Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic DMW-LT55 55mm Tele Conversion Lens for Panasonic FZ7, FZ30, FZ18, and FZ50 Digital Cameras

Conversion lenses have always had a poor reputation. Typically generalizations like fuzzy, corner falloff and so on. The Panasonic DMW-LT55 Tele Conversion Lens appears to be the exception. Mounted on a Lumix FZ50, it produces images that are sharper than expected. Not as sharp as those that would be produced by a Nikkor or Canon, but sharp and detailed enough.

There is no noticeable falloff at the edges or corners. No vignetting either. Contrast is excellent.

On the FZ50, the LT55 can be used handheld with the camera's Optical Image Stabilization system activated. That is, frankly, astonishing.

A neat trick on the FZ50 is being able to reduce the resolution of the image from 10 megapixels down to 3 megapixels (just using the center of the sensor) and effectively increasing the power of the tele converter to that of a 1,137 mm lens. The images aren't bad.

The converter is lighweight and easily attached to the FZ50. Any filter on the lens must be removed first. No adapter is required.

Overall, the FZ50 is a nice knockaround and travel camera. It's light, has an incredible 12x Leica design approved lens, a 10 Megapixel sensor and just about every feature you could want. Adding the LT55 to your kit gives you that extra-long telephoto you've always wanted to carry without doing damage to your back. Neat product.

Jerry

I enjoy birdwatching and naturally I wish to photograph the birds I see when I can. I used this lens with the FZ7 on a trip to Maui. I saw the i'iwi and apapane, but those birds flit around too much for me to be able to get a pic. However, I was able to get a couple decent pix of the a'eo (Hawaiian stilt) at a distance of about 300' so I was pleased. I will be going to Port Aransas to see the whooping cranes soon and am very much looking forward to using this lens then. NOTE: Although the image stabilization of these Panasonic cameras is excellent you absolutely still need a tripod in my opinion to make the best use of this fine piece of glass.

This lens ended a mounting frustration of photographing birds that keep their distance. I can now capture sharper eyes and plumage; far more definition.

When a great blue heron unexpectedly landed nearby, I nearly held my breath as I slowly raised my camera to my face. Only then did I discover that I had to change the battery while keeping very still to not give away my presence. After changing the battery and adjusting camera settings with the camera still in front of my face, I was able to shoot the uploaded digital image of the great blue heron.

In the Raw image setting, you cannot zoom in x2 or x4, but of all the settings, the raw image setting used with a DMC-FZ50 and this 3x teleconversion lens will let you shoot at a fair distance and yield the sharpest detailed pictures when enlarged. The raw image setting will yield two of the same image--both large, enlargeable files.

When attached, this lens will make your camera front-heavy in an unbalanced way, so you will need to consciously increase grip strength until you have gotten use to the weight difference, especially when using a tripod, so as not to lose a too soft grip on your camera to gravity.

I strongly recommended this for more detail at a greater distance and I use mine with:
Panasonic DMC-FZ50 10.1MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

If you have an an FZ50, this is your only telephoto option. Optically, it works quite well, with good sharpness across the entire lens, but some of the mechanical aspects of it could have been better done. The main problem with it is that since the FZ50 has a fixed lens, the tele-converter attaches to the camera lens by screwing onto the filter thread. These are very fine and delicate but the size of the converter makes it quite easy to accidentally damage them by cross-threading if the user is not very careful when attaching it.

That said, this is a worthwhile upgrade. The optical quality is much better than a typical tele-converter and the boost in focal length it provides it startling. Be sure to check your camera's manual again before using it the first time--there are some menu settings you will want to change for best results but there's no mention of that in the documentation that comes with the converter.

This lens helped capture quality photos of elk high in the tundra of Rocky Mountain National Park along Trail Ridge Rd. last week. It also captured very good detail in scenics taken there. The added capability is well worth the price. ced