Panasonic DMC-FZ50EB-K Digital Camera - Black (10.1MP, 12x Optical Zoom) 2.0" LCD

What a great camera. It has been superseded now , but when I left my previous one out in the rain and ruined it, I immediately replaced it with the same model. The results, definition etc is fantastic. Only complaint is that it is so well made that it is a bit heavy. But still lighter than carrying a load of lenses around .

Bought as 'brown box' but came with all the bits, superb zoom allowing less lenses to be carried, and still seems to command good price this year (2014) second hand. I have other cameras that dont get used much due to versatilty of this camera. Have tried once last year to sell but had no proper bids, so am still mulling idea over, only from point of view that other cameras have better zoom.

The camera I had ordered arrived today. It appears to be everything I expected. The service was speedy and excellent.

Since receiving this Camera, I have had nothing but pure joy using it and capturing literally thousands of really great pictures. It took me a little while to learn my way round, simply because I'm a hobby-phtographer and this has been the first really excellent camera I've owned. I can highly recommend this camera to anyone who really loves great results and reliabilty.

I have huge regard for this camera, having taken many thousand shots without a problem. It replaced a Nikon outfit, and I was so pleased that the all-in-one zoom enabled me to be free of all those lenses and weight. Then, Thursday week ago, I dropped it in a salt-water rock pool on the island of Jersey. Horrors - *fizz-pop* went the battery as the circuits shorted. I'm having it checked by the insurer but doubt it'll survive. If it really is a goner, I'll almost certainly replace it with another Panasonic model.

I purchased this camera in April 2007 after reading rave reviews from many amateur to professional camera sites and blogs. It has not disappointed me yet. I bought the black version, which looks like a serious contender to all market leading SLRs, which is what it is intended for. This probably is the best bridging camera so far available. Its Leica lens with manual zoom and focus ring gives it almost an SLR feel, without the hassle of the multiple lens changes required with an SLR. The fully manual override option is fantastic adding to the SLR functionality. The menu is easy to use. The function option gives you some customisability too. The Optical image stabilisation is an excellent tool, which you will realise is the most practical aspect in the camera soon enough; you cannot live without it. The battery life is good, with 300-350 snaps taken easily with one charge. But I do have a back up battery just in case. The lens hood is a useful accessory, especially in bright settings. The rotating LCD panel is a beauty. I find this extremely useful when taking pictures of my children at odd angles, especially when they are fooling around on the floor. It is also quite handy at parties, when you want to take photos over other people's heads. Indoor photography is no concern. Set it in intelligent ISO mode and the camera comes out with beautiful pictures. You would be the envy of your friends, when seen lugging this beauty. Even some digital SLRs during our latest party from work could not hold a candle to my Panny, in terms of the oohs and aahs it generated. Now, there has been a lot of criticism about the noise it produces, especially at high ISO settings and its noise reduction engine and software. As an amateur who wants a bit of excitement in photography, this, in my opinion is no big deal at all. What I would suggest is use the lowest ISO (definitely no more than 400) and turn off noise reduction. Or for the uninitiated, just use Auto ISO or Intelligent ISO setting. You cannot go wrong. Get a good filter to protect your lens - it is a must. I have a HOYA filter 55 mm.

I spent a long time looking at this camera compared to the Canon S3, Fuji S9500 and Sony H2/H5 and even some low end DSLR's. The picture quality (in my opinion) beats the other point and shoot camera's but of course not the DSLR's. But then to get the equivalent lenses (with image stabilisation) would be BIG money. I just love the versatility this camera offers - that you can take a macro followed by a 12x zoom shot without digging into a heavy bag of lenses. The Optical image stabilisation, movie mode, swivel screen, Leica lens, raw mode, user friendliness and sheer 'wow factor' make this just simply an awesome camera. I highly recommend it

Ich habe die Kamera seit längerem im Einsatz und sie funktioniert einwandfrei . Da ich nicht tausende Bilder mache sondern nur bei meinen Besichtigungen, bin ich genau damit zufrieden auch brauche ich viele Extras nicht . Die Kamera bietet mehr als ich brauche und hat eine gute Auflösung der Blitz funktioniert einwandfrei. War ein guter Kauf der meine Bedürfnisse voll abdeckt zu einem guten Preis 🥇

In the past, I've owned or used several Panasonic Lumix models. All were good digital cameras. The FZ-50, however, is something very special. The Leica approved lens design is, as always, superbly sharp. From a butte with a 50+ mile view, landscapes of wheat fields were crisp and highly detailed and the 10 megapixel images withstood enlargement well. Color fidelity is also excellent though a bit on the muted side: easy enough to quickly correct in any image editing program. The new optical image stabilization (OIS) algorithm which compensates for both hand shaking and subject movement is absolutely brilliant and works incredibly well. The ability to shoot at ISO values up to 1,600 goes hand in hand with the new OIS abilities. No one could resist testing a handheld digital camera in a dim environment at ISO 1600. Needless to say, the images are noisy. But at ISO 1600, what would you expect? Handheld photos shot at 1/20th of a second at ISO 1600 in a dim restaurant were filled with both detail and noise. Remarkably the color balance was very well-handled: the incadescent restaurant lights were recorded faithfully along with the neon and halogen lamplight streaming in through the blinds from outside. Very, very impressive. Much of the noise could be ameliorated in Photoshop or similar programs with appropriate plug-ins. The high-speed capability is well worth the trade for noisy images. Purists may want noiseless images at ISO 1600, but it's unlikely they will ever get it. Practical photographers, on the other hand, will definitely appreciate the capability and undoubtedly will exploit it. Ergonomically, the FZ-50 is practically a work of art. All of the frequently used controls are accessible with the right hand. The enlarged hand grip is just perfect for my large hands and the shutter release is perfectly positioned, something I am not able to say about most of the digital cameras I've used. The electronic viewfinder is sharp and is boosted for low-light focusing. (There is also an AF-assist lamp.) The flip-out LCD may be positioned for high and low angle shooting or reversed for self-portraits. At about 1-1/2 pounds, the FZ-50 is a joy to carry for long periods. The menu system is very accessible and quick and easy to adjust. The few scene modes I tried worked well. Shooting pictures from a car moving at 60 miles per hour worked surprisingly well in the sports action mode. Shutter lag is remarkably slight: the Panasonic Venus III engine lives up to its billing. Response is not up to the level of a Nikon or Canon DSLR, but it is certainly faster than any other midlevel digital camera I've used. Burst rate of about one frame per second are routinely attainable. The FZ-50 will do RAW, but it is on the slow side. Either use an extremely fast SD card or avoid RAW where you need to be prepared for one exposure after another. JPEG files at full resolution (3,648 x 2,736 pixels) are quite good and will withstand, in my opinion, enlargement of about 4 - 5x. I think SD card compatibility may be an issue with 4GB cards. I tried one and the camera refused to boot. A variety of 2GB cards worked without a problem. The battery is rated for 360 shots between images. The test used by manufacturers uses one shot every 30 seconds, I believe. My experience with the battery didn't allow for more than 300 shots before the warning indicator started flashing. I don't know how many more shots I could have gotten, but I would definitely advise having a second battery for this camera. I did not try the movie mode, so I can't comment on that. Overall, the FZ-50 is more than satisfactory in every way. It is not a replacement for a Canon or Nikon DSLR, but is in many ways more satisfying to use. It is lighter than either a Canon or a Nikon; its 12x Leica approved designed lens covers 35 - to 425mm. Image quality is superb and the OIS is fantastic. I would highly recommend the FZ-50 as a travel camera or just for everyday use. Jerry

Super, alles wie vom Verkäufer beschrieben. Vielen Dank 😊

I've owned this camera for many years. The Panasonic DMC-FZ50 was released in 2006 and it's showing its age. While it still delivers respectable results, it is not quite on par with Pansonic's latest releases and those from other manufacturers. I'm not sure why it's current cost on Amazon is in the five hundred dollar range, so I would respectfully suggest considering the more advanced Fujifilm X-S1 12MP EXR CMOS Digital Camera with Fujinon F2.8 to F5.6 Telephoto Zoom Lens (24-624mm) . It has a lower price point, a larger sensor, and offers a lot more bang for the buck when it comes to image quality and overall performance. If you are still set on a Panasonic Lumix bridge camera, I suggest looking at the LUMIX DMC-FZ70 16.1 MP Digital Camera with 60x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-Inch LCD . It is for some reason currently priced much less than the FZ50, and is much more advanced. It or the Fujifilm FinePix S1 are current leaders in the Bridge/Super-Zoom camera category. If you are still set on getting the FZ50 after considering those two options, know that you'll be getting a solid camera with decent image quality and a plethora of features. It is dated however, and the image quality at ISO 400 and above could be better. I believe I purchased mine in 2007 and I've never had a problem with it, so if build quality and dependability is a major factor for you, then rest assured that the DMC-FZ50 delivers. ~ Kort

Gesucht habe ich - wie viele, denen die Möglichkeiten kompakter Digitalkameras zu gering werden - ursprünglich nach einer Spiegelreflex. "Bridgekameras" kannte ich gar nicht. Nach längerem Durchforsten von Foren, Tests und natürlich den Amazon-Rezensionen;-) habe ich mich für eine Bridge und für die FZ50 entschieden, weil... ... ich unheimlich viele Möglichkeiten der Bildgestaltung mit nur 1 Gerät habe, ... ich glaube, dass die diskutierten "Probleme" mit der Bildqualität den allermeisten Nutzern (Einsteiger oder engagierte Hobbyfotografen) gar nicht auffallen, ... ich wählen kann, ob ich schnell per Automatik knipsen oder eigene Einstellungen ausprobieren will, ... ich bei letzterem noch an richtigen Drehringen einstellen kann und nicht an Zoomwippen fummeln muss, ... Zoom, schwenkbares Display und Sucher völlig ausreichend sind. Kurz gesagt: Das Teil ist klasse verarbeitet, gut ausgestattet und leicht zu bedienen (Griffe, Schalter, aber auch logisch strukturiertes Menü). Ich empfehle es guten Gewissens weiter - gerade auch weil ich all die negativen Eindrücke, die ich hier in den Rezensionen las, nicht bestätigen kann. Ich habe aber auch keine Profiansprüche:-) Gruß, Uli PS: Auch Freunde mit Spiegelreflex sind angetan von der FZ50 (sind aber auch keine "nur ne DSLR ist ne richtige Kamera"-Typen). PPS: Wie immer super Service von Amazon.