I owned an FZ7 and now have an FZ50; I'll insert comments below.
scarvalhojr wrote:
Among the FZ50's features I think are most appealing to me are:
- flip and twist LCD (although it's 0.5" smaller than FZ8's)
That is a GREAT feature. You don't appreciate how helpful it can be until you've used it a few times - taking shots over your head, around a corner, or down at floor level (without having to lay on the floor).
- min apperture F11 (vs F8 on FZ8)
I don't know that I've ever used F11 on my FZ50. Best image quality on both cameras comes in at much wider openings, around F5.6 or less.
Other nice (but maybe no so important) features:
- mechanical zoom and focus ring
Much more than nice. Most other cameras would give their eye teeth to have those manual rings. SO much more convenient than fighting with a little switch.
- 55mm threaded lens (no need for an adapter)
Nice. And another bonus of the FZ50, the lens stays in a fixed position. It doesn't slide in and out of the camera. Granted the one on the FZ8 doesn't move in / out very much compared to some other real slide trombones you can buy, but the FZ50 is ideal in that regard.
- better physical controls (dials and buttons)
Also very nice.
Features I don't really care (as of now):
Haven't used mine yet, but it does give yet another option for taking certain kinds of photos that can't be done with the (very good) built-in flash.
- sligthly higher resolution EVF
The difference is slight, not an issue to me.
Overall, I think the FZ50 it's a superior camera. The only thing
that holds me back is that it's larger and over 2x heavier. This is
a major concern to me as I mainly like to shoot while travelling,
or doing long biking/walking trails. And of course the FZ50 is much
more expensive!
You have to decide if the FZ50 is just 'bigger' or 'too big' for your purposes. For me, it was not a problem. I originally bought an FZ7 but decided to upgrade to the FZ50 because (there was no FZ8 yet) I wanted RAW and some of the other niceties you've mentioned. I felt bad selling my FZ7, I had been so impressed by it. I just wanted more of a good thing. Had i started with an FZ8 I probably would have kept it.
-> Anything else I should consider?
Well, for the price of an FZ50, you can buy a camera from brand "O' or brand "S" which is more on the order of the FZ8 than the FZ50.
-> How do these two cameras compare in terms of image quality and
photographic/creativity controls?
Having RAW, the FZ8 narrows the gap with the FZ50 quite a bit. The FZ50 has some scene preset modes you can set to the way you want them, with white balance and ISO and image settings etc.
-> Is the FZ50's larger sensor (1/1.8") better than the FZ8's
1/2.5"? I've read plenty about the noise issue and I'm prepared to
shoot on low ISO (and RAW when it matters most).
From the comparison I've seen, the 1/1.8 sensor has less noise than the 1/2.5. At ISO400 the FZ50 has better output from the tests on this site. Even ISO100 looks better on the FZ50 in terms of sharpness.
-> What about the lenses? Any difference?
I've seen few complaints about the FZ8's lens, but if anything, the FZ50's is regarded as the best of the bunch I think. Simon calls both cameras' lenses 'superb'. Not much doubt there.
Any comments are highly appreciated!
I enjoy my FZ50 and prefer it to the smaller camera, but then size is not an issue for me. I've seen many great pics posted by the FZ7's and FZ8's. Still overall, there is a reason for the added cost and weight of the FZ50, and some of that comes out in the quality of the photos, I think. Even so, the FZ8 is no slouch at all and may be just what you need - it is truly an amazing camera in a size so small and at a good price too.
