Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 18x Optical Zoom with 28mm Wide-Angle LEICA Lens and 2.5" Diagonal LCD - Black - DMC-FZ18K

Im glad with this Lumix camera, it's light, compact and it takes high quality photos. I like the super zoom. I recommend this camera to anyone...
 
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I've owned Olympus, Canon, and Fuji since entering the digital world and the Panasonic Lumix is absolutely the best digital camera I've ever seen. Its lightweight body, lens, and lithium battery configuration allow me to carry the camera around my shoulder on a bike ride without ever feeling weighted down. The 18x zoom gets me in close to wildlife shots that other cameras see as specks. Additionally, the FZ18's response time is fast. It allows me to grab those in flight shots the Canon missed because the Canon S3IS was too slow responding to pressing the shutter button. The Lumix FZ18 is almost half the weight of the Canon IS series. I took 384 pictures in one day and there was still life left in the lithium battery. The FZ18 has an incredible zoom that takes sharp pictures at the far telephoto, optical 18x setting. It can also produce wonderful shots at the extreme macro setting. And on a bright day, the depth of field surpasses the Canon S3IS. I did a side by side comparison. The FZ18 will also shoot the 16:9 wide screen ratio, which is more pleasing for wide computer monitors and wide screen TVs. As great as this camera is, one additional selling point for me is the attachable lens hood and adapter ring, which comes with the camera. There's an viewfinder for viewing if you want to save battery life and not use the screen. Both the viewfinder and screen work well in bright sunlight. In comparison, with my sunglasses on, the Canon's viewfinder was useless in bright sunlight. The one additional item that's a must to protect the lens is a skylight filter and this screws directly onto the lens! (The Olympus I had needed an extender tube that the filter attached to). What I bought in the FZ18 was an 8M pixel camera with an 18x optical zoom. What I got was a camera that runs circles around anything I have previously owned.
 
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the camera has all the things one need in a simple package, well designed a good lense that zooms to 18x. Light weight and not too big to handle. for the price there is no better deal at this time.
 
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The camera came in a flash from buy.com, a day or more sooner than other items ordered the same day from other sources. Everything worked after we charged up the battery. The photos are wonderfully clear. It does just what we need it to do. We need to take closeups, and the camera does that with a minimum of hassle.
 
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After researching many mid level cameras I settled on the Lumix FZ-18. This camera is chock full of features with an incredible zoom range.
 
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 18x Optical Zoom with 28mm Wide-Angle LEICA Lens and 2.5" Diagonal LCD. The super zoom 18X & 28mm wide-angle fits my need. I Take photo of houses for adding on to MLS, with the wide angle I don't have to back out of a window to take a good shot of a room. Buy.com's competitive price is a sure winner compare to CostCo $379.99 + tax! The many functions of the camera take some learning to fully understand how to use them. It comes with a very good manual & it is available for downloading from Panasonic website.
 
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Having carried a SLR, lenses and accessories during my film-camera days, I wanted to have many of the capabilities - but not the weight and bulkiness. I did some research and narrowed it down to the Sony and Panasonic. I chose the Panasonic - and it is sweet. Light, compact, but offers many of the capabilities of a DSLR, without the bulk and weight - and expense. 28-504 MM capability - how much would that cost with extra lenses? The images are pristine and the image stabilization really helps you capture images at lower light levels. The 16x9 video capture is amazing. Near HD capture - it looks clear and bright on your monitor or TV. I really can't speak for the software as I use iPhoto and iMovie to create movies and slide shows on my MAC. Unless you are a professional needing a SLR - this camera is for you. Serious amateurs should also be very happy with this camera.
 
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I searched extensively for a digital SLR to take action shots of my boys playing sports, but the digital body + zoom lens put me way out of my price range. The Panasonic DMC-FZ18 with 18x Leica lens (28-504mm) met all of my needs: Image stabilization, 8mp, compact, lightweight, great lens and great price.
 
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I just love this camera. I purchased a NIKON D80 kit and extra lens for over $2,000 a couple months ago and had the hardest time getting it to perform in an unusually low-light wedding. I lost approximately 75% of the shots. However, I bought this Lumix DMC-FZ8 for only $299.97 @ Wal-Mart and it had OUTSTANDING performance in EXTREME low-light (using its Intelligent-ISO setting and Auto Red-Eye Reduction Flash setting). It literally lit up a pitch black, dark room and I was able to use over 90% of the shots taken. Plus, there were no halos or color bursts like I was getting with the D80. Goes to show Pricier isn't always Better. This unit even has optional lenses that you can attach. How's that for an "Enthusiast" SLR-like Digi-Cam? This is a must have camera for any level of photographer. It has features that rival the big boys (like Canon and Nikon), a price to compete with the mid-range (like Olympus and Fuji), and ease of use like the point-and-shoots.
 
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