Hi Ian,

> I appreciate where you are coming from, but in this
> instance, the logic doesn't add up 100%. I accept the
> people print less. But no electronic viewing devices can
> do justice to the image content like a print can unless
> you view very selectively. My advice to anyone who doesn't
> print, try it and rediscover one's photography.

I don't disagree with that there's something special about having prints. My point is simply that the electronic medium is more dominant now than printed medium, so for manufacturers when making trade-offs, should keep that in mind.

> I think that's less so with a camera like the FZ50, which
> is equipped with such a long (and stabilised) zoom lens.
> It doesn't take much to get out of the habit of poor
> framing when taking a photograph.

I'm speaking to trends(bad habits) rather than limitations of the camera. How can anyone not fill the frame with the FZ50. When I had the UZI, each shot was up close and personal . I just don't understand why they would go with 10 MP then. If they stuck with 8 MP and just made each pixel better. It would have printed just as well and would have been more usable in a wider variety of scenarios. Bigger buffer. Quicker reponse (less processing per image). Less post production to reduce noise and etc.

> Well, there I must really disagree strongly. The printed
> image quality of the FZ50 versus the LX1 at ISO 400, for
> example, is very clearly superior in most departments, as
> far as I am concerned. Where the FZ30 was borderline
> usable at ISO 400 without post-processing, the FZ50 is
> very competent. I'd expect even better results with RAW
> file conversion.

I tried the FZ30 in Silkypix when the 30 came out and it was decent. I have yet to see the 50 in RAW so I will take you on your word that its better than the 30. I still think Venus III is getting a bad rap for a noisy sensor. That's too bad.

> That would have been nice, agreed.

> For me, even 8MP is over doing it at this size of CCD. But
> given that Panasonic chose this strategy, I'm reasonably
> impressed with what they have achieved.
> I think people are expecting too much from the sensor
> size. If one is really sensitive about absolute image
> quality in the way that many critics of the FZ50 samples
> seem to be, then they should be buying DSLRs instead.

While I think they did what they could with the sensor they chose, I don't like their choice to focus on the MP wars. I hope they end up releasing an FZ35, a little brother to the FZ50, kind of an FZ30 on steroids. I know that won't happen though.

> And by the way George, welcome to DPNow - hope we will
> hear from you more in the future

Thanks. Often times I don't have much to contribute, but if I do, you'll hear from me

George