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FZ18 Review |
Panasonic FZ18 Review |
Review
Date: Sep 7, 2007 |
Category: Beginner to Serious Amateur
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 with Lens Hood
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Panasonic FZ18 Review is based on a production model. All sample images are unretouched, except where specified.
Sailing
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 remains the
ultra zoom digital camera that sets the standard for the others to follow. It has pretty much everything a beginner
to serious amateur photographer could wish for:
very good to excellent image quality, superb 18x
optical wide-angle zoom with an effective optical image stabilization,
fast and precise AF even at the long end of the zoom and in low light.
The Panasonic FZ18 has a superb Leica DC Vario-Elmarit
lens and it shows in the quality of the images. The effective optical image stabilization allows hand holding shots
at the long focal lengths and slower shutter speeds. The wide-angle makes this a great camera for landscape and group shots.
There is full exposure flexibility, so if you
are a beginner, you can start with Auto, Scene
and Program AE exposure modes, then move on to
Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and full
Manual modes when you are ready to learn and explore.
Switching from mode to mode, and using the different
options available is intuitive.
The Panasonic FZ18 is fast, with no practical
shutter lag. In fact, auto focus is incredibly
fast making this a very
responsive ultra zoom digital camera.
A large 2.5 in. LCD monitor makes focusing
and composing easy. An AF-assist Lamp helps achieve
focus in low-light. The on-board flash is quite
good with a 6 m reach.
Like the FZ7 and FZ8 before it, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 makes
a great all-round family digital camera. Beginner
amateur photographers (and the proverbial "soccer
moms") will find it easy-to-use, especially with the Intelligent Auto (iA) mode that turns on MEGA O.I.S., Intelligent ISO, Face Detection, Continuous Auto-Focus and Intelligent Scene Selector for a beginner's point-and-shoot ease of use. More
serious amateur photographers will appreciate
all the useful and immensely practical features
-- all in a well-designed and relatively compact and light body. The Panasonic
FZ18 produces great images, is fast and a pleasure
to use -- and is simply incredible value for money.
If you are looking for a long zoom digital camera,
be sure you try the Panasonic FZ18 hands-on first. Available
in silver or all black body.
See if you fit the Panasonic FZ18 User Profile
below:
Panasonic
FZ18
User Profile |
| • |
Desire a quality 8.1MP
resolution digital camera. |
| • |
Want a long zoom. Want a long
zoom. Want a long zoom. -- With wide-angle and Image Stabilization. |
| • |
Want a well-rounded digital
camera for general family use. |
| • |
Want eveything a beginner or
serious amateur photographer needs to learn,
experiment and grow in digital photography. |
| • |
Want more exposure flexibility
than provided by a point-and-shoot digital
camera. |
| • |
Want one of the best value for
money in the Beginner to Serious Amateur category. |
|
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