ross549 Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/store...000000000005702This camera, announced earlier this week, has all the features that I've been looking for since I returned from my deployment.Now I have to wait until september for the camera to become available! :)Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rons Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 It looks like it should be worth the wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 Yep, now I just have to wait and see what the pre-release reviews have to say about it. Its predecessor, the FZ-30, had some problems with image quality at higher ISOs.Hopefully, the new sensor will provide a cleaner picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 I'm actually quite excited to see what Nikon has next: http://nikonimaging.com/global/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 Yeah, but I bet it will cost a lot more! :PAdam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Looks great! :thumbsup:Hope the reviews are good enough to make it a worthwhile investment.Nikon definitely does an awesome group of cameras but you will definitely pay for that quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Why limit yourself to a fixed lens??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 I thought long and hard about going with a DSLR.But in the end, due to the fact that I am not yet what I would consider an "advanced" or even "intermediate" photographer, I do not think that buyng a DSLR would be worth the price. The Panasonic, however, has quite a few few "manual" features that will get me on the way to purchasing a DSLR in the future. Not to mention it is cheaper, and I do not have unlimited funds yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 (edited) What price range are we talking about?If a DSLR is not your thing... the Canon S80 is hard to beat in a point-n-shoot and it fits in your pocket. All for $400. Add the Canon under water housing and then select the under water white balance and you can shoot under water.It's what I carry when not lugging around the Canon 10D and 30D and a bag of lenses.Check out these shots from the S80 (shot in Costa Rica in March)http://www.udrogoth.com/Costa_RicaEspecially image 0117 (check the detail in the Iguana) Edited July 25, 2006 by Marsden11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Marsden,I have a point & shoot right now..... Canon SD400. It is a great camera, and survived my deployment with only a little bit of salt to clean out of the camera, and one dent in the casing which did not affect the camera in any way. I wish I knew where the dent came from, but since I carried that camera in my pocket the entire deployment, I was certainly not surprised that it did get a bit banged up.The Panasonic camera has a MSRP of ~650. I know that price will easily be beat once the camera comes out.In any case, I was looking for a camera with:- Optical (not digital) Image Stabilization- At least 10X zoom- At least 8MP images- Good movie mode- Plenty of manual controls- Manual zoom and focus rings (with the options for auto)- SD card slot- Reasonably good sensorNow from what I've been reading, the sensore seems to be the Achilles' Heel in the little brother to the FZ50, the FZ30. It looks like Panasonic may have done some work in that area, utilizing some new image processing after taking the shot.I will be keeping an eye on this camera and the reviews when they come out. I hope that the image quality issues with the FZ30 are at least partly resolved. If so, I will be purchasing this camera.;)Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 (edited) Not sure why you need image stabilization in a intergrated camera-lens. Not realy that heavy to cause camera shake. Take my Canon 30D and stick my Canon 100-400mm L IS zoom on and you feel right away why the lens has built in IS. Two seperate modes in fact. No matter...I'm really curious to see what kind of image you get with the lens at it's maximum tele length of 420mm compared to my Canon 100-400mm, which in reality is 640mm at 400mm (with 1.6 lens factor).I see your lens can only stop down to F11... The Canon goes to F32. You loose quite a few stops there...We'll have to make a comparision with yours at 420mm and mine at 260mm (416mm with the 1.6 lens factor) Edited July 25, 2006 by Marsden11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Those were the untouched ones... you should see what photoshop can do... especially on the under water shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Not sure why you need image stabilization in a intergrated camera-lens. Not realy that heavy to cause camera shake. Take my Canon 30D and stick my Canon 100-400mm L IS zoom on and you feel right away why the lens has built in IS. Two seperate modes in fact. No matter...Well, at the extreme end of the zoom, camera shake would certainly be an issue. I used to own a Nikon CoolPix 5700, which did not have any kind of stabilization. Some images tended to get blurry at te max zoom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzButt Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I browsed your Costa Rica images as well. That cannon takes great pictures. I like 1305 the butterfly pictures came out great. The Waterfall shot looks great too. My Nikon 3100 likes to freeze the water and I would rather it blur a bit where as my Minolta SLR I can set easily for whatever I want. There in lies the big rub for digitals. It takes too long and it too difficult to tell what all the pictograms mean when you want a certain type of picture. Some day’s I would rather have the dials and do it my self.My next camera will be a 10MP DSLR to replace my 20 year old Minolta X700 that has been on most of my vacations. I have not shot on film in years though. What I want in a DSLR are:• Quality lens selections. I use a 28-110 for the most part on the SLR I have now.• AA/CRV3 battery capability. The only thing worse than running out of memory is not having charged batteries and no way of charging them. I don't care if the OEM batteries last longer if I am in the middle of no where the local gas station will have new AA's I can toss in.• 8-10MP at least. With extremely fast built-in memory so fast action is not an issue. I shot a gold cup boat race and missed many good pictures waiting for the pictures to process/save. • Be able to handle the cold weather. My Nikon can fit in my shirt pocket to stay warm but a larger DSLR is going to fit in a back-pack while out adventuring.• Digital stabilization would be nice but only if there is a way to turn it off.• Large LCD is a must• Forget the usb interface. The cables are too small. I would rather take the memory out and use a card reader and save battery life anyway. WiFi or bluetooth would be interesting but taking the card out and transferring is probably quicker.• Finally go back to using buttons and dials that are simple to read and use. I don't want to think when to use what special setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 FuzzButt, then you may be the right kinda customer for Sony's new Alpha 100 dSLR: http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/2417/hands...a-100-dslr.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 DSLRs offer features like battery gripes thay allow you add a second battery thus prolonging your shooting ability.1800 shots to 1200 shots using the flash 50%. Regardless, I always carry extra batteries in my bag. The charger is pretty small as well.The better the camera, the larger the onboard picture cache. It also doesn't hurt to purchase Sandisk Extreme III or IV CF cards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 Dpreview has taken a look at the camera:http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz50/ 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. If this had been a mould-breaking 5 or 6 megapixel with excellent low noise performance throughout the ISO range (and particularly up to ISO 800) it would no doubt have performed considerably better and would have been an easy choice for a Highly Recommended. As it is it just squeezes in thanks to its many other outstanding qualities - and only for those users who can live without anything over ISO 200.Seems that the noise reduction built into the camera can produce "smeary' images when viewed at 100% crop. Overall, not a big deal for me, since I willnot print posters with the images from the camera. I am, however, looking for a camera that performs well in many situations. The specs on this camera about what i was looking for. So, once the money comes together, I will be making the purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 The low ISO is not a problem? One of the biggest features keeping disposable film cameras alive are ISOs of 400 and above... And that is not about smearing pixels but greater latitude in low light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted September 10, 2006 Author Share Posted September 10, 2006 No, the ISO issue is not that large of a problem for me. I have always viewed my upcoming camera as a bridge type of camera.... one that I can use and learn the features of an SLR without the SLR price and size. I also wanted a camera that was not as large as an SLR, since I am not excited at the prospect lugging one around plus a couple lenses.This camera has all the features I want without the massive price tag.Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted September 23, 2006 Author Share Posted September 23, 2006 http://cowsmilk.net/index.php?module=article&view=227Well, I took the plunge and purchased the camera..... very nice! I will be playing with it over the next few days and giving my impression fot he camera overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted September 24, 2006 Author Share Posted September 24, 2006 Over my dead body! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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