Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ50S 9.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with wi-fi (Silver)

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.3 x 1.4 inches ; 7.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0017TYGNA
• Item model number: DMC-TZ50S
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,070 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 16, 2008

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

With the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ50's Wi-Fi capabilities, standard 802.11b/g wireless LAN connectivity and access to T-Mobile® HotSpot service, you can upload digital photos taken with the TZ50 directly to Picasa Web Albums, a free online photo-sharing service from Google. The 9.1-megapixel TZ50 is also packed with a 28mm wide-angle lens, 10x optical zoom and the ability to record HD video, making it the ideal digital camera for active users.

Panasonic uses the T-Mobile Hotspot service and Picasa Web Albums’ APIs to create a new optimal online environment and community for sharing digital photos. After taking photos with the new Panasonic Lumix TZ50, users will be able to wirelessly send one or multiple photos at a time, directly to Google’s Picasa Web Albums. Users can connect to standard wireless home networks, but furthermore, the TZ50 can also connect to the T-Mobile HotSpot Service.

Users can register one email account with their TZ50, so after uploading their photos to Picasa Web Albums, they can have the URL to that album sent to the registered account. Since many cell phones and smartphones receive emails, users can register their own email address and then forward that Picasa Web Albums URL to friends and family, all while away from home and without using a computer. In addition, users can browse their albums to confirm that photos have been successfully uploaded, and choose to delete uploaded photos directly on the digital camera.

The TZ50 is the latest member of the Lumix TZ-Series, renowned for packaging a 28mm wide-angle 10x optical zoom Leica DC lens (equivalent to 28-280mm on a 35mm film camera) into a compact body. The 28mm wide-angle lens captures subjects and scenes wider at the same standpoint than a normal 35mm camera. Notably, the new TZ50 integrates the capability of recording 720p HD (high-definition) motion pictures together with its direct output function allowing users to enjoy watching both still and motion pictures in impressive HD quality on a HDTV via an optional component cable or by inserting the SD memory card into the SD slot, which is available on all Panasonic VIERA HDTVs.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ50 also incorporates Panasonic’s advanced Intelligent Auto (iA) mode consisting of seven intuitive technologies, all which are specifically designed to help make photo-taking enjoyable and easy. When in Advanced Intelligent Auto mode, the following technologies all operate automatically; the consumer does not need to change any settings:

Panasonic Lumix TZ50 Highlights

Intelligent Exposure Photos will no longer be under- or over-exposed. Instead, the TZ50 instantly analyzes the framed image and adjusts the brightness in areas that are too dark because of dim lighting, backlighting or the use of the flash. The camera will automatically adjust the brightness accordingly.

Digital Red-eye Correction Helps eliminate the red-eye problem that sometimes results when taking flash shots at the night. Incorporated into the built-in flash, the camera emits a small preliminary flash before the main flash, detects red-eye and will digitally correct it.

MEGA O.I.S. Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent hand-shake from creating a blurry image.

Intelligent ISO Determines if the photo subject is moving and changes the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly.

Intelligent Scene Selector Senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode. This intuitive technology, helps the consumer use the most common scene modes that are built into the camera, but often go unused, without making any manual adjustments.

Face Detection Detects faces anywhere in the frame and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear and crisp. Detecting up to 15 faces, Panasonic’s Face Detection can even track a face if the subject is moving.

Continuous AF The Continuous AF (auto focus) system maintains focus on the subject even without pressing a shutter button halfway, thus minimizing the AF time.

Once a user is in iA mode, these multi-capable functions happen automatically no adjustments or settings changes need to be made. Furthermore, the DMC-TZ50 boasts Intelligent LCD function, which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level of the LCD in 11 fine steps, to offer a display with excellent clarity in any situation with the newly developed 460,000-dot high resolution in 3.0-inch LCD screen.

The TZ50 incorporates the Venus Engine IV, Panasonic’s new high-performance image processing LSI. The Venus Engine IV produces higher-quality pictures than its predecessor, the Venus Engine III, by using a more advanced signal processing system. The new Venus Engine IV also improves noise reduction, elevates the detection accuracy and corrective effects in both MEGA O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO and reduces the shutter release time lag.

Product Description

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ50 has a built-in wireless LAN communications function (Wi-Fi) that complies with IEEE 802.11b/g standards. It provides wireless Internet connection to a T-Mobile HotSpot or home wireless LAN system without having to use a PC or cell phone. Once connected, you can access Google's Picasa Web Album and upload your photos right from the camera.You can also use the TZ50 to check and delete photos that you've uploaded to a Picasa Web Album, without having to use a PC or cell phone.After you've uploaded your photos with the TZ50, you can receive an e-mail (Gmail) on your PC or cell phone with a URL link to your photos. Then you can add a message and forward the URL to friends and family so they can check out your Web album immediately. Have fun sharing your photos anywhere you go.Now you can fit sweeping landscapes into a single frame with the 28mm wide-angle setting. Pull in subjects from far away to capture even subtle facial expressions with the dynamic 280mm telephoto setting. Ideal for traveling, the Lumix DMC-TZ50 9.1-megapixel digital camera combines a wide-ranging LEICA DC Vario-Elmar lens with a handy, compact body. The Extra Optical Zoom function also extends the zoom to as much as 16.9x, giving you even greater telephoto power.Set the TZ50 to iA mode and let the five Intelligent Auto functions team up to help prevent shooting errors. Intelligent Exposure corrects lighting differences, so images come out just the way you see them; Intelligent Scene Selector chooses the mode that best fits the situation; MEGA Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) helps prevent blurring from hand-shake; Intelligent ISO Control helps prevent motion blur; and Face Detection helps produce clear portraits by optimizing the focus and exposure settings.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent travel camera, but WiFi is of questionable value, August 20, 2008

By	Jerry Jackson Jr. (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's hard to find fault with the TZ50 as a basic compact ultrazoom camera. The T50 offers all the performance and flexibility of the excellent TZ5, which is certainly why many consumers will find it so appealing. Sure, Panasonic could have made the TZ50 a much more useful photographic tool by including basic features like P/A/S/M modes, but the reality is that most point-and-shoot users won't miss these features. The new WiFi upload feature is sure to be attractive to many consumers looking to quickly share their vacation photos. Nevertheless, it's hard to overwhelmingly recommend the TZ50 over the TZ5.

When everything is said and done, although the TZ50 allows you to wirelessly upload your images to your Picasa web gallery the process isn't nearly as easy as it might sound. Since the TZ5 can be purchased for a full $100 less than the TZ50, I suspect most average consumers will be happier uploading images the "old fashioned way" directly from their desktop or laptop computers rather than stumbling through the clunky WiFi interface on the TZ50.

If the WiFi mode setup doesn't scare you, though, the TZ50 makes an excellent choice for anyone who wants an ultrazoom camera and wants to quickly share photos while traveling.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great value, great zoom, great features, good video, good photos, July 27, 2008

By	TonyCool - See all my reviews

I'm very satisfied with this camera. It's loaded with features.
While you will find on expert reviews that the manual control is poor, it's not that bad, in the manual mode you can even modify the shutter speed and the exposure (better than most ELPH Canon cameras, you will have to choose on a limited set of options for this though).
It takes better pictures than what I was specting (they are not as sharp as they could be because of the Panasonic approach to handle noise reduction, but they are good), and the video is also really good (the audio recording is not perfect but what were you specting this is not a professional camcoder.)
It records really good video but it requires lots of space a 15 min video will need about 1.5 - 2 GB of storage), the zoom is pretty awesome its 10x but if you need a little more power you can take 3MP photos with a 16.9x zoom, and the digital zoom is not as bad as I thought. The wireless capabilities are a plus and just in case you were wondering as I was before, you do not need to use the Tmobile service if you don't want to, you can configure internet access through your own access point. The high definition LCD is really good. It also takes good pictures without flash.
From my point of view right now (July 27 2008) there is not a competitor for this camera, the tx1 is not a rival for this one. The only thing I can think of that will improve this camera enormously will be to make the LCD movable (to take pictures on difficult angles or self portraits like the tx1). And this is still a compact camera although it may not fit in some pockets you can take it anywhere easily.
As a conclusion you will not regret buying this one.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid Compact Digital Camera Courtesy of Panasonic and Leica, July 4, 2008

By	John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5OS 9.1 Megapixel digital camera is truly in a class by itself. It is the best compact digital camera I have seen so far, and strongly recommended it to a relative. My relative is enjoying hers now, and I have been quite impressed with the results. This camera performs superbly under both bright and low light conditions without a flash, certainly an impressive result for a camera as small and compact as this. Pictures have ample contrast and resolution, though tending slightly to the warm side. While she hasn't tried the HD video application yet, I wouldn't be surprised if the contrast and resolution is identical with still pictures. Without question, the Leica zoom lens is a fine performer and is a primary reason why you ought to buy this camera. Without indulging too much in hype, I can say with utmost certainty that Panasonic and Leica have hit a home run with this splendid little camera.