Question 1

Is this camera a significant upgrade to t DMX-ZS20?

Accepted Answer

The zs20 is several iterations ago from the zs50. Research on sites like dpreview will show you the different features, but of the most noteworthy are the 30Xzoom vs 20, the view finder (which on its own is amazing), and higher res display. The zs50 has built in WiFi, but the zs20 has built in GPS. The former is great for transferring images directly to your smart phone wirelessly, or using your smart phone as a complete remote control. The zs50 is a bit larger and has better ergonomics IMO. It compares more with the zs40 which it replaced, than the zs20 from a few years ago. My assumption would be that you could find a good deal on ebay on a mint condition one for a decent price. Not likely with the zs50 that was only released 6 months ago. My opinion: if the GPS feature is something you can do without, the zs50 is a much better equipped camera. Fewer MP as well, but that translates in better quality pictures in lower light. I absolutely love mine. Hope that helps.

Question 2

Is the picture quality good enough to use on my travel website?  I need beautiful website photos without carting around a big camera while traveling.

Accepted Answer

I would say yes for any website since the resolution most webpages use is 640x480 at the most.  The camera can shoot at 0.3MP all the way to 12MP yielding photos that take forever to load given the file size and the ultra short fruit bat attention span of most webizens.  The camera takes great photos even at the 0.3MP setting.  The majority of folks I know do everything on a smeary 4 or 5 inch smart phone screen anyhow.  This was my backup camera as I general shoot with a DSLR but it's so darn good I only use the DSLR for really exotic shots like an Airbus shadow on the south face of the Matterhorn.  Hope this helps.  PS the one I bought, black on black was a graymarket model.  If want a US warranty spend 100 bucks more and buy from Panasonic USA..

Question 3

Is the viewfinder significantly better on the ZS50 than on the ZS40?  I am trying to balance out the loss of GPS on the 50.

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is better.  It has a much higher resolution than did the ZS40.  The ZS40 viewfinder was more for marketing whereas the viewfinder on the ZS50 is very useable.  According to the reviews on the internet the images seen in the viewfinder are 5 times more defined than before.. I prefer using a viewfinder to the monitor so am using the viewfinder almost exclusively.  It is surprisingly good.  There is diopter dial next to the viewfinder where you can adjust the view to your own eye.  First time I looked through the viewfinder i was disappointed, but when I gave the dial a tiny turn, it the difference was huge.

Question 4

I have a battery and charger from the zs20. the battery is dmw bcg 10pp. the charger is de-a65. are these compatable with the zs50s?

Accepted Answer

Sorry, the ZS50 and ZS50s use a DMW-BCM13 battery. However in addition to the packaged USB charger and battery we are currently including a bonus FREE DMW-BCM13 battery and external battery charger with the ZS50 and ZS50s purchase!Fireside Camera

ASIN	B00RBG6GBS
Age Range Description	Adult
Aperture modes	Aperture priority
Aspect Ratio	16:9
Auto Focus Technology	Center, Continuous, Contrast Detection, Face Detection, Live View, Multi-area, Single, Tracking
Autofocus Points	23
Best Sellers Rank	#181,466 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #1,515 in Digital Point & Shoot Cameras
Bit Depth	12 Bit
Brand	Panasonic
Built-In Media	Lithium-ion battery, battery charger, and possibly an SD card
Camera Flash	Built-In
Camera Lens	Versatile all-in-one zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length range up to 720mm
Color	Silver
Compatible Devices	Micro Four Thirds
Compatible Flash Memory Type	SDHC, SDXC
Compatible Mountings	Micro Four Thirds
Connectivity Technology	HDMI, NFC, USB
Continuous Shooting	10
Crop Mode	16:9
Customer Reviews	4.1 out of 5 stars 258 Reviews
Digital Scene Transition	zoom
Digital Zoom	2
Display Fixture Type	Fixed
Display Maximum Resolution	1040 x 768
Display Resolution Maximum	1040000
Display Type	LCD
Dots Per Screen	1040000
Effective Still Resolution	12.1
Expanded ISO Minimum	80
Exposure Control	Aperture priority, Automatic, Creative Control, Custom 1/2, Manual, Panorama Shot, Program, Scene, Shutter priority
File Format	JPEG (DCF Exif 2.3), RAW (RW2), MPO (3D)
Flash Memory Bus Interface Type	SD bus
Flash Memory Installed Size	86 MB
Flash Memory Type	SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Flash Modes	[Auto, On, Off, Slow Synch]
Flash Sync Speed	1/60 or slower
Focal Length Description	28 - 840mm in 35mm equiv. in 16:9 video recording / Level Shot function Off
Focus Features	23-pt contrast detect
Focus Mode	Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C)
Focus Type	Manual Focus
Form Factor	Compact
Global Trade Identification Number	00885170235472
HDMI Type	Type D Micro HDMI
Hardware Interface	AV Port
Image Capture Type	Stills & Video
Image Stabilization	Optical
Image stabilization	Optical
Item Weight	8.64 ounces
JPEG Quality Level	Normal
Lens Construction	Single
Lens Type	all-in-one-zoom
Manufacturer	Panasonic
Manufacturer Part Number	DMC-ZS50S
Maximum Aperture	8 f_stop
Maximum Focal Length	72 centimeters
Maximum Shutter Speed	1/2000 seconds
Memory Storage Capacity	86 MB
Metering Methods	Multi, Center-weighted, Spot
Minimum Focal Length	24 millimeters
Minimum Shutter Speed	4 seconds
Model Name	Panasonic LUMIX ZS50
Model Number	DMC-ZS50S
Model Series	ZS50
Number of Diaphragm Blades	7
Number of Items	1
Optical Zoom	30 x
Photo Sensor Resolution	12.1 mp
Photo Sensor Size	1/2.3-inch
Photo Sensor Technology	CMOS
Real Angle Of View	63 degrees
Screen Size	3 inches
Sensor Type	CMOS
Series Number	50
Shooting Modes	Aperture Priority, Automatic, Creative Control, Manual, Panorama Shot, Scene, Shutter Priority
Skill Level	Amateur
Special Feature	Travel
Specific Uses For Product	Photography
Supported File Format	JPEG (DCF Exif 2.3), RAW (RW2), MPO (3D)
Supported Image Format	JPEG, RAW, MPO
Total Still Resolution	12.1 mp
Total USB 2.0 Ports	1
Total USB Ports	1
Total Video Out Ports	1
UPC	885170235472
Unit Count	1 Count
Video Output	HDMI
Video Resolution	FHD 1080p
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder Magnification	0.46x
White Balance Settings	Auto
Wireless Technology	802.11 b/g/n with NFC, BuiltIn
Write Speed	10 fps
Zoom	optical zoom

PANASONIC LUMIX ZS50 Camera, 30X LEICA DC Vario-ELMAR Lens, 12.1 Megapixels, High Sensitivity Sensor, Eye Viewfinder, DMC-ZS50S (USA SILVER)

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