Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 Digital Camera Review

Likes

- Manual controls - Great videos - Wide, long 18x lens - Accurate colors - Great resolution - Effective face detection

Dislikes

- 207k LCD resolution - Optical zoom nonfunctional in movie mode - Poor audio - Ugly noise apparent above ISO 200 - Inconsistent AF in low light

Conclusion
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 is much improved from the FZ8. It has more resolution, a longer and wider 18x optical zoom lens, and adds features like face detection. The Panasonic FZ18 outperforms its predecessor in almost every way. Its pictures have much more accurate colors and greater dynamic range. The FZ18 retains some of the best aspects of the FZ8, such as the optical image stabilization. These improvements, particularly in image quality and performance, make the $399 price well worth it.