5 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K 7.2MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black).

1. Great Product easy to use. Small compact and all the features we need. Much better than the Son we had before



2. I bought four TZ-3's and three TZ-5's as presents after much DD. While they may not be an ultra-compact size, considering the features and quality you are better off moving up in size as an ultra-compact just can't compete with the TZ series camera. I recommend the TZ-5 over the TZ-3 however, you will be satisfied with either. Panasonic Lumix is definitely setting the pace for small cameras with large optical zoom. For point and shoot enthusiasts, you will not be disappointed! Also, buy the Transcend 8gb SDHC card, an 1100mAH extra battery and a small Kodack graphite camera bag and you will be ready to roll.



3. I originally ordered this camera for its optical zoom and wide angle range, but the large screen, small frame, and light weight were all great bonuses. There are other great perks that I discovered while playing with the camera: the LCD screen can be brightened when you're out on a sunny day, and with the push of the High Angle LCD function button the display can be easily viewed from low angles (like when holding the camera up high to take pictures over a crowd). I absolutely love this camera.



4. This is a great camera. It is not so big that you can't put it in your pocket, yet it has a fantastic LCD screen and the 10X optical zoom is great. The photo quality is superb, and the features are easy to use and intuitive. Highly recomended.



5. It's a great digital camera w/ AWESOME zoom. The screen on the back is big. Lot's of great features. I don't like that it's a tad on the heavy side and that you can't zoom in & out when you are recording a video but other than that it's a great camera. It's nice that it comes w/ a battery charger too. I got tired of buying cameras that ate up my AA batteries. I recommend this baby.

No comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4S 8.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver).

5 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35K 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black).

1. The camera arrived in a small box, with accessories, i.e., USB and AV cables, battery with its storage case, battery charger, CD, wriststrap, software pamphlet, and a 125 page printed Operating Instruction Manual.
   
   The battery needed to be charged before the camera could be used. This took about two hours. The camera was easy to use even without reference to the instruction manual. I've used earlier Panasonic models so others may have a different first impression. On my Vista system, the image transfer software installed quickly and automatically when the camera was first connected to my computer's USB port.
   
   A short while back I took interior pictures using a 28mm wide angle zoom. I recently took photos of the same locations using the FX35 at its 25mm settings. It might seem that the photographic difference between 28mm and 25mm would be small. However, visually the difference was obvious. The 25mm setting produced almost panoramic wide angle coverage. The camera has worked well at the wide end, but the telephoto end is, for my uses, probably about 20mm too short. Fortunately, the image quality at lower ISOs allowed for modest crops in Photoshop to get the results I wanted.
   
   Considering the relatively small sensor, noise was reasonably well controlled at ISO settings below 400. At lower ISO values images are very good. ISO 100 images hold up well under considerable enlargement. I found ISO 400 was the highest level at which I achieved acceptable, although slightly grainy, images. Above ISO 400 noise is obvious and distracting, with a significant loss of image detail. At ISO 800 noise already shows a rough texture. At ISO 1,600 shadow areas showed large blotches of color noise. My longer zoom Panasonic camera with Venus III LSI processor occasionally smeared fine details. Happily, the FX35's Venus IV engine seems to do a slightly better job of detail preservation.
   
   The camera has a very nice array of quite useful features as well as some, arguably, 'gimmicky' ones. The 25mm ultra wide angle, 1280 x 720p HD movie mode, and the Advanced Intelligent Auto Mode, which actually works to correct an array of common problems, all proved to be of real value. The Optical Image Stabilization, set to Mode 2, was very effective; pictures hand held at 1/4th of a second were blur free. The covers to the cable compartment(DC in, Audio Visual, and component out cables), and battery and SD memory compartment are solid, unlike covers on some other cameras. I like the dedicated switches on the back of the camera for playback, and exposure compensation. I also appreciate the dedicated Q(uick) Menu/Delete button. Pressing this button selects the quick menu in record, and the delete menu during playback. During record this button provides access to options appropriate to the current mode. For example, in Intelligent Auto mode the camera makes most of the choices, so only four main categories of options are provided for the user to select from. In Normal mode, where the user has more choices, eight main categories are provided. Main categories include ISO, picture size, white balance, LCD brightness, etc. JPG images at the highest quality setting run around 3.5 to 4.5 MB, with the occasional smaller or larger file. On my single core computer, USB data transfer speed from the camera was about 2.6 MB/sec.
   
   The camera is not without some disappointments. In high contrast situations, small sensor cameras typically blow out highlights or lose shadow details. The FX35's "intelligent exposure" is designed to correct this. However, I didn't see a major improvement in the few high contrast situations I recently faced. Some omissions are understandable even on a relatively expensive point-and-shoot, e.g., lack of raw mode, and manual aperture and shutter adjustments. Although clearly desirable, they are less important to many buyers. However, its quite disappointing to find the zoom can't be changed while recording movies. This serious omission might be due to the proximity of the zoom mechanism and the microphone. None-the-less, I would have liked to have seen this option included. Another disappointment is the slightly small, although acceptable, 2.5", rather than 3.0", LCD. Canon, Fuji, Nikon, and Kodak are able to package larger displays in some of their ultra compacts. I would also have liked even a minimal optical viewfinder. It would be useful for sunlight scenes where the LCD brightness is insufficient to make for easy screen viewing. The maximum telephoto aperture of F5.6 is relatively small. The EXIF data recorded with my photos shows aperture values from F2.8 to 8.0 at 25mm, but only F5.6 to 8.0 at 100mm.
   
   The FX35's on/off switch is somewhat poorly designed and positioned. Unlike some models where this switch is located in a raised well, or others where it needs to be pressed in to turn the camera on, the FX35's slide switch is raised above the camera's top, and can be inadvertently turned on when inserting the camera into a pocket or carry case, causing the lens to extend. This potential problem can be solved by moving the play/record switch on the camera's back to play before storing the camera. Set to play, the lens will stay retracted if the camera is turned on.
   
   An earlier sharp-eyed poster noted that the legend around the camera lens in the picture says 28mm rather than 25mm. Fortunately, the picture posted is essentially identical to my FX35, except for the legend error and the AF Assist Lamp/Self Timer LED indicator missing from the top right front of the camera. There's also a minor discrepancy between Amazon's listings of "27MB Internal Memory", and the Manual's "Approx. 50 MB" of built in memory.
   
   The Bottom Line: The camera is fast and responsive. Image quality at low ISO values is higher than I anticipated for a sensor this small. It has a truly exceptional wide angle lens, and nicely implemented HD movie mode. Exposure, focus, and scene mode capabilities usually worked flawlessly. Although there were compromises, notably higher ISO performance, deficiencies are minor compared to the totality of the camera's capabilities. Its state-of-the-art zoom lens produced excellent images. In most shooting situations the FX35 made the right decisions to produce superior results. Its well-chosen selection of dedicated controls makes it particularly easy to use. Outfitted with an 8GB SDHC Extreme III card, useful in HD movie mode, the camera will record about 1,600 photos at its highest quality setting. Overall, this is an excellent camera.



2. I received my camera a few days ago after deciding to buy it based on the reviews of quite a few cameras in its general class. I was looking for something quite specific - a small, easy-to-use camera with good image quality and, most particularly, the widest-angle lens I could find. I was looking for a pocket-sized camera with a wide-angle zoom starting at 28mm (in terms of equivalence to 35mm film camera lenses) when I noticed that the Lumix FX35 has a zoom range starting at 25mm. That was the main selling point for me.
   
   My main use for this camera will be for taking pictures of properties as my wife and I start looking for a new house. I have found it very helpful to have a camera that will let me get the whole front of the house and front yard in the picture without having to stand too far back. Also, for interior shots it can be difficult to capture a useful image of a room without a good wide-angle lens.
   
   Having used the camera for a few days now, here are my impressions. I have never had a Panasonic camera before, so the camera's controls and features were new to me. I have used mostly Canon Powershot cameras, and a few others, with somewhat different systems of menus and controls. So, my impressions are those of a first-time Panasonic user, and I can't compare this model to previous Panasonic models or to other cameras.
   
   This camera is very small, about 3 3/4 inches wide by 2 inches tall by 3/4 inch deep, and light. It feels solidly built and feels good in my average-sized hands. The LCD screen of 2.5 inches is not as large as those on some cameras, but is perfectly adequate. The camera has no separate viewfinder, and it can be hard to see the LCD in bright sunlight, but I found I can see enough of the image to compose the picture, even in bright sun.
   
   I particularly like that the menu system is easier to use than the system on some other cameras. I found it to be quite intuitive and sensible, without a huge number of options to sift through. You can set the shooting mode, ISO sensitivity, backlight compensation, etc., but there is no real manual mode; the camera is essentially automatic, which is fine for my purposes.
   
   One point confused me at first -- there is a setting for "minimum shutter speed," which is initially set to 1/8 of a second. So, when I tried to take pictures indoors with the flash forced off, the shutter closed too quickly, and the picture was always too dark. I finally realized I had to reset the minimum shutter speed to one second (its longest setting), and then I was able to take pictures indoors without flash, at least as long as there was a fair amount of ambient light.
   
   There are several useful buttons on the back of the camera that let you control the flash, exposure compensation, macro mode, and self-timer, so you don't have to memorize menu settings to make those adjustments, which is nice. Also, there is a "quick menu" button, which lets you get quick access to just a few of the most common adjustments while shooting, including image stablization, burst shooting mode, auto focus mode, white balance, ISO, and image quality, which is a helpful and welcome feature if you want to set up a shot rapidly without going through many menu screens. I found that the quick menu system really adds to the camera's usefulness for everyday shooting, especially for someone like me who does not use the camera constantly, but likes to have it ready to use easily when needed.
   
   The camera has many features, including HD video capability, which I have not tried. It sounds like a good thing to have, but as of now I haven't had a need for it.
   
   I tried the audio recording function, which left something to be desired. If you set the audio record function to on, then, whenever you snap a still picture, a microphone icon appears on the screen, and you have about 5 seconds to record your voice or any other sounds. I found it difficult to gauge exactly when to begin and end my talking, so my voice got cut off at times. This could be useful for quick and dirty audio notes, such as, in my case, stating the address of a house whose picture I'm taking, but it would be more useful if you had the option to start and stop the recording on your own terms, rather than being limited to the 5 seconds allowed by the camera.
   
   The camera accepts SDHC cards, which have a capacity of up to 16 GB. I purchased a Transcend 8 GB card, which has worked fine so far. The camera also has a small internal recording capacity of about 50 MB, so you can record some pictures even if you don't have a card, which is a nice feature. You can only use a card of up to 2 GB capacity unless it is an SDHC card.
   
   As far as criticisms of the camera are concerned, I don't have any really serious ones. I think it's obvious that any camera in this class, with a fairly high mega-pixel count (10.1 in this case) and a small image sensor is going to have some compromises. The image quality is perfectly adequate for my needs, and the pictures look great to me, though I'm not scrutinizing them from a technical point of view. There is a noticeable increase in image noise at ISO 400 and above, but if that's not a big issue for you, the pictures are still fine records of what you snapped; there just is a little fuzziness. The lens has a maximum opening of f/2.8, so you can set the ISO to 100 when shooting outdoors and get good results in most cases. (Oddly, the minimum aperture is f/5.6, so there is not much of a range in lens openings. I don't know how that compares to other cameras nowadays; that just seems strange compared to lenses I used in the past with openings down to f/22.) The manual suggests you use the "natural" color mode setting to minimize the effects of the noise.
   
   Overall, I'm very glad I found this model, and will be sticking with it for the foreseeable future. It has several other features I have not experimented with, such as face-detection, red-eye prevention, and "intelligent auto mode." Those might be added reasons to get this camera, but for me, I am very pleased that the camera feels solid, is very easy to use to take pictures quickly, yields excellent images, and, most importantly, has the great wide-angle lens. I am giving it four stars instead of five only because of the noisy images at ISO 400 and above. That's not a big issue for me, and I believe it's an issue with other cameras in this class as well, but it's something you should be aware of.



3. I've been a photographer since I was 14 and started working in my own darkroom. In the forty years since I've owned a lot of cameras including digital SLRs that I use for art and nature photography. But for an anticipated trip to the middle east I wanted something light and slim (that I knew I wouldn't hesitate to grab on the way out the door). This camera was my choice and it's been great for that purpose.
   
   Photo quality, excellent, except that they are .JPG, not RAW, which I would prefer. Video quality, a surprise, really good, at 1280 pixels too. Battery life, excellent, I did my whole trip without a recharge. I bought a 2GB card and still have plenty of space after my entire middle east trip ended, some 200 photos and 9 minutes of video later.
   
   Down sides, if any, limited zoom, but I knew that going in, preferring a wider angled lens (this one is great!) to a telephoto which would have added bulk. Biggest complaint - non-standard USB cable jack. C'mon, would it have so hard to include a standard jack? That would make this a 5 review. Excellent camera. Buy it and enjoy.



4. I guess if you are reading this review it's because you are someone like me. You're a buff in photography (amateur, professional, it doesn't matter, you just love what you are doing). You've got all the other gear - the heavy stuff with big glass - but you don't want to carry it everywhere. Problem: you never found what you were looking for: a small camera, with a wide-angle lens, image-stabilization, and maybe few extra gadgets like a decent movie mode and things like "Highlights & Shadows". Well, look no longer, the Panasonic will make you happy. Maybe it won't be as good as what you are accustomed to but you will quickly realize that you are taking many more pictures with it than you might have expected to. So, in the end, I think it deserves 5 stars, like the other gear. Really.



5. I go through about 7 cameras a year in my business practice and I have used them all. I can attest that the Panasonic Lumix brand is the best camera overall out of all the digital point and shoot cameras available. Its even better than the Canon G9 which is actually pricier than this camera. This camera is a work horse, long battery life, great picture quality, extremely durable. I carry this camera in my pocket daily and its never failed, even after the lens accidentally opens in my pocket under pressure and not being able to open fully. The picture quality is the best and easiest to quickly focus. I believe this is due to the Leica lens. For those that do not know about Leica, Leica is considered to be the Rolls-Royce of camera lenses. Ive also bought the Canon Powershots and they dont even come close to this one. Ive also bought the Canon G9 and it doesnt even compare to the this and the G9 is about $200 more. Bottom line, this is what you want.

5 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3S 7.2MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver).

1. Great Product easy to use. Small compact and all the features we need. Much better than the Son we had before



2. I bought four TZ-3's and three TZ-5's as presents after much DD. While they may not be an ultra-compact size, considering the features and quality you are better off moving up in size as an ultra-compact just can't compete with the TZ series camera. I recommend the TZ-5 over the TZ-3 however, you will be satisfied with either. Panasonic Lumix is definitely setting the pace for small cameras with large optical zoom. For point and shoot enthusiasts, you will not be disappointed! Also, buy the Transcend 8gb SDHC card, an 1100mAH extra battery and a small Kodack graphite camera bag and you will be ready to roll.



3. I originally ordered this camera for its optical zoom and wide angle range, but the large screen, small frame, and light weight were all great bonuses. There are other great perks that I discovered while playing with the camera: the LCD screen can be brightened when you're out on a sunny day, and with the push of the High Angle LCD function button the display can be easily viewed from low angles (like when holding the camera up high to take pictures over a crowd). I absolutely love this camera.



4. This is a great camera. It is not so big that you can't put it in your pocket, yet it has a fantastic LCD screen and the 10X optical zoom is great. The photo quality is superb, and the features are easy to use and intuitive. Highly recomended.



5. It's a great digital camera w/ AWESOME zoom. The screen on the back is big. Lot's of great features. I don't like that it's a tad on the heavy side and that you can't zoom in & out when you are recording a video but other than that it's a great camera. It's nice that it comes w/ a battery charger too. I got tired of buying cameras that ate up my AA batteries. I recommend this baby.

5 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8K 7.2MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black).

1. This is a GREAT starter camera. It has most features you expect from a starter dsl. However it only lacks one feature id really like to have. Interchangeable lens. ANd TRUE manual focus. Other then that. Pictures have a GREAT quality



2. My first impression of the Panasonic DMC-FZ8K was it is a small camera. After playing around with some of the features I was impressed with this camera. The FZ-8K takes fantastic pictures that are truly very sharp. What I'm most surprised with is the feature for close ups or macro. I was taking pictures of coins that were as good as my Canon D20. So small but packed with so many features that blows your mind. I have taken this camera FZ8K outside and ran some test of my own to see what I could do with it. I took some pictures of some Finches that feed at one of my bird feeders. Took many pictures of some buildings and even went to the Zoo. Every picture came out perfect the bird pictures were so good that I had one made into a 5x7 and framed it. I have never used a Panasonic camera and I would have to say I'm impressed. I was so Impressed with the FZ8K
   that I also purchased a Panasonice DMC-L1.The image stabalizer works great it's not perfect but it will get the job done. I took a picture of the moon with out the use of a tripod came out nice. To sum this up if your in the market for a great camera that is easy to use and with more features for more advanced users look no farther. This can be a simple point and shoot or you are able to change many features to be more creative. I was never a fan of point and shoot cameras but when I saw
   this camera on Amazon and did my home work. I read many reviews on the internet and made up my mind to give it a chance. I figured if I didn't like it I would sent it back to Amazon. After about an hour of playing with the camera the day it arrived. I new that this was a keeper in my book. It is small and I have big hands but fits me just fine. All controls for the FZ8K are easy to work when holding the camera. I bought a four gb memory card for it and a card reader. I no that this will never take the place of DSLR but the cost is a fraction and the results are and will amaze you what this little FZ8K can do. One thing maybe I can pass on is no matter what camera you are interested in read some reviews. I have never read a review on any camera that they have not found something wrong with it in some way. What I'm saying is there is no perfect camera out there. But I will say the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8K is as close to perfect as I will ever find. You have to handle the camera fill all the controls the make your own mind up. For me one that has a couple DSLR I'm very happy with my little Panasonic FZ8K. Also Amazon also had the best price on the net. And they shipped it lighting fast. I have used a Fugi point and shoot and a couple Canon point and shoot. My brother owns a Sony camera and loves it till he saw what the FZ8K can do and do it better. My pictures come out sharper more vivid and my zoom is a so much better. The Sony my brother uses cost 245.00 and is a little smaller and
   he is able to put in a shirt pocket. Mine I can't but feature for feature mine blows his away. I'm very happy with the performance and features that are on this Panasonic. Give this camera a chance and it to will make you as happy as it has made me. A fantastic camera for not allot of money. Gizmo



3. Very high quality. ALot of options. I believed the reviews i read, i checked on the dpr site and got a HIGHLY recommended. It is a great purchase and i have taken over 1000 photos since i bought it. Small smeared photos but that is from my hand shaking. Overall it is fantastic and easy to learn.



4. Tis is a wonderful camera. It is easy to use and can be used for any level of photography from totally automatic to fully manual. either way you get great results.



5. found my FZ8 at Wal-Mart, on a clearance sale, $170. Great buy, and a great camera. Especially with fast 2.8-3.1 lens.

5 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K 8.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black).

1. I have had the DMC FZ 18 for about 1 month now and I am mostly satisfied with my purchase. The camera takes good pictures most of the time, especially outside or with flash indoors. I am giving the camera 3 stars because even outdoors the camera is a little heavy handed in noise reduction when the light is not perfect. In shadow outside the camera tends to lose detail. Given the price range and the target audience for this camera that is not acceptable.
   A way around the picture quality problem is try shooting important pictures - like group pictures - from various angles and with flash even outside. Taking several pictures in auto mode and from the same position does not do the trick, you have to change the light.
   If you are looking for a point and shoot camera that can pictures fast, then this camera is a good choice. If you are obsessed with picture quality, then you might want to consider spending a little more and getting a dslr (wish I did). This camera takes better pictures than most point and shoot cameras, but can't compete with a dslr. In so far it is not really a bridge model, because in regard to ability to influence settings and picture quality the model leans toward the point and shoot class.
   
   If you get the camera, consider getting a 8 gb card with it. The camera is pretty fast for a point and shoot and you will take a lot of pictures. A 1 or 2 gb card will constrain you. 4 or 8 gb gives you enough room for a day of picture taking. Also, if you ever consider taking pictures in raw mode, you really need the 8gb because those files are huge.I use scandisk extreme III 4 and 8 gb cards with this camera. Both are excellent cards - fast and durable - and work well with the camera.
   
   The pros of the camera are:
   * light and not too bulky
   * camera easy to hold even with one hand - solid feel and nice grip on right side
   * takes excellent pictures most of the time
   * the menus are mostly intuitive
   * great display - even outside in sunlight
   * battery plenty good for a day of shooting
   * fast - for "normal" picture taking, haven't tried sports events yet.
   
   Negatives:
   * sometimes just plain bad pictures even outside in ok light
   * documentation for this camera is limited at best
   * ability to influence settings somewhat limited
   * can't zoom in movie mode.



2. This camera is a treasure! Indeed, how many times is it that reality lives up to marketing hype, especially in the field of consumer electronics? Panasonic advertises 18x zoom, Leica lens, optical stabilization and intelligent scene selection and this camera delivers on each one of the above. Additionally, consider the price and ask yourself why haven't bought it yet!
   
   Pros:
   *Stabilization--go with the zoom all the way to 18x and check for yourself, you'd have to discard only about 25% of the pictures due to motion-blur;
   *Nice/bright saturated colors (this is so especially in the outdoors);
   *Leica lens;
   *Huge zoom; it's not often that you need to go all the way, but when you do it's there;
   *Auto mode that works (intelligent selection);
   
   Future areas for improvement:
   *Swiveling LCD;
   *Manual zoom;
   *RAW;
   *and, for daydreamers now, more serious feel than the current plasticky one of the body.
   
   Then again, taking these areas for improvement at face value, isn't this what the next step up is supposed to do (for a mere hundred bucks more, check out FZ50)?



3. This Panasonic Lumix is the best digital camera I have ever used and this is my 3rd.



4. It is a really good cam. I wanted one cam for taking pictures of animals and flowers. It works perfect. The autofocus is perfect and fast. The leica lens is perfect. Very nice color. Very light for traveling.



5. This camera is so exciting! For the amateur photographer, this is fabulous! No lens changes and the ability to really zoom in on faces and special moments is priceless!!

4 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver).

1. I received my TZ5 today, and so far I'm impressed. While some of the improvements over my TZ3 are minor, some are significant. Most people will enjoy the return of zooming ability while taking video, and the introduction of HD video. The TZ5's LCD screen is the nicest I've ever seen on a camera. I've taken several dozen test pictures under different circumstances, and the results were for the most part very good. Under perfect conditions, the results weren't much different than the TZ3. Under low light conditions, the Venus IV engine seems to do a little better with noise at ISO 400 and above. I wouldn't call it a dramatic improvement though. I'm going to do a little "pixel peeping" in the near future to see how the TZ5's small sensor handles the increase in megapixels. All in all, the TZ5 is just a great camera that is loaded with features. Is it a DSLR? No, but it's not supposed to be. If you already own a TZ3, you may want to weigh whether the TZ5 has enough new features and improvements. For myself, I'm happy with the upgrade, and will give my TZ3 to my wife. The only thing I wish that I had done was get a black TZ5 instead of the silver one.



2. I bought this camera after 3 years of researching digital cameras. I know its a little excessive but I wanted to make sure I was getting the best for my money. A few things really caught my eye with this camera. The 10x zoom. The 460,000 pixel screen and the Intelligent Auto mode. There are so many features on the camera its hard to explain them all. It takes amazing pictures, especially for a point and shoot. There are lots of scene specific choices. It takes great night shots with the starry night mode and fantastic video in widescreen and highdef 720p. Which is amazing. I can't believe a camera this small can take this kind of video. I'm always trying to get pictures of my 8 month old nephew but he moves so fast I needed a very fast camera and this is it. I always get the shot I want. It has a rubberized grip and a spot for the thumb which helps alot because I just had wrist surgery and it helps me alot when holding the camera. Most point and shoots don't have this. It has convenient popup menu and camera or playmode switch which is really nice. I would highly recommend this camera any day to anybody. It beats out all the other point and shoots I've ever used by a long shot.



3. I must say that I am very satisfied with my purchase of the TZ5. I looked at the new Casio Z200 as well as the Nikon D500/600. Went to B&H in New York City to see first hand. The Casio & Nikon left me unimpressed. Once I had the Panasonic in my hand, I instantly felt something different. Without experimenting with it, the outside & overall look of it had true sense of craftmanship. It really isn't that big for a Point & shoort & it has a nice, solid feel to it. The more I played with it, the more impressed I became. I absolutely love the fact that you can take multiple shots by simply holding down the shoot button. Great if you have a young baby or small children. It's not exactly an SLR but for a digital point & shoot, I think it works great. The pictures come out great & the 3inch screen is crystal clear. I'm not a professional photographer, & I'm sure some professionals may find some fault, but overall, I'm really impressed with this camera. Nice job Panasonic !!!



4. I have used this camera for about a week now and there is NOTHING I could really complain about. The pictures come out super sharp with really accurate colors. The stabilizer is really reliable, and the zoom is fast. The screen is OUTSTANDING....haven't seen anything clearer. I do like the quick zoom function, just press it and it maxes out the zoom for you. The lens is really useful, and the fact that it's still small enough to fit in my jeans pocket makes it a real winner.
   
   There are tons of scenic modes that are cool but I haven't gone through many of them. The face detection works like a champ, and the intelligent auto mode is the most smartest feature that could ever be put in a camera. I hate when I have a stranger take a picture for me (like when I want to get in the picture with a group of people at a restaurant and I have our waitress take the shot) and the pic doesn't come out great. I have to always change settings or scenic modes to get a good shot. Here the camera does it for you. The intelligent auto mode makes the camera a real POINT AND SHOOT for those who don't know how to use it.
   
   As others have mentioned the workmanship is solid, the camera feels really solid in your hand. The camera is Made in Japan so you can't go wrong. (I know some manufacturers start making stuff in Japan and later in the product's life they make it elsewhere, probably to still make a profit after price drops, so don't hold me to it if your's isn't made in Japan.)
   
   The issues that some bring up about noise in the photos I think are overly particular and picky. If you aren't one of those kind, you gotta get this camera. Go to various review sites to see sample photos, thats how I made up my mind.

5 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K 8.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black).

1. Excellent camera! Easy to use. Takes good photos and videos. I bought this camera to take pictures of my kids playing sports. The camera took excellent shots of the kids playing soccer and running track. You can use the zoom manually or the automatic feature. Video playback was clear. You have playback options by calendar or with added music built into the memory. It also uses the new high performance SD cards which allows you to purchase either a 8gb or 16gb card allowing you to record one hour video. Amazon sales an 8gb for around $30. Don't forget to by a reader for the high performance card which I also purchased through amazon for $8.



2. This is a great little camera for both an advanced amateur (like me) looking for a second camera to carry everywhere you can't take your DSLR or for a complete novice (like my wife) who is looking for a camera that is really easy to use yet takes good pictures.
   
   IN SUMMARY
   What makes this camera special is that you have a full 10X zoom in a very compact form factor with a real wide-angle lens at 28mm. Most other cameras offer a smaller zoom range (around 4x), provide a semi-wide-angle at about 35mm, or are much bulkier.
   
   PICTURE QUALITY
   In reality, most cameras today take pretty decent pictures. Most people really don't need more than 2 megapixels, unless you are planning to either crop your photos or make very large prints. Therefore 8.1 megapixels are more than enough. My DSLR has 5 megapixels and I have never needed more.
   
   The Leica lens is very high quality. The multiple built-in scene modes will make it easier to capture that sunset or use custom settings for that special picture. As with most cameras, it is always to have a photo editing program to adjust contrast (or levels if you are a bit more advanced), do some cropping and adjust sharpening.
   
   As an advanced amateur (take a look at my Nikon DSL photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/gdada ) I found the quality of the pictures from the Lumix TZ4 to be excellent. AT the same time, my wife was able to use the Intelligent Auto mode to snap some pretty decent pictures. The flash does an especially good job - indoor people pictures had very nice tones and not blown out or underexposed like some other cameras.
   
   VIDEO
   With a 1Gb SD card I was able to capture a couple videos of my daughters dancing (to Hannah Montana, of course). The quality and resolution of the video is pretty amazing for a camera in this price range. You may want to use Windows Movie Maker (included with XP and Vista) to do some edits and make the video a smaller size suitable for emailing.
   
   OTHER FEATURES
   The camera feels very well built and solid. Face detection technology works incredibly well, ensuring your subjects are always in focus (as opposed to focusing to whatever is at the center of the picture). Image stabilization works . The LCD screen is very large and bright. Controls are easy to understand.
   
   SUMMARY
   I spent a long time looking at many cameras and playing with them. If you are an advanced photographer, this is not a camera to replace a DSLR, but a perfect companion to take to those places where you don't want (or can't) bring your big expensive camera. The TZ45 does not provide all the manual controls of other cameras, yet it allows enough settings for me (i.e. exposure compensation, ISO settings, etc.) .
   
   For the average user, you can find a cheaper and a smaller camera for sure. But I doubt you will find a solid, pocket camera with a 10x zoom and a 28mm quality lens that produces such great photos with little effort. Definitely, the TZ4 is highly recommended.



3. This is my first point and shoot camera and I gotta say that im very satisfied with this product. The quality of the pics are great and the 10x zoom is amazing. The menu is easy to use and so far it has worked nicely in very dark enviroments. I highly recommend it.



4. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K 8.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
   great product and does everything. Still learning about its capabilities.



5. I really like the 10X zoom - it provides much greater flexibility than my previous compact digitals that had 3X zoom. The picture quality seems very good. I've only used the camera on a short trip to visit family, and haven't learned all the features, but so far I've found it to be very satisfactory. My only complaint is the fact it doesn't have an optical viewfinder, but the LCD monitor quality could make up for that.

5 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5A 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue).

1. i shoot film normally (artsy stuff) but i can't carry around a large 35mm with lenses every day for those 'emergency' shots. this camera is exactly what i wanted. a high quality point and shoot that is ready to go if i happen to see something interesting to catch a photo of. the 10x optical zoom plus wide angle gives it a lot of versatility. it's not as tiny as some other models but it's worth the slight extra size if you value more versatility and quality photos.



2. This new model of the Panasonic Lumix, DMC-TZ5A, with a 10X Optical Zoom, gives clear pictures with the Optical Image Stabilization. Took some excellent pictures of horses and riders jumping obstacles at the Rolex Kentucky equestrian event. The camera is easy to use, but also has lots of optional settings. Love the intelligent Automatic setting.



3. I found the still images to be excellent, as good as any other small camera. I shot about 90 images over two days and all but 3 were mis-exposed or out of focus. Color, sharness and exposure were consistently good under a wide range of lighting conditions. One setting identifies the kind of scene being shot and adjusts appropriately. It worked well, focusing on faces in portrait shots and identifying backlit conditions.
   
   But, I'm sorry to report, the video performance was very disappointing. I found the videos to go in and out of focus when shooting a subject under bright cloudy skies, even while the subject was at a fixed distance, and I did no zooming.
   
   I reread the user manual and it said to turn off the continuous focus setting when taking movies. Could that be correct? Apparently it is, based on other reports of owners that talked with Panasonic tech support. But what happens when someone moves closer or further away? Isn't that what movies are all about? Moving subjects with action and some activity?
   
   So I did some checking reading dozens of on-line comments and reviews, and while most reviewers mentioned the issue, none classified it as a deal breaker. The most interesting discussion was on the Panasonic Forum on DPReview where many reported they contacted Panasonic, only to be told "What problem?, This is the first I've heard."
   
   Clearly if the camera has to revert to a fixed focus mode to take movies, this is a huge defect. While much about the camera is very good, this is a deal breaker for me. I did try making a number of videos in the fixed-focus fixed and they were slightly better, but, unfortunately a lot worse than my Canon Elph 900 that's several years old. As a result I have returned the Panasonic camera to Amazon and will wait for this either to be corrected or the next model that hopefully will not have this defect.
   
   I would only recommend this camera to those that don't want to take movies. For stills it's hard to beat, but for movies it's unacceptable by any reasonable standard.



4. Lumix is perfect for me, former pro photog in the 60s. Recently restarted with an FZ20, liked it semi-pro. Went FZ30, better. Went FZ50 and it does excellent portraits/landscapes, so replaced my Olympus point-and-shoot (P&S) (good camera, but xD) with TZ3K (black), and cut my "shaky" pix in half, improved my low light (harbors at night, etc.) pix, and got very good family pix even with the wimpy flash. So when the TZ5A (blue) came out, it was just a bit pricey. With Amazon discount, bought it early this year, and I remain very impressed with its quality despite being a P&S. The face recognition does a better job than the excellent TZ3, the 10X zoom gets shots I used to have to skip, color is very good, and it works well with CS3 and Elements 6.0 at 9 Megapixels. This camera lacks manual controls, but from what I've seen so far, I haven't needed them: the automatic/ intelligent exposure rarely misses. Battery life is very good (200 to 250 pix average before replace/recharge). I've become a Lumix fan because much as I loved 35 mm and 2-1/4 Mamiya and Nikon years ago, Lumix gives routinely nearly the same quality without the extra cost and complex menus that can buffalo us oldsters. Lightweight, commonly available battery same as the TZ3, and it ran the 8 Gb and 16 Gb flash cards with no significant problem (counter has a display-only limit with 16 Gb). With SDHC cards, the Lumix TZ5 (A, K, or S) is my choice for a non-pro but near pro-quality P&S camera. Wow! Cheyguy



5. Hi,
   Can someone please help me with this? I am a first time pana digiCam user. I got my pana DMC TZ5 thru online store. The box itself is not sealed by pana but by their store sticker. it this normal???
   also, my instruction menu and CD are not put in the order that
   was shown on the diagram. can someone please tell me what other documents/menus you got besides instruciton menu? (I saw 1 on line pic that someone got a bag of documents(instruction menus+some other menus???)
   Thank so much.

5 comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black).

1. I took this on a cruise - it was perfect. Not only did I get consistently better snapshots than those with compact cameras, but I was able to take some spectacular pictures of scenery - sunsets, coming into port, etc. Exactly as reviewed, best camera I have ever owned.



2. The one great thing about this camera's video is that you can have it when you need it without carrying multiple items. It will not replace a good camcorder, but it does provide good quality video (720 HD) with ease. It is very small, and provides you not only with good video, but great photos. I have used panasonic before, and have been very pleased with the photos and also pleased with the video on most of the small digital cameras offered by them.
   
   The colors in the photography is crisp and bright, and is very easy to use. The video is good, but seems to have trouble with the autofocus during zooming, however, it is a big plus to be able to zoom in a camera like this. I have read that if you play with the settings, you can make the focus better during video. Another big plus is the 10x digital zoom. If you are looking for a good point and shoot camera with a good video option, you should be very happy with this.



3. One part of the software package has to be registered. This in turns runs a small billboard in lower right hand corner that you cannot turn off. The billboard advertises the latest weekly specials, and acts like spyware. The other portion of this software package is a program that has no uninstall executable. Upon deleting this program I was warned, that other programs may not function if deleted. I think Panasonic can aford to do alot better than this... still, it's a jewel of a camera!



4. Hi,
   Can someone please help me with my problem? I am a first time pana digiCam user. I got my pana DMC TZ5 thru online store. The box itself is not sealed by pana but by their store sticker. it this normal???
   also, my instruction menu and CD are not put in the order that
   was shown on the diagram. can someone please tell me what other documents/menus you got besides instruciton menu? (I saw 1 on line pic that someone got a bag of documents(instruction menus+some other menus???)
   Thank so much.



5. First off, the good: Shoots great, very detailed pictures, excellent videos, I love the high speed burst mode to shoot short series of pictures, the 10x OPTICAL zoom is awesome! The display is large and crisp. Is ready to shoot as soon as you hit the On button.
   The not so good: The packaged software Panorama Maker 4 is unsuitable for newer Intel Macs and Panasonic and the maker of the software both deny any support responsibility. The USB connectivity reports the camera as "NO NAME" which looks pretty cheap. Triggering a shot through the USB cable is not possible. I am comparing this to my Canon Powershot S50 which is much more mature in this regard. Basic functionality is available through Mac OS X and the Canon PhotoStitch software works fine with the Panasonic images.
   The lens cover is very flimsy. The camera fell onto the ground from about 1' high and it took me 30 minutes of shaking and manually pushing the parts of the lens cover back and forth until it finally recovered and worked again.
   I have decided to keep the Canon Powershot for situations where I feel a more rugged camera would be good and have the Panasonic to take pictures of the finer things in life.