Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50

Type	Bridge digital camera
Sensor	CCD
Maximum resolution	3,648 × 2,736 (10.1 million)
Lens type	Fixed
Shutter speed range	60 - 1/2,000 sec.
Exposure Metering	1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV
Exposure Modes	Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual, Program Shift (P mode)
Metering modes	Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot
Focus areas	1 point / 3 points / 9 points / Spot
Focus modes	Auto Focus System, Normal / Macro (Switch), Continuous AF On / Off, Manual Focus (Ring), One-Shot AF
Continuous Shooting	2 fps. 7 images @ standard OR 5 images @ fine OR unlimited @ 2fps
Viewfinder	0.44" Electronic viewfinder (235K Pixels)
ASA/ISO range	Auto / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600
Rear LCD monitor	2.0" (207K Pixels) Field of View : approx. 100%
Storage	Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)
Weight	668g. (1.49 lb) (Body), 734g (1.63 lb) (with Battery and SD Memory Card)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 is a bridge digital camera by Panasonic. It is the successor of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30. Its maximum picture resolution is 10 megapixels.

The FZ30 was a major upgrade of the FZ20 both internally and externally, but the FZ50 differs relatively little from the FZ30. The main differences are:

Higher resolution 10.1-megapixel CCD
Venus Engine III processor
2.0-inch flip-out 207k high resolution LCD (FZ30 has 235k)
TTL Flash hot-shoe

The camera is known for its impressive 12x optical zoom Leica lens and OIS (optical image stabilization), and, like the FZ30, is popular among prosumers. Many professional reviews have commended it for its excellent pictures at ISO 100, but it has a reputation for pictures with visible noise, especially at higher ISO settings. It uses proprietary Lithium-Ion batteries. There is no storage built into the camera; an MMC, SD, or SDHC card is required. High-speed SD cards up to 2GB and SDHC cards up to 4GB are supported.

The manual zoom ring allows a smooth progression from 35-420 mm equivalent zooms when recording movies. The camera also includes an "extended optical zoom" system providing greater optical zoom ability when shooting at lower resolutions, giving up to 19.3x optical zoom at 3MP. Apertures from f2.8 to f11 are supported, though the larger apertures are not available at high zoom levels (f3.7 at full zoom). Shutter speeds range from 60 secs to 1/2000 sec. Auto-focus and "macro" auto-focus modes are available, or a fluid-damped focus ring can be used. The AF-macro setting can be selected for all camera modes. Macro capability is not outstanding (5cm minimum focal range at 1x zoom).

Wide angle and telephoto lens adapters are available from Panasonic.[1] The wide angle converter provides 0.7x magnification (min 25 mm equivalent focal length) at F2.8, and the telephoto converter provides 1.7x magnification (max 714 mm) at f3.7.

The FZ50 can also record in a RAW format which is supported by Adobe Camera Raw and many other third-party programs. RAW files are recorded in around three seconds with fast SD cards, which is one of the best results among non-Digital SLR cameras. Unlike its predecessors, the FZ50 does not support TIFF format.

The FZ50 has a screw mount to accept 55mm filters, and third-party lens converters which can provide greater wide angle/macro and zoom capability.

The zoom and focus mechanism is internal: the lens does not physically extend beyond the camera housing when focussing and zooming. Startup is fast, under one second, as the lens does not need to be extended.

Below is a gallery of the Panasonic DMC-FZ30, the FZ50's predecessor, which is of identical appearance to the FZ50 except for the model number and the position of some buttons.