I am not a fan of Panasonic, but one day that changed my mind.
I bought this camera for myself to replace my Fuji S5000 which is a great camera but only 3.2 MP.
I was first a little concerned it write speed and between shots. My Fuji is very fast and responsive. But I was amazed how LUMIX can do. I set the resolution to its max 7.2 MP, HQ, change image preview off so as to test this feature. I put a 1 GB 60x SD card in it. The lag time between each shot is under a second! The image quality is very good, almost comparable to those pros.

Pros:
Fast start, Fast focus, supper fast write images.
Very easy to use if you use Simple mode and still get very decent pictures.
Stabilizer is amazing as I have compared with Canon optical stabilizer, Olympus digital stabilizer, Samsung anti shaking mechanism. This is the best.
EZ (Easy Zoom) works great, it is actually 9x optical zoom if you shoot 5MP and below.
Easy menu to set up. Func key is a good companion.
The on-off switch is really good thing, you know the status of your camera right away. It is off or it is in sleep.
Video works well. It has sound. I took a 2 minute on the highway recording cars passed by and the noice. Very vivid.
I see people commented its bulky size, but I think it is really a Pro because it holds 2 AA batteries plus 6X optical zoom in its little pocket-able body.

Cons.
No direct adjust shuttle speed, even it claims to range from 60 to 1/2000, but you have to be in different screen modes in order to get lower speed. Any low-speed under 1 second is almost impossible to set by yourself. You have take whatever the screen mode gives you.
The I-mode is really unnecessary feature, which stays for intelligent, but if you use it, it usually set to higher ISO sensitivity and faster speed. I understand doing so would reduce shaky pictures, but the picture notice is really increased as compare to standard or normal mode. Not worth it!
ISO above 400 has noticable noice. Above 800 unbearable.

I purchased a Nikon L5 from Costco 2 weeks ago but returned it on Saturday after I saw the LZ-7. The LZ-7 is way better in all aspects than the Nikon L5, save for the adjustable zoom in movie mode.

PROS: Takes great pictures; optical image stabilization; 6X zoom; and, great price. It is also made in Japan, not China as the Nikon L5 is.

Cons: Fixed zoom while in movie mode; no on-board camera speakers.

First of all, I was just looking for a decent camera for ~$200 that took good clean pictures and had a 6x zoom. I narrowed it down to a Canon A710 and this. Since I didn't need the few extra features the Canon had, I went with the cheaper LZ7 and although I had some reservations, I'm very happy with my decision. I primarily use the camera for taking pictures of my pets, family get togethers and wildlife/nature pictures while hiking...I've had the camera for about two months.

Pros: Simple to use, image stabilization works great, takes AA's so you'll never run out of batery power, there are several different image size settings that change to accomadate the use of the extended zoom (up to 9x v. regular 6x), manual exposure controls, nice bright screen, battery life is excellent using NiMH batteries, price for everything that comes with it.

Cons: There is a lag when the flash is used, but I think this is common for all cameras that don't use a lithium battery; there is no view finder although I haven't encountered a situation where I've wanted one; the size is a little large for a "pocket camera" but any camera with a 6X optical zoom will be, and it's really not bad.

I haven't really used the camera for night-time party type shots, which I'm guessing would not be a problem. I have also not used the video capabilities, which based on the claims should be excellent.

Overall, for $200, you'd be hard pressed to find a 7 megapixel, 6x optical zoom camera with excellent image stablization, and excellent picture taking capabilities. Seven years ago, I paid $180 for a 1.8 megapixel Fugi with no zoom...this camera is an awesome deal!

I've only had the camera for a few days, so I hope to write a more encompassing review later.

But I'm writing now to clarify that the movie function on the DMC-LZ7 DOES record sound...I had read (maybe in the product specs) that there was no sound, so I was quite happy to discover otherwise! I had purchased the camera for its low-light abilities and thought I had to give up the sound to get it -- so glad that I was wrong.

NOTE: The nearly-identical DMC-LZ6 does NOT record sound. The lack of sound-recording and the size of the LCD monitor (the LZ7 has 2.5 inch screen, LZ6 has 2-inch screen) seem to be the only differences between the models. Certainly worth the extra $30 or so to get the DMC-LZ7 with the sound.

The DMC-LZ7K movie quality is good for a digicam. My only comparison is my 4-5 year old Canon Elph -- and it's much better than that. The old Elph only records approx 15 second clips, and the Lumix will keep going until you fill up your card.

As one might expect, there is noticable chromatic noise using ISO settings above 800 -- but even the manual says that setting is basically only suitable for 4x6 prints. But at least you will get the picture in extreme conditions, even if the quality is less than optimal.

Again, comparing to my old camera - the 1200 ISO on the Lumix looks like the 400 ISO did in my old Elph. The Lumix 400 ISO looks great, at least on the monitor. I haven't printed anything yet.

Shutter response time is good and I have no major complaints, at least not so far.

I'm using rechargable AA batteries and a SanDisk Extreme III 1GB card. Both are working well with this camera.

PROS: Fantastic "straight outta the box" image quality. There is almost little or no shutter lag the second your press the shutter button. Auto focus is fast too. It wasn't so much that this was a standard point-and-shoot when I was looking for an ultra-slim camera - but most of the ultra-slim cameras I've tried sacrifice image quality to cram as much technology in such a little body - while boosting the price up. The LZ7 is a fantastic performer. The 6x optical zoom with OPTICAL image stabilization (not digital, I'm not a fan of "digital" image stabilization) is a plus. It's actually BETTER than the IS on the Canon SD700IS and SD800IS that I previously tested out (I returned both of them because paying DSLR body prices for a point-and-shoot camera is outrageous). The major plus of this camera is the image quality. Fantastic, sharp and decently saturated. It's one of the few cameras where I feel comfortable printing photos straight outta the camera. I even impressed a few colleagues of showing some 8x10s that I printed straight out of my silver LZ7 and they were shocked that I didn't take the shot with a DSLR. That's what I call great image quality!

CONS: This is quite a beefy camera. In the age of ultra-slim point-and-shoot cameras that boasts the same features as the LZ7, for the price I paid for it, it's totally worth it. The use of AA batteries might be convenient to some, but it sure contributes to the weight and size of this camera. I'm still pleased regardless. The image quality and pros outweigh the cons of this camera.

We recently bought this camera, and we are very happy!!!
It takes great pictures, its very user friendly and has a Scene Mode wich alows to take pictures on candle light, to food, portraits, night portraits...the are more than 20 scene modes!

Buy it with de rechargable batteries Amazon recomend... you won't regret.

I bought this camera primarily for the 848x480, 30fps video (with audio) capability. I also like the 16 x 9 native pixel layout. The video does indeed look very good. It's also inexpensive. The drawbacks to the camera are:

1) It isn't very compact. It does fit in my pocket, as I bought it for a pocket camera, however it's pretty bulky and heavy. From pictures online it's hard to tell.

2) Low light performance is poor. My other pocket cameras that shoot 30fps video with sound, namely the Nikon 5200, and the Canon A620 and SD series both do much better with low light shots in stills and video. The pixelation is noticeable even beyond normal JPG artifacts.

3) The wide angle is not very wide. I didn't realize how much I used the widest angle of the other cameras until I started using the Lumix. It has a pretty good zoom, but not wide. I take photos of people at tables occasionally using the ever popular "wine glass" tripod, and I simply can't get more than one person's face in any one shot with the Lumix lens.

In my view it's a specialty camera. If I don't want to bring my DV camera and want some good video it works well, especially with a decent amount of light. As for an overall pocket camera, I'll be carrying a canon SD 600 for it's small form factor.

This camera is so easy to use, takes great pics, and has lots of options. I mainly use the point and shoot feature, but there are options for more advanced photographers. It uses regular batteries, which makes it a cinch to find replacements. And the movie feature is a great bonus feature for me. The grandparents love the short clips of the kids playing that I can take and get online in minutes.

At first sight, i loved its price, its look and i was gonna buy a panasonic at all so i went for it.. But the picture turned into a horror movie instead of "Love Story" once i have it in my hands.. Its lcd is horrible, memory is very small that in the first 10 mins of my NY trip, it got full, and the machine is not able to take "visible" pictures at all. And also its "impossible to reach" navigation menu... oh boy.. beware at all cost.. :(

I returned this product after trying to use it and finding the camera speed totally unacceptable. After taking a picture, the camera displayed the image taken and then the screen went black for a few seconds before allowing another picture to be taken. I thought that it might just be my memory card so I checked one out at a local retail store and found it to be the same. I was also told by the salesperson that the delay is "normal".

This DMC-LZ7 is a fantastic camera! When reviewing and giving it 5 stars, it has to be relitive to the price and class it is in. This camera is supurb. I was worried about "noise" that some people say Panasonic is prone to, but it just is not there unless you go into the really dark zone (which would happen with all cameras). I came from a Nikon and the shutter delay is WAY better. I would not complain about it at all. I compared it to Canon and Olympus (both fine cameras) but the optical stabilization, focus and price for the features blew them away! The bottom line..do not hesitate. It takes wonderful pictures with so much clarity. Add the 6x zoom and it is a no brainer! It is not tiny (compared to some) but it feels so good in your hands and still fits in a pocket. This is a winner!

I got the item that I wanted at a reasonable prize. There are large selection of cameras which are within the reach of different income groups. That is the greatness of Amazon. The rating of sellers gives the customer confidence to purchase the item from them. I already purchased several items, like the Panasonic digital camera, recharbeable batteries, Thoshiba laptop and a laptop bag from Amazon. Any things I need I will go to Amazon only.

Lumix was just released -- "brand new". Although I had wanted a digital camera for a long time, my research pointed to the Lumix DMC-LZ&K, although it was not to be released for at least another month. It was well worth the wait!! My high marks range across the board: small size that is easily handled, the clarity of photos, the simple to use modes, including movie. I can't say enough positive about this new release. And I have appreciated as well as enjoyed this purchase.

Today is my first day with Camera. Still to explore many features. But First day opinion is Not Impressed. Photos are a bit dark. Night mode adds lot of blurr.

Will explore this for 2 more days before returning it.

But Amazon service is fast. I opted for two day shipping but I got it in one day. The Amazon packaging is bad.

Will edit this review after 3 days after exploring for some more time.

The image quality of the camera sets it apart from others like Canon, Nikon and Sony, I have tried all three and this one is the best. Images come out sharp with great color depth and great quality. Very convenient with AA's. Over 20 scene modes, user friendly menus, good exposure settings.

Compared to a Nikon- the images are crisp clear, not blurry, not grainy, don't have those white dots in the background.

Compared to a Cannon SD700- the photographs have better color sensitivity and depth and the objects stand out better in the picture.

Good value for the price and worry free photography!

I'm very happy with this camera. This is our second because the earlier version we bought last year didn't bounce too well! The optical zoom with image stabilization makes a huge difference in picture quality and adaptability.
It's very easy to use and since the price is so low, it doesn't hurt so much if it gets lost or damaged.
Battery life isn't it's strong point but AA's are everywhere.
I don't believe there is another camera on the market with all of it's features at this price point.

Overall, this is a great camera.

Some notes:

For informational purposes, I use Energizer NiMH rechargable batteries (2500 mAh) and an Ultra II 2.0GB SD card.

Battery life is exceptional--I can typically take around 400-500 pictures (not using the flash) and a few less with the flash, before noticing the zoom slowing down, etc. To give an idea of the battery life, I took about 1500 photos while in China (2.5 days of my stay was touring), and used approximately six batteries (the rechargables). I swapped them out when the zoom started slowing. I could have taken more pictures with them, but wanted the faster 'ready' response time.

The download speed to the above SD card is great, and provides nice response time after a non-flash photo. The flash recharge seems to take a bit longer to bring the camera back to a 'ready' state, especially when the batteries are low.

With respect to image quality, the camera is great for objects. However, pictures of people are better with more light (sunlight or flash).

Changing the ISO to 800 or 1250 makes the pictures look very grainy. Better lighting probably would have made the pictures turn out better, but then I probably wouldn't have needed to use this setting!

I like the camera's macro mode, though again, sufficient lighting is the key to higher quality images.

I've also tried the movie mode, which is fabulous. The only drawback is you cannot use the zoom while recording a movie. There is also no stereo sound (of course, what can you expect from a small unit like this?).

The protective covering over the LCD should be a default feature for all cameras. I really appreciated this feature, though I wonder if it could be replaced if it ended up with an excessive amount of scratches. Haven't pursued an answer to this question yet.

The camera's functions were very accessible. I especially like the fact that when pushing the shutter button the settings menu goes away and allows you to continue taking pictures, i.e., you don't have to 'exit" the settings menus before attempting to take another shot--just push the shutter button.

I also dropped this camera a couple times, once on brick (outside) and once on a wood floor. It still functions as if new (though I'm not sure how much of an impact it could take before becoming non-functional). Hence, it seems rather durable for the average user.

I'm a happy customer, and am very pleased with this purchase. I liked the price for the features provided in the camera.

This is my first digital camera I have a little experience in digital cameras but from what I saw from this camera I think that it is an excellent value for money especially for the 6X Optical Zoom.

I would like to thank amazon.com for their fantastic service and I assure you that if I ever think of buying a digital camera I will buy it from amazon.com.

I received the camera and tried it out. It takes nice pictures, is easy to use. The one thing that I really dislike is the fact that it does not have a view finder! Taking pictures outdoors is almost impossible. When you are out in the sunlight finding your subject using only the LCD display sucks! So much so that I am going to send the camera back and look for something else.

This Camera offers a very user friendly interface for electronically challenge individuals, Great point and shooter. You'll love it, especially knowing you spent $150 Less then most of this caliber. Great Value!

Great camera, much better than the Canon Elph S500 been using prior. My only gripe is that it takes f o r e v e r to upload photos onto my four year-old laptop, insanely slow (presumably due to not having high-speed USB). Do not like the upload software at all, hard to follow.

Great pictures, Easy to use and light weight

Had one of these for a while. It doesn't write me. No calls. Nothing. Seriously, this camera is mega value for the money. I got mine for $97 on ebay. This was open box, right time. It handled well.
Bottom Line:
LCD Screen is big, but 93K resolution makes the photos look worse than they are. This is it's biggest drawback, but not a deal breaker. The DC Vario lense is better than most at this price/megapixel. Love the 6x when your friend is dipping into their digital zoom (uggg, do that on the computer later, don't distort the image prematurely). Additionally, this camera is now next to the definition of ultra value in the dictionary for the $97 - $140 range.

Get a set of Engergizer 2500Mah batteries and you'll get about 500 pictures on ONE CHARGE. Don't be cheap and buy single use batteries of any kind. Walgreens had it in store with a charger and 4 AA's for $22.
Camera:
8.1/10 (10 is entry pro-level)
Batteries:
10/10 (They are reviewed as top notch)

Thank you to those who went to the effort of uploading pictures. Nice work.

This is my first digital camera and I LOVE it. Learning to use all the many features is comparable to learning to use a computer for the first time. I basically use just the "point-and-shoot" but I read the manual from cover to cover and plan to try the advanced features. I downloaded my first set of pictures to my Mac OSX and was pleased with how easy and fast it went. The pictures are crisp and the color is great. Other reviewers seem to want a smaller camera, but this one fits my hand very comfortably and the dial on top is positioned so that you can use it with your thumb. I appreciate the AA batteries. My snapshot camera ran through very expensive batteries at a fast clip and I always ran out of juice at most inconvenient times. I bought rechargable AA batteries for the Lumix, but I'm still working on the alkaline ones that came with the camera. I miss the viewfinder (keep holding the camera up to my face!) but I'll learn to use the screen. In bright sunlight the image is very dark (like almost nonexistent). I just point and shoot a few pictures then when I'm in the shade I look at the images and delete the ones I don't like. It's worked very well so far. The dark screen doesn't mean the picture will be dark. I bought an inexpensive 2 GB Kingston memory card from Amazon. It came with a plastic case to store it in when it's full. I haven't used the video function yet but other reviewers make it sound like something to consider. I am happy with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7.

I just bought this camera a couple days ago to replace the HP I had that broke (the display inside cracked) and I really like it. It takes really nice pictures and I really like the 6X optical zoom with image stabilization. This camera is really nice for people like me who find it hard not to move when taking pictures. I would definitely recommend this camera to others. The price is great for all the features it has.

I purchased this camera as a replacement for my dead Canon Powershot A520 4MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom which was plagued with problems. The DMC-LZ7 functioned perfectly on the two trips I've taken it on, including a recent 3 week climb of Mount McKinley.

It takes great photos, the menu system is easy to navigate and the LCD is bright enough to use outdoors. However, I do wish it had a viewfinder. Best of all it's not Made in China.

A great point and shoot camera!

I just finish shooting over 400 pictures this weekend (June 2007) and all of the pictures were great quality. Even my family was impressed with the quality of the photos. My cousin was surprised with a picture taken at night with little ambient light and using just the flash! Great battery life, easy to change scenery change mode, and ELECTRONIC ZOOM (great bonus feature).

The "con" with the camera is that the view screen could be improved when looking at it in the sunlight, but overall A GREAT CAMERA FOR THE PRICE!!!

This camera is great for what I use it for. I'm not an aspiring photographer, just someone who likes to take pictures. It has a lot of scene modes to make taking good pictures easy, and a great zoom too. I've seen some noise in my shots, but it's only visible when i digitally zoom in on the picture far beyond how much people would normally zoom in. It would take great 8x10's.

I settled for a DMC-TZ1 which offers:
1) brighter picture in low light
2) lens with a wider viewing area
3) both optical and digital zoom during video recording
4) audio may be heard on video playback

I wish the TZ1 used AA batteries and had a mode for continuous still frame shooting. The latter could be fixed if Panasonic would upgrade camera software features; probably to much of a tech burdon for the camera market.

This camera is a great camera at a great price. My only lament is that low-light images are fuzzy.

I first bought a fujifilm finepix v10, but i returned it for several reasons and bought this camera instead. I am so happy with my decision.

This camera is extremely user friendly. It takes very clear pictures, has great resolution, and the 6x optical zoom is really impressive next to my sister's sony cybershot w80's 3x optical zoom.

It's true, this camera isn't nearly as small as, say the new canon or sony pocket-sized cameras. However, I've found it small enough to fit just fine in my purse, or in looser pants pockets.

A few things that make this camera less than 5-star for me:
It has slow recycle time--sometimes. Sometimes you can just keep snapping pictures, other times it takes 3 or 4 seconds before you can take the next picture. I'm not sure if this is a problem with just my camera or a design flaw.
The battery life isn't that great. It takes double A's, so its no big deal to pop some out and in even if you're "having a kodak moment." However, I would recommend getting some rechargeables and a case that has enough room for two extra batteries.
I have taken a few dissappointing pictures, which I can only blame on bad lighting and not a far enough flash range in the camera.

Overall, I am a huge fan of this camera. For some people, it might be a little too large for their liking, but if you are willing to exchange tiny size for clear pictures and double the optical zoom, it's definitly worth it.

I like the camera - small enough but with big zoom, autofocus very responsive and fast, image stabilization works well, AA batteries and long battery life, easy user interface.

cons:
The pictures are a little bit noisy even at lowest ASA;
No optical viewfinder - some time hard to frame with LCD on the direct Sun light;
no manual focus, but autofocus works well in most conditions: with canon cameras could not achieve focus on red objects (like roses), but could with this camera ..

Bottom line - good buy.

Alex.

We bought this because our last camera was a disappointment. (The kids now use the old one.) Panasonic's promises hold true: good pictures, easy to use, compact, and eats batteries. The picture files are large (about 3Mb) but can be set up to take them if fewer megapixles if you wish. We bought a 2Gb memory card to go with it. After the end of the vacation, 400 pictures were taken and the disk still still had plenty of room. Batteries go fast. Get some "AA" batteries and a charger. I'm glad to have the stabalization. Other cameras don't have it.

I got this camera for my family, I read the specs and was impressed, but when i took the initial snaps they were of no great quality. The resolution was preety bad as compared to 7 mp camera and lcd screen is of no great quality. Overall its not a good experience for me.

Been using the camera extensively for the last month. All in all I would rate it as a really excellent camera. As compared to other point and shoots in its price range, this has significantly better capabilities. I am particularly impressed with its ability to take blur-free pictures while on the move in a vehicle.

Color modes are sufficient, and the 6X zoom+OIS is really handy for getting some nice long range shots. The camera boots up real quick too, and the burst mode is pretty effective.

Another plus point is the really nice video mode, which allows you to take VGA quality movies with sound. The videos come out really nice and it is quite handy to make good resolution small home videos.

Battery life is pretty good, and a set of 2 AA NiMH batteries last for at least 300 shots in typical usage conditions.

Only small con is the size. The camera is slightly thicker than other point and shoots owing to the large zoom lenses. So, it cant be carried in a trouser/jeans pocket.

Received prompt shipping by by amazon. All in all a great experience !

Would definitely recommend a buy.

I've had this camera almost a month and took it to Disney. This is a great point and shoot camera. Took it to Disney where there was a lot of shot taken in the dark with no flash and it worked very well. The 6X zoom is fantastic. I killed the batteries that came with this camera the first day just playing with all the settings. Used NiMH batteries for the trip and one set worked for the whole day,(Not a lot of flash shots). Took about 150 pictures a day. One drawback is it doesn't come with a case, so make sure you have one. Something else that concerned me was the screen. It has no protection against scratches so I bought some PDA screen protectors and cut it to fit.

Pro - Color rendering is great. Easy to use. Battery life is tops. Image quality is good.

Downside - Hard to use screen in bright sunlight. Sharpness is a bit heavy.

Overall - great "pocket camera with aspirations for being an overall camera :) I like it a lot.

I was searching for a lighter camera than my Nikon 8700 to do macro photography with, but I wanted decent shots for my online art store. I went to a local store and ran upon a Sony Cyber-Shot T-20...it was so cool looking and it had this super macro mode that really seemed to get in there tight. Only problem is that it was very expensive and the shots were horribly noisy...my 2.3 mega pixel easy share Sony did better than this thing and their image stabalization was a joke...two days later back to the store it went!

I then started searching and found a link about a Lumix camera. That one is no longer made, but I ran into this model/review and was glad to see some consumer shots. I read about the OIS stabilization and did some research at the Panasonic home page. Very few people were disappointed in this camera and it wasn't too expensive. Being the type of person to want it now, I found it at another local store and have since then been shooting test pic after test pic. I took other shots with my Nikon and then this one and compared them. I even did a home printer test. So far it looks like this is a very good macro camera that gets rid of that shaky hand problem you can have and the prints will be at least as good as what I have been getting...still haven't ordered any real prints yet due to time constraints.

Some people say it is too "beefy", but I find it just right. It feels good in your hands, but it isn't as heavy as a pro-sumer and that really helps.

Cons: Zoom pictures don't look that good to me, but then again I'm not sure my Nikon does any better in this area. The instruction book lacks a lot of the stuff that is explained in my Nikon book and I'd like to see more information about the camera and modes in the book in more of a detail fashion. It has a hard time focusing on things at times, no matter what mode you put it in. ISO over 400 is really noisy. It doesn't have an ISO of 50. Forget the high ISO...it even looks bad on the viewfinder. It doesn't really do well without proper lighting. I haven't taken any night shots yet, but pretty much if the flash is off you need a light source on your subject..but this may be true of any camera. Sometimes pictures look a lot better on the viewfinder than they do on your computer. This may be more to do with the whole DPI vs Pixel thing. The camera "captures in 72 DPI" and sometimes in review in Windows it looks noisy, but hopefully this will not be in the print because it will be 300+ dpi and not as big. But really the Sony pictures looked like water colors in all my test shots of that camera! This one does way better.

Pros: Really nice macro pictures for the price of the camera and the OIS really seems to work well to help get you clear pictures...even with one hand...you don't know how many times I got home from a shoot and was disappointed by that camera shake problem from pushing the shutter and then having to stand still while it "takes" the picture...I don't like using a tripod. This camera definately helps in that area. Easy to transport and runs on all sorts of AA batteries.

Bottom line is that this is a great camera for the price and it is a good semi-professional level "back up" camera/vacation camera for close up shots. It seems to do what I need it to do and you can get really close to your subject, which is nice. I just wish the non-macro shots using zoom turned out as good for me. I'll have to do some more testing to see if maybe I just don't have anything good to take a picture of in normal mode...drought kind of killed all my nature shots and the shots inside the house have all been too dark or too full of flash at this point :/

Just be sure not to get over a 2GB SD card if you do get one..this is something that is only on the inside of the package..if you want more than 2GB you have to get the other kind of card it takes or it won't work. My 2GB card at the full high quality setting with little compression will take about 500 shots. I was able to take several days worth of pictures, at least 2-300 shots with the supplied batteries. This was with playing with the settings, turning it on, flash on sometimes, sometimes off, and walking around outside to get pictures with the camera on. Also the first day I used the internal memory only...only about 5 high quality pictures there....and then I'd have to transfer with the cable. So the batteries that I got with it really did last a good while.

If I run into more items to share, I will update the review...otherwise happy picture taking!

I have possessed the DMC LZ7 digital camera for about 3 months and this is my first camera ever. I am an amateur photographer and photography has become one of my latest hobby. Based on my modest experience, here is what I think about it:

PROS:

+ Good image quality. You can adjust the settings of your camera to adapt to external conditions, like lighting, sunshine etc. Some good pictures I have taken by specifically adjusting such settings include an aerial picture (from an airplane traveling at 500+ mph) and sunrise, and in all case, I was very happy about the image quality. The scenery mode allows you to get the best pictures ranging from protraits to pictures of starry sky, going through pictures of candles, snow etc. The camera also compensates for factors jitter (unwanted motion of the camera), background light etc. in order to output the best picture.

+ The menus of the camera are pretty easy to navigate with.

+ Compared to many other cameras I've looked into before deciding on this one, the DMC-LZ7 has a 6x optical zoom, which you'll find cooler than a 3x optical zoom, although I realize that a 3x optical zoom might be sufficient for most of us. I consider a maximum optical zoom of 6x to be a bonus of the DMZ-LZ7.

+ For MOST situations (see the 2nd con below) that amateur (and pros alike) will encounter, you can just point and shoot with the DMZ-LZ7 and get good results. That is, in these common situations like your friend's birthday, you don't necessarily have to adjust for background light, white balance etc. Beginners will find this camera easy to use, once they learn its basics.

+ The manual that comes with the camera is clearly laid out and very detailed.

+ I've not tried the motion picture feature a lot. All I can say is that I find it ok, and recorded video comes with sound. Camera comes with a cable which you can connect directly to your TV and which enables you to view your pictures and videos on your TV screen. If you are looking for better motion pictures, you might want to buy a video camera specifically - this one is mainly for still photos.

+ It's not that heavy. To give you a rough idea, its maximum weight does not exceed that of 3 mobile phones.

+ It fits in my pockets.

+ You can buy optional accessories like carrying case, camera stand, ac adapter etc.

+ Comes with software which, by the look of the software manual, looks pretty easy to use. I have not tried the software in depth. What you need to know is that the software helps you process the image, resize it, prints the date on it etc. I am guessing that nearly all digital cams on the market come with similar software.


CONS:

- The optional camera case does NOT fit in my pockets. My pockets have the same size as those in 31 X 32 jeans. Oh well, who cares about this? The carrying case has its own belt clip. Some people might find the camera bulky for that reason, but I really don't. (I bought the hard case for the DMZ-LZ7 on amazon.com and I recommend it too.)

- There's a lot to learn!!! If you really want to get the best quality pics for various situations like fast action sports events, pictures of fireworks, etc, you really need to spend time learning how to use this camera. And this means going through its manual well. I would advise people to read the manual and try the various stuffs in it, and then go through the manual again after they gain some experience with the camera (after a few months or one year maybe).

I am mentioning this because it is not fair to blame the DMC LZ7 for poor quality pics if you've not mastered it. I believe the same applies to any digital camera on the market. However, as mentioned above, the scenery mode contains different pre-set parameters which you can use to obtain a great picture of your dog catching a frisby in mid-air, and other things which upto now, you'd have thought only professionals could do (although I think a professional can do a slightly better job than amateurs!).

Bottom Line:

I recommend it. For its price, the DMC LZ7 is a more than a good deal. Even if there may be better and more costly cams on the market, I am sure that the DMC LZ7 is not very far behind these cams in matters of technology. A perfect digital camera would cost you $ 1000+. I have yet to find a reason to be disappointed with my purchase.

Excellent. Very good quality pictures.Good zoom too. The only - is the size, not very small camera.

What I liked about this camera is that it's optical zoom is twice as what other brands have to offer with it's price.

Great camera for the price I paid on Amazon(around $170), 25% less than most of retailers. This is an entry level camera but great for family photos. The only down side is the camera is a little bulky, I will recommend a slim model if you have more budget.

I love this camera. It has a great zoom. It takes pictures quickly -- not a lot of time to recover between photos. The pictures are great quality as well as the video.

WARNING! I Bought this product thinking that it was the LZ7 model, and Ritz sent me the LZ6 model instead. When I called them, they said the website was an error and are refunding my money HOWEVER they have yet to fix this misleading advertisement. So DO NOT buy this item b/c they will send you the LZ6!

I decided to stick with the FX3 model- I like the much smaller size (pocket size), the real Leica lens, and the rechargeable battery. I don't use much zoom enough where the 6x vs. 3x matters to me and unless you're doing billboard posters 6meg vs. 7.2 meg is ridiculous. Most downsize resolution anyway to take less space and work easier in photo programs.All other features the same.

I bought this camera from B&H. I used the camera for two weeks (only take around 100 pictures). Then The image shown on the LCD starts to be distorted. B&H said that I have to send it back to panasonic service center for reparing. Then I did and paid all the shipping and handle fee. :-(

One thing should be awared that the service center may use a refurbished item to replace the one of malfuction. Considering I only used it for two weeks, it sounds I buy a refurbished product with a higher price. :-(

Many reviews comment about the bulkiness of this camera. That's what drew me to the LZ7,... it's size. I have large hands and cannot curl my fingers around something small like many of the cameras currently on the market. I also wanted something that was easy to use and had buttons large enough for my fingers to be able to use them without me stopping to look at the camera controls every time I wanted to take a picture.

My main use of a digital camera is to take pictures of items that I put up at internet auction sites. I didn't need something that would have such a high optical zoom that I could count the individual stitches on the picture of a sweater. But I did want something that gave me a little more clarity than my current Olympus 1.3 Megapixel without going into debt to get one. I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion this camera should suit my needs nicely for several years to come. I checked it out at a local big box retailer and was pleased with how it fit in my hand. Buttons were easy to reach and use. The shutter button is located in from the edge just over 3/4 of an inch which allows my index finger to extend out comfortably as I press down.

This is my first camera without a viewfinder and that is a little hard to get used to but it's the way of the future. The screen is not quite 2 ½" diagonally but it is generous enough. I like how the camera freezes the shot and shows it on the screen for a couple of seconds before it goes back to live mode.

My Olympus required the card to be in the camera before I could take a picture. This one does not. It has a bit of built in memory which can be a good and a bad thing. It's great if you happen to forget to put the card back in and snap an important once in a lifetime shot but it's bad in the fact that once you take the shot you have to dig out the USB cable and connect the camera to your computer to get the picture. I usually use a card reader but I'll be searching for a USB hub soon since the only free USB slots I have are in the back of my computer and I often forget to put the card back in.

The thing about this camera that has impressed me more than anything else is the clarity and colors, especially in a shot that was totally lacking of light. In testing, I went into an interior room that has no windows. The only light was a small amount under the doors but not enough for me to see anything. I set the camera on normal mode, pointed the camera toward the interior of the room and pressed the button. When I looked at the picture I was amazed at how brightly lit and clear the shot was. Colors like light lavender, turquoise, ekru and bright yellow were exact. I doubt if I will have a lot of need to take pictures in total darkness but sometimes I get into a situation where the light is not always the greatest. I know this camera will be able to handle it and give me a great picture the first time.

One review I read stated to be sure to read the manual. That gave me the impression this camera was complicated. I have not read the manual yet and have been able to take pictures with no problem. I am sure I will be reading the manual when I want to take a picture with a feature I haven't used or to delve deeper into the many different options this camera has. The pictures, all of mine have been JPG, are clear and the colors vivid. The colors weren't so vivid for me in ISO mode but that's just one of 4-5 picture modes so you have plenty of options. I haven't had the opportunity to use Scene mode yet but in playing around with it I found it very simple to select from the multitude of options and having the option name right there on the screen helps, and the animations on the option icons is an fun touch. I really like the "Heart" (simple) mode. It's great for taking my auction pictures but I have found that the other modes (Normal, ISO, Simple and Macro) are all pretty much `point and shoot' simple. I am sure they can be more complicated and I know, when I want to get into the more complicated side of this camera, it will be waiting for me. Meanwhile, it and I are quite content using the simplistic controls of this Panasonic LZ7 to get some really great shots.

If you are looking for a camera that is a little too big to stick in your shirt pocket or your cosmetic bag or your wallet but don't want something that requires a PhD to operate, consider the LZ7. I'm sure glad I did!

The camera behaves very well in good light.
in dim lighting the noise --and noise reduction-- effects make a bit of post processing necessary.

I really like the optical zoom and the small size.

Battery life is good for a 2 AA battery camera.

A good camera for spontaneous shooting.

This camera has met all expectations. Here are a few highlights.

1) Noise - the big problem reported by many Panasonic users is noise. I've found that keeping the camera set to 100 ISO is fine for reducing noise in general outdoor conditions. Indoors, there is some noise when using the flash or not, but it is not a show-stopper -- especially if you're planning on printing mostly 4x6 prints.

2) Size/Build - the camera is a bit bulky. It's nice for those of us with bigger hands. It won't fit in your pocket, but it's small enough to easily fit in a bag. It also feels a lot sturdier than most other compact digital cameras.

3) Zoom/OIS - The 6x zoom works really well in conjunction with image stabilization. I get sharper 6x 7.2 MP pictures than when I was taking 3x 3 MP pictures with a Canon PowerShot.
Another benefit of the zoom is that the camera has a larger-than-average lens (to let in enough light for zoom shots, I imagine). This is nice because it lets more light in for all pictures, which means you don't need the flash as much. I've even been able to take 6x zoom pictures in dusk lighting at 100ISO that come out reasonably noise-free!

4) Battery life - Battery life is good. Use NiMH; there's no good reason to use non-rechargeable batteries.

5) The video is very good. This camera (LZ7) records sound, but it's little brother (LZ6) does not, saving you $20 or $30, but making it essentially useless as a video camera (unless you love overdubbing).

6) Saturation - a few other reviews have alluded to this. The colours produced by this camera are very vivid and striking.

Overall, this is a very nice 7 MP 6x zoom camera. It's cheap enough to be "entry-level", appears to be fairly durable, has good video, and very good zoom and image stabilization!

Great build quality. FAST! - Very minimal shutter lag compared to other point and shoot cameras that I have owned! I can easily live with this performance. Fast enough to catch action shots if prefocused. Optical zoom is very useful. A little bigger than compact, but features outweigh the size penalty. Still fits in pocket or purse easily. Great value at well under $200. Very happy after several weeks of many pics.

i bougth this camera after having a coolpix 4600 (nikon)
im very satisfyed, even though its a little bigger than i thought.
anyway i love it the quality is better, the zoom is super cool ... i love it ... ive always wanted a lumix and i never had the money to get one so qhen i saw this one at this price i didnt have to think it twice...

i so recommend this little toy...

This camera takes amazing pictures under almost all conditions. Its "anti-shake" technology really seems to work and the 6x optical zoom realy adds additional performance to an already feature packed camera. I especially like the fact that I can use AA batteries which are available everywhere. This adds a little bulk to the camera but it is still very compact. If you are looking for a great all round digital camera at a great price you need look no further!

I enjoy the product, but the directions are sometime difficult to follow. You have to be kind of advance to know how to use. Not a good camera for a beginner. This camera is the best for its price due to its feature.

Very happy with ease of use and picture quality. Very nice display, but impossible to see in the sunlight, a problem all cameras without a viewfinder share. I paid $150, and that is a fair price, but had my budget been higher I would have chosen the LX2K with the Leica lens and more solid construction. With the 1G card and an extra set of batteries, this camera will take and store over 600 pics, all you need for a vacation camera. Get a case and the NiMh batteries.

Overall this camera is very good, it is vey stable both video and image capture, with great zoom, optical and digital combo, that packs a punch for the price. The ISO support helps a lot also and the built-in preconfigured shot modes are handy.
This is my first digital camera purchase and am very satisfied with the quality and performance for the price.

Better than Canon
This camera was running circles around the Canon cameras at almost twice the price. The focusing much smoother than others. The lens made almost no noise against the Canon cameras. The Canon cameras seemed to be asking for help with their lense movements.

Feel
This camera had a better feel to it. A solid body feel to it against the higher rated, higher priced Canons.

Video
30fps? Wow! Most of the other cameras had only 15fps to offer.

Picture Quality
Photos were that much better than other cameras at higher prices.

We Had to Return It
From the few hours of handling this winner, we were unable to find the speaker. Where's the speaker? We wanted to hear the playback of video tests we made. As this camera would've easily earned a 5-star rating, when we checked the Panasonic website, Speaker was "no." Aside from the high quality output for its price, the missing speaker really bugged us. I mean come on! Even the cheapo Emprex cameras at Fry's Electronics had speakers on them.

Hey Panasonic, did Canon hire yakuza to threaten you on your high quality? "Remove speaker now, or lose finger."

We are now considering going with a $350 Panasonic. Canons are currently not on our shopping list. I hate you Panasonic.

First off I would like to comment on the seller "Warehouse Deals" and the refurb product that I received. The product was an open box return and came to me without any scratches, just a resealed box, and had all accessories. The product is flawless and everything works great! I wanted a camera for under $100 for a vacation that I'm about to take. I thought I would take a chance on this one since it was $103 with shipping. Not to mention all of the bells you could ask for.

At first I was worried about the pictures since I would review them on the lcd screen. The pictures look less than stellar on the lcd but when transferred to computer look amazing! Even in the low light situations there was very little noise, just depends on the setting you pick. I don't think reading the manual would help to much as actually getting out there and trying different conditions. The camera for the most part does what I want it to but it's at the mercy of the operator. It has many different preset options for you choose from including sunset and beach modes; I mention these since they seem uncommon.

I think anyone could be successful at taking pictures with this camera in most conditions. Just remember that if it doesn't come out the way you want then you may have to change the settings. As for the size I don't think it is to big but is will bulge the pant pocket.

The bottom line is - it has all the features of the more expensive cameras with 6X zoom, stabilizer, and video mode with sound. How could you go wrong and in my case for a $103 bucks!!!

EDIT: I use window Vista 64 bit and didnt need to use the provided CD to import the pictures. Just plugged it in and it worked right away!

I have only used my LUMIX LZ7 a short time ( 34 stills-21 sd's video),it works so neat.It is almost dummie proof, as I am still learning so many of its feature's. I am very happy with my choice.

product is the best for its deal. 6x digital zoom helps a lot. the lighting for darkness is okay but thats fine because you can use the feature of high angle and the lighting gets better. works fine for the clubs too!

THIS CAMERA TAKE'S VERY GOOD PICTURE'S I WAS SUPRISED BY HOW GOOD IT THE PICTURE'S CAME OUT... I RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO BUY THIS CAMERA.

this is the best camera that I know, all the features help to take better pictures

I bought it a month back. I have been using it since then. It has good piture quality even with a bigger zoom. If you are going for camera in this price range, probably this is one of best ones.

The LZ7K camera has performed better than expected. Easily used right out of the box with the internal memory. This is a great feature to use if you want to keep two groups of pictures seperate. For everyday pictures we use the SD card, and for work photos I use the internal memory. This makes it easier to download the right pictures and dosen't take up space on the card or computer hard drive.
Camera has more zoom and image stabalization, than a lot of cameras in this price range. Options are easily accessed and explained in the manual. Great camera for beginners and experienced photographers.

For the price and the options available is the camera to buy, with 6X optical zoom you can get sharp pictures. The video quality is excelent but it takes a lot of memory of your memory card.

Very user friendly. Great zoom range and image stablization. Only wish it was a bit smaller and still use AA batteries.

This is my 4th digital camera and I could not ask for more. I am very willing to work around any of the pro luxuries it does not have, to accommodate the price value of my investment. Read the manual, again and again, trying things out and you will be amazed at the things one is able to do with the Panasonic, Lumix LZ7K.

Many reviewers complained about the bulkiness of this great little camera. For me, somebody with big hands, it is a perdect fit. And it does fit in my pockets.

It feels "right" in my hands. It is solid and has a heavy feeling, without actually being heavy. The buttons are all placed just right.

I won't go into all the fine features, because I echo what everybody else says. Needless to say, it is a fine addition to my arsenal of cameras and other techie gadgets.

Very pleased with the camera. Easy to use, takes sharp pictures and is easy on batteries.

Arthur Schopenhauer once wrote: "Truth goes through 3 stages: First it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third it is accepted as self-evident truth."

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
- Francois Voltaire

UNLIKE YOUR AA BATTERIES, THE PROPRIETARY BATTERY MUST BE RECHARGED EVERY NIGHT OR YOU WILL END UP WITH .....A DEAD CAMERA!


What you'll read below is more than merely my opinion. What you'll read are factual statements about this camera.

This camera has no wide angle lens and no optical viewfinder. A better choice is The Nikon Coolpix P50 which costs about $30 LESS!

So, why give it one star, you ask? I give it one star because, for me, I would NOT buy this camera in preference to the Nikon P50. Because I would not buy this camera, for me it only rates one star. That does not say that it is a "bad" camera regarding its picture taking capabilities. You may love the camera and if it was the only camera on the market I might also. But, for me and possibly for you, The Nikon P50 is a better choice, in my opinion. If you wanna see some photos I took with the Nikon P50 email: boland7214@aol

Regarding the proprietary battery as compared with AA batteries, when you are out on safari in Africa living in a thatched hut or tent and your proprietary battery runs out of power, do you want to be running all over the jungle at night in a fruitless attempt to find a battery at a local "sari-sari" store while you hear lions and hei-enas roaring and sounding off all around you? With the Nikon P50, you can easily carry enough AA batteries with you on your trip so you won't have to risk your life searching for the proprietary battery all over the jungle on those cold nights with wild animals searching for YOU! Got it? :o)

So, you ask, "who needs a 28mm or 23mm lens?" You do! Most people concern themselves with how LONG is their telephoto lens. But, most people who "know" know that it is the WIDE ANGLE lens that is most important---most of the "best shots" are made with a WIDE ANGLE lens. For example, you're in Europe and you are trying to "get a shot" of that Cathedral of Notre Dame over there. You NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the California Poppy Fields and you want to get the expanse of the golden-yellow poppy flowers with the huge blue sky filled with white clouds above---you need a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are sitting at thanksgiving dinner and you want to take a photo from the foot of the table with everyone sitting on the left and right---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the garden of the California Mission and you want to take a photo of the ENTIRE garden surrounded by the mission walls---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. It's Christmas day and you want a photo of the ENTIRE GROUP of visitors in front of the Christmas Tree---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. This is where the 28mm lens (or 23mm on this camera) comes in! So, you NEED THIS CAMERA! Otherwise you'll be cutting off heads and leaving Aunt Sylvia out of the "Christmas Group Photo" this year---and she'll disinherit you and you'll live a life of poverty and misery everafter! :o) If you agree or disagree or know of ANY other digital point and shoot camera that has a WIDE ANGLE lens please write, Email:boland7214@aol.

PS: There is also a Canon SD800 which has a wide angle lens and an optical viewfinder. I like that one also. But the "killer" for me on that one is the proprietary battery necessary to operate the Canon SD800 over the use of AA batteries used in The Nikon P50 that are very cheap and you can find in almost any store in the world.

PPS: Why do you need an optical viewfinder when you have an LCD screen? The simple reason is that the LCD's SOMETIMES get "washed out" in bright sunlight. And, another reason, I think, is that the optical viewfinder is "faster to use" under "pressure circumstances" like when you want to "grab" that smile on your kids face. Why not have both is my opinion. If you disagree fine, but two ways to view and take photos seems better than one. It's just common sense. (Plus, some people are "far sighted" and have difficulty clearly viewing a small LCD screen a few inches from their eyes.)

One more reason having an optical viewfinder is a good feature is that: If you don't have an optical viewfinder you'll have to use the LCD Screen ALL the time....thus using up more precious battery power--but with an optical viewfinder you can turn the LCD off and conserve battery power so you won't run out of electricity to power the camera.

I chose this camera as a backup for my digital SLR for our recent trip to the Congo. We were going to be spending a great deal of time in dugout canoes and other risky forms of transportation so we wanted something to keep handy but didn't cost a great deal of money. Unfortunately, less than a week into the trip my SLR died so this became the primary camera. It performed flawlessly! Despite what others have said, I didn't have any problems seeing the image on the LCD to frame the shot. While it is not as easy as a viewfinder, it works very well even in sunlight. You can easily shade with your hand if necessary.

Pros - Small for size and quality of zoom.
Zoom range.
Image stabilization really works at long zoom ranges, definitely helps.
Good color rendition.
Built in video and sound that offers surprisingly good quality.
Sturdy, stood up to 2 1/2 weeks of travel with high temperatures and humidity and rugged travel with no problems at all.
AA Batteries are cheap and easy to find rechargeables and in a pinch you can buy them anywhere in the world.

Cons - Digital zoom (like most cameras) is not worth the time.
Have to release shutter button all the way in between shots. Would prefer to leave 1/2 way down and continue shooting. There may be a way around this but I haven't found it yet.

All in all, well worth the money when comparing against other cameras for travel or as a good sized backup camera. We already have 2 Panasonics and I will be buying 2 more this year as gifts. Highly recommend.

This truly is a user friendly camera. Just point and click and the camera does the rest. The clarity of the photos is great--and regardless of the light situations, the pictures come out clear and focused. However, the one thing I wish was included was an AV cord--the plug in the camera is so small, I have a feeling I am going to have trouble finding a universal one to fit. But you know what? For the quality of these pictures, and the absolute ease of use--I don't give a hoot.

Simply put this somewhat compact camera offers what most don't for the price...expanded zoom, terrific pix and comfortable feel. I would recommend this product.

Awesome camera with all the features I wanted. Just note, it took a little digging to find out what the best SD card for this camera is. It says it in the manual. If you want to use it at it's highest video setting, you need a card that will record at 10 mb a second. I got the SD ultra 2 and it works great. If you will not use that setting, a regular card is fine.

This camera is awesome that is all I've got to say, Thank you very much and I will keep buying!!!!! Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7K 7.2MP Digital Camera with 6x Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

This is a great camera, the pictures I've taken look incredible. It's a little heavy, but it doesn't seem as fragile as other cameras. The only bad thing is that it doesn't have audio, so I can't hear the videos, but I always tranfer them to my pc so that's not a problem.

I ordered this camera after reading all the great reviews here and on other sites. I was even willing to accept the absence of voice playback on video mode. only after I received the camera did I understand that it is not possible to use the zoom while in video mode. to me, this is a deal breaker. the whole point of video is capturing the dynamics of a situation, where the activity is happening in general, and then zooming in on the action itself. in addition, many times the objects you are filming are moving closer or further away from you, and you want to compensate for that with the zoom. it is true- the image quality of the stills picture is very good, so if you are interested mainly in that - go for it, its a great camera. if you also plan on taking videos be sure to understand the limitations.

This was a gift that was put into use taking Christmas videos -- surprisingly good quality. Good stills also.

This camara offers an excelent optical zoom, combined with leading optical image estabilization. Pictures are very sharp. Flash re-charge time is average.

I bought this camera because the specs listed @ 85% of what I want in an *instant* camera. I need to be able to whip it out and take pictures, and I'd like to be able to give it to my wife and just say "here". For the price, the 7.1 megapixel rating is good, the zoom is good, and the availability of cards and batteries are excellent. BTW, my previous pocket sized "point and shoot" cameras have been a Nikon EM and a Zeiss Nettar; I needed something I could have "instant" pictures with.
ANYway, the camera is very good. The pictures are great quality, and it's very easy to use. There are a lot of menu choices, of which most are similar to the others and you may use maybe three of them. I/we did like the "easy" mode on the selector button, and we think the heart shape icon for it is cute.
CON: it's a slightly awkward shape, but we're getting used to it.
The BAD: It eats batteries at a surprising rate. A very disconcerting rate. It takes two AAs to run it, and you'll need at least six to eight 2500s to fill a 1gb card. And plugging it into the USB port does not mean you're working from the computer's power. A "quarter tank" left isn't enough to download the pictures into the PC.
Other than the battery issue, we really like the camera.

I bought this product for myself as a first digital camera. I had been using the CVS pharmacy 1 time use digital camera(a very reliable camera). I would recomment this to any one looking for their first digital. What you see in the view window is what you will get in the picture Easy to operate and doesn't take a PHD. An excellent choice.

It is withou any doubt one of the best digital cameras , very neat appearance, compact, and perfect image quality.

This camera provides all the necessary requirements for my requirements. The optical zoom is an added advantage. Although i thought the camera did not record sounds with the movies, I was pleasantly surprised when i heard the sounds on my movies. The camera can take a 4GB SDHC card which is very nice. I would recommend the use of rechargable batteries since the normal alkaline batteries get used pretty quickly.

Great 6x zoom and image stabilization. Nice wide screen format for TV playback.
Poor macro. Unable to take pictures of items less than ~2in
Grainy low light pictures even at iso 1250. Marketing materials should say iso1250 instead of iso3200.
Size bigger than it expected but smaller camera has only 3x zoom
Needs a speaker on video playbacks.

I thought it was a great deal, and in fact, it is. It offers a decent quality and good zoom for the cost. However, I am not impressed with the images. When you take pictures at night with the flash, everything is super bright. And the same happens with daylight. You can control the set up and kind of fix this, but this is a simple to use point and shoot camera and should not require users to do this. The Auto mode sucks and I'm not happy with the colors either. Also, I was very surprised with the size... it is huge and heavy.

This is the third one my family has bought. Two older daughters bought this model before summer vacation. They loved the pictures they were able to get. Younger daughter was unhappy with the limitations of her camera and envious of the pictures her sisters were taking, so we got this camera for her for Christmas. She is thrilled! Lots of versatility.

PROS:
The picture quality is great. The 6x zoom is nice. It has 18 "scene" modes that you can select from to individualize the type of picture you are taking - though, the "auto" mode should suffice for most pictures. The "macro" feature is outstanding and allows for sharply focused pictures as close as 1/2 inch. The VGA Movie feature provides amazing sharp pictures for a still camera - though, the zoom does not work in Movie mode.

CONS:
If pictures are taken outside when the sun is not out, the pictures can be somewhat on the darker side compared to my previous Fuji camera. However, selection of one of the "scene" modes usually clears this up. If you wish to use the VGA Movie mode, be sure to use a SDHC card rated with at least 10mb/sec transfer rate. I have a SanDisk Ultra II card that works great for capturing movies. However, my regular SanDisk SD card freezes up when in VGA mode. There's a slip of paper in the box in which Panasonic advises you of this requirement - but this is not disclosed within any of the "specification" areas on any of the websites selling this camera. The batteries that come with the camera, the self-promoted Panasonic Oxyride ones, well....they really stink. Though advertised as providing 65 percent more shots than regular Panasonic alkaline batteries, I only got about 15 pictures from the batteries before they went dead. I would highly, highly recommend you purchase rechargeable batteries. In particular, I highly recommend the Rayovac Hybrid brand. When using a fully charge set with this camera, I got 150-175 pictures out of one charge. Finally, the camera is a little bulky compared to my old Fuji camera. However, that's to be expected to obtain 6x zoom.

CONCLUSION
In the end, I would highly recommend this camera. I got it for $129.99 plus free shipping. Even at a higher price, you can't get more bang for the buck.

This camera takes good pictures at the default settings. The flash pictures come out very well; the background further away from the camera is not way under exposed as it is with some cameras. The functions are relatively intuitive, and are easy to set up.
For a camera, it takes pretty good movies.

good for price but hard to understand instruction booklet keeps it from being "user friendly" unless you want the factory presets.

I did a lot of research before buying this camera.

It works fine, pictures are good. Nice screen. No case included. Battery life is adequate. Pretty simple operation. Uses 2 AA's which are easy to find. You'll want to buy a memory card which are about $20-$25. Good camera for the money. Buy it.

i'm very glad with this camera. its easy to use and have a 6X in optical zoom that gives me a very good close up.

I love this camera! Our Sony Cybershot just broke, so we were looking for a different brand. We've never bought a Panasonic camera before, but the reviews looked good. It took a long time to find one I liked because picture quality and speed were both important features to me, and it seemed that if you got one you always sacrificed the other, especially in cameras under $200.00. The only drawback is there is no viewfinder, but the screen is great so I haven't had any problems so far. The picture quality is excellent, and flash is fast. I thought I loved my Sony cybershot when I first got it, but I like this one even better.

This is my first digital camera. Had an expert go over it before showing me the ropes. Her verdict: good camera, excellent buy. I'm delighted with it. This camera has many capabilities (explained in the manual). They are easy to learn and apply to all sorts of situations.

AIS

1) The camera cannot record more than approximately 2 gb. of highest quality video in any one clip.
2) The maximum card cap. is 4 gb. or 2 22min. videos in the highest quality setting.
3) There is a lot of motion blur in the videos.
4) I bought the sd6 SDHC card which seems to work okay but be aware the booklet recommends 10 MB/Sec. for high quality vids and the sd6 is rated for 6 MB/Sec.

Works great with my Mac (no lost frames so far?). The quality is stunning compared to my old cannon which is breaking down (the LCD is going bad).

I normally point-and-shoot and wanted something with better quality, cheap, easy to use. This camera was a great upgrade for me.

The image stabilizing zoom and its red eye reduction is great, but it seems like no matter what setting I choose, my pictures never seem bright enough. It's also a little bulkier than expected, and the way the menu options are set up it seems hard to change anything quickly for a spontaneous but great picture.