A few thoughts about the Lumix DMC FZ50…
Posted on February 3, 2007
Filed Under All, Photos, Technology, Gulker labs |
Our new Lumix DMC FZ50 has been with us for a month now, and I’m really finding it a very useful tool. Its Leica DC Vario Elmarit takes very good pictures, and shows its Leica heritage in both good sharpness and contrast in the 10.1 MP images it produces. It’s amazing to be able to reach from (in 35mm SLR terms) 35mm to 420mm (!) in a 6-inch long lens package, and I’m rediscovering the joys of long glass, without having to tote a monster lens along.
I would have liked 24 or 28mm reach on the wide end, but 35mm is quite useful, and the heads down display (the camera has a pop-out, swivelling 2-inch LCD that lets you use it like a prismless Hasselblad or Rollei) let’s you work heads down, avoiding the direct eye contact that distracts subjects in public.
Anyway, I wrote my thoughts up and posted this page: it’s not really meant to compete with DPReview and all such (which are very useful places to learn about new cameras). It is meant to reflect one person’s experience after living with the camera for a month. Stay tuned for a new Gulker Labs project in a bit…
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2 Responses to “A few thoughts about the Lumix DMC FZ50…”
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These prosumer cameras don’t really have Leica lenses. The lenses are made by Tamron and the Leica name is licensed for marketing. If it really was a Leica, it would be $2000.
Sure, this is a mass market lens (it’s on a camera for under $500) but advances in lens manufacture - the legacy of numerically controlled machine tools - means that quality can be very good for the price.