A cracking camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50)

Member Name: meanca

Product:	Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
Date:	09/09/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great image quality, manual and auto settings

Disadvantages: The flash is too harsh.

I purchased this camera in 2007 and I wasn't disappointed. I wanted a camera that allowed me to point and shoot but also learn the basics of manual photography. The FZ50 allows this.

The camera has a Leica lens that is truly superb with a 55mm threading for add on lenses etc. I keep a clear Hama lens attached at all times as the Leica lens built in to the camera is not removable, so one tiny scratch and it's dead.

The functions for manual, auto and macro focus are great, with the manual allowing you to alter the focus to suit yourself.

The best feature by far is the viewer at the back as this flips out and rotates, meaning you can turn it away and protect it from scratching when you're finished using it, or simply angle it so you can have the camera above your head or at the edge of a corner etc.

The amount of settings for the display on the viewer are really comprehensive, allowing you to set the focus off centre, have multiple focus points or have pinpoint focus spots. You can also manually choose were to auto focus on the screen with the help of a handy 3x3 grid. You can also select a light chart to show you how bright the light is in the scene you are shooting so you can adjust the exposure or settings to suit the shot.

The pictures are amazing quality and the camera is very robust and comfortable to use. To date this is the best camera I've owned, and I'm a minor enthusiast that's had a few cameras to date.

Summary: Excellent camera and excellent image quality.

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