Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3A
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3A Review: I tested this camera 
extensively. For casual point-and-shooters, who print small prints, Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3A camera is small, has a great zoom lens, and gives usable pictures. For those like me, who like enlarging pictures, or cropping, this camera blurs details. The Venus noise reduction system applies a blur to all images, greatly softening detail at high magnification. At close magnification of test images, my old Canon S50 pocket digital camera provides much more crisp detail, while this Panasonic Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3A blurs all the fine details in an image. This was true in bright daylight, flash, at all ISO’s, and was especially severe in low light. After testing this, I returned it.
If you want a casual point-and-shoot camera with a great zoom lens, this is a good choice. If you are into semi-serious use of the images, you will find loss of detail unacceptable. UPDATE: I’ve since discovered that all current “ultracompact” cameras have worse picture quality than the compact digital cameras of a few years ago. Since people continue to buy tiny cameras, the camera makers are putting in much smaller CCD’s than a few years ago. So if you’re like me and you have a compact digital camera that’s a few years old, don’t count on any of the current ultracompact models to do as good a job.
Related posts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18S
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18S Review: Panasonic
Lumix DMC-FZ18S camera actually exceeded my expections, which were quite high. The image quality is excellent. The lens is fast. The image stabilization is exceptional I took some photos bumping along on a horse-drawn tonga on a rough road in India recently at sunset and they mostly came out quite clear. I find the controls pretty convenient and easy to use. The dioptric viewfinder and screen are both excellent. I especially appreciate the viewfinder because it lets me use the camera without my glasses. The autofocus is fast an exceptionally accurate. For someone who wants considerably more than a basic camera, but doesn’t want to lug around heavy lenses, this is a superb camera. For all the focal length it packs, it is very lightweight and easy to handle. Highly recommended.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18S Review: As long as you are not a professional, or think you are a professional you will be happy with this camera. Its as good as a point and shoot gets if you expect DSLR its not that good, but its also 200 dollars less than a DSLR. Battery life is great, charging is quick. its probably worth getting an extra battery for convenience. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18S has more features that we have even tried to use and we have had it for 3 months. The intelligent auto mode is all most folks will need. Again we are not professionals, and this camera is as much as we need without paying for DSLR.
Related posts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8K
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8K Review: 
My first impression of the Panasonic Lumix 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-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 5×7 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-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. 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-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.
Read the rest of this entry »
Related posts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7K
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7K Review: PROS: 
Fantastic “straight outta the box” image quality. There is almost little or no shutter lag the second your press the shutter button. Auto focus is fast too. It wasn’t so much that this was a standard point and shoot when I was looking for an ultra slim camera but most of the ultra slim cameras I’ve tried sacrifice image quality to cram as much technology in such a little body while boosting the price up. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7K is a fantastic performer. The 6x optical zoom with OPTICAL image stabilization is a plus. It’s actually BETTER than the IS on the Canon SD700IS and SD800IS that I previously tested out. The major plus of this camera is the image quality. Fantastic, sharp and decently saturated. It’s one of the few cameras where I feel comfortable printing photos straight outta the camera. I even impressed a few colleagues of showing some 8×10s that I printed straight out of my silver Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7K and they were shocked that I didn’t take the shot with a DSLR. That’s what I call great image quality!
CONS: This is quite a beefy camera. In the age of ultra-slim point-and-shoot cameras that boasts the same features as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7K, for the price I paid for it, it’s totally worth it. The use of AA batteries might be convenient to some, but it sure contributes to the weight and size of this camera. I’m still pleased regardless. The image quality and pros outweigh the cons of this camera.
Related posts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K Review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K 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. 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. 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, do some cropping and adjust sharpening.
With a 1Gb SD card I was able to capture a couple videos of my daughters dancing. 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 to do some edits and make the video a smaller size suitable for emailing. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K camera feels very well built and solid. Face detection technology works incredibly well, ensuring your subjects are always in focus. Image stabilization works. The LCD screen is very large and bright. Controls are easy to understand. 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 bring your big expensive camera. The TZ45 does not provide all the manual controls of other cameras, yet it allows enough settings for me. 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.
Related posts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S Review: As an 
advanced photographer with two pro DSLRs and an array of lenses I was looking for a light compact camera that will still have some of the features I am so used to from my DSLRs. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S camera has the best lens in the industry bar none. Leica is superior to any other compact point and shoot lens out there (except other Lumix cameras that all use a Leica Lens). The camera is fast wt start up and can take 3 FPS in sports mode. It packs a 10X optical zoom and on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S can go up o 17X with some resolution loss. I never use Digital zoom as I do not consider it a zoom. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S Camera ergonomics is great, may of the features photographers need are easily accessible and well though of. I have been using the TZ3 for 2 years and took more than 10000 pictures with amazing results. I take many night shots and this is really where this camera excels. It can take 15, 30 and 60 seconds exposures which no other compact can do.
Battery life es very acceptable. A second battery is a recommended inexpensive accessory. The camera build quality is good, durable materials and high quality. I have evaluated a huge number of cameras and the Lumix comes on top by far based on its image quality, image stabilization, optical zoom, Leica superior lens, form factor and overall value. The closest camera you can get with similar performance is the Canon SX 100 IS. It is bigger, bulkier, heavier, much much slower and costs about the same. When it comes to compact point and shoot with advanced features and a hefty zoom nothing beats the Lumix.
Related posts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K Review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K 
camera is amazing. First off, the body is perfect. The silver and black are in all the right places and makes this camera look beautiful. Next, the LCD is massive and makes taking pictures very easy. It doesn’t have a viewfinder, but I never used one on a digital so I can’t say I miss one. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K picture quality is great as well. Though there aren’t full manual controls, the scene selections can be used the manipulate a picture to what you want. You can control exposure, as well as shutter speed to an extent. The 10x zoom combined with the image stability makes this a very usable camera for distance shooting. The wide angle makes it great to include a large group picture or landscapes.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K camera is slightly large, but for the features definitely smaller than anything else you’ll find. This would fit in a jacket pocket, but probably not anything smaller. The barrel extends out quite a bit, but that shouldn’t be a problem in most situations. Last small gripe is that the battery life is decent, neither good nor bad. A spare battery is recommended as always. Overall, this camera delivers everything you want. Anybody short of being an advance amateur will enjoy this camera.
Related posts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K Review: 
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K is an excellent camera for everyday use and also for those of you who may want to control your photos more directly. The main reason I got this camera was because of the massive zoom as well as the wide angle ability all in one fixed lens. My FZ20 has a massive telephoto as well, but not the wide angle option built in like the FZ18. Another nice change that I found with this camera is the addition of the joystick on the back panel.
The 4-way-regular selector that has always been on the back of Lumix cameras is still there and still controls the same exposure and flash intensity functions, but the joystick lets you make very quick aperture and shutter speed changes that were a bit harder to do on earlier models. The photo quality is excellent as well. The only thing that I am not 100% happy with is the small size of this camera. My FZ20 is a normal SLR sized camera that fits into my hand normally. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K is smaller and it almost makes my hand feel cramped when I am holding it and trying to get to a function with the 4-way dial or the joystick.
Related posts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K Review: I love Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K camera. 
I really do. I’m so happy with its performance and feature-set, I’m willing to forgive the lack of manual controls and the price drop I just saw. It’s a wonderful progression of technology. My Sony camcorder can shoot in zero light, zooms to some ridiculous level, but I hardly ever use it because it’s yet-another-device you need to carry. My Canon worked well for three years, then decided to stop running. I loved the manual controls and ability to bracket shots, but with 3x optical zoom, I was missing something. Plus, it was a family camera, and The Wife could not care less about manual controls.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K is a perfect blend of features and performance for me. It will allow me to grab high-definition camcorder video in the same device I can just hand to The Wife and say, “Press the button”. It has a removable Li-On battery with separate charger, so I can buy a spare and keep them charged and ready to travel. It does a lot, for a fair price. I will miss the manual controls, especially for low-light shots, but in my testing I’ve already seen how well it can handle low-light with no flash. Pictures look remarkable, shutter lag is less than the A75, and flash recharge is not too bad. The LCD screen is huge compared to the A75, almost the size of a PDA screen. That’ll take some getting used to, especially since there’s no optical viewfinder. In all, I’m really happy with it, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a new point-and-shoot who needs the ability to grab quality video every now and then. With two kids, that’ll be every day for me.
Related posts
Fujifilm Finepix Z5fd
Fujifilm Finepix Z5fd Review: Fujifilm Finepix Z5fd has 
a very cool feature: the face recognition, it works very nicely. I have been toying with it just for fun and the camera recognizes most of the faces as long as they are fully facing the camera or not looking away more than 50% to the sides. It’s a very cool feature and it does it’s best job in focusing and color compensating to make the faces look better. The Fujifilm Finepix Z5fd camera is very slim and fits nicely in any of my pockets. To turn it on you just slide the cover to the side and are ready to shoot. Plenty of manual settings and some buttons to get to specific functions. With a 2Gb memory card I get almost 30min of video at VGA resolution, more than enought to get the funny little videos and show panoramic views of a place.
Another cool feature is the “normal & flash” option, which takes one picture with ambient light and immediately another with flash, so you can be sure to get a good picture at least. I’m very happy with this camera. Only low grade I can give is the lack of an optical viewfinder, I find that the large LCD display is not very useful on harsh daylight (as I’m used to reflex cameras) and I don’t like to hold the camera so far away from my body because of the instability that causes. It would be nicer to hold the camera against my face to provide support.