Panasonic Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K

82

Very Good

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6 User Reviews | add yours »

Pros
Excellent 18x optical zoom Leica lens
Burst mode returns clear photos
Cons
Zoom disabled in video mode
Battery life is disappointing

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K Digital Camera Review

by Andrew Mager

- The least expensive camera in our megazoom roundup, the $350 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K offers an 18X optical zoom, a 28mm wide-angle lens, and a host of manual controls for a very reasonable price. An amateur photographer who hasn't used many advanced point-and-shoots or digital SLRs can really learn more about the art of taking a great shot by playing with the 8.1-megapixel FZ18K's manual settings; yet the camera is also beginner-friendly thanks to its 18 preset scene modes and auto mode.

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User Reviews for Panasonic Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K

Reviewed by: Dwightdevitt

Duration of ownership: 6 Months

Strengths: Can't tell ya, it's failed, and Panasonic won't fix it on warranty. Very poor warranty support. Actually, there is NO WARRANTY SUPPORT. I've dealt with their "Concierge", and the PCB board is fried, and was faulty. But they still won't warranty it!

Weaknesses: Not even their local sales representative will return my calls or emails!

Overall Evaluation: Good luck if it fails... they will use every excuse to avoid looking after their customers. In the world of repeat customers, Panasonic just doesn't get it... I'll NEVER BUY PANASONIC AGAIN!
Reviewed by: msgmnw

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: High quality Leica lens, 18x zoom, 28mm wide angle, good quality optical image stabilization, good lens cap, calendar playback mode

Weaknesses: Zooming into pictures during playback, low light pictures

Overall Evaluation: The camera does a remarkable job for the market it was designed for. Not high level DSLR or low level point and shoot only, and pictures not movies. I like the calendar mode during playback which shows a monthly calendar and highlights the days with a tiny picture thumbnail that pictures were taken. Very cool. Also has dual timezones for when your traveling to keep date/time stamps accurate. Nice finshing details like this round out the camera very nicely. For a small camera bag I'm trying M-Rocks Niagara bag. Just barely fits in sidewise (verticle oriented bag) with the grip up. Plenty of room above the camera in the bag for a strap or equivalent that won't scratch the camera. Has plenty of small pockets for extras like spare batteries, memory cards, filters. A touch big to carry around all day but hey, this isn't a compact camera. That's the price for 18x zoom.

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