for a superzoom.

Good Gear Guide (60)

While the FZ50 is a reasonably strong advanced camera, a combination of its size, price tag and issues at high sensitivities mean it is only suited to certain buyers.