Rating: 
Summary: Wow! Hot Camera
Review: I bought this camera in December of 2003, It's my first digital camera, and I know nothing about digital cameras or photography. There are some people where I work that are really into cameras and photography. A few of the people cringed when I told them I bought a Panasonic. When I showed it to them and told them about the features such as the 12x optical zoom and the Leica lens, those people quickly changed their minds about my camera. I read all the reviews here and someone mentioned that it doesn't take good 4x6 prints....to that person, are you nuts? They looked great to me, I used this camera to document the assembly of an engine for my friend's hotrod, I have taken about 40 pictures so far. I had them printed on ofoto.com as 4 x 6's and had one picture printed in 8 x 10 and they looked amazing! My friend was also impressed. One tip, purchase a bigger memory card than the 8mb that comes with it, it'll allow you to take about 8 pictures at full blown size and quality. I purchased the 128mb card and an extra battery. The bottom line is, buy this camera and 90% of the people you run into will be green with envy over your camera! Occasionally you'll run into someone who uses a high end camera who might snicker at this camera, but keep in mind folks, it's not a professional camera, it's a great amateur camera! In this price range, nothing can touch it. This camera is also offered in a 4MP model, When I saw that, I instantly wanted to upgrade because of the pixels. After reading these reviews today, I'm saving my money! Again, great camera.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Camera
Review: I made lots of research before buying this camera. I previously owned a Sony DSC-F707 which I sold because it was too bulky to carry around. The Sony was a great camera but I wanted something with a more powerful lens and an image stabilizer. The Panasonic was the only camera that seemed to fit my needs. I was hesitant at first because my Sony was a 5.0MP camera and the Panasonic only a 2.0MP camera. I read numerous reviews from other owners and researched websites like Steves Digicams, DC Resource and Megapixel.Net that spoke very highly of this camera. What I learned is that megapixels is an important feature to consider when choosing a digital camera, but there are other more important features to consider like the quality of components being used. This camera has a Leica lens. If you don't know anything about Leica, you should do some research and you will be amazed to know that Leica is a high end professional brand that is not cheap and considered one of the best in the world. The other item that stands out about this camera is the processor that converts the image to a digital image. This is a really important feature to consider because the processor is what determines how effective it is at converting the image to the original shot. This camera uses Panasonic's Venus image that does numerous functions at the same time which allows the camera to operate faster and smoother which is similar to the Digic processor on Canon cameras. This processor also increases image quality by 50%, because of this, the photos are far superior to any 2.0MP camera out there. The camera is extremely well built and very rugged. The photo quality from this camera is amazing, it honestly does not seem like a 2.0MP camera. The quality of the photos seems to close to a 4.0MP camera. The lens is extremely quiet and fast. The image stabilization works extremely well and allows you to take photos at full telephoto view without any problems. I highly recommend this camera. You will be impressed with the quality of construction, features and picture quality.
Rating:
Summary: So Glad I Bought this Camera!
Review: I researched digital cameras for two months before deciding on this one. Even though this was my first digital camera, right out-of-the-box I was able to take great pictures. Now that I've had it a month, and am more familiar with the features of the various modes, I'm taking even better pics. Here's the most important tips I found:1. Megapixels are important for enlargements. But don't let the 2mp turn you off. If you're not going to enlarge your pics bigger than 8x10, YOU DON'T NEED ANY MORE! Don't make the mistake of paying for more megapixels than you will use. 2. The lens quality is just as important as the mp, more than in my opinion, and it's often overlooked. The Leica lens in this camera is awesome! Great quality optics. 3. Optical Zoom, (not digital zoom), is important. This camera has remarkable zoom. You may want to get a tripod if you're using the full zoom on a regular basis, although this camera has a good stabilizer. As with any camera with such a long zoom, there may still be some evidence of shaking if you extend the zoom fully and do not use a tripod. As with almost any digital camera out there, the memory card included is practically worthless. I recommend one with 125mb or more. Other than this, the camera is near perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Puts the fun back in photography!!
Review: I suffer from a disorder that makes my hands shake so much that I have had to use a tripod and timer for the last few years. With the FZ1 and the IS lens I can now take handheld photos, even at 12X zoom. The EVF is bright and legible and I no longer have to wear glasses when taking photos.
The pictures are brighter and sharper at 2mp than my 3.2mp Sony DSC-F505V. This camera has put the fun back into photography for me and it will for you also. It is simple to use for the beginner and the experienced shooter will appreciate the different modes and the versatility that they offer.
I highly recommend the FZ1 to everyone. This gives new meaning to bang for the buck and you will love the Leica 12X IS lens.
Rating:
Summary: No comparison
Review: I waited for a product like this for many years, I was worried about it having only 2.1 megapixels, but I said to myself let's try it, I used to have a 3.2 megapixel from Sony and no comparison the photos I've taken with Panasonic camera are way over in quality and with that zoom there is no need to crop a picture to zoom in the part I want to print, loosing quality in the previous procedure.
Leica Lens are the difference, Does anyone know that LEICA built microscope Lens, that is why this camera pays for it own.
From nature lovers to family pictures it is great and easy to use, if you just are looking for a point and shot use the heart selection, if you are on the photo lover side of manual control use all the other. In few words, great camera.
Rating:
Summary: A great camera for non professionals
Review: I wasn't sure that the 2 megapixel camera was adequate for taking great photos...but what it lacks in pixels it makes up in zoom. My 3 megapixel Canon Powershot camera was great except at the beach when the kids where surfing 50 feet out in the water. Taking a picture with a 3x zoom left me lots of water and little of the kids. But the Panasonic with it 12x zoom allows me to better frame the picture and leave out all of that water. Printing an 8x11 photo is better with 3 megapixels but for a 4x6 or a 5x7 the 2megapixels is wonderful. The Panasonic also has a 3x digital zoom...which I don't recommend using and I don't use it on the Canon either...the resulting pictures are too grainy. 55mm filters fit right on the lens ring adapter kit that comes with the camera and a hood is also supplied. The leica lens is fast even in zoom....it opens to a 2.8. Some of the features that I don't see on comparably priced cameras include - image stablizer (crucial for 12x zoom without a tripod), electronic view finder along with an lcd display on the back of the camera (each can display camera settings and information) a movie mode that allows capturing 10 frames per second with sound (the length is determined by the capacity of your memory card...I've taken up to 20 minute clips of a surfing competition), autoexposure bracketing with the exposure compensation predetermined by the user, shutter speed from 8 sec to 1/2000th of a second. There is one thing that bugs me and one thing that may bug others...my pet peeve is the menu system which uses a ring to navigate through the menu options...I have a dickens of a time trying to select options using the left arrow on the ring...what generally happens is that the ring behaves as if I have selected the up arrow or the down arrow. Others may dislike the built in flash, good to about 7 feet....but I don't use it. I bought this camera for outdoor use at the beach and park...and I'm completely happy using it there.
Rating: 
Summary: Great camera perhaps even in low light 4.5 stars
Review: I'll be brief. Megapixels should not be your sole consideration. I have made 8x10 prints of pictures taken (macro and regular settings) with this camera and they are gorgeous and very detailed (I posted the full zoom photo of the truck with the dent and the macro pic of the devil ducks). For family and vacation pix this is exactly what I need. I think the person who wrote that 4x6 prints weren't good didn't have the camera set to the highest resolution (it has 3, with the lowest resolution intended for web viewing only).
The low light problem may lie with me as I've re-read the manual and now taken a couple good photos in no light with the flash. I set the camera to night rather than normal and the flash and image stabilization did the rest.
The video quality is alright for the occasional e-mail.
As I love the compact size I'm keeping this camera. I was thinking of moving to a used FZ3 as that model is the same size and has the focus-assist for low light, but may hold off for now.
Ideally I'd like a camera this size that could also take decent video with sound occasionally that I could enjoy watching on a TV. This is a little too muddy. BTW, you can watch photos on your TV, but oddly, you can't transfer pix from your computer onto the camera's flash card and then use the camera to view them on TV. That would be a nice feature also.
I also wish there was an ISO setting button rather than having to go into the menus, but oh well.
Oh, get a 128MB or better flash card. I only take pix at the highest resolution and then convert to lower for e-mail on my computer.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome zoom!
Review: My partner and I decided we like snapping photos so much, that we wanted one each. We already owned a 3.2 Megapixel Sony Cybershot (with a 3x zoom), and wanted something that could zoom in - without sacrificing the quality.
We didn't see the need in buying a hugely expensive camera - as we would prefer to buy a new camera every few years to keep up with the new releases in the market.
When I first saw the Panasonic Lumix 2 megapixel camera in the photo shop, the shop attendant tried to talk me out of it. I was taken in with the massive 12x optical zoom! This was not even comparable to other cameras in this price range. Granted, the image quality was only 2 megapixel's, but that did not worry me in the slightest.
I use my photos for viewing on my laptop, and sharing with others through email. I find that photos larger than 2 megapixel take a long time to send through, and some email accounts such as hotmail and yahoo cannot accept the file size as it is too large.
A nice man in a photo processing shop told me that 2 megapixels is the same quality that a standard film camera produces in photos. Therefore, if I did want to print onto gloss paper, I would not be sacrificing the quality of the photos in any way.
My partner and I have just moved to Alaska - and we are loving the zoom on our Panasonic Lumix. It's fantastic! No more missed photo opportunities because the old Sonly Cypershot couldn't get in close enough. The camera barely shakes even right in on the 12th level of zoom power.
The dial at the top is easy to use, and makes shifting between types of shots easy. Move the dial from night preferred, to fast moving, to portrait, to movie, you name it. There are loads of options.
One of the coolest things I have found with this camera is the multiple click option. Are you trying hard to capture something that is moving? Set the multiple shot button, and just hold the button down on the moving target - it takes 6 pictures in succession really quickly - so you are guarranteed to snap that shot you want.
People who see my camera, think it's a really expensive one. I have had people ask me if it is a digital SLR! The lens is nice and big, and the viewing screen is impressive.
This camera looks sexy, it performs well - and for the price, it's a steal.
Rating:
Summary: Great camera with few negatives
Review: The bad points first: Auto-focusing can be slow (too slow for close-up graduation photos); cannot imprint date/time on a picutre (although info is stored with file when transferred to computer); batteries last only about 200 shots at max resolution; no manual focusing for tricky situations; cannot mount protective filter without blocking some light (vignetting). Otherwise, a really great camera. Even 8x11 prints are good enough (the Leica lens really shines). We also have a smaller 4-meg SONY, but much prefer this 2-meg Panasonic for versatility. Especially great for paintings in museum that allow photos without flash---the reproductions of masterpieces are really impressive. The zoom is awesome. Grainy at 36x but give some prints a artsy look. Takes better flash photos (not over-exposed) than both the SONY 3-meg and 4-meg that we have. With a 256MB SD card...can take about 25 minutes of Apple Quicktime movie (cannot zoom while shooting) or 300 pictures at max resolution. Cheap when bought online...
Rating:
Summary: Produces WAY Beyond Normal 2.0 Megapixel Quality Pictures!
Review: This is an incredible camera. Although reviewed in a negative manner for not having many manual settings, you won't find that you need them very often because the automatic settings on this camera handles things so well. The 12x optical Leica lens is just incredible, and it's actually useable at full zoom due to the stabilization. The 3x digital zoom is a nice plus, and still produces great pictures when used. The electronic viewfinder is bright and clear (to see your subject in low light, make sure you change the default ISO 50 setting to ISO Auto). The autofocus works as well as any other digicam, but I do wish it had a manual focus option for those few times that I've needed it. I previously owned a Kodak 2.2 megapixel camera, and the FZ1's pictures are MUCH better quality. Probably due to the better lens as well as Panasonics new image processor which is supposed to increase diagonal resolution by 50% and produce smoother pictures. My camera prior to the FZ1 was a Sony Mavica FD91. It has a 14x optical zoom, but only a sub-megapixel resolution. The quality of picture is just exponentially better in the FZ1, while still offering close to the same optical zoom and in a better quality lens. Could I have bought a higher megapixel camera? Sure, but there isn't one with this nice of a lens/zoom. Most of the higher megapixel cameras just have a lousey 3x zoom and I really needed something more than that after owning the Sony FD91 with its 14x zoom. ... . I highly recommend this camera, and feel I will be very happy with it for a long time to come.
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