Digital Camera Ratings: Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ18

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 is the camera that stands at the apex of the digital camera ratings for long zoom optical lens. In addition it has a 28mm group portraits and architectural structure. Of course, the 18x long optical zoom lens and 8.1 megapixels to work with, the Olympus and Fujifilm FinePix are the only close competitors in this market niche. The Lumix has full manual controls and many auto modes as well. It can capture RAW and JPEG images with equal ease.

The Panasonic Lumix FZ18 is similar in many ways to the FZ8 with some improvements that render the design more usable. The digital camera ratings rank this model quite high in over all design from every direction, front, back, right and left sides, top and bottom. It should be noted that looking at the camera from the top make the barrel for the zoom lens appear enormous. The nice features on the FZ18 include the soft rubberized grip and the slight indentation for the index finger that helps stabilize the camera when it is being held. One potentially sour note on the overall appearance is the pop-up flash located above the lens. It tends to pop up with enough force to shake the camera.

When checking the Lumix FZ18 for performance on the digital camera ratings, the camera does very well, It has perhaps the best color match of any of the comparable cameras. Resolution is also quite good, and the noise level particularly on the like cameras is the lowest if using the low ISO setting, but increases significantly at the higher settings. The white balance on the camera is disappointing, especially given the good color performance. The performance testing in low light conditions does better than in many other cameras but is still not perfect.

Testing of the camera in video mode reveals that the Lumix is an excellent choice for indoor gatherings with limited lighting. The color performance, and resolutions are both more than satisfactory. The components of the camera also do well in digital camera ratings. The viewfinder's position may cause the screen to collect facial oil and the display is slightly smaller than other comparable cameras. The flash unit doesn't pop up automatically, which can take some getting used to. The wide angle and ultra zoom lens are popular features, with the stabilization feature helping to prevent blurs from bumps and jitters.