Congratulations, know you'll love it. Try different picture modes and settings. Let us know how you like after your trip.
regards - tom

Thanks, Tom. Will post some test shots in SmugMug once I have an opportunity to go out and take some pictures.

Thanks, Chris for the idea on pbase, and eenusa for the idea of smugmug. I see there is another thread too on this very subject also, good to see all the different sugestions.

How nice dh was able to get it for you - Have fun!

<font color="green">Cyn</font>

I have bought the Panny FZ50 and have been franticaly practicing this last week or two as I leave on Sunday!! I have been very happy with the pics so far but I guess the proof will be in the next three weeks. I think the operator probably counts as much if not more than the the camera thats were my confidence falters.

Have taken the FZ50 out for a trial run this past week. I posted some of the pictures for anyone interested in taking a look. Except for doing some cropping, very little post-processing was done on these images. (Most of the pictures were taken handheld; I also noted the zoom factor.)

http://eenusa.smugmug.com/gallery/2988003/5#P-1-15

I am very happy with the FZ50 as a &quot;carry around&quot; camera; it's going to be great on hikes and the like. Since I prefer to shoot RAW, I haven't tested the FZ50 at lower megapixel jpegs yet, but RAW at 10 megapixel does take a while to write to the card. Not a problem from my perspective since for wildlife photography trips I would still rely on my Canon 20D / 100-400 lens combo. I do like that you can shoot RAW in &quot;Auto&quot; mode as well as the creative modes.

Still getting to know the new camera. Went to the zoo this weekend (unfortunately no Africa trips scheduled in the near future) and took some photos. This link will take you directly to those photos if you'd like to take a look at them.

http://eenusa.smugmug.com/gallery/2988003#P-6-15

Looks like the camera is performing nicely. Exposure etc is pretty much on I'd say. Try some photos of birds in flight to see if/how it follows focus and freezes the motion. You may find under such conditions will have to use a manual setting of some kind to keep the shutter speed fast. Also try some back lit photos with strong sun back lighting. These often make dramatic shots and is another test of exposure settings.

regards - tom

Thanks Tom; will try the backlit idea. Still working on birds in flight - need to find somewhere nearby where there is a concentration of birds. Maybe we'll get lucky at Dyke Marsh this weekend.

Hope this works. I used my Fz30 and loved it.


http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...share&amp;Ux=0

Oh, and by &quot;back lit&quot; this is not like a sunset shot. The sun is not in the photo, but the subject is outlined by the sun from the back/other side. So that the hair/fur/feathers glow outlining the body. The sun may be at perhaps 30 degrees up but not in the photo.

regards - tom

Thanks Tom; I have taken some backlit photos as you describe in the past, but not with the degree of quality I would like. Practice makes perfect; so I'll keep working on it.