Panasonic Panasonic ZS50 Announced

One has to be realistic about what this class of camera can do. But it sounds like this new SZ50/TZ70 - with its external controls, ability to shoot raw, low MP count and solid EVF - may finally be a credible, truly pocketable, always-have-it-with-you camera.
 
I'm very tempted. I had the TZ40 for a while and loved using it. The GPS, Wifi and picture effects were great, but it occasionally suffered from very smeary foliage effects which I assumed were because it crammed into too many pixels. 12mp sounds about right for a 1/2.3 inch sensor, and a nice bright EVF would be great. I've just been playing around in LR with the jpegs I took with the TZ40 and I reckon I could get something really quite decent out of a RAW file too.
 
So Sue, will you "pre-order" or wait for the reviews?

I never pre-order for anything. I will wait to go hands on, *and* the reviews :) The thing is, I still want the FZ1000... And... sad to say... I could well be approaching a time where 1" is really the smallest I'll go with a sensor. So yes, definitely waiting. Whilst I quite like my TZ60, its just not quite there for me. I can't keep the camera steady at 30x and damned if I am going to take a tripod everywhere for a compact!

So... one could say my initial excitement is tempered by a great dose of reality.
 
And... sad to say... I could well be approaching a time where 1" is really the smallest I'll go with a sensor.

I think I'm rapidly reaching this point myself. In fact, I just passed on a good price for a new example of the original RX100. I'll instead be using my Ricoh GR to do much of what I would have used the RX100 for. So it may be that micro four thirds will be the smallest sensor I'll go with. Still, this new SZ50/TZ70 does seem to have the goods as a take-anywhere piece - if one is realistic about the abilities of its sensor. I have the Olympus Stylus 1 for this kind of duty right now and it's a great little travel camera. But I was out on a boat with relatives in September and discovered the 300mm equivalent didn't go far enough for me. So, depending on that the reviews for the SZ50/TZ70 say, it could be an option for a specific use in good light.
 
The lens is going to be the key. I have some sharp images at full 720 mm zoom with the ZS40, over water with some air-current distortions, but the ZS40 is the first pocket camera I've had that makes it obvious where the distortions originate. I see the price is expected to be $400, and the LX100 price is $900, but I think they'll have to use an even better lens than the ZS40's on the ZS50, and given the challenge of sharpness at the 30x end of the zoom, I don't see how Panasonic can put a lens on the ZS50 that's a lot cheaper than what they make for the LX100.
 
it could be an option for a specific use in good light.
I've not yet been able to use it well enough in low light to even consider a post on flickr, for example. I used to be able to shoot something decent at low ISO hand held, but lately it seems we all have to use 1600 or 3200 and its just not good enough. I did better in low light with my ancient Olympus C760uz... the best it could do (and it did it pretty badly) was 400. But I almost never used that, and yet, still got decent shots. I would not attempt to do with the TZ, what I used to do with the C760, or the S8000fd, or the 1020mju, or, indeed, the more ancient Kodak DC5000. I wonder why that is.

I'm rambling. I must nap.
 
I think, as Dale says, that it's all down to the lens. How fast were the lenses on your other cameras, Sue? The ZS40 and ZS50 (and I think it's the same lens on both cameras, Dale) are both f/3.3 to f/6.4. No wonder you have to bump up the ISO. You're probably at f/5.6 most of the time.

My first digital superzoom (at the time) was the Canon S3 IS. A tiny 1/2.5" sensor (smaller than the 1/2.3" point-and-shoot sensors of today) and a 36-430mm focal range. But aperture was f/2.7-3.5. Results were better than you'd think.

And then there are Dale's visible air currents. I believe that has more to do with the focal length (720mm) than lens quality. Any lens will compress the view enough at 720mm that distortions from air currents will become visible. At least that's been my experience. Heat off pavement in the summer is another example.

The question is, will the lower pixel count of the ZS50 help? In terms of noise in low light, almost undoubtedly. Panasonic claims a full stop difference over the ZS40. So what you shoot at ISO 1600 now will be more like ISO 800. 3200 more like 1600. But that lens will likely still need those higher ISOs once the light goes down. And funny things might still be seen at 720mm.
 
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