should I buy panasonic dmc fz50 or Canon powershot G9?

We have had the Panasonic FZ50 for a few months now, we find it amazing.We use it mostly for Scenery,Wildlife and getting in peoples faces at parties functions etc in a semi professional capacity.The Zoom,Clarity,and Ease of use suits us just fine.Some of the hand held maximum zoom shots over distances of 25 miles and more are superb.Our only real bugbear is that the underbody tripod mount is too far back and would be far better mounted on the lense body as it prevents the full functionality of rotation of the view/review screen.
With our quick release tripod base and hand grip/wrist strap retainer (A must have accessory for security,safety and control) in place there is no way that the screen can be rotated fully for overhead usage......We live with it! as all other features have exceeded our expectations........We hope these details help in some way........Cheers Ray and Nicole......Hobart Tasmania Australia.
Contact us at nicandray@aapt.net.au and we can forward some of the "proof of the pudding"

P.S......We have added a few convenient accessories to the kit,such as 2 and 4 Gigabyte SDHC Memory Cards.....A superb Lowepro Apex 120AW Bag, Extra Battery and an in car charger,plus 2 good quality lens filters,one of which is purely to protect the lens from damage and the elements.

for comparison, you may want to check out this resource. It takes pictures with each and you can compare them side by side.

Both slug it out pretty good (although I had to settle with comparing the G7), while the flash on the FZ50 seems more powerful, the G Series has the edge for the macro setting.


But when choosing between two cameras, it may just come down to what camera feels good in your hand. Go to a local camera store and check both out side by side, holding them, feeling their center of gravity, the balance. How it sits in your hand. That usually sells me one way or the other.