Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18S 8.1MP Digital Camera (Silver) Review

PLUSES:
Price; Size; 18X Optical Zoom (Up to 28.7X available); Leica Lens; Numerous "Auto", "Manual", "Mode" settings; 2 Image Stabilization modes; "Joy Stick" control; RAW mode; Good battery life.

MINUSES:
Fixed LCD Display (see comment); Universal Lens attachments not compatible (see comment); ISO noise (see comment).
Summary: (Edited December 18th by mighty18) When traveling on those exotic places where the Point and Shoot (P/S) cameras fail to capture the shots but you don't want to lug a full sized SLR with all the lens attachments, this is the PERFECT camera.

I learned this lesson last year while touring Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. From the cruise boat, I was not able to shoot the amazing scenery with the 3x zoom of my P/S camera. It was limited to mostly up close shots.

This year I debated over getting the SLR (Nikon D40x; Pentax K100D Super) or the Canon S5is (comparable to the Panasonic DMC-FZ18 but with a 12x zoom)).

I settled for the Panasonic for its price, features, and the Leica lens.

FEATURES:
At first glance, this camera seems to be void of functions due to its 'lack' of buttons when compared to the Canon S5is. This is because it uses a very user-intuitive JOY STICK control that allows you to navigate to all the various settings of a menu in a particular shooting MODE. (Each mode has a different available menu settings).

While in China visiting historical sites, with its built-in WIDE LENS, I was able to take shots of entire buildings/structures within a confined space. The 18X OPTICAL ZOOM with the LEICA LENS and IMAGE STABILZER with fast auto-focusing proved to be the main star of this camera. Images were sharp.

NOTE: At 4.5 MP (mega pixel) settings the zoom can be extended to 23X (see photo) and at 2.5 MP to 28.7X. I am not a fan of 'Digital Zoom' but it enables it from 72X to 115X.

The BACKLIGHT feature came in handy when shooting against the sun was the only option.

It has a HIGH ANGLE LCD display feature for those "over-the-crowd" shots, although it's not as effective as the swivel-tilt type found on the Canon S5is, it was helpful.

Expert reviews stress its weakness of high ISO noise but I found it to be adequate for my 4x6 prints. Unless you plan to print large images you should not find this to be a major issue.

Besides JPEG, it also shoots in RAW mode that allows you to edit your images on a professional level. (The included software is easy to use). You can customize your settings to shoot in JPEG or RAW and in different resolutions.

Moving pics were also of high quality but I use a 'stand-alone' camcorder for that purpose.

Overall, I'm more than satisfied with this little compact that packs a big punch.

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NOTE ON UNIVERSAL LENS ADAPTER RINGS/ATTACHMENTS:
You may find many merchants selling Adapter Rings that "fit" the DMC-FZ18. I called one to get the assurance that they really fit and was given a positive 'Yes'. So I ordered the adapter ring, 3 filters, a telephoto lens, and a wide lens.

The items arrived and I promptly screwed in the Ring and mounted the telephoto lens then the wide lens. The merchant wasn't lying. They all fitted nicely.

Only when I powered off the camera I realized the problem. If you notice the design of this camera, the lens retracts deep into the sheath when in the 'off' mode. Any lens attachments like the telephoto and the wide lenses would cause the unit to 'jam' as they are obstructed by the sheath. (Luckily, I was able to return all for a refund).

The ONLY adapter ring that prorperly fits this camera is the Panasonic DMW-LA3. (The included adapter is only for the hood and should not be used for other attachments).

Despite not using any additional Zoom or Wide attachments the camera's native 18x zoom and 28mm wide angle provided all I need.



See more reviews about: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18S 8.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

Digital Camera Labels: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18S 8.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver),Panasonic,DMC-FZ18S