Product Description

Panasonic presents the Lumix DMC-FZ18, a high-powered optical zoom digital camera packed with cutting-edge technology and loads of useful functions.With its wide-angle 18x optical zoom (28mm) and 8 effective megapixel sensor, the Lumix DMC-FZ18 lets you get even closer to the action for capturing the most finite details of a subject or scene. The optical zoom can be enhanced with an additional zoom, for a zoom coefficient of up to 28.7x in 2 megapixel resolution!Of course, with zoom power like this, any movement of the camera could easily cause your photos to blur.  Fortunately, the Lumix DMC-FZ18 is also equipped with a Mega O.I.S. optical stabilising system and a Venus Engine III image processor, not to mention a sensitivity of up to 6400 ISO to guarantee perfect results in any lighting.The high-quality 2.5 screen on the Lumix DMC-FZ18 offers you enhanced visual comfort as you use the camera, while the joystick control and intelligent mode let you access all the functions and settings with no trouble at all.  Finally, the included battery has enough capacity to last for 400 photos, so you can click away, worry-free.The powerful Lumix DMC-FZ18  is a welcome addition to Panasonics range of bridge cameras!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #377 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Panasonic
• Model: DMC-FZ18EB-K
• Released on: 2007-09-26
• Dimensions: 29.53" h x 46.46" w x 34.65" l, 1.54 pounds

Features

• Type: Type - Bridge / Pixels: CCD - 1/2.5" CCD sensor - 8.32 megapixels (including 8.1 effective) / Resolution (in pixels) - 3264 x 2448
• Optical: Optical Viewfinder - 0.44" EVF electronic viewfinder - 188,000 pixels 100% coverage / LCD display - 2.5" polycrystalline LCD screen - 207,000 100% coverage / Macro Distance - 1 cm / Normal Distance - From 30 cm upwards / Optical Zoom - 18x Optical construction: 11 elements (including 3 aspherical lenses and 4 aspherical surfaces) in 8 groups With additional optical zoom: up to 28.7x (2 megapixel resolution, 4:3 format) / Digital Zoom - 4x
• ISO range - ISO Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1250, 1600 High sensitivity mode: auto (1600-6400) / Aperture and Shutter Speed - f/2.8-8 (wide-angle); f/3.1-8 (telephoto) - from 1/2000 to 60 s 2 or 10 s self-timer / Flash (built-in) - Built-in flash Flash modes: auto, red eye reduction, forced, slow synchro Flash adjustment: from -2 to +2 EV, in 1/3 increments / Storage: Image formats - JPEG / Memory Card Type - SD, SDHC card, MMC / Included Memory Card - No / Internal Memory - 27 MB
• Video: Video mode - Yes, with sound / Video Sequence - 640 x 480 at 30 images/sec. / TV Output - NTSC or PAL video output / Webcam - No / Computer InterFace: Port - USB 2.0 / Wireless function - No / Compatibility - PC and Mac / Included software - LUMIX Simple Viewer, PhotofunStudio, Studio developper SILKYPIX 2.1SE, ArcSoft PhotoImpression, ArcSoft PhotoBase, ArcSoft Panorama Maker
• Extras: Power sources - Lithium battery pack (7.2V, 710mAh) - battery life for 400 photos AC adapter (input: 110-240 V AC) / Other features - PictBridge Venus Engine III MEGA O.I.S optical stabiliser Automatic intelligent mode Scene modes: soft skin, food, reception, candlelight, fireworks, starry sky, aerial photo, snow, high sensitivity, baby1, baby2, underwater, sunset, pets / Size - 112.5 x 72.2 x 79 mm / Weight (in grams) - 310

Customer Reviews

FZ18 was the correct choice!
I debated for ages about whether to buy a digital SLR (such as the EOS 400d) or a 'bridge' camera such as this one. After reading many reviews and asking myself what I really wanted a camera for - I opted for the FZ18. I've had the camera for about 2 months and so far I am delighted with it! The menu system is straightforward to navigate (I've never used a Lumix before) and the range of manual settings is vast if you like to 'tinker.' The instruction book is clear and provides hints and tips for getting the best shots from each creative mode. The camera feels solid, looks stylish and is pretty responsive. Of course, the highlight is the lens (28 - 504 mm equiv.) which opens up so many new photographic possibilities compared to the 4x optical zoom I had previously! In summary, if you are looking for one package (rather than an SLR with several lenses) that provides a wealth of features to explore, you will probably be happy with the Lumix FZ18!

Very pleased
I finally took the plunge and bought this after months of reading reviews on various cameras. I wanted something that could be used as a point and shoot, but that also had the potential to allow my budding photographer husband to be more arty. this seemed to fit the bill nicely.

I am not disappointed, it takes excellent pictures. I am probably not the best person to give you technical details, being a bit of a technophobe, but it really is excellent. very good battery life, and the battery doesn't take long to charge. The burst feature is great fun to use, especially when taking photos of our kids on Sports Day, and the high resolution makes the images pin-sharp. The face recognition makes you feel a bit like you are looking at the world through Terminator's eyes, but it is useful to know that you have got everyone in the frame.

We took it on holiday, and it was great - light enough to carry around without feeling dragged down by it, and it fitted into my handbag as well. Most of the time we kept it on the Auto Intelligent mode for the sake of spontaneity. We did have to buy a 2GB memory card, as our old one would only carry about 30 photos, but you can reduce the resolution if this is an issue.

On the whole I am really impressed - it is relatively simple to use, looks like a serious bit of kit, and is the great half-way point between a point and shoot and an SLR. Exactly what I wanted.

Excellent camera for amateur enthusiasts
Have had this camera for a couple of weeks now. It is the first bridge camera I have owned, but I have to admit it takes stunning pictures even on the IA mode. I have experimented with some manuel settings which seem to be complex, but menu system is logical and with a camera book have been able to produce some interesting results that wern`t half bad (half bad due to my curent skill level, not the camera!). I spent a long time looking at several bridge cameras and in the end it came down to the FZ18 or the Sony H50. Opted for the FZ18 in the end due to the very positive reviews on almost every camera review site on the internet. I`ve been told that `Steve`s digicams` is an excellent site for reviews and Steve really rated it: "The Lumix DMC-FZ18 continues their tradition of offering outstanding shooting performance, excellent image quality, loads of useful exposure settings, and a Very powerful zoom range (with O.I.S.), all packed in a stylish shell. This camera will make a great choice for anyone in the market for a versatile 8-megapixel digicam."

Although obviously not in the same photographic league as Steve, I would echo his review and highly recommend this camera to anyone looking to step up from point and click and get into more advanced photography techniques. Top camera with a low price (as usual) from Amazon.