Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8K 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

Excellent little camera. I have a Nikon D80 & D70 I use 4 the really professional shots, but this little pocket camera is always ready, not cumbersome & shoots some shots that rival the Nikons in quality. Would recommend 2 anyone wanting a light, always ready, good shooting camera that you can take with you all the time.

On paper, this camera sounds great. It looks good, the black body is slick & it feels good 2 hold. It takes AA batteries & has a 5x zoom. All very nice. But none of that matters because it's terrible. Image quality is poor- too noisy at any ISO. And it's just so slow... really slow 2 focus, & incredibly slow between shots using the flash. I don't expect miracles, but by the time this thing cycles, your subject has already gone home. Most pics are blurry, grainy, dark, off-color. Maybe one in 5 will be decent. Yes, it is a cheap point & shoot- but other brands at the same price point are worlds better. Oh- & that Leica lens may have meant something in years past, but now it's just a marketing tool. Just read the pro reviews. This camera is not worth your money. Stay away.

This is a terrific camera! It is so easy 2 use & the instructions are very easy 2 follow. I love it! The only negative comment I have is that the AA batteries wear down very quickly even with the camera turned off. It is best 2 get rechargable batteries or take them out of the camera when you aren't using it.

Major points:

1 In some cases (usually in dark or very dark conditions), the camera produces completely unacceptable results, with small white "bubbles" appearing throughout the shot. I have researched this & there are a couple of notes on the web that complain of how the lens may accentuate "dust dots". Understand I have verified this on 2 different cameras, sending the first one back the day that I got it, only 2 have the same thing happen with the second. [This is the only serious negative in the mind of this reviewer, & bubbles will not be an issue in most photos.]

2 The general sharpness of the images is noticably inferior 2 some other point & shoot cameras, such as the Canon SD1000, which I also have. This difference is completely inconsequential 4 printing 4x6 photos but can easily be seen 4 example, when displaying at large sizes on a PC. Still, 2 many people this is probably a non-issue.

3 The general layout of controls, menus, etc. is very well done. To me (and this is subjective), it is much better done & more intuitive than what you see on the point & shoot Canon cameras.

4 The software with the camera is okay, but I like the Canon software better.

5 Panasonic support has sucked in my attempt 2 get help. I registered my first camera (which I later sent back) online. Later, I filled out a form on the Panasonic site 2 request help with the bubble issue. It has been eight days since, & I have received no answer from Panasonic. Additionally, the nearest service center 2 me (Georgia) is Illinois. Luckily, Panasonic devices have good reliability & so you will probably never have 2 deal with their "support team".

6 The feature set (zoom, manual options, etc.) is clearly good compared 2 other cameras in this price range.

7 For whatever its worth, I have decided 2 keep the camera. Honestly I would be very enthusiastic about it if not 4 the bubble (i.e., dust?) issue.

Camera works very well. Has a nice point & shoot feature 4 anyone not into all the details of photography. Extended zoom works very well. Has a lot of other options 4 someone more into photography. Easy 2 start using & easy 2 transfer pictures 2 a computer.

With both a 32mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens & a 5x zoom, this is one camera that does it all. You can fit more in the photo than you can with a 35mm lens, so you can get more of a sweeping landscape in a single shot. The 5x zoom is great 4 capturing dramatic shots of small or distant subjects. There's also an Extra Optical Zoom function that boosts zoom power 2 8.9x in 3-megapixel resolution mode. Simply set the Lz8 2 iA mode & let the camera do the rest. Intelligent Scene Selector chooses the mode that best fits the situation; MEGA Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) helps prevent blurring from hand-shake; Intelligent ISO Control helps prevent motion blur; & Face Detection helps produce clear portraits by optimizing the focus & exposure settings. The brightness & contrast of the large 2.5" diagonal LCD adjust automatically in 10 steps as ambient light conditions change, so images are clear, bright & easy 2 see day or night, indoors or outdoors. f=5.2-26mm (35mm Equiv. - 32-160mm) Focal Length 2.5 Diagonal Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display (230K dots) Focusing Area Normal - Wide 50cm/ Tele 100cm - infinity, Macro / Intelligent AUTO - Wide 5cm / Tele 100cm - infinity 8 - 1/2,000 sec. Starry Sky Mode - 15, 30, 60sec. Shutter Speed Auto / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 (High Sensitivity Mode - Auto(1600 - 6400) ) ISO 27MB Internal Memory (additional memory recommended 2 store more photos & video) Built-in Flash, Microphone & Speaker SD/SDHC, MultiMedia Card Slot DC Input, AV Output (NTSC/PAL), USB Connections PictBridge Compatible Approximate Battery Life - 260 Shots (Oxide Batteries) Approximate Unit Weight - 0.33 lbs