FZ 50 - "preliminarily end of sales status"

Schijo said:

I ordered my FZ50 6 weeks back in an internet shop. Getting more and
more impatient - letting 3rd Wednesday in July pass and seeing only
FZ18 coming - I got the shop on the phone today and was told that
Panasonic Germany has set the status of the FZ50 to "preliminarily
end of sales". I was told that this does not mean "final end of
sales" yet, but effectively they do not expect anymore FZ50 shipments
from Panasonic once this status has been reached.
As a consequence I cancelled my order at that shop and ordered now at
a different place who had FZ50 stock - and if I am lucky I will just
have to wait a couple of more days now .

Maybe this info helps others who like myself have been following the
do-I-buy- now-FZ50 or do-I-wait-for-FZ70 but then
FZ18-is-not-an-option stream.

Jordan.

Click to expand...

Hi Schijo/Jordan,

FZ80: That's how I think the FZ50 upgrade will be called, and it will have the same new features I tested on the FZ18 last week:

28mm wide angle;
18x zoom;
Face Detection System;
an Optical Image Stabilizer system capable of FIVE to SIX stops gain;
and a modified Venus engine that does not bleed colors at ISO 400.

That's what I witnessed on the FZ18. See the shots I made with it here:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=24302783

JJDiniz, from Brazil

.

why fz80? 80?? a huge jump from 50 to 80? there's no 'bad fours' in the way - why skip so many places?

do you know something???

come on - spill the beans!



--
Bryan (pics only: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works )
(pics and more: http://www.netstuff.org ) ~

True, but with the FZ you would have the whole range of lenses, something that I would pay a little more for. DSLR's have their drawbacks, one is dust. Having a open system, dust and dirt are serious problems for DSLR's, that would not be the case in a superzoom FZ. Of course I know that the cost would be higher, but if I can get a superzoom that is equal to a DSLR in most ways without the high cost of buying a bunch of lenses as I have with my Film SLR's and not having to carry around a bunch of lenses with you so you will have the right lens for the right shot, and I know, you can purchase a large zoom, but a prime zoom cost over $1000, I mean a high end zoom. I figure they could make a FZ like I am talking about and price it around $1000 to $1200. It would still be cheaper than a DSLR and the series of lenses you would have to have to equal the Leica zoom on the FZ. It could be done and Panasonic has the manufacturing abilities to do it. If I have to go to a DSLR, I would probably go all the way to a medium format DSLR. If I have to go through carrying a lot of lenses, I might as well get a high end Medium format camera and have a full frame sensor.

linuxworks said:

why fz80? 80?? a huge jump from 50 to 80? there's no 'bad fours'
in the way - why skip so many places?

do you know something???

come on - spill the beans!



--
Bryan (pics only: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works )
(pics and more: http://www.netstuff.org ) ~

Click to expand...

Ya, spill the beans - what do ya know?!!
--
FZ50, FZ7, D40 (in the order they were purchased)

Your logic seems sound. But I hope also for a 28-504 lens = designed like the FZ50's. I too, believe the FZ18's IA will appear on a replacement FZ50...

Scott

linuxworks said:

why fz80? 80?? a huge jump from 50 to 80? there's no 'bad fours'
in the way - why skip so many places?

do you know something???

come on - spill the beans!



--
Bryan (pics only: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works )
(pics and more: http://www.netstuff.org ) ~

Click to expand...

Hi LinuxW,

I swear, it's just a hunch.

I tested the FZ18 two weeks ago, and I felt it was so great that, if the same features were incorporated into the FZ50, Panasonic would want to turn them into an unforgettable couple.

So, the two names - FZ18 and FZ80 - sound unforgettable to me.

These are the full-res TZ18 shots I uploaded last week:

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/2613/p1030031xp3.jpg
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/337/p1030016ax9.jpg
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3064/p1030026lq96mr4.jpg
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/2759/p1030034lq96xx5.jpg

JJDiniz, from Brazil

.

they did jump from fz8 to fz18 - and they even broke their own rule! the one-digit vs the 2-digit fz model #. we can no longer call it fz# and fz##.

I guess the other digit was meant to imply that its almost a new cam since it goes wide angle now.

the fz### (ha!) will also have to be wide-angle, too, I think.

but I do worry that this may be the last of the dual fz product line and they will be merged into one. hopefully for the next time around and not this time.

--
Bryan (pics only: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works )
(pics and more: http://www.netstuff.org ) ~

Steve82 said:

Once the price differential drops beneath a given person's pain
threshold, the comparisons are far from useless. Mainly because
digicams and DSLRs are both used for the exact same task.....taking
pictures of whatever it is that interests you.

Digicams have convenience, size, and cost in their favor. DSLRs have
speed and picture quality (especially in low light conditions) in
their favor. Once the cost advantage for digicams disappears, many
people have decided that the advantages offered by DSLRs are a better
option for them. How else can you explain the explosive growth in
DSLR sales and the virtual disappearance of bridge cameras?

Click to expand...

My explanation is that the price of DSLRs has plummetted, and the quality of most consumer level cams (image quality) has dropped. SLRs can't offer some of the features of bridge cams, like movie mode and ultra zooms. Our viewpoints are different. I just don't see them as competitive. Yes, they both produce images, but so do film cameras and digital cams.

--
------------------------------------------------------
five dee, Yashica Mat 124, and Panny eff zee feefty.

dmanthree said:

SLRs
can't offer some of the features of bridge cams, like movie mode and
ultra zooms. Our viewpoints are different. I just don't see them as
competitive. Yes, they both produce images, but so do film cameras
and digital cams.

Click to expand...

The flim vs digital argument doesn't support your overall position at all. Film and digital are definitely competitors and the war has been over for several years. The many advantages of digital cameras has virtually eliminated film cameras.

DSLRs are not competition for a $300 digicam that can fit in someone's pocket or purse. However, when a large bridge camera costs virtually the same as a two-lens DSLR kit...then the two options are definitely competing with each other.

I was surprised to see the response to the crippled Nikon D40/x. However, the sales are so brisk, that Nikon has replaced Canon as the #1 DSLR sales in Japan. How many D40 owners do you think are interested in the FZ-50/60? I would bet that the number is exceedingly small.

linuxworks said:

they did jump from fz8 to fz18 - and they even broke their own rule!
the one-digit vs the 2-digit fz model #. we can no longer call it
fz# and fz##.

I guess the other digit was meant to imply that its almost a new cam
since it goes wide angle now.

the fz### (ha!) will also have to be wide-angle, too, I think.

but I do worry that this may be the last of the dual fz product line
and they will be merged into one. hopefully for the next time around
and not this time.

Click to expand...

Hi LinuxW,

I hope so too. I will order my FZ50 quickly, before it is discontinued and not ugraded.

In case it is upgraded, i'll sell it and buy the newer model.

Personally, I don't care too much for the wide-angle side because I have a Sony R1 and the Sony WAConverter that reaches 19mm, but I loved the FZ18 tele side of the zoom I tested last week.

Did you see the ISO 800 shot I posted? Much better than the present ones.

JJDiniz, from Brazil

.