1. 8.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
2. 3.6x wide-angle image-stabilized optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD display
3. Intelligent Auto Mode with Face Detection and Intelligent Scene Selector
4. High-Sensitivity mode shoots at an ISO equivalent of 6400; Continuous Autofocus minimizes autofocus time
5. Stores images on SD memory cards (includes 27MB of internal memory; powered by lithium-ion battery (battery and charger included)

Editorial Review :

Tired of getting blurry nighttime portraits due to hand-shake? Had enough flash shots with washed-out faces? Hate those out-of-focus flower photos? Sometimes it's hard to know which function to use, or switching modes is a bother, so the camera just stays in Auto mode. Too often, this won't give you the sharp, clear pictures you want. Lumix's iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode solves these problems with single-button ease. The camera automatically optimizes the settings to produce beautifully sharp, blur-free pictures in typical shooting situations.

Customer Review :

Found a 10 Mega pixels at same price

I bought this camera for my daughter and she found it a week later in Best Buy for the same price but 10 megapixels. What a deal!! But the camera itself is great.

Rating :

Great camera, small and good quality

I bought this camera when it first came out last year. It's been great - photos are good. Photos with flash (i.e. in the dark) could be of better quality - certainly not the daylight quality, but I'm happy nonetheless.

The camera is not incredibly light, but it is small and is reasonably good-looking. Easy to use and takes great photos in sunlight.

Rating :

great point and shoot

I had the 5 megapixel version of this camera and it was great. When I lost that camera I knew that there was no other point and shoot that I would want to own. The image stabilizer is phenomenal for an amature photographer and it's 100 times better than the kodak cameras that I've owned. I won't buy any other camera for everyday use.

Rating :

Little Love

I'm not one who needs to review things, but this camera is special. I have used many digital cameras over many years, each improved over the last model as technology improves and becomes more afordable. Having purchased the FZ18 I noticed the FX30 very is similar in menu and features which I have grown to like on the FZ. There are trade offs with the tiny cameras of optical quality(CCD size)and zoom. Looking at most all others they have similar limitations needing enough light to keep the noise down. Some have much worse quality issues, like so called "digital image stabilization" that automatically lower quality with increased noise to useless levels. The thing I wanted to share is this camera grows on you. I cannot leave it home or often worry it might loose it down the couch or worse! It is cute and needs TLC and just happens to take great pictures too!

Rating :

Likeable, but ultimately flawed

I gave it three stars because it falls short in one critical area - photo quality.

But first, the good stuff. Like an earlier review noted, the black rubberized finish feels good in hand. The "Intelligent Auto" mode works reasonably well - it was able to distinguish between macro, landscape, portrait and night modes most of the time. The wide angle lens really came in handy for group photos, landscape and architecture shots. Normal operation is fairly snappy, and the menu are easy to figure out. Lastly, the LCD screen's resolution is fairly high, and the gain can be adjusted with one button to aid viewing in bright environments.

However, the photo quality was underwhelming. I've owned a Canon Powershot S410 and Fuji Finepix F20 (both pocket-sized Point & Shoot cameras) and the photo quality in those cameras were superior to the Panasonic. Panasonic cameras have had the reputation of great lenses with mediocre noise reduction, and that's what I expected with this camera. However, the photos are very soft and the colors lack saturation. The noise reduction is noticeable at ISO 200, and is very apparent at ISO 400. This level of noise reduction is not unusual for this class of camera, though I prefer the Canon approach of more detail but more noise.

The camera also has an "Intelligent ISO" mode, which boosts the ISO if shaking or motion is detected in the frame. It sounds good, but it's very aggressive, and the resulting photos are usually shot at fairly high ISO where the detail is lost. There is a option to limit the highest ISO, though the option is not available in "Intelligent Auto" mode.

I haven't printed any photos from this camera, though I would suspect that regular sized prints would be fine. You can usually tell the difference in quality by zooming into a photo, but in this case, I was able to tell the difference even when shrinking the photos to fit in a web album.

It's not a bad camera. I actually enjoyed using it, but at the end of the day, when you sit down and look over the photos you took, that's where the camera underwhelms.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 2-megapixel sensor creates 1,600 x 1,200 images for sharp prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches
2. 12x optical zoom and 3x digital zoom for 36x total
3. Expandable via Secure Digital memory cards
4. Connects with PCs and Macs via USB port
5. Powered by rechargeable lithium ion battery (included)

Customer Review :

One of the best digital cameras ever made!

I've had my camera for over a year after picking one up on eBay, and it is the best digital camera I've ever used (and I've used a lot).

First of all, I totally agree with other reviewers here about how this camera quells the notion that more megapixels is better. I wouldn't know what to do with them if I had them. This camera consistently produces "film quality" prints. Color saturation and tone are excellent, as well as is sharpness.

Having an image stabilized Leica lens with a 12x zoom is what really sets this camera apart from the competition. You're never too far away from your subject with this excellent lens.

The lens is only half the story because coupled to it is an equally, fantastic CCD imaging system. The time to turn the camera on, shoot a photo, and store it to memory is the quickest I've experienced since my first digital camera: a little Fuji Finepix A101 (which is a simple, point-and-click 2 megapixel camera).

Speaking of my Finepix A101, I've taken photos with it and printed off 8 x 10's that many people would swear was taken with an expensive SLR film camera. To put it bluntly, the quality of the photographer also has a lot to do with what you get from a digital camera. I am an amateur photographer -- whatever that means.

Despite the many features of the FZ1, I would recommend it for a beginner, but only if the beginner has already had some experience with film cameras and at least knows how to compose a picture with proper lighting and framing. A few beginners may be intimidated by it, but they shouldn't be: just put it on the "heart" setting and fire away to your "heart's" content.

The biggest weakness of ALL digital cameras is flash photography. There is no way the dinky, little flashes that come with them can do a decent job. They all tend to wash out images. Unfortunately, this camera does not have a hot shoe to allow the addition of an external flash. Photos taken with its flash will only be acceptable if there is sufficient ambient light to begin with. My advice is to avoid flash wherever possible: instead, take advantage of its fast lens, set the ISO to 400, and use available lighting.

Low lighting is problematic for the FZ1 as there is no infrared assist. What I do is to either point-and-shoot, and hope for the best, or lock my focus on something bright that is the same distance away as my subject.

Except for those situations where lighting is poor, this camera will take perfectly balanced shots under most lighting conditions. If you have to use flash, well, then, use it.

If you can find a better camera than the FZ1 for the same money, by all means, buy it, but I seriously doubt you will. The FZ1 is as good as it gets!


Rating :

What a great camera for a great price!

I have had this camera for two years now. I have taken many, many great photos with this camera, it's unbelievable. It seems to do well in almost all conditions.

I uploaded a photo I took of my daughter just last week. The original picture was in color and was fantastic all by itself. I used virtual photographer to improve on it just a little bit by changing it to black and white and putting a soft focus on it.

The very first picture I took with this camera had me hooked. It's a closeup of my son. I was trying to decide if I should keep the camera or return it for another. Well, that shot alone made me decide to keep it and I am so glad I did.





Rating :

Don't use the auto white balance

After several (mostly outdoor) shots with this camera, I was pleased with the overall performance but puzzled as to why the colors were off. The reason seems to be that the so-called "auto" white balance doesn't really compensate for the available lighting. My guess is that it is simply a fixed setting based on all possible lighting available on Planet Earth, ergo, only passable for any particular situation. Images taken in sunlight are improved immensely by using that setting, and indoor/mixed light source images should first be set using the manual white balance feature, if possible.

Rating :

Excellent beginner superzoom camera

I want to just let you know that I am definetely not a pro, but an average person, so that is how I'm writing my review. I got this camera 2 years ago because I wanted a superzoom. Well, with the picture stabilization and the 12X zoom, I got what I wanted, but not much more. If you want to take nature photos, this camera is terrific. If you want to move on to scenery that moves, your going to have to find something else, b/c this camera does not have the shutter speed for it. Also, low light or artificial light does not come out very well either. With flash will look so-so as long as your image is within range, but the background is black. I do love this camera for being easy to use, but I've personally grown out of it. The 2 MP is also outdated.

Rating :

Great camera perhaps even in low light 4.5 stars

I'll be brief. Megapixels should not be your sole consideration. I have made 8x10 prints of pictures taken (macro and regular settings) with this camera and they are gorgeous and very detailed (I posted the full zoom photo of the truck with the dent and the macro pic of the devil ducks). For family and vacation pix this is exactly what I need. I think the person who wrote that 4x6 prints weren't good didn't have the camera set to the highest resolution (it has 3, with the lowest resolution intended for web viewing only).

The low light problem may lie with me as I've re-read the manual and now taken a couple good photos in no light with the flash. I set the camera to night rather than normal and the flash and image stabilization did the rest.

The video quality is alright for the occasional e-mail.

As I love the compact size I'm keeping this camera. I was thinking of moving to a used FZ3 as that model is the same size and has the focus-assist for low light, but may hold off for now.

Ideally I'd like a camera this size that could also take decent video with sound occasionally that I could enjoy watching on a TV. This is a little too muddy. BTW, you can watch photos on your TV, but oddly, you can't transfer pix from your computer onto the camera's flash card and then use the camera to view them on TV. That would be a nice feature also.

I also wish there was an ISO setting button rather than having to go into the menus, but oh well.

Oh, get a 128MB or better flash card. I only take pix at the highest resolution and then convert to lower for e-mail on my computer.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. Panasonic Consumer
2. Digital Still Camera 5MP Black

Editorial Review :

MODEL- DMC-FZ5 VENDOR- PANASONIC CONSUMER FEATURES- Lumix Digital Camera- Black finish Lumix 5 Megapixel Digital Camera with MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer, 12x Optical Zoom & Fast Auto Focus. The DMC-FZ5 camera has a LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens that is a small, lightweight lens that packs the same zoom power as a big, clunky 400mm-class film camera lens. This 12x optical zoom lens is super-bright too, at F2.8 to 3.3 with a focal length of 6 to 72mm (equivalent to 35mm to 420mm in a 35mm film camera). You have got all the power and flexibility you need to take exquisitely beautiful shots all the way from telephoto to wide angle and macro. The DMC-FZ4 also has a 4x digital zoom. Use it together with the 12x optical zoom and you have got ultra-powerful 48x zooming - roughly equivalent to a huge 1680mm lens on a 35mm camera. Includes Camera, Battery Charger, Battery Pack, 16MB SD Memory Card, Lens cap, Lens Hood & Adapter, AV & USB cables, Hand strap, software. * MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer Helps Eliminate Blurry Pictures Jitter from shaky hands is one of the main reasons why cameras produce blurry images. We do not expect everyone to have hands of stone when taking pictures--that is why Lumix cameras help solve the problem of unsteady hands with advanced MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer technology. The DMC-FZ5 has a built-in gyrosensor that detects any hand movement and relays a signal to a tiny microcomputer inside the camera, which instantly calculates the compensation needed. A linear motor then shifts the Optical Image Stabilizer lens as necessary to guide incoming light from the image straight to the CCD. You will not even notice it working--all you will see are the outstanding results! * Take Consecutive Shots at 3 Frames Per Second! You can take up to 7 images in Standard Mode and 4 images in Fine Mode with full resolution. In addition, the Unlimited Consecutive Shooting function lets you continue shooting until the memory card

Customer Review :

No review yet

1. 7.2-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
2. 6x image-stabilized optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display
3. Intelligent ISO Control (I.I.C.) reduces image blur from subject movement and low light
4. Records full-size movies (no sound) in wide-aspect VGA (848 x 480) at 30 frames per second
5. Stores images on SD/SDHC/MMC memory cards; 27MB internal memory

Editorial Review :

6x Optical Zoom / 2" LCD / Mega Optical Image Stabilizer / High Sensitivity Mode / SD Memory Card Slot / PictBridge / USB

Customer Review :

Lumix DMC-LZ6S Excellent Camera

Bought this camera a month ago and used on a trip. Already had over 1000 shots on it. Love its rich features - flexible. Excellent picture quality. Its image stablizer seems to be effective. I also have a Lumix 5Mp camera which is also excellent. I think that there are two limitations on the Lumix cameras people need to know before buying. (1) It does not have a "view-window" (only LCD screen). It is impossible to see the screen in sunlight when you don't have a hat or something to shield the reflection; (2) If you plan to use rechargable NiHM batteries, buy only quality rechargable with 2500ma or better. It won't tolerate less quality rechargables.

Rating :

5 stars for Amazon Service!

Although this item was wrong for my operating system, I wanted to give the 5 stars to Amazon cutomer service! This one one Company that stands behind their policies, guarantees & high standards of service.
Great items, great service & greatly appreciated! "Thank you Amazon"

Rating :

Solid camera, great price

Excellent camera for the money. Takes sharp, clear photos and has a good anti-jittering option. Loaded with features, but the camera display menus are a little confusing and the printed user's guide is cumbersome. That said, the camera is very easy to use for the average point-and-shoot photographer like myself. More experienced photo enthusiasts will probably get a lot more out of it if they wish to explore the seemingly endless feature menus.

Rating :

DIGITAL CAMERA

Camera does all that it suppose to, however it is difficult to view image in bright light.

Rating :

Filma SIN SONIDO !!!!!!

Lumix DMC-LZ6S 7.2MP Digital Camera with 6x Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver) . Me equivoque al comprar una camara tan buena, pero que filma sin sonido, lo que la vuelve incompleta.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 7.2-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
2. 10x image-stabilized optical zoom; 3.0-inch LCD display
3. Intelligent ISO Control (I.I.C.) reduces image blur from subject movement and low light
4. Records full-size movies in wide-aspect VGA (848 x 480) at 30 frames per second
5. Stores images on SD/SDHC/MMC memory cards

Editorial Review :

The DMC-TZ3A is Lumix 7.2-megapixel digital camera with 10x optical zoom, MEGA optical image stabilizer & high sensitivity mode.

Customer Review :

Panasonic Lumix....10x optical zoom

Best camera for price! Small, fits in pocket or purse. Takes great pictures and has good zoom qualities. Reccomend for anyone who wants an automatic camera!

Rating :

Best Camera

This is the best camera I have ever used. The pictures are excellent, the zoom is phenomenal. The fast shutter speed allows me to take 4 pictures in the same time other digital cameras take one. Everyone I have shown it to or have tried to use it love the camera.

Rating :

Great reviews on DMC-TZ3

I previously had a Panasonic DMC-LZ2 with which I was satisfied, so I was comfortable with choosing another Panasonic DMC and familiar with many of the features and menus. The DMC-TZ3 has been an amazing little camera for a point and shoot that I got for just under $200. It has many extras that my LZ2 didn't have - love the candlelight setting - and it does well in low light. I put an 8G memory card in it and purchased an extra battery - these lasted through at least 1.5 hours of video and 150 pictures - both at the maximum quality. I have been receiving rave reviews on my videos on YouTube and many questions as to what kind of camera I used... my only wish for it is that you could change the zoom level in the middle of videoing. Be sure to not have your finger over the microphone while recording - my first test video had this awful sound - fortunately I figured out why.

To see my videos - search for fanmamma on YouTube and look for video created October 28, 2008, or later. Be sure to set it to watch in high quality; as good as these are, the original files are even better.

Rating :

Solid, but with significant drawbacks in quality

I bought this when my Fuji F700 hit the pavement - too bad, that was a better camera. This one is solidly built, great screen, good features, but has three big drawbacks: it consistenly overexposes (I've manually set it to a darker exposure), the contrast and color depth seems mediocre, and it's bad in even moderately low light conditions - always uses a flash indoors even when it seems pretty bright, and you get a big overexposure on your subject when that happens.

Rating :

my digital "Wonderful"

Hello, I bought this item, because it was no longer availabel here in Germany, therefore excuse my typing / errors in spelling.
Well, what can I say this camera is wonderful. It has everything, I mean everything you can ask for. This camera has received best test results in 2007/2008 and is still a hot item in 2008 eventhough the new type TZ5 was launched in the market. This camera has received a better test results regarding the speed shooting pictures in sequence. It is therfore alos good snap shot camera, but much more than this. Read more: It does not take a long time compared to other cameras to charge, focus and take a wonderful shot. It shoots brilliant picutes although the flash is super bright. It does not have manual features, but many many programs from which you can choose of for almost every surrounding the right setting is available. Also, you have two buttons you can "pre-set"with your favourite settings so it is super simple to handle.
The "only" 7.x megapixels are just fine they match to the chip that is inside the camera and that's the important part somebody told me. All pixels should have room on that chip to produce the best quality of pictures - which this camera really does.
But the best part is the super zoom, 10x and an additional digital zoom, also it has some neat functions like the "hold still button" not sure what the correct term is, but it prevents the camera or rather the image on the screen from shaking, you take quick, excellent, high resolution shots! Yeah, I love that camera, I put a fast SD-HD card inside, 4 GB so that I can use the "burst function" as well, many pics I can shoot in quick sequence. It looks nice and helps when you do a photo story.
Well, I could say much more positive things and only positive things this thing is great, remember you cover even a 28mm angle (wide angle).
Hey, if there are more of these "old" cameras on the market - go get one, the new typse not necessarily have to be better- remember this. Most of the time it is a battle among the manufactures more megapixels, but that does not count all the time. So, if you are thinking of buying a camera - this is the one, eventhough it is Japanese, but hey you know they make could quality besides the lens is I think made in Germany(!) Leica and that is still one of the top quality products / brands.
So, I hope I could give all readers a little insight of my feelings and view.

Rating :

More reviews...