Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20

My new camera. This camera takes AMAZING photos. If you are in the market for a new digital camera, it is worth your time (and money) to check this out. This is the last model under an SLR body digital camera. I took roughly 500 pictures while in Washington, both to test this camera, and to archive our trip. I was constantly impressed by the quality of photo and ease of use. I am a total novice in photography, and this camera made me feel (and shoot) like a pro. The only things I found it didn't simply do without much effort on my part were low light indoor photos, and some macro photos. My understanding is that low light indoor photos are tough for most cameras. I have to learn more about this so I know how to set it up to catch the best photos. The macro photos were a bit hit and miss (much more hit than miss though). 75% of the time I get photos that are mind blowingly detailed. I have some pictures of some wild mountain flowers that are so sharp at such a small level that I cannot begin to understand how that works. The problem is that every so often I am unable to get it to focus on what I want. I know this is a user issue and not a camera issue. What happens is instead of having the flower in focus, the stem or leaves behind it are in focus and the flower is a blur. I'll learn though. I think photography might be addictive. Below are the hard stats/info on the camera for any geeks out there. I purchased mine from Beahc Camera, and had a great experience. This is also where the info below comes from, and where you will find the rest of the fine details on this camera.

The new DMC-FZ20 is the first Lumix Digital camera to combine 12x optical zoom with an optical image stabilizer. The 5-megapixel DMC-FZ20 features a high-performance Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens.

Panasonic introduces the first digital camera to combine 12x optical zoom with an optical image stabilizer. Integrating unrivalled optical and digital technologies with ergonomic design, Panasonic's new 12x zoom Lumix DMC-FZ20 achieves a new level of performance for a digital camera. The DMC-FZ20 5-Megapixel camera features a versatile, high-performance Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens with powerful 12x zoom (equivalent to a 35 - 420mm zoom lens on a conventional 35mm film camera) and F2.8 brightness throughout the entire zoom range. Combined with it's telephoto features and precision image stabilizers, this camera is engineered to capture every detail of distant or quick-moving subjects with superb brightness and clarity.

Panasonic's MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer automatically detects and optically compensates for hand movement by shifting internal lens elements, enabling the user to capture crisp, clear, distortion-free ultra-telephoto or macro shots of distant or moving subjects, even in low lighting conditions.

The DMC-FZ20 also featurea an extra-low dispersion (ED) lens to minimize color aberration (color bleeding) - a common problem in high-magnification / large aperture lenses. ED lenses are typically exchangeable lenses designed for single-lens reflex cameras and high-end, professional cameras.

Panasonic has also added other improvements to their technology with the new Venus Engine LSI. Operating as the brain of the camera - it converts the optical data into digital information. The new Venus 2 Engine LSI handles all image processing functions simultaneously - from displaying the image on the LCD to writing data to the memory card - as soon as the CCD captures the image signal. This simultaneous, parallel processing results in a quick start-up, increased shutter speed and reduced lag time. The improved LSI also allows faster consecutive shooting than its predecessor. If desired, the camera will keep shooting until the memory card is full.

A conventional LSI generates a luminance signal from the green component of the incoming light. Panasonic's Venus 2 Engine LSI generates the signal from the red and blue components, as well as the green. This rich information in the luminance signal helps to boost the diagonal, horizontal and vertical resolution, resulting in superb images. The system also uses a low-pass filter to accurately handle the borders between colors and a noise-reduction circuit to help boost image sharpness and clarity.

The DMC-FZ20 also includes a host of sophisticated features such as MEGA BURST consecutive shooting mode, real-time histogram, auto bracketing, color viewfinder and more.