Panasonic Luminix Dmc-fz8

Model

Dmc-fz8

Brand

Panasonic

Following in the footsteps of the FZ7, the updated 7.2 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FZ8 is equipped with a 12x optical zoom lens that delivers a 36mm-432mm equivalent focal length. Unlike many Panasonic cameras, the FZ8's lens starts at 36mm, which about average for long zoom digital cameras. The FZ8 is equipped with Panasonic's signature MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) to help balance the lens's superzoom capabilities. While the FZ8 isn't a major step-up from its predecessor, the new model has several welcome additions including the ability to shoot Raw files, which helps compensate for the camera's meager two compression options for JPEG files. At 207,000 and 88,000 pixels, respectively, both the 2.5-inch LCD and the now larger EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) sport higher resolutions than the FZ7, which is a much needed improvement. A few new Scene modes have also been added, including a Pet mode that can track and record the subject's age with each picture. You'll still find a sophisticated feature set with a wide variety of manual controls, including the full range of manual exposure modes, along with a number of advanced options such as white balance tweaking, Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation and Noise Reduction -- pretty much all the features that a photo enthusiast or advanced amateur wants in a superzoom camera. At the same time, Panasonic's Simple mode and well-rounded Scene mode selection makes it easy for less experienced digital photographers take advantage of the FZ8's superzoom powers.