Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS8 / TZ18

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 is like your standard Point & Shoot camera these days in most of it's features but unlike many other hand held cameras out there, this one sports 16x optical zoom, as well as Hi-def video capabilities.It is on the big/heavy side but has more Megapixels and zoom than many other cameras on the market. And it features a Leica 24mm lens, which allows you to take wide-angle shots that would force others to move back, way back. It makes taking beautiful scenic shots and group shot's easy and fun. This, coupled with the fact that it has a great optical zoom and 14.1 ... more

My experience - For years now, I have used many different compact cameras being a keen holiday photographer and I also love capturing a few short vids to show folks when I get back to home shores. Panasonic cameras have always given great quality photos and this one is no exception. It has a great zoom at 16x and even the digital zoom is fairly good but I wouldn't zoom in too close as the picture gets distorted. The camera also has a nifty capability of being able to make a 3D image by overlaying 20 consecutive photos which can then be shown on a Panasonic VIERA 3D HDTV. the tracking ... more

In my opinion this camera is a good buy for the price it sells for. However there have been many times when I've had trouble figuring out how to switch the settings on the camera to find the one that best fits the picture I am shooting. This has been very frustrating on occasions when I have wanted to switch to a setting that is built for the beach but haven't been able to figure it out in time to take the shot. The touch screen on works well, but I feel that it adds to the confusion of switching between settings.Other than that, the picture quality is very good and the battery life is great ... more

I got this camera as a christmas present and was and still am very happy with it. In the box you get a high quality Li-on battery, a charger, an av cable, handstrap and a cd rom. When i got the camera out of the box i was amazed at the quality, It looks very slick. The buttons are well placed and the camera feels very nice in your hands and has a metal body. It has a Leica lens and has 16x optical zoom and the resolution is 14.1 megapixel which is great. It has a hd video mode also. There are lots of different settings you can tinker with like light settings and you can also take black and ... more