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Share your insights on our camera here: tips, difficulties, accessories ...
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To start this discussion I have a confession: I can't get my FZ50 to record video in 16x9 format. I think I am setting it to do that, but all I get is the 4x3 format 640x480 video which is excellent quality, but not what I want. I like the 16x9 format both in photo and in the video mode.
Can anyone enlighten me on this?
Posted at 3:59PM, 17 July 2007 PDT
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For the photoshop enthusiast: I just learnt of something called the 'Orton Effect' info in which can be found at: www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/192956/
See Ritu's photo called 'Dreamscape' in this pool as an example.
Originally posted 59 months ago.
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eileansiar en printemps edited this topic 59 months ago.
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Hi I thought I would share some of my habits with this camera.
These are questions I get asked alot.
1.Always shoot in Macro mode, or manual mode.
2.Always shoot in BW for BW shots
3.Shoot in JPEG mode.
4.Always use a lens hood for outside.
5.I never go above 100 ISO when I shoot, I miss the 80 ISO from the FZ30.
6.Always shoot my models from 6 Meters away.
My 2 Sites can be seen here
Street Photography
www.flickr.com/photos/lost-moments/
Studio Photography
www.flickr.com/photos/studio-moments/
Originally posted 59 months ago.
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Danz in Studio edited this topic 59 months ago.
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If you look at Danz' incredible photos, this must all be good advice. I wonder about point 1 though. In macro mode the FZ50 will focus upto infinity, just as it would in normal autofocus, but it takes longer. This could be a disadvantage if you're taking landscapes, etc outdoors. It's obviously not a problem in the studio!
I was interested in the 'shoot in jpeg mode' point. When I got my camera, the RAW mode was a big attraction, but having tried it, I've found it takes so much memory, and so much time processing, I prefer jpeg, and using iPhoto to tweak - it seems just as effective and far quicker. I've often felt though that I am greatly outnumbered by people prefering RAW, and certainly looking at Danz' photos I would have thought he would have been one of them. Shows how wrong you can be!
Posted 59 months ago.
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i lost the sunblock thing. I am so sad.
Ill post more later!
Posted 59 months ago.
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lens hood!!! thats the name. Would anyone tell me if they sell it by itself?
i so need it.
And am in chile. booooo.
Posted 59 months ago.
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Big Problem I am having is battery life, I have 4 batteries nows, but I go through them all ina 4 hour shoot.
Originally posted 53 months ago.
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Danz in Studio edited this topic 53 months ago.
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Danz in Studio
Do you have the camera switched on for the entire time during the four hours?
I only have one battery and I can go out and shoot for four hours with it, so I am wondering why you go through four batteries in four hours.
I hardly ever use the display for shooting, I find that it is battery hungry.
The only time I use it is for low or overhead shots.
Posted 53 months ago.
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Hi...new to the group..I have had my camera since Christmas...love it to death!! Don't know how to use all the bells and whistles...yet..lot to learn...but I do know it takes wonderful photos. I live in New Port Richey, Florida and love to photo sunsets, clouds, flowers & my friend Teresa! I always use my hood outside unless it is getting dark!
Posted 53 months ago.
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This is an excellent camera. I have been using my FZ-50 for a year now and am always impressed with the images it takes! I don't see the same unique color qualities in the photos I get from it in other cameras, even better ones... without the use of Photoshop, anyway! I find that this camera often gets mistaken for a DSLR by non-camera buffs too, based on both image quality and looks, which is pretty telling.
When I am not using flash I typically get 300-400 photos per battery charge, or about four hours continuous use as Jeff does. I have one OEM and one generic battery and there's no discernible difference in their life. (You can get generic batteries off eBay for 1/3 the price of an OEM battery at a camera store. It's worth having an extra or three if you shoot all day.) I haven't had any issues with batteries at all unless it's cold outside, in which case I keep the battery I'm not using warm in my pocket to prolong the shooting time. (I just switch battery to the warm one when it thinks it's running low and walla! One or two extra bars of charge every time.)
The only two issues I've noticed with this camera are a very interesting multiple red dot affect that appears in images with bright direct sunlight into the sensor. Example here: www.flickr.com/photos/hypersapiens/419653921/
(I know the short answer is "use the lens hood!" but I'd love a technical explanation if anyone knows what causes this.) Also three times I have had the camera "freeze" in mid-save for no apparent reason. It had to be powered off, but only once did this result in the loss of the image it was storing at the time. (This could be a memory card issue.)
I purchased the extra wide lens from Panasonic as a special order for $300 CAD and would highly recommend it as an investment if you are getting serious about this camera. Because I switch between this and other lower-quality fisheye lenses often I rarely use or carry the hood. In future I'd like to add a external/slave flash setup suitable for a small studio and would be interested to hear anyone's recommendations for what works well with this camera model.
This is a very versatile camera which allows for a lot of creativity and wide range of subjects, as is clear from the content of this group!
Originally posted 52 months ago.
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hypersapiens edited this topic 52 months ago.
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Thanks to all for your comments, questions, and suggestions in this discussion thread. The devil lies in the details with complex cameras like this.
Regarding Danz in Studio's problem with battery life, I believe our camera takes power in from an AC adapter (I believe I have it but since I am not a studio photographer, I haven't used it yet). Jeff Shep is right that the big LCD display uses a lot of power - the eyepiece display uses less.
Thanks to priscilla.starling in Florida for her enthusiasm and good tip, which I don't always follow myself - to use the lens hood to reduce lens flare and increase contrast and color saturation.
Many thanks to hypersapiens for the recommendation of the Panasonic Wide Angle accessory lens - it's something I plan to get myself. I have a non-Panasonic telephoto lens attachment which really pumps up the magnification but at the expense of some color fringing. So, it may be that the best thing is to take those pennies out of the piggybank and get the Panasonic versions, as costly as they may be. But if someone knows of a brand and model with which they have very good results, please leave some information about it here!
An exception to the "Buy Panasonic" theme stated above is, as hypesapiens pointed out, and I can second, is that the aftermarket batteries are not only dependable, but are of higher capacity than the originals.
Posted 51 months ago.
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Hi to everyone. I'm new to the group and I just want to tell all that we have real talent here!
I want to share this with you all:
A friend of mind just got a lesson on photography w/o flash!
1) Setting the camera to "A" (aperture mode)
2) Lock AE at a spot-light area (of the same light intensity you want your picture to be)
3) go back to you subject
4) take the picture and "PRESTO".
This will stop your camera from adjusting, electronically, to dark or bright backgrounds or viceversa.
The pictures were incredible. Let me know if any of you tried this and Iif understood my friend correctly!
Originally posted 51 months ago.
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blindogdv edited this topic 51 months ago.
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Can anyone help me or suggest me of buying these filters for my FZ50 and also price range.
Filters in 55mm thread
Tiffen HT ND6 Gradual Coated filter $81.11
Tiffen HT Circular polariser $103.33
Tiffen digital HT Altra clear multi coated filter $49.52
Tiffen HT digital Haze 86 Filter(multi coated) $59.91
Posted 30 months ago.
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You might consider buying fewer, but better, filters. B&W, a German brand, is the best I have found.
Posted 22 months ago.
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My Leica V-Lux 1 got smashed when it fell off the tripod [my fault!] and I have replaced it with the V-Lux 2 as my insurers paid out for the previous camera.
One difference I do not like.
On the V-Lux 1 you operate the zoom by means of a ring on the barrel of the lens. The ring showed the focal lengths so when you had framed the subject you could see at a glance what focal length you were using. From experience you knew what depth of focus you could expect or if you want to you can move it to a desired focal length.
On the V-Lux 2 you use the zoom by means of a switch like ring surrounding the shutter button. You have no idea what the focal length is. It will show 2x, 4x, 10x or however many times magnification it is giving, information which is useless. I want to know the focal length or be able to pick the focal length I want.
Maybe I am missing something as I've only had it a few days?
There are too many menus and too many buttons littered over the right hand side of the body. Pick the camera up by the right hand side - and you will because that's where the grip is - and you are almost certain to hit one of them whether you want to or not. Very poor design.
Finally, the build quality is flimsy in the extreme. Thank goodness it has a Leica lens - at least that is guaranteed to perform. Hopefully!
Larry.
Originally posted 18 months ago.
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Larry 211 edited this topic 18 months ago.
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Thoroughly tested the V-Lux 2 in a variety of situations. Performance is markedly inferior to the V-Lux 1 which it replaced. Even at 100 ISO the grain [or noise if you prefer] is totally unacceptable. It is going!!!
Posted 18 months ago.
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Thankfully I have got rid of the V-Lux2. I have replaced it with another V-Lux 1 which I bought S/H. At least I know from previous experience that this camera will produce excellent results.
Posted 18 months ago.
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I've owned a V-Lux 1 for over a year now, and the most vexing thing I have dealt with is the difference between what I see in the viewfinder or LCD (e.g., cool lens flares, correct lighting balance, etc.) and what shows up on "film," which is often completely different (boring, too dark, too blurry). Does a true "what you see is what you get" setting exist?
Posted 10 months ago.
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