Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC50

Viewfinder (4.5)
The optical viewfinder for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC50 is an optical viewfinder located on the back of the camera body, centrally located above the LCD screen.

LCD Screen (6.0)
The small 1.5-inch, 114,000 pixel LCD screen is located on the back of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC50. While it does have nearly 100% frame coverage, the monitor itself is minuscule, particularly for a point-and-shoot camera that forces the user into LCD framing. With a laughable viewfinder, the LCD becomes the user's method of image composition and viewing. In this situation, there should be a larger screen with more resolution. This is the bare minimum for this type of camera.

Flash (6.5)
The built-in flash is located just above and to the left of the Leica lens on the front of the camera body. To help the user control added illumination, there are four flash options included to select from: Auto, Auto/Red Eye Reduction, Slow Sync/Red Eye Reduction, Forced On/Off. The reachable flash range on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC50 is 0.98-15.75 feet in Wide/ISO Auto settings, and 1.64-9.19 feet in Telephoto/ISO Auto mode. This will be adequate for point-and-shoot needs -- and will have to be, as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC50 does not include an accessory shoe for added lighting.

Zoom Lens (7.5)
Perhaps the strongest element on the Lumix DMC-LC50 is the Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT all-glass, 3x optical lens. This zoom covers a 35-105mm (equivalent) zoom range, providing flexibility in both the wide angle and telephoto realms. Panasonic promotes the Leica lens on the camera foremost, emphasizing a 'multi-coating process' that has been applied to the lens to help with flare and fogging resulting from intense light. To augment the capabilities of the lens, an additional 3x digital zoom range is available to the user for when magnification takes precedence over image quality and there is a need to move in closer to the action.