I had a panasonic luminix in the past. I love the zoom in a small camara. The pic quality is not always consistant. And theres a lag between shots
The obvious attraction of the Panasonic DMC FZ18 is its 18x optical zoom lens. This is one of the first digital cameras to increase the lens length on a consumer digital camera beyond 12 xs. The lens is supported by image stabilization to help cut down on any camera shake caused by the added weight of the lens. The DMC FZ18 also hosts a number of manual controls and settings and is based on the lines of a digital SLR camera. In fact it is one of the most feature packed cameras you can buy. It has 8 megapixels.
The FZ18 is the successor to the FZ8. The biggest change in the guts of the camera is the more powerful zoom lens. The FZ8 had a 12x optical zoom and the FZ18 gets an 18x optical zoom. Besides that, there is a small resolution bump to 8 megapixels from 7.1 megapixels, and the 2.5 inch LCD is of higher resolution on the FZ18. Software-wise, Panasonic has introduced their Intelligent Auto mode on the FZ18, which essentially bundles face recognition, continuous AF, Intelligent ISO control, and image stabilization on one easy to use auto mode.
Panasonic has been a key player in the super-zoom field since the launch of its impressive Leica-lenses Lumix DMC-FZ1 back in 2002, and has maintained this position with a series of well-received models in the same series. Today I'm taking a look at the latest in the line, the FZ18, which offers a tempting specification for anyone with £300 to spend. It has an 8.1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K Camera megapixel CCD, 2.5in 230k LCD monitor, RAW mode shooting and a massive 18x Leica zoom lens with optical image stabilization and a 28-504mm equivalent focal length range.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 is shaped like an SLR, but is more compact. The hand grip is coated with textured rubber that almost feels silky. At the top of the rubber panel is a shallow divot wide enough for the index finger to comfortably wrap around the front of the camera. At the tip of the hand grip, the zoom ring that surrounds the shutter button is visible. To the right of the shutter release and protruding portion of the hand grip is a small Panasonic DMC-FZ18 label.
The back of the FZ18 also looks very similar to the FZ8. Both cameras have a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the left that is on a platform that is raised from the body by a few millimeters. To the right of the LCD is about 1.5 inches of space occupied by the same buttons as the FZ8. To the upper right of the LCD is a tiny joystick. The left side looks identical to the FZ8 with the exception of the lens’ specs of course. The older model has a 12x optical zoom lens and the Panasonic FZ18 has an 18x optical zoom lens, although the cameras are about the same size.
The right side of the camera looks familiar. It is also nearly identical to the FZ8. The only difference is the addition of a thumb grip on the back of the camera that is visible on this side of the FZ18. In front of that thumb grip is a chrome eyelet for the neck strap, and the rubber hand grip surface in front of that. Two chrome neck strap eyelets flank the top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, which is oddly shaped. The lens barrel looks enormous when viewed from above. The flash component sits atop it. The viewfinder juts out from the flash component. Directly right of the viewfinder is the round mode dial. It has many more positions than the FZ8 including custom and several scene modes. The bottom of the camera is quite thick. There is a metal tripod socket that is slightly off-center of the lens, which could make it tough to mount. Below the hand grip is a plastic friction grip door that covers the battery and memory card slots
Features:-
* 18x optical zoom (28-504mm equiv.) - FZ8 has 12x (36-432mm) zoom
* Smaller maximum aperture at long end of zoom (F4.2 vs F3.1)
* 8.3 megapixel sensor (vs 7.2 megapixel)
* Face Detection
* Intelligent Auto mode
* Manually selectable ISO 1600
* ISO 6400 High Sensitivity mode
* AF/AE lock button and dedicated AF/MF button
* 1cm macro (was 5cm)
* Custom mode and extra scene modes (plus 'advanced scene modes')
* Five level Noise reduction (was three level)
* Slower continuous shooting (burst)
* Heavier and slightly larger
Help answer the question about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K Camera
Can this camera take double A batteries?
I am comparing digital cameras and I cannot find anywhere if it is possible for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K to take double A Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K Camera batteries. I see a rechargeable battery that I could buy, but I want a camera that I can use double A batteries in if the rechargeables are having issues.I've been looking and looking at cameras and think I may have found one so could someone help me out and let me know if this camera takes double A batteries and your source.Thanks.
Watch the video related to Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4K Camera
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YouTube Videos
Panasonic DMC-TZ4K Lumix 8.1 Megapixel Digital Camera - JR.com
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Panasonic DMC-TZ4K Lumix 8.1 Megapixel Digital Camera To Buy: www.jr.com |
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I have been taking digital for a few years..and sell my shots. Since developing essential tremors…had a bit of a problem. This camera really, really helps stabilize…love it…
You don’t need to do much to get a good picture just click the button and it Takes great pictures 99% of the time. The zoom is great also,has come in handy many times. The only down side to this camera is that it is kinda bulky to just stick in your purse, but that’s about it.
I had a panasonic luminix in the past. I love the zoom in a small camara. The pic quality is not always consistant. And theres a lag between shots
Replaced the TZ3 with this camera after a very good experience with the TZ3. Due to the higher price of the TZ5 opted for the TZ4 and believe i did not loose out on much.
The camera is very portable, though its not really a pocket friendly camera, but fits in perfect if you are wearing a denim.
Missed the larger screen that was there with the TZ3, as the 2.5″ screen can be a bit small to one’s liking, and its performance in bright sunlight is not that great. It also has a tendency to show a purple vertical line when shooting in bright sun.
The Intelligent Auto mode is pretty good, and is far better an option for most uses than using the screen modes or the limited manual mode. However the autofocus in auto mode is very slow even after the firmware upgrade, and can be very irritating when you miss the moment due to the delay. The work around is to select “Sport” mode, but here the flash is disabled and is not ideal for indoor use.
The pictures taken in daylight is superb, and is further enriched by the wide screen optics that makes it an ideal trip camera. Pictures of people in groups come out well, but when the number of people increase the faces get distorted. Landscapes and buildings come out superb, though the color reproduction is somewhat not natural (very noticeable when you take sunset/sunrise shots).
The biggest issues is that the indoor photos are not that great, specially in low light conditions. The flash can be overpowering for close proximity shots, but does a fair job for group photos. However indoor shots in low light without the flash are very grainy.
The superb zoom of 10X (extended to 15.9X when set to 3 mega pixel) is very useful and helps you takes some great photos. However the focus at maximum zoom is a bit slow and you need to plan your shots. A tripod is recommended as even with the great optical stabilization, its hard to keep the camera steady when shooting at full zoom.
The issue with indoor performance impacts the movie mode badly, as the videos even with decent light are dark and lacking in detail. However videos taken in daylight are pretty decent for a digital camera and is more than enough to share with friends and family
However VGA or WVGA seems to be a bit small compared to the current cameras 
The ability to zoom while recording video is an asset, and is something you want in a camera once you use it. The zoom is rather slow in video mode to reduce the noise from the mechanics. The audio quality of recordings is rather poor and limited to mono.
One more feature i really missed over the TZ3 was the ability to use the single click context menu and change from normal to wide screen. With the TZ4 (and the TZ5) you have to select the menu option and navigate to change the form factor.
Overall its a decent buy with good quality photos in most cases, and the true wide screen optics makes it a wonderful trip camera. Add the superzoom it makes the camera truly useful for trips to get pictures and videos of items far away.
After 30 years of trying to find the perfect all around travel/family pic camera
this is it!
I have owned 12 film cameras 14 lenses amature to pro. Own 2 DSLR’s EOS 10d and Rebel xt as well as a Kodak z730 and Panasonic dmc-fs5. This dmc-tz4 is the ONLY camera that you need in 90% of photo opportunities you will run across. The Leica 28-280mm lens is sharper than any Canon L series in production (well maybe equal to the $5,000 200mm f1.8). I tested it last week against the decent sigma 18-200mm on a rebet xt body and the tz4 is MUCH sharper at all focal lenghts and gives you great wide screen video. It even edges out my Canon 100-300 f5.6L and that lens in considered one of the sharpest ever in that range!
The only reccomendation if you do much enlarging is to download Neatimage, it’s free
noise reduction software and gives images that smooth DSLR look.
Go buy one!!!
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