Awesome digital camera. First and most this camera is perfect from beginner and up. It not only takes great pictures while in action but it's not blurry and the picture comes out crisp. The focus button is great, you just press it once before you take a picture and the picture turns out perfect. It's not really a bulky camera either as it is somewhat lightweight and comes with a strap so you can put it around your neck for the on the go pictures. Performance quick, sharp actions. Battery Life it comes with a rechargeable battery, which is awesome since the battery life is so long. I can take dozens of pictures off and on each and everyday literally for almost a week without the battery needing to be recharged. Plus the charging is very simple and quick too.

KatieGrebe

USA

I LOVE this camera! This is my second digital camer and I have really enjoyed it. I am a graphic designer Mom who was looking for a point and shoot with short lag time and great photos without requiring the flash. Yes, I would love to get an slr, but with a 2 and 5 year old boy running around, who has time to focus and futz with setting? This one is so perfect for me! My first camera would not allow me to take photos in focus without using the flash which was very bright. So, I spent days testing cameras and found that this one gave the best overall quaility photo and the best without a flash infocus photo! I get outstanding photos without a lot of fuss or effort on my part. The zoom is outstanding and holds up the image quality very well. I find that most often the Intelligent Auto setting is all I need. I have also taken this camera to two kids concerts and gotten awesome photos by not using the flash. I mean professional quality and really good ones! The first concert we were about 5 rows back, so I expected to do well. Last week we went to the Imagination Movers concert and was a good distance (about halfway back) from the stage. Zoomed and without the flash, I still got awesome closeups with great detail! I have had this camera for almost 3 years now and really do love it and how it performs for our needs! Image Quality Still takes an awesome photo with or without the flash and this is hard to find. Keep a steady hand though when going without the flash. Performance Awesome in most envirnments. Ease of Use Very! Auto setting talks a great photo and is often all you need. Durability Have had it almost 5 years now and love it. It has been dropped a few times and still holds up well. Battery Life You can easily get a replacement battery if you find the one that came with the camera is losing it's charge. I have gotten two off amazon to use as backups. Portability Very good. Large enough to be sturdy but fits in most bags or easily carry on shoulder at any event.

SqueakyMom

Lewisville, TX

I decided it was time for a new camera after years of dealing with awful pictures from a little point and shoot camera.  I really wanted to upgrade to a DSLR but thought that maybe it would be a little "too much camera" for me.  After doing a lot of research online, I finally decided on the Panasonic Lumix FZ18.  The price was decent and the reviews were great.  After having the camera for a while, here are my thoughts: Pros: * takes really great photos on iA.  I am not a very great photographer, I mainly take pictures of my children and I really count on take a HUGE amount of photos and hoping that I managed to get a handful of good ones.  Yes, I have a lot of blurry photos but the good ones are really good.  Sometimes even as good as the ones I've taken on my SIL's Canon Rebel. * the settings are very easy and I like how the flash is a manual pop up so that if you don't want to use the flash, you don't have to try and mess around with the settings, you just don't open it. * the quality of the camera has been good.  Yes, at first it had a plastic-y cheap feeling to it but that is actually a bonus because it makes it a lot lighter.  Plus, I have never had a camera bag for it so it just gets thrown in the diaper bag or the stroller and I have never had any problems with it. * there is very little lag in between photos which is nice when I am trying to capture a cute baby smile. * 18x optical zoom, I mean c'mon that's pretty great! :) Cons: * there is no way to shut off the red eye flash when in iA.  I don't ever need a red eye flash, so having it flash twice while I am trying to take pictures of my young children is not fun.  I usually end up with a picture of them shocked by the first flash.  With photo editing programs, this flash is totally unnecessary.  I usually just switch to P mode and have it on regular flash, but it is a hassle. * the picture quality indoors with no flash is not good at all, but with flash causes really bad shadows.  Not as bad as my Olympus point and shoot but still not great. * there is no way to attach an external flash :(   Overall, this has been a great camera for me!  I am definitely happy with the purchase and although I am now getting ready to make the leap to a DSLR, I am still planning on keeping this camera for times when I just don't want to lug around the big one!

jam1el33

Lynnwood, WA

i have had my Panasonic DMC-FZ18 for a few years now.  i love it.  it is easy to understand the settings control, quick to zoom and focus.  nice, large LCD screen to size up your shot.  the rechargable battery has a good long life. i am a casual user and i have not tried out some of the manual controls.  i like having the option of controlling whether or not to use the flash.  i also like the "fast action" control.  it works well to have a quick focus and still get a sharp image on a moving target, like when the kids are playing sports. i recommend this camera.  i have had no problems with it.

iluvmonk

Superior, CO

I love the Panasonic Lumex FZ 18  I am able to take fantastic bird shots and flower photos as well as great portraits of my dogs,  I have taken amazing Wedding photos with my Panasonic FZ 18, It has an 18 time zoom which is great for photos of Hummingbirds and other birds that visit my flowers and bird feeders,  I have been able to make some awesome greeting cards from the nature shots and bird photos I have taken with my FZ 18.  I have taken professional quality portraits of my grandchildren, and I know a little about professional quality photos since I once managed a childrens portrait studio in a busy mall.  I also have an associates degree in commercial photography but still I use my Panasonic FZ 18 almost exclusivily since it delivers quality and has so many great features.  It has great zoom capabilities as well as an adapter so that I can use a close up lens,  It has so many great features,  With it I am able to take the most amazing photos of the moon, it shows the craters with great detail and many people have commented  and complimented me on my photography since I started using the Panasonic Lumex FZ 18.  I have won ribbons at the County Fair with my Photographs and I have won many photography awards using my Panasonic LUmex FZ 18.   For the money you couldn't find a better camera that is easy to operate and has so many features.  If you buy this camera you will be extremely satisfied.  I have recommended this camera to all my friends  and many have bought it after seeing my photos.

BarbaraESG

Martinsville, IN

The Panasonic DMC-FZ18 is my third Panasonic diital camera. I also own a DMC-FZ3, and a Panasonic DMC-LZ7. While all of these cameras are easy to use, and take excellent photos,  the DMC-FZ18 is the one I use the most because the bulk of my photos are taken at the local baseball stadium which is home to the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Every baseball season brings new faces not only to the ballclub on the field, but also in the front office, and add all the fans coming to the games, and a camera nut like myself has unlimited opporunities to capture some "once-in-a-lifetime" photos. The 18X zoom, the burst feature and the many settings for all the different type of photo situations ( fireworks, night photos, food, children, pets, panning, etc.) let even an amatuer photographer like myself take great photos. Over the last couple years, I have gotten many, many compliments on my photos from all participants. I can't think of another camera that would be more of a fit for me and the places I use it. Of course I have used the DMC-FZ18 in many other venues besides sporting events, like weddings, parties, etc., both indoors and outdoors, both in daylight and darkness, and if I pay attention to details, this camera performs flawlessly. I would not hesitate to recommend this camera to anyone looking to take excellent pictures without any trouble, even an amature like myself.

curveball

Altoona, PA

The Panasonic Lumix FZ-18 digital camera is an excellent package for intermediate amateur photograpers, who want more than what is offerred by a point-and-shoot, yet aren't sure they want or need the multitude of choices, complex environment and higher expense of the SLRs.  The zoom lens can take the picture from 35mm to 18X enlargement smoothly to facilitate framing a distant shot, while the constant autofocus allows the photographer to quickly zoom and shoot.  You need to keep the subject at the center of the photo, though, or the camera may focus on an unhintended object.  You can immediately review the photo and reshoot if you make a mistake.  I recommend you buy the largest memory chip, because you can then literally save hundreds of photos, go through and erase less desirable shots, and download your favorites to your PC or digital album.  The camera offers multiple formats, for shooting panoramas, portrails, action shots, offers shutter speed priority, aperature priority, manual, digital movies.  It's great to be able to just grab, zoom and shoot when you're on a trip or find yourself in an occasion you want to keep!

titmouse

Ellicott City, MD

With the Panasonic FZ18, I was hoping for a little more bang for my buck when it comes to this camera. Im sorta wishing I would have went for the Panasonic FZ23 that was out and it was a bit cheaper but has a difference processor and I was not up for change since I have the Panasonic dmc-tz1 which I love extremely. I believe the Panasonic tz1 is a better camera than this one if it only had the zoom. I was really disappointed that this camera did not have a macro setting, it does do macro shots but not its own setting on the dial and they don't seam to be of as high a quality as the tz1's macros.  I do like panasonic cameras but this is just not my favorite out of the three I have. The viewing screen on the back is a nice size. But the one thing I dislike the most is that the flash does not pop up on its own when needed you have to do it manually and sometime I forget a miss a shot so that part is disappointing.

cyberrat

West Portsmouth, OH

Excellent quality picture, amazed at how long a single battery lasts, feel of camera is excellent, all buttons are easy to use and nice sized for the size of camera, viewing screen is nice and large, telephoto works great. The only down side is the amount of time between taking picture. I would highly recommend this camera

aloha47659

Eagle Creek, OR

I was looking for a camera with a great zoom for a decent price.I found it !  The zoom works great, especially for sporting events, the pictures are great, and it's very easy to use all at a reasonable price. Transferring the pictures on to your PC is also very easy, and it has a good viewing system.

lmf18205

North Arlington, NJ