I have had this camera for almost a month now and absolutly love it.
I have taken some aweseome photos of elk,geese, horses and other things.

the camera is so much faster at taking photos than my HP camera. and the zoom well its wonderful. i can reduce the megapixels down to 5 MP and zoom further optically than the 18X .

i haven't learned how to use everything yet, but what i have used has been great.

I upgraded from a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5, which was a great camera. The FZ18 is a huge upgrade. The extra-distanced telephoto, the ability to make fast adjustments with the joystick, user-friendly controls, and a wide-angle lens to boot. My friend has a Canon S3, which is a great camera, too. The S3 and Canon S5 do not have a wide angle lens, which makes the FZ18 the most versatile camera this side of a digital SLR. Oh yes, the photos are tremendous. The nice-sized LCD monitor is very good, however my one criticism compared to the Canon S3 & S5 is that the FZ18 LCD is not adjustable/movable. All in all, for the money you can't beat it; it's the best digital camera on the market right now.

I've had this camera about 3 weeks. This is my third digital camera - supplementing a Pentax Optio S4i. I researched this class of camera (more versatility and better quality than a sub-compact, but not as expensive as a DSLR) for a couple of months. If you look, there are a ton of sites doing very helpful, detailed camera reviews, although as a brand new model, there is not yet much on the FZ18.

I wanted something that was point and shoot for my wife (she takes great photos, but does not want the hassle of making adjustments) but versatile for me. I used to have a film SLR, and understand the basics of controlling shutter speed, aperture, etc. I loved the idea of 18x optical zoom, the 28mm wide angle, and all the shake reduction/face finding, etc. I seriously considered the Sony DSC H5, H7, and H9; the Canon S5 IS; the Olympus SP-550UZ/560UZ and the Panasonic FZ8. The Sony looks and feels great, but the spec is not as good as the newer FZ18, and many reviews refer to the no-intuitive user interface and long learning curve. The Olympus and Canon offerings in this class just did not match the FZ18 specs, and the earlier model FZ8 was getting great reviews, so I went with the latest FZ18.

Bottom line - both my wife and I are very pleased with the FZ18. The first set of vacation photos are superb. My daughter was with us and borrowed the Pentax, so we have some pretty good side-by-side comparisons, and the FZ18 wins hands down on everything, except fitting in a pocket! Even then, it's pretty light, and with a 4Gig ultra fast card, has loads of capacity. I can highly recommend this camera as the current state of the art in this class. Easy to use for those who want a point-and-shoot, flexible for those who want more control, great specs, and superb quality photos. I even found the manual fairly easy to use - a rare treat with some sophisticated electronics!

You will read critics complaints about noise (speckles) when you push the limits of the sensor - unless you are always shooting in very low light conditions, and blowing the results up into huge posters, you won't be troubled by noise. If you are, the problem is common to all compacts (from my research), so if it concerns you, spend another few hundred bucks and get a DSLR!

One warning - this camera is available at a deep discount on a couple of sites - when I tried to purchase one from one of these, it became apparent it was a "gray market" camera from Japan. Not a great idea for a US user! I ended up getting mine through an Amazon partner - no problems at all, and a decent price.

The camera is just as good as I expected, and arrived at the estimated time.

Excelente camara... estabilizacion casi perfecta, increible zoom (sobretodo mas de 28x con 3MP o menos). Facil de configurar. Todo lo q se pedir de una camara semiprofesional. NO le doy 5 estrellas por 2 motivos: primero, el flash incorporado es muy tenue en situaciones de poca luz, las imagenes salen oscuras a mas d 3 metros de distancia y al aumentarle el ISO produce algo de ruido (como la mayoria de las semiprofesionales de gran zoom), y segundo, mientras se filma no se puede utilizar el zoom, ni optico ni digital (al menos no lo he logrado hacer, aun no he revisado bien esos detalles). Por lo demas, una excelente camara.

they wanted 550 plus tax in canada, i got for 340 no tax shipped to port huron michigan, where i picked up.
no sense using too many words, so here it is
zoom - 10
macro - 10
overall - 10
shipping - 10
i bought with a 2gb card and i take so many pix i may get another card.
No complaints here.

I took it yesterday in my hands(from Amazon and 6ave). I am still learning period, but very satisfied the features; build quality, fast operation, 18x zoom, wild angle and IA mode. Only one critism is noise in the low light pictures.

We got this camera some weeks ago.
I am reading reviews and now know it's not a point and shoot camera and I understand that.
However, I have been learning how to use it and try the different settings to try to take better pictures. It seems to me it's sort of hard to take good pictures inside (low-light conditions) in the intelligent auto mode. I read reviews saying good things about the IAM mode. But in my case it gives me noisy pictures. We took pictures without flash inside (lights inside were on) and the skin color in people look way red and it's like the same red from skin covered places like shirt sleeves and such.

I have also found out, the zoom is great and it clearly controls the jittering when you are zooming a lot. But other than that, I dont seem to find a setting I can use for when I need to take a good picture (good quality) and I dont have much time to think which setting or scene mode to use. The quality when putting the pictures in my computer doesnt seem to be the best, even the picture size is set to 8M. If you zoom in to the picture in the computer, the pixelation is a lot.

Do you have any comments on this? do you agree? I need some feedback.
I want to know if this are drawbacks of the camera, or if I am just not suitable for a camera this complicated. Thanks!

Having owned Olympus, Minolta and Canon digital cameras, I was somewhat reluctant to go through a new brand's learning curve, but on paper the FZ18 had everything I wanted, so I went for it. I use digitals mostly for wildlife and nature photography, therefore optical zoom, image stabilization, fast focusing capability and good handling of low-light situations were my main priorities. I didn't want to shift to dSLRs mainly because of weight issues; I was looking for a compromise, for something that would give me flexibility and quality without the hassle. I have to say that, after several weeks of subjecting this camera to everything that came my way, I am pleasantly surprised. The FZ18 is FAST, especially with a SDHC card (check that your card reader handles these, otherwise get a newer reader), and although I usually work with the optical zoom fully extended and no tripod, there has been no shake. This camera does well in low natural light, focuses ultrafast, colors are mostly true (sometimes it oversaturates reds a tad)and below ASA 400 there is no discernible noise -- I never use anything above that anyway. I have control over all the settings, too, but if I get lazy I can let the camera do all the thinking for me: it does equally well as a point-and-shot and as an advanced amateur camera. I like that I can extend zoom even more if I reduce resolution. Menus are intuitive and I've had no trouble learning how to handle them. The one thing I don't like much are the proprietary batteries: I'd rather be able to use AA's. But this is a minor setback, considering all the FZ18's qualities.

This Lumix camera is more than worth the money. Lens is very good. If you want to see the photo, you just took, it is a slow process. That is the only drawback I feel and should be corrected.

I had purchased a Canon PowerShot S5 IS with the flip LCD. But I had problems with the Macro, and the way the batteries would fall out when I wanted to get to the memory card. I loved the flip LCD and no one else had it but I simply could not put up with the faulty Macro and battery arrangement so I returned it and purchase the FZ18. The tele-maro function is simply amazing as well as the regular 18X zoom, and no problem with the battery falling out or struggling to close the battery cover. I am very please with the FZ18 and will keep it until someone comes out with a camera with these features and a flip LCD.

I am very pleased with this camera! The Leica lens system's clarity and accuracy are the main reasons I stuck with Panasonic Lumix. The variety of features are more than I require. I have been able to take 18x optical zoom images hand held (no tripod) that are crisp, thanks to Panasonic's excellent image stabilization. Easy to use - pretty intuitive. Light weight and compact to boot! This camera is definitely worth consideration in its price class.

if you already own the FZ7 you may not want to upgrade. I bought the FZ8 for the 50% greater zoom, but as you can see from the 2 bird of paradise pix I've posted, there does not seem to be any difference between the two cameras at full zoom. I used a tripod and just switched out the cameras so the distance was the same. Yet the field of view whether at 12X for the FZ7 or 18X for the FZ8 is the same! With that result I likely will be returning this camera. I will first get the add-on lens adapter (Panasonic, why you not make this camera so the -2 adapter would fit?) and see if there is any difference with the add-on telephoto lens. That could be a reason for keeping. I'm heading to Lodi to photograph sandhill cranes so will do another comparison. Since the FZ8 goes down to 28mm equivalent (36mm on FZ7) the greater wide angle might be a reason to keep for some, but I've bought the wide angle add-on lens so not for me.

So if you're looking for a great camera starting out I highly recommend the Lumix series (you might be able to find the FZ7 new for $100 or so less than this camera), but if you're thinking of upgrading from a FZ3 or better, then I'd hold off for another iteration or so.

this camera works great (though I do need to look through the manual and find out how to turn off the constant beeps). Pictures look great on the screen and once uploaded.

I read all the reviews before purchasing this camera. I am blown away with the great colors, image stabilization, and clear shots with both the wide angle, telephoto and everything in between. Noise about 200 ISO, but other than this, this is a fanastic camera with lots of cool features including shooting in RAW. Whether you are an aggressive beginner or a true camera ethusiast, you will be very happy with this camera. This is my 4th digital camera. I considered the DSLR, but the extra weight and multiple lenses required made it unattractive (not mentioned the additional dollars). Buy the LUMIX FZ-18 and you will be glad that you did!

Panasonic puts a great deal of effort into their Lumix line. And they keep producing winners. The FZ18 is, in one word, a gem.

There is little radical in the way of new design. The well-established basic Lumix FZ design remains intact. Not quite a pocket camera like the worthy Lumix TZ3 and smaller than the somewhat more sophisticated and substantially larger FZ50. Panasonic's Venus III engine is dependable, relatively fast and capable.

It is the new features of the FZ18 that make it a standout. The 18x zoom is marvelous: 28mm to 504mm in the palm of your hand. Mind-blowing is the only word for it. And the Leica designed optics are as sharp as any on the market and, in fact, sharper than most. Coupled with an 8 Megapixel sensor, you're set for just about any common photographic need. The FZ18 is not intended to substitute for a Nikon or Canon dSLR. It is an everyday camera. But it is fine for photographing tourist vistas, family events, the everyday things that are the subjects of most photos.

Color rendition is accurate, though not perfect. The inclusion of an ISO 1600 equivalent is nice producing noisy, but usable, shots.

Focusing is generally fast, with some hunting in low light on the long end of the zoom.

The image stabilization is, as usual with the Lumix line, superb.

The flash is adequate out to about 15 feet or so with rapid fall-off on the edges. There is no shoe for an external flash. Do not use the supplied lens hood with the flash: it casts a shadow.

One of the new features is a three-shot option on the self-timer, which is surprisingly handy. It takes three pictures so if Aunt Tilly thinks she had her eyes closed, you don't have to walk back to the camera to reset the self-timer. Works with the flash nicely.

There's a face detection feature and an auto-focus zone selector. I haven't quite decided on the value of either of these features yet.

You can save to RAW or RAW+JPG. Saving to RAW takes substantially more time than saving to JPG format. When shooting action, I suggest you avoid the RAW formats.

The controls follow the Lumix pattern to date and are well spaced. You have 12 selectable modes from the main dial, which is nice, and many more accessible from the menu screens. You can acheive full manual control of the camera which is unusual in a camera in this price range.

I have one criticism: the zoom control does not extend quite far enough off the main camera body. It is just a wee bit difficult to use. Not a big deal, but a bit of a bother. Zooming is smooth and fast.

Battery life also seems to be a bit lower than promised.

Overall, a great camera for anyone and beyond great for those who want the enormous zoom range of this camera. The additional wide-angle range on the low end is fantastic - and being able to zoom to 504mm is just awesome.

Jerry

I bought the camera from a major local camera shop but neither I or the sales person could get two differnt types of 55mm UV filters to fit the camera's plastic filter holder. It would only fit with a loose fit where then it would slip, and yet it was not cross threaded. I ended up just returning the camera seeing it would not do all that was promised.

I normally use digital SLR cameras. However, they are not always ideal to travel with or taking out to friend's houses or nights on the town. I bought this Panasonic because it is small yet powerful enough to take more advanced pictures (not just the quick point and shoot).

So far, I'm really impressed with the camera. The optics are top-notch. The glass is able to resolve the finest details. As far as point and shoot lenses go, the glass in this Panasonic is absolutely incredible. They are simply the best you'll get in non SLR cameras.

The reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because the noise that appears in some pictures when using higher iso settings. Perhaps I'm spoiled from the low-noise pictures from my DSLRs. Panasonic put the best glass in this camera, but ultimately limited the camera's performance by using the small, noisy sensors.

Is it still a great camera? Yes, absolutely. All little point and shoot cameras are crippled by the same sensor noise, so this Panasonic is no different. However, the glass is wonderful. The zoom is excellent. It's a joy to use and takes marvelous pictures. Just don't expect miracles at high isos.

I recommend this camera to anyone. It is well worth the money and will take excellent pictures for you.

This is my second Lumix from Panasonic, it does not get any better. Simple to use and fantastic results!!!

I had a previous review talking about the problem I was having getting the correct UV filter to attach right to the plastic filter ring. I have since removed the negative remark about the filter mount because a few people who knew more about the design said it should use a smaller filter then the 55mm filter I was trying to use. Could the people who responded to that previous review, or anyone who is familiar with the design, respond to this review and tell us again what is the correct UV filer size to use with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K plastic filter mount and what brand name filter would work best? It seemed like they said it was a 46 or 47mm filter. I was also wondering if that causes vegnetting while shooting at extreme wide angle using the smaller filter size? Any more information regarding buying filters for the camera would be appreachated. Thanks for your help.

I've only owned this camera a few weeks, but I have never had a camera take such consistently sharp, well exposed pictures. This camera functions perfectly under almost any light condition and its versatility equals most any DSLR. What I appreciate as much as anything is the fact that it gives you a true wide angle (28mm equiv.) which I use the most, but the 18X telephoto (504mm equiv.) is really great for wildlife especially with the flawless image stabilization. If this camera has any faults, I certainly haven't been able to find them.

I've owned the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ18K ultra zoom for less than two weeks. I've made close to 800 or more shots with it. I love this camera! I selected it after doing extensive research on other camera in this price and performance range. I had decided to purchase the Olympus SP 560 UZ as I have a special fondness for this camera manufacturer (I'm still eyeing its E-510 DSLR as a future purchase). However, when I learned that the Olympus SP uses nonstandard storage cards, I decided that the Panasonic won out. Besides, the Panasonic has a slightly wider and longer zoom.

I'm an avid reader of product manuals--I even read the poorly written ones. This one is fairly well written, straightforward and the text actually relates to the functions, which some manuals never quite seem to master. I've read and studied the Lumix manual closely. With one exception, I've used all the exposure mode settings and I've tried out all the features of the subcategory settings. For example, I've shot many statues and buildings in Aperture priority (my favorite exposure mode), Manual, (my second favorite mode), and in Intelligent Auto mode (iA). But I've also gone inside the menus to find the categories under the "SCN" mode to set the features to "sunset." Alternatively, I've use the "Scenery" mode, then delved deeper to venture inside the menu to select "Architecture." Reaching the menu selections is intuitive once you understand the basic structure you can easily find your way around and make settings quickly. If you read the manual while sitting with the camera you can try out the features as you read along.

These special settings inside the menu really take much of the guesswork out of your picture taking. I prefer having the greatest control over my camera features by being able to make finer adjustments than allowed in the auto modes. Please don't think that scrolling through menus is necessary to take great pictures with this camera. It is not. You can set it to "P" for Program (Auto Exposure) and shoot away! This is also possible shooting in the Intelligent Auto mode. If you only want to point & shoot (P&S), you can. Although, frankly, I'm not sure why anyone would purchase this great little camera and choose only to P&S. The features on this camera beg to be explored and if you do, it will take your photography skills to the next level.

Soon after the camera arrived, I was shooting after the 120 minutes needed to charge the battery. That was just enough time to read the manual the first time. I'd also highly recommend reading some of the online reviews of this camera, like at Camera Labs, where you can see an actual demonstration of the camera's features--that certainly will helped shorten the learning curve.

Specifics I like: The size. By adult women standards, I have very small hands. This camera fits in my hand like a glove! I love it. It reminds me of my old Olympus OM-1 film camera from the 70s, which was considered small back then. By the way, I still use this camera! The Lumix FZ18K has its major dial at the top of the camera, nicely placed. I can actually hold the camera in my right hand and use my fingers to turn the mode dial! The back of the camera has a 2.5 LCD that is bright and easy to see. What is quite cool is the viewfinder. It's an EVF (electronic viewfinder). I'm still a little stuck in the 70s and I like looking through that tiny window to compose. I see most digital users holding the camera out in front of them to compose. I'm learning that there's a time a place for both methods and I'm learning to use the bright LCD monitor. One huge plus to the electronic viewfinder is being able to rely on it when shooting in bright light. The screen is easier to see from the EVF than it is from the LCD monitor. The Lumix also has a diopter adjustment near the viewfinder that allows finer EVF tweaking by moving a tiny wheel adjacent to it. This is a huge plus and if you wear glasses or could use a little vision help.

While I've tried all the exposure modes, here is the exception. I have not spent any time with the motion picture mode. I will in due time. I'm so impressed with the still camera functions I just haven't had time. I must say something about the lens. It's fantastic! It's a Leica lens, so one would expect it to be great--and it is. Very sharp. This is an ultra zoom, with the ability to take super close-up. I just started testing that and shot some fun pictures of a squirrel and birds. I was pleased with my novice results.

On a camera like this, one would expect some innovative features. This camera doesn't disappoint. It has image stabilization, which I must admit at first I didn't get. But I was testing it indoors, making it harder to appreciate its results. The manual will tell you that in very low light situation it might not work as well. When I used it outside, there is no problem. It works! Focusing in "M" (manual) mode is aided by the LCD screen magnifying a small portion of the scene that you use as a focusing guide. Really a neat feature. The camera allows you to shoot in black and white, adjust color balance, determine the mega pixels you'll use, and very important to me, shoot in RAW, JPEG and RAW+JPEG. At first, I thought that the battery seemed to drain rather quickly but actually, I may be the blame for that. I've had days of shooting far more shoots than 100 pics and felt I had to return home to recharge. How many more pictures I could have taken before actually running out of juice, I don't know. Still, I'm purchasing an extra battery so I can change in the field if necessary. Another plus, some cameras allow for either single file deletion or "Delete All." You'll love the Lumix's ability to easily mark multiple files, simultaneously, for deletion and keep only what you want.

Now, one thing about which one should be aware: This is only an issue if you're looking for total control over creativity and camera features. The widest aperture is f2.8, which is fine for most of us. If you want to throw the background out of focus, this should be sufficient. If, however, you're accustomed to a good 50mm lens with an f1.8 or f1.4, which will allow you to work a bit easier in low light situations, you might miss these wider apertures. Again, most people won't care about this at all.

If you're on the fence about which advanced compact, ultra zoom, bridge digital to purchase, you will be thrilled with the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ18K.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K 8.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

Noteworthy are the battery life and the iA (intelligent Auto) mode and ofcourse the 18x optical zoom. Nightshots are a way bit grainy (and I am talking about pitch dark with flash)

This camera is good as they come, with the advantage of the wide angle to 18x who could ask for more even at twice the price. The only con: the camera would be even better if it came with the adjustable viewer that some others in class do.

DMC-FZ18K; I LOVE this camera. The "K" is for black body, "S" for silver. My wife never could take good pictures as she can't hold still, but with this; sh'e as good as me. Large view screen. I recently took it to my daughter's college graduation. One lady looking at my camera, ask if I was a profesional. Anyway; I could use that 18x zoom; to really get her up close & personal. Easy to use; yet plenty of gadetry to play with if you want. I'm amazed at all this camera can do. I think it's smarter than me, yet as simple as you need it to be. It will do everything itself; if that's what you want. Had a Olympus 8x zoom before which I liked, but no comparison to this.

Produces superior pictures under very good light conditions. But higher ISO modes are VERY noisy. My very old Minolta dImage 5 gets more details despite much lover resolution and smaller zoom. I would probably not buy DMC-FZ18 again, but now I just have to accept its limitations...

Well, it is unbelievable, however photos taken with this camera are comparable with many photos taken with much more advanced cameras, including SLRs with removable lenses. The lens of this Lumix is very good, much better than the lens bundled with any Canon EOS SLR. The noise level is very low and the image stabilizer indeed allows you to take advantage of the great zoom. This is the first compact camera I know which is worth to be bought for a person who loves to take pictures and want to take beautiful photos. It is also great that the Panasonic decided to put only 8MP into it - it is more than enough with that size of lens. Many other cameras of that size has more MP than the attached lens can handle. And more MP means bigger files. Just buy and enjoy!

look, the camera is great. I don't want to disparage panasonic, but really, don't buy the bundled opteka accessory kit. the extra lenses and filters require the panasonic part DMW-LA3 in order to use them. oh and good luck finding one.

Hey Amazon, get with the program and take away this bundle unless you also include the panasonic, or third party adapter to use the lenses in the accessory kit.

I recently bought this camera and I have found it easy to use with great results! I can't wait to buy the attachment lense so that I can do close up photos (food shots).
I am impressed with the telephoto lense and the clarity of the pictures. So far, I am a happy camper!

The FZ18 is close to being a professional camera--only its lack of a flash-sync connetion keeps it in the point-and-shoot category. Its remarkable zoom range coupled with image stabilization makes shooting at 1/125 or under at 500mm not only possible, but also sharp and clear. I have been able to take long telephoto shots from a power boat in choppy waters--this is the camera I now use on all on-water patrols since I can record distant objects as well as the crews in action. It has very short time-lag between depressing the shutter button and the taking of the picture (except for red-eye reduction with flash).

Its light weight and compact size are only part of the story--it allows eye-piece or screen viewing, and the photographer can change the brightness of the screen to suit lighting conditions. In addition, he can also change the angle of the screen so it is visible while holding the camera high to shoot over a crowd.

Given the cost of this unit and its great performance (except for serious flash photography--bounce, aux units, etc.), I am very glad I bought it. I suggest a 4-gig card and a spare battery (2-hour recharge time).

I did extensive research on digital cameras before making my purchase. I wanted a camera that was a point and shoot camera, but not quite a SLR that would cost too much. I found this camera to be the perfect fit. It's fairly small, but not a ultra compact by any means. It doesn't have interchangable lenses, but it does have adapters that allow you to add on extensions and expand it. The 18x optical zoom (key there is that it's optical, not digital - although it does have an optional digital zoom to) is really good. Another seller for me is the lithium ion battery pack. The charger for this comes with the camera and holds a charge for a really long time. No longer do I have to purchase batteries or have to deal with those 1.2 vol rechargable AA's. This is a money saver that helps to justify the cost of the camera (although compartively, when you look at the features and specs - even the MSRP is a good price). It's got an full auto mode, a full manual mode, a shutter priority mode and a aperature priority mode. It takes good videos too. There's other small features that are handy such as face detection mode and various scene selections and the ability to switch between auto or manual white balance and various presets. It can work with a SD memory card, but the device is also rated for and recommends SDHC. I have a SDHC card and it works really good. I can't really come up with any bad side to this camera. I highly recommend it. The full auto is good for a novice or somebody who doesn't want to wheter it will be over or under exposed. The full manual mode gives you total control over the exposure. I highly recommend this camera to anybody - especially if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive camera to hold you off until you can afford the full blown digital SLR with lenses that by themselves would cost as much as this camera.

I got this camera primarily for the long optical zoom; otherwise I have a FujiPix F30 that I'm completely happy with. Unfortunately, even under good lighting conditions, the quality of the images at long zoom are mediocre at best. I've tried playing around with the various sharpness/noise reduction/contrast settings which are recommended on various enthusiast sites, and I've shot both jpeg and raw, but none of these produce sharp, clear images with good resolution of details (for example, grasses just resolve as blurs, rather than being sharply resolved). I suspect I should have stuck with a shorter-zoom model until the technologies get a little more mature...

I purchased the FZ18 from Amazon theu Vanns when they posted a sale price that was a mistake......Vanns did not back away from the price but shipped a new model of the camera.......which is almost as good as Vanns.

Hablaré primero de la parte externa de la cámara. Buena óptica, disposición de botones y rápido acceso al menú a través del joistck. Se hace notar la excesiva presencia de plástico pero de muy buena calidad que da solidez al tacto.
La pantalla LCD de muy buena resolución con opciones de ajustes de brillo no siendo así el visor que presenta pequeñas distorsiones a los costados aunque muchas veces inapreciables.
Muchos han criticado el lugar de la tarjeta de memoria pero para mi no presenta problemas que se encuentre a lado de la batería que por cierto esta ultima posee un buen rendimiento de energía que esta sujeto al uso que damos a la cámara como es común en las digitales. El flash responde muy bien a las configuraciones de exposición aunque no se porque Panasonic no incluyo una zapata para flashes externo.
Calidad de imagen, como ya sabemos el tema del ruido sigue presente, en esta cámara a partir de los 400 ISO es verdaderamente molesto para los mas exigentes aunque algunas personas ni lo notan, ISO mas altos son imposible de utilizar debido al excesivo ruido. Tiene capacidad de guardar las fotos en RAW que para muchos es muy importante. Algo que si cabe destacar es la estabilización de imagen de la lente Leica, realmente funciona bien con el zoom al máximo. El auto foco es preciso y cuenta con el enfoque manual para ayudar en situaciones en las que no puede enfocar.
En general, buenísima cámara y esta acorde al precio.

Por favor, no olviden que es una compacta de gama alta, controles manuales, algunos que otros ajustes, buena óptica y otras prestaciones. Si te gusta la fotografía pero no te dedicas a ella y estas empezando en este mundo es una cámara muy adecuada y la recomiendo.
Es mi humilde crítica.

This is my second Panasonic camera - the first one was a VHS-C Camcorder (NV VS7 EG) that I had bought in Oct 2000 and it is still working fine :-) Over the years I have owned and used other Digital cameras / brands e.g. Canon S400, S410, Fuji F10 and F30. The F30 is still my favorite for low light indoor / party photos, but when I step outdoors, the FZ18 just cannot be beaten. I did agonize over my decision for several weeks comparing with the Fuji SF8000fd and Olympus 560UZ and of course, the Panasonic TZ3. However my previous experience with Panasonic products and a great deal on Amazon for the FZ18 (from Vanns) clinched the decision last month. Yes, the images do get noisy at higher ISO's so pixel peepers will not be satisfied and it does not fit into a pocket. However, the Leica lens coupled with the OIS and in-camera processing provides outstanding results with minimal efforts. The zoom is fantastic and the digital zoom works well at a pinch. In addition, you can take over as much control as you like - going upto full manual on exposure and focusing and even fine tuning the white balance. If you are a snapshooter, switch it to the iA mode and let the camera do all the hard work. The flash is powerful enough for most social occasions (although I will still use my F30 for low light snap shooting) and the camera powers up very quickly - so you will not miss a shot and finally battery life is good as well. So if you want to have fun with photography and not blow a hole in your bank account, then this is the camera to go for. Enjoy!

Panasonic's partnership with Leica has created some real gems for photographers who want fast and fun cameras. The latest in their megazoom FZ line is this - the FZ 18, so called because of a 28mm-504mm 18x zoom.

Those optics are the first of three great things about this camera. The lens is sharp and produces remarkably little distortion, a great achievement for a camera of this zoom range.

Second is the optical image stabilization - as Panasonic calls it, MEGA OIS. This feature, one of the best available in the market, helps to steady the camera which allows for clearer hand-held shots than was possible before stabilization, which makes the long end of the zoom truly useful.

Third is the ergonomics and ease of use. The idiot-proof Intelligent Auto mode gets the shot right most of the time and the camera is fun to use with well-placed controls and a functional body.

Other, less defining achievements are fast response times, good battery life, excellent flash recycling times, a useful burst mode, and customizable shooting settings.

That said, there are some faults that inevitably come from the megazoom design - an irritatingly small sensor that will be prone to noise.

As I'm sure most photographic enthusiasts and electrical engineers will agree, the tiny design of such a chip will create electrical noise, indistinguishable from picture detail, which means in low light (and thus high ISOs), the pictures come out grainy. To correct for this, the camera processes the picture, reducing detail even more to smear out the noise.

However, this isn't the end of the world. First, the noise is nearly invisible on small prints - so if you only make small prints, no one would even notice. Second, the FZ-18's noise isn't much worse than its competitors such as the Olympus SP 550 and 560 UZ. And third, better than many of its competitors, the FZ-18 allow for the user to adjust the amount of noise reduction and also supports RAW output, which retains the detail for processing later.

Its movie mode is acceptable but not great. It can't zoom while filming and it doesn't have stereo sound like the Canon S5 IS does. If you want that, this camera might not be for you. Get a camcorder instead.

Another problem is the blue banding effect, which creates a large band of blue color on the left hand side of the picture under special conditions, but will almost never show in real-world shots. This problem seems to vary from camera to camera and Panasonic (as of X-mas time 2007) is working on a fix.

Movie mode (which I hardly use) and the blue band problem (a nuisance that is rarely seen in real life) aside, the only major drawback this camera has is its noise, a zit upon the forehead of photographic greatness. And although this is annoying, it's the same problem present in all megazoom cameras, which in this case is more than made up for by the ease of use and incredibly useful zoom range.

Overall, a good - though not faultless - camera that is probably the best-of-the-bunch of the megazoom range. Get to know its limitations and adjust your preferences, and it will give you excellent results. If you don't want to bother, put it in the Intelligent Auto mode and it will do fine all by itself.

As a side note, if you truly wanted to get away from noise, get a DSLR, but don't expect to be able to use the same zoom range without constantly changing lenses.

The FZ18 is by far the best camera that I have used so far. It has plenty of features for the novice to the more advanced photographer. I have taken a fair amount of pictures so far and all have turned out great. If you are looking for a great super zoom camera, pick this one up you will not be sorry.

Although the quality is not exactly the same as an SLR, the pictures and functionality are great (a real upgrade from a snap and shoot).
I read many reviews and the main reason why I bought this over an SLR is to avoid carrying a big bag everywhere I go (this one fits into a medium size camera bag).
From the super zoom cameras, I picked the Lumix because of all the positive reviews I read everywhere.

I bought this camera recently because of a great price $249.00 delivered.

That was the good news.

Although on paper it should be a very good camera, it was a disappointment. I have been shooting Sony H series for a couple of years. I do nature in good lighting & need a good auto mode camera that can be hand held. The H5 is good but the H2 is unbelievable. Thought that the FZ18 would be good with its 18x Leica lens system but you really have to play with the camera to get acceptable pictures. The auto mode is almost useless for me. If you like to set program settings & custom settings then you'll have a great time.

BTW the camera does not let you use the zoom in the movie mode! Just sold it on Craig's list & am buying another H2 as backup.

After reading reviews about this camera and it's difficulty shooting pictures in low light I was surprised how well this camera performs shooting available light pictures. The picture stabilization feature works very well and the photo prints are great

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K 8.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) I have had this camera for about 5 weeks and shot 200+ photos and am VERY happy with the results....pictures are crisp with excellent color....this was a big step up from my 'point & shoot' digital camera and I have found it amazingly easy to learn how to use all the settings..excellent manual with camera. The OIS works very well...have not had even one blurred photo. No 'noise' problems to date either. I spent numerous hours reading reviews on this camera and the comparable Canon, Fuji, Nikon and Olympus and though not everyone agrees and each camera has it's 'issues', I am extremely happy and satisfied I chose the Panasonic and felt at $341 on Amazon it was a great bang for the buck! Battery life is phenomenal, EVF is great (one of the reasons I chose this one). I remove my memory card everytime I take photos to download to my laptop and the memory card is easily accessible and has a good heavy springloaded door....hope this helps someone studying the reviews like I did...you won't be disappointed.

Picture quality could be better, but hey, It's awesome, super zoom, light, and I love it so far.

I've had the DMC-FZ18 for about a month and love it. I'm one that actually likes to read product manuals and the one included with the camera is pretty comprehensive, which can be intimidating at first. However, it is simple enough to just leave the camera in automatic mode and let it handle all of the settings. In doing so, it does take great photos. One thing I did learn from the manual is that if you set the camera for 5 megapixels rather than 8, the optical zoom goes to an amazing 23x. The LCD screen is also very sharp.

Awesome camera. Excellent stabilization feature. Used it for Christmas trip and my pictures taken in moving a horse drawn carrage over cobblestone roads are crisp and clean. Professional quality pictures without the "professional" price tag.

I purchased this camera for my husband for Christmas and so far the pictures are very impressive. Definately no more green possessed eyes in the dog shots and no red eye shots either. The zoom is amazing and the picture quality is just fantastic. You can get fancy and use all the features or just use the automatic setting which is perfect for me since I'm a novice. The is a great camera for the price.

Very satisfied with this camera after using IXUS 400 for about four years.
Easy to handle, easy menu. Powerful lens. RAW format is VERY useful.
Best value for money!

What a great little camera and so much fun to use. Although I have a Canon 30D with a full complement of lenses, the FZ18 has more telephoto capability than my arsenal of "good stuff". With the wide end at 28mm, shooting in tight spots is easy. If 504mm telephoto is not enough optical zoom, reduce the picture quality to 5m or 3m to get up to 750mm telephoto. Image stabilization, full auto (Intelligent Auto is amazing) to full manual and all sorts of additional functions. Pictures are sharp, color is good. Excellent in my opinion.

This is a great camera with lots of features. I love the "iA" (intelligent Auto" feature: automatic face recognition, automatic scene recognition and automatic exposure. The advanced optical image stablization is much better than before. This camera makes it hard to take a bad picture.

I used to own a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 and loved the picture quality with it. Broke my heart when I accidentally dropped it and broke the lens. Wasn't sure if I would find another camera as good as that, but so far I have loved the DMC-FZ18! My wife actually likes it better since it is smaller and weighs less.

I would highly recommend the DMC-FZ18 for the amateur photographer to the advanced photographer.

This was purchased as a gift for a tech-savy photographer. The main factor in determining this camera over others was the fact that it shoots in RAW and the optics are top-notch. We'd used various cameras before this, from SLR's to point-and-shoot's to the Nikon 4800 digital. We were trying for a camera that would give us the ease of use of a point-and-shoot with the superior results of a DSLR without the hassles, or costs, of having to lug and change lenses. We feel the Lumix achieves this. We haven't had it long enough yet for a definitive analysis but a few things we've noticed so far. First, the viewfinder is useless in our opinion(polled 3 separate photographers in the family, one of which is a "view-finder or nothing" type). Second, when trying to manually focus, it is difficult to see when sharp focus is achieved. Third, and VERY important!!!! It is difficult finding accessories. We ALWAYS have a second battery for our cameras, had to order one online(ordered a LENMAR on AMAZON.COM for under $20 including shipping). The Lens Adaptor(DMW-LA3) required for using the telephoto or closeup lens(optonal) isn't available in the U.S. until March(according to PanasonicParts.Com). The lenses are available now, just not the adaptor. Lastly, the Lens Hood is cheap.
The battery life is great, the picture quality is top-notch, the camera is deceptively light resulting in less fatigue. It would be a great travel camera. The intelligent-Auto function is great for those instances where you don't want to spend time setting up the camera functions.

I received this camera as a Christmas present. It is an amazing camera. I wanted something with a powerful zoom, as I hike a lot. The pictures are fantastic. It is easy to use without a lot of reading first. The auto intelligent mode is fantastic. It instantly knows what kind of shot I am taking...senic, back light, portrait, and adjusts automatically. The zoom is so sharp! There is no delay, unlike most others I've used. No waiting between shots. I also really like the rechargeable battery pack. It lasts forever compared with the AA use, and charges quickly too. No complaints here...just a very happy digital owner for a change (this is my 4th digital).

Reviews are pretty much right on. Not great in low light. Good outdoor camera. Great zoom. Lots of controls so it takes a while to get to know it. Automatic features work well for point and shoot. Battery life great. I did not need spare while traveling in Europe. Charger is small and runs on 220. Camera fit in my winter overcoat pocket but it would have been easier to access hanging from neck strap. Fun to play with given controls and capabilities. I wish the EV compensation would reset to 0 after a shot instead of being remembered. Take manual with you for the first trip or two. Not 5 stars because of image quality.

I use my camera professionally as a photojournalist. Tired of lugging around giant cameras with several pounds of lenses. The Leica lens on the FZ18 takes great photos and with the 500 mm optical zoom I have everything I need in less than one pound. Two things to consider, however. There is no hot shoe for an external flash and no accommodation for a remote shutter release. If you don't need those then you couldn't ask for much more. I would hope that in the next generation of this camera they will return the swivel LCD screen. I generally use the viewfinder, but the swivel screen is great for undetected photos of people - I'm a travel writer and like to get candid shots of the local people. This is my third Lumix (I update annually) and have had no problems with any of them. Add a skylight filter to protect the lens and you're all set. I don't use a camera bag because I travel in some places where it would be a good target for thieves. I just toss the camera in my backpack along with my other junk. If it gets lost, stolen or broken it's not a financial disaster. Can you say that about your Nikon or Canon?

I own two other Lumix family cameras from Panasonic. One is more of a point and shoot while the other, the DMC-FZ20, is a fixed lens SLR.

The FZ18 is an excellent camera for everyday use and also for those of you who may want to control your photos more directly.

The main reason I got this camera was because of the massive zoom as well as the wide angle ability all in one fixed lens. My FZ20 has a massive telephoto as well, but not the wide angle option built in like the FZ18.

Another nice change that I found with this camera is the addition of the joystick on the back panel. The 4-way-regular selector that has always been on the back of Lumix cameras is still there and still controls the same exposure and flash intensity functions, but the joystick lets you make very quick aperture and shutter speed changes that were a bit harder to do on earlier models.

The photo quality is excellent as well.

The only thing that I am not 100% happy with is the small size of this camera. My FZ20 is a normal SLR sized camera that fits into my hand normally. The FZ18 is smaller and it almost makes my hand feel cramped when I am holding it and trying to get to a function with the 4-way dial or the joystick.

If you can live with that small size factor then this camera is something you should seriously consider.

The camera is great. I'm very satisfied with the image stabilization. Pictures taken taken in dark have some noise, but I knew about it before and it is not so bad.

Being a user of DSLR cameras for years, this camera was a surprise, Though it is not a DSLR, it doesn't have to be since it has all the attributes without the weight or the need to carry extra lenses. My comment is WOW. The Panasonic Lumix FZ18K is small and light weight. Its zoom range is everything anyone would ever need. Its Leica lens is excellent. Matters such as resolution and storage are what you make it. This camera seems to do everything and then some, except scratch my back. Having lugged DSLRs and extra lenses for years, this "compact" camera is going to see some serious travel time.

I bought the camera a month ago..... I was surprised how light the camera was, but most of all... I was really impressed by the lense - fantastic zoom. Easy to use - great quality pictures!

I have the Canon S5 IS and several other Canon cameras. I was concerned about the picture quality of this camera since I am used to the outstanding quality of Canon cameras. The picture quality is quite comparable. I got this camera to replace the S5 IS because it was wide angle, can shoot movies in 16:9 aspect ratio and can shoot camera raw. I wish I could zoom while shooting movies, but that is minor compared to the other advantages. The image stabilization at full zoom is outstanding, even under fairly low light conditions.

What a blast! Try the 28.7x magnification! (see my photo of 1/4 moon). The jog dial is an ergonomic dream. I can change major settings FAST without taking my eye off the viewfinder. The pre-focus & lock feature is a great time saver. You won't have to worry about focusing when shooting multiple shots of scenery or portraits. Night photos are great. Can't believe I can take 60 second exposures! Low-light focusing is much improved over previous models.

I have been using a Casio pocket digital for the last two years and have gotten terrific pictures with it, but the 3X zoom just dosen't do it for me any more. After a good deal of research, I decided on the FZ18. It not only has the 18X zoom, but also gives me wide angle. As I travel a good deal, this is an important matter for me.

After getting the camera, it's become apparent that it's capable of doing a great deal more than I care to. I have found however, that I'm starting to use some of the features that I thought I didn't care about, like exposure bracketing.

As other reviewers have noted, as the ISO goes up, the quality goes down. While it's capable of taking photos in low light, if you want great quality, use the flash or put it on a tripod and set it to a very slow speed. Without doing this, your pictures will be grainy. With the flash, they're beautiful and crystal clear.

I also like the backlight compensation. It really solves the problem of an overly bright background and is so easy to use. The camera is not totally intuative, but is mostly so. Once you figure the out the menu system, the rest is easy.

One other problem I had was finding a good bag. After ordering and returning a few I settled on the Lowepro Nova 1. It is inexpensive, very well made, holds the camera, accessories and personal items to get you through the day. I carry an extra battery rather than a charger. At 300-400 shots per charge, this should easily get anyone through even a short vacation.

I think this camera is going to satisfy all my photographic needs and would recommend it to anyone who wants more that a pocket digital but less than an SLR.

My initial wants were a small digital,4X(or more) telephoto,2.5+LCD camera. After considerable research i determined that my wants were answered with the DMC-FZ18. Very impressed with the picture and telephoto results. The larger size is compensated by the overall construction and capabilities. I am a novice photographer and i am really enjoying this camera

Received the camera on the projected delivery date. Have used it a couple of times and the result have been fine. Decided to buy another lithium battery as I felt that it ran down rather quickly even though I use the viewer rather than the LCD most of the time. Two hour recharge, however, is good. Anxious to use it with its 504mm lens in Costa Rica....the primary reason I selected this camera.

Got the camera with quick 2 day shipping. Details of pictures are phenomenal. Easy use in "IA" mode, no special skills required. No flash unless you manually flip it up(This is good). Unbeleivable detail at a block away. Numbers on utility pole can be read with digital enhancement. Please hold the camera still, the picture is as good as your stable hand. Took some good pictures of the moon with manual adjustment of film speed, aperature and shutter speed. It is not a single lens reflex, but getting close for the person on a budget. Great fun!!

This camera is all I hoped it would be. It is easy to use, even for a beginner, and it takes great pictures.

The very best camera I have ever owned. Very easy to use. Used daily in my job. Excellent photos. Very nice zoom. Flash is very good, long range.
Light Weight. High quality. Very good price.

I purchased this as an upgrade from the DMC-FZ7 and it is well worth it. The extra wide angle and 18x zoom are great additions but my favorite improvement is the macro focusing distance. The close macro focusing distance is now 1/4 of an inch with excellent clarity. There are two features that are still needed. One is a swivel display and the other is the filter threading in a standard size. The current size is 55.8mm not the standard 55mm so you need to buy the DMW-LA3 to correct this. The LA3 can not be used at the widest angle without vignetting the image.

I did some research reading expert reviews and it always scored higher than it's competitors.
I've had the camera for 3 weeks and it's performance is in all sense up to my expectations. It's fast, has a great optical zoom, and takes great pictures.

Excellent appareil photo !!!
De près, de loin je n'ai pas encore réussi à le prendre en défaut ! le mode macro est un peu difficile à cerner cependant.
Pas d'hésitation à avoir, c'est le meileur du moment !

I already have a camera for which I paid 4x the amount paid for my Panasonic but still this last one is a far better product. So far, I'm glad I choose Panasonic.

I've been using this camera for 2 month, and I can say that this camera is just perfect for outdoors. I gave 4 stars because it doesn't have a good cuality pictures in a little light.

This camera is better than average point and shoot but don't expect the picture quality of an old style film SLR. It's worth what it costs but it will not knock your socks off. Panasonic doesn't provide or offer a proper fitting case for this model. I bought the Lowepro mini which works well and I'm very happy with but it would still have been nice to have a perfect fitting case for the camera alone.

This is my 4th digital camera. I've had it for about a month now and have thoroughly enjoyed figuring out all the features. I was mostly interested in purchasing something for landscape photography. I read tons of reviews on various super-zooms. This one consistently had the best overall reviews, particular with its ability to take great outdoor shots. The reviews were right-on... it takes beautiful outdoor pictures. Night shots are challenging (thus the 4star rating). Does a great job with the video feature. It's small and very light. Over all I'm pretty happy with this camera.

Prior to purchasing the DMC-FZ18, I shot exclusively with Canon's super zoom, the S2 IS. I did a considerable amount of research at professional photography websites, Amazon.com, blogs, etc. and came to the conclusion that the Lumix would be significantly better than the Canon. All the research was CORRECT.

I am extremely happy with the Lumix. Its vast array of manual and automatic settings combined with the excellent performance of the Leica lens put this into the very high end of the "prosumer" category.

My first test, which was also the case with my Canon, was to take close up pictures of flamingos at the zoo. After shooting with the Lumix, I compared the pictures with the Canon shots, and the difference was night and day. Focus, sharpness, color balance and saturation were all dramatically better. The "iA" or intelligent automatic setting is truly a marvel since it detects the type of scene (macro, backlit, distant scenery, portrait, etc.) you are trying to shoot, and immediately makes all the adjustments to make the best pictures.

Manual settings are also very easy to use with a lot of viewfinder aids and an excellent joystick. Even the manual focus is a vast improvement over the Canon variety. I could actually focus with precision using the excellent viewfinder and joystick adjustments.

My only SLIGHT reservation with the camera is its finish. It is surprisingly light, and this is largely because it is almost 100% plastic. Thus, it does not have the heft and quality finish of the Canon. Having said that, the reason we buy a certain camera is to take excellent pictures, not to flaunt the camera itself, so I did not downgrade my rating for the camera's lack of a beautiful appearance. There is also an upside: with far less weight, you hardly notice it is hanging from your shoulder.

All in all, the things that truly matter to me in a camera are all found in the Lumix, and for this reason, I highly recommend it. I also recommend getting the Lenmar replacement battery which looks and works exactly like the original Panasonic and costs 50% less.

I'm a professional photographer, and since i got this camera for general photos in December 2007 i could confirm The FZ18K is a very special exception of quality and features. It is almost a professional camera in optic, image quality and possibilities, and the best, is very easy to use. From now on Im gonna be waiting for the new Panasonic Cameras. Not all the days you could find a special surprise in price and quality. And is made in Japan, something not common in this days...

I bought this camera for my beginning photography class. It met all the requirements I had and more. I spent some time reading all the possible reviews out there and compared it to many of the camera in its class. The Panasonic FZ18 has been rated the top of the the superzoom so that knocked out most of the competing cameras. It really came down to this camera or the Canon S5. However, Panasonic won me over because of several things;

1. Wide Angle (Canon S5 no wide angle)
2. 18x Optical Zoom (Canon S5 at 12x, not that big of a deal but still a plus for Panasonic)
3. RAW Image Format (I'm first a design major so I like the ability to process my own image)
4. LiON Battery (I prefer this to 4 double AA's, small recharge adapter, one solid battery pack instead of a clutter of 4 double AA's, weighs less)
5. Image Stabilization (On par with Canon's)
6. Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT Lens

Although the Canon S5 Image quality is much better than Panasonic's at 100 ISO and under, Canon S5 has a lot more noise at 200+. And at 800+, it's pretty much unusable. Although any non-DSLR type cameras will have a lot more noise, I think that the Panasonic FZ18 has a lot less noise than all the other cameras. Yes most places say that it has noise at all range of ISO, but I prefer barely noticeable noise at low ISO and decent image quality from mid to high iso rather than no noise at lowest iso setting and then all other iso settings are crap. That's why I chose it over the Canon S5 even though at 80 ISO, Canon's image is super sharp. Too bad Panasonic doesn't have a swivel lcd screen and a hot shoe but I can live without those two things. Also, Canon S5 can take images up to 0cm away compared to Panasonic's 1cm, I thought about that and decided I probably wouldnt want to put anything close to my camera lens anyway and risk damaging it.

My first impressions of the Camera was wow it's a lot smaller than it looks in pictures, and wow it's super light! I held the Canon S5 in stores and it's a little bit lighter than the Canon. Oh one thing i noticed was that i could feel the lens move when I tilt the camera back and forth. I was scared that it was broken until I read this info sheet that came with the camera saying if you hear noises that's just the lens moving when the camera is shaken. As long as it's not broken, phew. Even though it's light and makes a little noise, it still feels pretty solid and durable. I mean, no one should go around shaking their camera like a spray can anyways. With the batteries inside, the camera feels a lot more solid and the weight is just right. This camera looks a lot better than the Canon S5 to me and it feels more comfortable to hold (I keep the hood adapter attach to extend the lens barrel and this helps with the look of the camera and also at 0X the lens doesn't stick out). After taken several pictures I must say I was really impressed, in good lighting it was spectacular (at 100 ISO in good lighting I can't see any noise!), in low lighting conditions it was still good. The image stabilizer on this camera is amazing, I can nail a perfectly clear shot at 18x without a tripod. That's pretty impressive to me.

In conclusion, the Panasonic FZ18 is superior camera, has well-rounded image quality, and the product just feels tighter and more hassle free. If you want anything better than this, then you really need to get a DSLR. Saying that, you have to keep in mind the price difference, the larger size, heavier weight, and having to carry a million lenses and accessories. (Those people who gave this camera a low rating because of noise are just ignorant, you can't compare it to a DSLR!) I give this camera 5 out of 5 for being top of it's class, and offering maximum quality at an affordable price. So STOP WASTING YOUR TIME AND READING REVIEWS! I ALREADY DID THE HOMEWORK FOR YOU! YOUR SEARCH IS OVER! JUST BUY THE CAMERA AND ENJOY TAKING GREAT PICTURES!

The camera was wonderful on our vacation. We took > 700 pix and it worked well in all situations (backlighting was sometimes a problem, but may be because of unfamiliarity with the camera). We had 2 spare batteries and only needed one on a day particularly heavy with pictures.
Zoom was better than my old SLR lenses for ease of use and light weight.No heavy camera bags and film bags! It also did reasonably well inside of relatively dark churches and much better than my SLR with film used to. We used the camera for sight-seeing, mountain vistas, sporting events and movie clips.

I own a quality SLR with image stabilization and love it. I use primarily prime (non-zoom) lenses (with low f-stops, typically better than F 2.0) with my SLR in order to take pictures in low-light situations indoors. You cannot beat it for that. I also own a few zooms for it, up to 500mm (750mm equivalent). However, the FZ18 Lumix has some features that made me buy it instead of just settling for my SLR. Here are some of the advantages that I found:
1. Size - you have 28mm to 500mm (with respectable f-stop speed) and macro all in one compact body. A definite advantage when you want to travel small and/or light. Some of the reasons Panasonic (and other manufacturers) were able to do this are listed below.
2. Sensor Efficiency - the sensor on most of the digital cameras (including most SLRs) is much smaller than film, therefore you don't need to have as large of a lens physically. Also, if you use a smaller lens, you can also use a smaller body, hence a greatly reduced size for the camera and the ability to incorporate a greater zoom range and faster lens.
3. SLR Efficiency - An SLR uses a mirror to transfer the image to the viewfinder and must flip out of the way in order to take a picture (a time-consuming process that restricts the speed of flash synchronizations, among other things). Since a digital camera reads the image anyway, it can be transmitted to the screen or viewfinder (with is a little screen you view) without sacrificing the "through the lens" advantages, but not needing the cumbersome mirror-flipping, hence a more compact camera.
4. Optical Image Stabilization - Many SLRs have such a feature, but it is usually by being built into an expensive lens. I own a Pentax SLR, which has it built into the camera, but it has been shown that a camera like the Lumix has as good or better stabilization than the typical SLRs do and you get it through the whole spectrum of the capabilities of this fantastic lens.
5. Fast Telephoto - I don't even want to think about how much a 500mm F4 lens costs (much less carry one around), but that is what you get with this camera. With the combination of image stabilization, I can take pictures that were impossible before. (See the image in the image gallery.)
6. No removable lens - I know this is an advantage of SLRs, but it is also a disadvantage, as it allows dust, etc. to enter in to the inside of the camera between the lens and where the picture is recorded (the sensor).
7. Cost - $300+? I paid $500 for a manual focus 200mm F2.8 lens alone. Most SLR bodies cost more than $300, even used (for digital, of course). To replicate what this camera can do photographically in an SLR format, you would have to spend many times the price of this camera.
8. Tripod - the smaller the camera, the smaller the tripod that's needed. You can get away with a tiny little thing for this lightweight.

Now, some disadvantages of this camera compared to the SLRs:
1. Flash - Point and shoot flashes are typically inadequate, sometimes terribly so. This one has no hot-shoe for an add-on. My solution is that I virtually never use the flash (I have to confess I haven't even tried it out yet on this camera, but I do not have ANY grandiose expectations).
2. SLR Prime speed - I have a 50mm F1.4 lens that can do things this camera can't, problem is, it is only one lens size, so I also have a 20mm F1.8. However, if you're not using prime lenses, this Lumix will match or beat almost any of your zooms for f-stop speed.
3. SLR manual control - manual focus is easy on an SLR, and sometimes manual focus is MUCH preferred over auto-focus. Though this camera has a manual focus capability, it is cumbersome and a bit complicated. Most SLR lenses (especially primes) have scales for depth of field, which can be EXTREMELY useful. Also, the same is true for manual exposures. On an SLR, you can sometimes go to F22, F32 or even F45 for extra depth of field. Not so on the Lumix - F8.0 is the limit. By the way, the best way to do a panorama that you are going to stitch together is to do a fixed manual exposure on the shots, so that they will blend well.

I'm still going to use my SLR, but I may consider selling all my non-prime lenses for it. This camera is smaller and lighter than most of my zooms! When I go out hiking or on a vacation, you can bet what I'm going to be taking with me - this Lumix!

I have taken about 250 pictures with this now and owned it for almost a month. Most of the pictures came out well even the ones were I pointed the camera out the window while driving at 55, on a bright day. The 18X zoom gets you close to things even three hundred feet away.
The good, metal threads for tripod, high capacity (4GB and larger) SDHC cards, 18X zoom, very good anti shake, easy controls, very good results on full auto, very good burst mode (multiplr shots while holging down the shutter release), good results freezing action.
The cautions SDHC cards probably mean you have to buy a new card reader, propriatary USB connector, and battery mean you have to have a spare. Monopod or tripod for lowlight shots. 3MB per picture average so larger and faster memory cards required (4GB, SDHC, class 6 or larger not the cheap cards). The lens assembly is threaded but heavy filters are not a good idea but lighter filters will be fine.
I am just an old man with time and a camera and get good results with this camera. Has good range types of shots and handles settings well on auto. My picture taking philosophy is take a lot of pictures and hope to get a few keepers and this camera does that. Freezes action well with good clarity.

The features on this Panasonic FZ18 are fantastic. It's my new walk around camera.
My only concern is Noise. Panasonic should address this issue.

Hello, I am moving around the world with the backpack to shoulder in Hong Kong decided to buy the FZ18, as they often need more zoom, and it was an ideal solution because it had the benefit of a reflex, even shooting in RAW, a price and weight / volume reduced.
I am very happy with the camera.

I invite you to see the photographs that I made with the camera on my blog.

Http://davidlacarra.blogspot.com/

This is really a wonderful camera for the money. The colour saturation, sharpness of focus, great manual controls all makes this a brilliant digital experience. If I have one complaint it is that it's a little noisy in low light, be better is the CCD was a bit larger or the pixel count lower. Still, not so much of an issue that I would rate the camera lower than I have.

I have searched about this camera for a month. There were three other cameras that I thought to buy and these were in the same segment too. Of course I have nothing to say about the others but I am very pleased of buying this camera. This is much better than I expected. I will add my first picture which is the half moon. Please see it and decide whether it is satisfactory for you. This is too good for an amateour who wants to learn the secrets of good photgraphing and basics of dSLR machines. I will highly recomend this machine to people right after the beginer level.
Ugur ARAL

I was looking for a compact digital camera with a wide angle zoom and features comparable to a DSLR. I read all the reviews and chose the Lumix. So far it has lived up to my expectations. I own many CANON SLR's which I have collected over the years, and was hoping to find a CANON that was comparable in features to the LIMUX. But the great reviews and the wide angle zoom convinced me to go with this camera. I have only used it a few times but am very happy with it so far. The caution in the reviews about noise when used with indoor lighting has really not affected my results - I guess it's the types of photos I take - family and hobby type photos. Just one waring about accessories - the Lowepro AV 100 bag that is advertised on Amazon with this camera is a very tight fit if you include the lens hood, filters and a spare battery. If I were able to choose again, I would pick the next largest bag.

Budget wise couldn't acquire an SLR, so checked out the Sony 15X, the Olympus 18X, and the Fuji 18X before
deciding on the Panasonic DMC-FZ18K.If you want to take landscapes, people, buildings it is an excellent camera with the Leica lens. It's all the specks say it is. BUT if you take flying birds, moving animals and wildllife
forget it.. When you try to pan and snap the shutter is so slow that the object is out of the focus by the time it snaps. Had a chance to take some great shots of an eagle soaring over a river below me. (They are rare in my area). What a disappointment! . I catch deer, wild turkeys, raptors with my 12X Canon S3IS

One month is too short a time to really know a camera. But, so far, I'm very pleased with the images from this Panasonic ultra zoom. My goal was to own a camera with a longer zoom. I read many reviews (pro and user) of all of the ultra zoom cameras and the Panasonic seemed to be overall the best rated for the money. I haven't fully explored all of the settings but even the images I've taken with the camera on auto have been very good. Six months from now I may have a different opinion, but this Panasonic was an excellent choice and best overall value. Amazon had the lowest price and free shipping (prime). I received the camera the day after I placed the order.