best for entry level photographer hobbyist
i got this camera as an entry level piece before i would get an slr. this is surely a dlsr replacement camera. reduces the hassels of lens and manual controls.. had a lot of good pics with it. it also has an awesome batt life, around 400 shots. this camera has convinced my friends around me to buy one as it had all they wanted.. way better than a point and shoot and a good one start before a Dslr

Great camera for the money
This camera has been a great for me. I use it to take pictures and I also use it to record video. I would recommend this camera.

A masterpiece in hand...
I've tried the earlier versions from Panasonic, but this is really ultimate... The product was delivered on the said time.

I have a suggestion for Panasonic - to provide zoom functionality in video mode. If the camera had a zoom while taking a video, then there would be very few cameras to beat it.

Good Buy for Money
I bought this camera couple of months back as it was an economical wide angle with 18x zoom camera... I switched to this camera from my earlier Canon A560 point and shoot camera...
Let me tell you my feelings with this product one by one...
Image quality: good in day time / good light situation, colors are natural, though you can see few fringes where there is a radical change in LUX in a image.Dont use in low lights without flash(though after good amount of fiddle with this you can get good quality image)Noise is high after ISO400.You can record RAW images which is an added advantage.

Build: Good to handle camera, Comfortable grip

Technology: Sensor not that great, Image processing is high making your images look blur at time or over smooth.I really miss USB 2.0.Image transfer rate is pathetic, so i use my sd card directly with my laptop.Battery life is good.

Price: V good

Value for money: V good

Pros:
1. Excellent Natural colors(in good light)
2. Very good clarity (less noise in day time)
3. Fast acting zoom & Very Good Image stabiliser

Cons:
1. lack of USB 2.0
2. High noise in low light condition or High ISO (>400)

I will recommend this camera to people who does outdoor photography mostly in day time. For night dont forget to use the flash (only for parties or small distances).One problem I also faced that you can not use the zoom while taking movies. This camera will not work with AA batteries. But if you ask me how do I overall rate it then it is my final rating:
1. Image quality: day time : 5/5 low loght 2/5
2. Noise again same as above including 2/5 at ISO>400
3. Build 4/5
4. IS 3.5/5
5. Battery 4.5/5
6. Image Processing 4/5
7. Overall 4.5/5

FZ 18 review
I bought this camera to replace a smaller(in both size & megapixel) Olympus. Before buying, I compared this with a Canon S5 IS. I bought the Panasonic because of its many features, like 18x zoom, the menu ease of use, and its size. It is a little lighter than others in its class. The pictures I have taken are crisp, have wonderful color, and look as good developed as they do on the camera. I am very happy with this camera and think I made a great choice.

One of Kodak's best models ever!
I live in a small town and am kind of the resident camera expert and have bought digital cameras online for about 25 people. I have owned this model of Kodak camera (twice, in fact - have now upgraded to a DSLR) and have bought it for about 5 of my friends. It is a great camera. It takes very sharp, clear outdoor photos with excruciating detail. It does a better job than most, indoors with a flash. Very vibrant colors. It's quite fast and has good flash range and recharge time. It has 10x optical zoom which isn't stabilized, but I never had any problems with blurring, even at maximum zoom range (granted, I am quite good at holding a camera steady).

Kodak has one of the easiest to use menus in the business and this one is no exception. I am also a fan of the joystick design which makes navigating a "joy". This camera is practically indestructible. It seems to be faster and takes better photos than the newer models that Kodak has put out lately (z712, a612). I even liked this model better than the P850 which is supposed to be their professional model, but it is much heavier and doesn't have anything on the dx7590 in the performance department. I keep recommending this one to people over and over again. I only held back one star because of the grainy lcd (the photos are never grainy - just the screen) and very slight amounts of softness in some images - which is very typical of Kodak. Overall, it's one of the best cameras I've owned - and I've tried almost every brand and model out there.

It's interesting to me how a camera company can get some models right and others are not so good. This one was a winner.

OK Camera, Horrible Battery
The camera takes very good pictures, but the overall size makes it cumbersome to carry around. In the two years I've owned it, I brought it with me less than I would've for a smaller camera with worse optics. On hikes it is pretty much impossible to bring along because it's too big to fit in some day packs.

And after only having this camera for two years and using it sparingly, it will not work now because the camera electronics will not fully charge the battery. Purchased replacement batteries, which are specific to this camera, but these will not fully charge either. For the price of the camera quality control should be significantly higher, buy a Canon, or something that will let you use standard sized (AA, etc.) batteries at least, instead.

Very Pleased
There are a couple of "minor" quirks of this camera but let me say first that it's one of the best 5mp "near-SLR" DCs on the market.
First quirk: In video mode, the zoom is disabled. Being able to zoom in and out in movie mode is basic and I'm not sure why this camera doesn't support it. But, it's a DC not a camcorder.
Second quirk: If you buy the 58mm adapter so that you can put a protective filter over the lens, the built in flash gets cut off by the collar and the pictures are dark in the lower half. If this is a problem, keep the stock lens cap on and be a little more careful with the lens. Flash can be solved with a "head 'n handle" flash unit (from on ebay). External flash connection was a BIG selling point for me.
This camera has become my light meter for my film SLRs. Instead of taking readings, I use the bracketing function +,- EV to find the best looking shot on the large, bright viewfinder/screen. Click on "Info" and see exactly what fstop and shutter will expose that old-fashioned and expensive 35mm film perfectly!

Great Pictures, but can't get them off the camera
I love the pictures this thing takes. Some of them look like they were taken by professionals for national geographic. But they were just pictures of my cat.

But I have a HUGE problem with the PC interface. You have to use Kodak's software to transfer to a PC. With my olympus, I just hooked in the USB cable, went to My Computer, found the camera, then dragged and dropped the photos where I wanted them. No large programs to load, no creating albums, no setting default options, etc. Just drag and drop using the windows explorer interface. The so called "easy"share software won't allow that.

So I find myself using my old olympus, because after all, I'm just taking pictures of my cat.

A Note For An Amateur Photographer
Let me begin by saying, I'm not a professional. I take photos for fun and to record events in my life. However, with this camera, I have been able to take some amazing photographs that I'm truly proud to show to friends.

The zoom is phenomenal and was the reason that I upgraded from my previous camera that had only a 10x zoom. This zoom has allowed me to take great photos from spectator stands and at shows that would have looked ridiculous with a camera with a smaller zoom capacity.

My favorite feature is the close-up feature which has allowed me take some stunning photos of my flowers and of birds roosting on my feeders. I've consistantly found my photos to have vivid coloring and crisp details which is something my other cameras lacked.

For the amateur that wants to take fantastic photos that makes your friends say, "Wow!" this is a great camera. The only issue I've had with the camera is taking photos of heavily lit situations at night such as Christmas light displays, etc. No matter what setting I used, the photos still came out a bit unfocused.

However, everything else is superb. A fantastic buy.

Beautiful camera but be forewarned
I love the quality of photos that this thing lets you snap out. Range of focus can get a little annoying if you're a chronic macro mode user (as I am), but it's still beautiful.

I'd give it 5 stars except for one little detail: that darn shutter button. I went into this purchase knowing full well that at some point, that little button would come off. 8000 photos in... yep there it went, right in my hand.

You can still take photos by jury rigging it with a paperclip, but it's a little hair-raising to worry about potentially warping the auto-focus (Which is what I hear is going to be the next part to die), but it's doable.

The replacement part will cost and if you want it priority shipped, for some reason it's another . >.< The box for the button is, no joke, a foot tall (the button's half the size of a dime, mind you. Did it NEED that much protection??).

So yeah, wonderful camera. Beautiful image quality, giving many lower-end DSLRs a run for their money. Bad button design.

Excellent Camera
Excellent camera. Lots of great features and helpful tech support. Only problem is getting it repaired. I scratched the lens & Sony wants 1.00 to repair it-at the minimum. There are no dealers near me, which means packing it, shipping it and insuring it. I only paid 0.00 for the camera, so I didn't think it was worth the repair charges. I ended up buying a sub-compact camera, but will miss this one.

Defective Shutter Button
Be sure to read all posts for this product. Flimsy construction, costly repairs. Essentially this is a disposable camera.

broke after one week
The camera is excellent, but the shutter button broke after one week of use (at the beginning of a long trip in China...!) and could not hold the focus or use the macro function. It seems that this is a defect of the series. Be aware of it! (I hope that in the meantime they have fixed the problem though)

Fabulous Mom camera
I've had this camera for over a year now. I use it primarily to photograph my two children and document important times in their lives. I can't tell you how many times I've been complemented on the quality of the photos (I especially love the "sports" feature that captures quick-action shots like kids running around). My sister in law bought an expensive digital SLR and can't even figure it out because it has so many buttons and gadgets. This is a perfect camera for someone who wants a little more than a point and shoot but doesn't want to get an advanced degree to use it. The zoom is wonderful--great for capturing those mom moments.

Better than expected
I was tired of the 3x zoom on my Canon digital and found this camera for 9 and thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. It has one of the best lenses I've seen on this type of camera. The response time is better than my other camera too-there isn't a long delay between photos.
I had some issues with powering off/on or the lens appearing to get stuck like others have mentioned, I switched from the Lithium AA's to Lithium CRV-3 and the problem ended. The CRV3's last longer anyway and like others have mentioned you can purchase them as rechargeables.
After 5 months of using the camera I found the little button to the left of the view finder to make the view finder functional and turn the screen off-this will save battery life. Silly me, I thought the view finder was for looks only!
I'm very pleased with the crisp color in the photos, the fact that it has sound on the videos and the many modes you can shoot in although I tend to just use Auto. To shoot video you hold down the button as long as you want to record and release when done. I'm not sure how long it records, it depends on the capacity of the SD card.
This is my first Kodak digital and I would purchase one again.

Could Be Better
It would be a great camera if every feature worked. It won't take video, which is not why I bought it, but don't tell me about it if it won't actually work. It tends to "lock up" quite frequently and the only way to "unlock" it is to open the battery cover and "reboot" so to speak. I have lost several non-repeatable shots because of this. I shouldn't have to ship it back to correct the problem which I feel is an unnecessary hassle.

Popup flash stops popping up
The popup flash is a big issue with camera like this. The popup flash stopped popping up for my camera and the camera is basically useless. The camera also shuts down every once in a while for no reason and I miss precious shots. I loved the camera initially because of all the features it has but now I hate it.

Great Camera
Many people have complained about the camera...most particularly battery life. I bought these batteries Energizer - e² AA Lithium Battery and used one pair for a week in the mountains in Switzerland (extreme temperatures) with absolutely NO PROBLEMS!

Great pictures!

Great Zoom...made a friend with a Canon SLR jealous of the quality of picture I was taking. It's not an slr, but it sure takes a good picture!

A very nice camera, but not without it's flaws
For the price, the Kodak Z712IS is a very valuable camera. It can be had as low as 0 depending on the sellers that come across here on Amazon, which is amazing. The 712IS's auto mode has a pretty accurate focus, and it is quite snappy (fast) at doing so. The auto mode is probably what the vast majority of consumers will use on Z712IS, and I can say that the auto mode works quite well.

Additionally, if you're that budding photo hobbyist (like me) who isn't quite ready to jump to DSLR, this camera is for you. On top of the image stabilized 12X zoom, the Z712IS has Aperture, Shutter and Full Manual modes - plus a nifty jog dial to navigate through these settings. You can take some dazzling photos if you fully understand this camera's features.

Keep in mind though, these settings can in no way replace the flexibility of a DSLR. To me, it's more like getting a taste of how a DSLR may or may not function.

Pros:
-12X Zoom, Image Stabilizer
-Manual Modes
-Very quick and snappy
-Electronic Viewfinder, perfect for sunny days when you can't see the LCD
-"Perfect Touch" option improves a lot of dark photos
-Solid & well constructed for the most part.
-Cheap!!!

Cons:
-Lens MUST be exposed if you turn it on... even just to review pics!
-Door for the SD memory cards is a bit flimsy
-Battery life is sub par. But please note that this camera only operates correctly on lithium batteries! It even says so on the battery door. For those of you rating this camera low because you're using NiMH batteries, try reading the instructions! Personally, I bought 3rd party rechargeable batteries right here on Amazon, and they work great.
-A minor con, but the lens cap must be laced through the neck strap.

All in all, this camera is worth it if you can find it cheap (below 200), which isn't difficult. I've used it for about 2 months now, and have taken about 900 photos. I am very happy with it!

Perfect for what my daughter needed.
My daugther needed a camera for school, and I wanted one that would help her develop a skill and hobby. She is 10 and uses this camera everyday now.
When we received the camera I went over how everything worked with her, then she took over. The camera takes video's too. My daughter loves posting these little works of art on YouTube. This was a great purchase.

Excelente camara en su nivel
Excelente relacion calidad precio.

pros: funcional, un monton de funciones disponibles, excelente vida de las bareias, acepta acople de algunos filtros, preio, apariencia, cantida de luz del flash graduable.

Contras: unicamente que no acepta flash externo.

Esta camara toma excelente fotos, incluso en el modo 100% automatico, tiene buena cantidad de opciones en el modo manual, su aspecto parecido al de las camaras de mayor nivel como las slr, le da un aspecto profesional y de mayor nivel.

en un pricipio no estaba muy conforme, porque las fotos me estaban quedando con mucho ruido, pero luego de leer algunas paginas, pude descubrir que el setting que trae de fabrica no es el mas adecuado para todas las ocasiones, principalmete el iso, que viene puesto en auto 800, pero una vez que lo baje a iso 100 para tomar fotos en el dia, y a iso 400 para fotos en la noche normal, las fotos dieron un giro del 100%, ahoraestoy super conforme con esta camara, ya tengo unos 3 mese con ella y he tomado mas de 2500 fotos.

La remomiendo 100% y mi mejor recomendacion es que pruebes con diferentes ajustes, hasta que encuentres uno que te satisfaga. en cuanto la vida util de las baterias es muy buena utiliza 4 AA. con las cuales podras tomar entre 350 / 400 fotos. (con pilas recargables de 2500mah) lo cual es muy bueno, considerando que tiene una pantalla de 2.5 y luz auxiliar de enfoque en oscuridad.

Mi opinion final: dificilmente consigas otra mejor opcion para una camara de este nivel considerando su precio (US9.99 nueva, en mi caso), ademas de tener un gran aspecto y desempeño.

Who needs a DSLR?
If you are not a professional or at least an advanced serious amateur, forget the DSLR and save your money. If you don't want the expense of additional lenses and the hassle of changing them, this camera might be for you. I previewed (hands-on) similar cameras of various brands prior to purchasing this one but have owned no others like it so I cannot give a comparison, but I have owned and used this camera for 5 months now and am extremely well pleased with it. Most of my photos are outdoor shots, and in nature, the 10x zoom is fantastic. The camera has the look and feel of a DSLR, so handling is quite steady. It will do the simplest point-and-shoot, or go full manual for those with a desire to experiment.

One feature that was important to me was the ability to accept a filter and this camera does it very nicely (with a Hoya filter installed, the factory lens cap works well). The zoom lens does not move outside the camera and this feature is one that appeals to me, unprotected precision moving parts are a problem waiting to arise. Neckstrap and viewfinder were two other features that I also wanted and the S700 has both. Most of my photos are taken using the viewfinder, but the LCD is real handy at times and is quite large and clear. With cold, dry hands out doors, the grip on this model is superb, unlike a lot of the more compact slippery cameras out there.

If you are looking for a camera to slip in your pocket or purse, keep looking, as this is somewhat bulky for that, but if you don't mind a reasonably small case slung over your shoulder, a Case Logic TBC-4 is nearly a glove-fit for the S700.

Once you get used to the location of the function buttons, all are quite easily accessed and simple to operate, I like the slightly recessed on-off button, because I don't have to worry about inadvertantly turning the camera on when stowing it, as was a problem with my previous unit.

I am not a professional or advanced amateur photographer but I am very pleased with photo quality I'm getting out of my S700 and the simplicity of operation... The price is just a great bonus.

The only feature I wish this camera had is a remote shutter release, but with that being said, I would highly recommend this camera for those out there looking to upgrade from your basic point-and-shoot to something a little more advanced without having to take out a second mortgage on the house.

FinePix s700
First I must say, this is a great little camera!
If your like me, you want to go to the next level of photography, but don't want to spent much, this is your camera.
It is vary small, has great zoom, takes clean pictures, and the battery life is amazing. (get some good battery's though, id say Energizer rechargeable 2200mAh)
Just the other day my friend and I compared cameras and ability, my FinePix beat his brand new Nicon CoolPix.
All in all for the price, this camera is way more then worth it!

Excellent, versatile, kidproof camera!
I bought this camera about 2 months ago, just before leaving on a camping trip with my family. We gave it quite a "shake-down cruise" on the trip, getting great shots of far-off boats and remote beach houses, as well as sunsets and kids in the water. I was able to take great pictures with very little learning time. The S700 also takes wonderful video with very good sound -- and I love having the ability to zoom while shooting video.

This is only my second digital camera -- the first was a Canon A630. I loved it -- until one of my 12-year-old's teammates stuck a finger in the lens cover and then my 3-year-old finished it off by dropping it on the pool apron with the lens extended.

So I was thrilled to find the S700, which has an old-fashioned lens cover and a zoom which is completely within the case even when extended. These two attributes make it very kidproof. It's a sturdy camera and I personally like the fact that it's bigger than a "point and shoot." I love the sturdy grip.

I'm definitely a "hobby" photographer although I do take some photos in my work. The S700 gives me lots of room to experiment with manual settings, while also offering quite an array of pre-set modes that work really well. I initially found the S700 while searching for high zoom -- which I have come to realize I need to keep up with kids' sports and activities -- that was reasonably priced.

I've learned lots of tips on the S700/S5700 users' group on Flickr. Took some breathtaking photos of the moon last night thanks to tips found there.

Better than great for everyday.
This is a great little camera for everyday use, I love it; goes everywhere with me. The picture quality (9MP) is fantastic, and I like the macro and zoom performance. As close to SLR you can get, IMO. If you are looking into serious photography, this will not do. However, fabulous camera for the price!

A Strange Animal
I'm a huge fan of Fuji's sharpness and color reproduction (at least to my eyes)but as many of the reviews have stated it has its problems too. It has a pretty big CCD compared to many of the other cameras in its class which a huge plus. My biggest complaint with this camera is with the Flash, and its kid of silly. A pop up flash is Okay but there is no Flash on/off feature so if I want to disable the flash during a shot I have to push the whole flash back down. The write time and flash recycle is one of the slowest I've seen but there aren't too many occasions where I can't wait. I'm not sure if it is just my camera but it seems to have some "quirks" such as the LCD going from Bright to Dark, I don't know if it's a power saving feature or what. I was also disappointed in the fact that it didn't have an scene modes other than Portrait, Sports and Night. I don't use them too often but they can be useful to other people who just want to take a picture (e.g. My wife). At least it has a Manual Feature.

If it weren't for the lack of the Flash on/off feature and it's quirky behavior, I would have given it another star.

A good walk-around camera
This compact camera was announced on July 28, 2005 for Fuji's 2006 catalog, and was dropped from their 2008 catalog. That was a long run for a compact model camera. Fujifilm has moved on from it's E-series, and none of their current compact models offer a configuration comparable to the E900. At the time of this writing, remaindered E900 stock is still available on the Internet for around 0, less than half its original retail price. A contemporary camera model with a similar, albeit more fully featured, configuration would be the 12 MP Canon G9, at about 0.

The nine megapixel "Super CCD" featured on this model caused a minor sensation when it was announced. This sensor is still being used in the Fujifilm S9600 model. Super CCD sensors are unique in that their pixels are arranged diagonally, rather than horizontally. This reduces aliasing along diagonal lines (and supports pixel-doubling in Photoshop's ACR).

I considered purchasing this camera when it first came out, but opted instead for a dSLR model. But, now I wanted a compact walk-around camera for a project where a dSLR kit would be too much baggage. The E900 again came under consideration. I was attracted by these features:
~ RAW capture capability (I prefer to shoot everything in RAW).
~ 2xAA battery power is cheap, lightweight and long-lasting (e.g., Sanyo Eneloop).
~ The high ratings for the E900 I read on internet camera review sites.
At just over nine ounces, batteries included, this camera fit my requirement for portability. It is too big to fit in my shirt pocket, but I avoid putting precision instruments in shirt pockets.

Compact cameras are trending toward ever-smaller (including hi-res cameras in cell phones), while dSLR cameras are incorporating more consumer features, like "live view," image stabilization and face recognition. I guess I am becoming a digital Luddite, because Minox-sized cameras do not appeal, nor do SLR cameras laden with techno-froufrou. Offer me a camera with extended dynamic range, higher sensitivity and greater resolution, and I am listening. A camera that pays expressway tolls has some other consumer than me in mind.

The RAW capability of the Fujifilm E900 is seriously under-supported by the manufacturer, to the point of being counterproductive.
~ Selecting RAW capture requires drilling deep into the setup menu on the camera.
~ The RAW developing software included with the camera provides no image adjustments and outputs TIFF files at only 8-bit tonal depth. This obviates all(!) the value of RAW capture.
~ The exposure bracketing feature is not available in RAW capture mode.

I shoot RAW because I process all of my images in Photoshop, where RAW images, with their 12-bit tone depth, accommodate much greater image manipulation before tones start to degrade. Also, using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), I can optimize white balance and realize another f-stop of dynamic range.

I appreciate that most camera users would not find RAW capture to be of value. Photographers using this camera are likely to use 0 software to adjust their images, which typically functions at 8-bit tonal depth. The extra image data captured in RAW cannot be used by these programs. It makes sense, therefore, that Fuji has dropped RAW support from their current models, except for their Pro dSLR and two high-end "bridge" models.

Here are the compromises/limitations I have discovered so far, comparing images from the E900 to ones from my dSLR:
~ Noise in the shadows. Pixels can't decide what color they are.
~ Color noise. Again, pixels can't decide what color they are.
~ Chromatic aberrations (colored fringes along high contrast edges. I can compensate for some of this when I make my adjustments in ACR).
~ Range of f-stops is limited (f-8 is the highest value).
~ Macro setting works only at the widest focal length, producing "big nose" distortion.
~ The tiny pop-up strobe is only good for fill flash, and even then only at close range.

The camera has a big hunk of chrome bling on the grip, giving it the look of a '58 Roadmaster. On my camera, I covered it up with a piece of gaffer tape.

I am surprised and delighted by the resolution of this 9-MP compact camera when compared to my 8-MP dSLR, considering the glass used in each. I appreciate that I can get immediate exposure feed-back on the image I just shot, including a histogram and flashing pixels to show saturation. (I have uploaded an image illustrating this to the gallery for this camera.)

I am happy with this camera for the purposes I intend.

Camera died after 6 months.
At first I thought this was a great camera, the only downfall was the batteries would drain too quickly. It was also annoying that the batteries and picture card were under the same cover. I bought this camera in July 2006. Then in January 2007 it completely died on me. I couldn't even get the lens to close. I finally brought it to a repair shop and they said the motherboard went on it. The total cost for labor and parts would be 8. I checked and for the price this camera is selling for I'm not sure if it's worth it to repair.

Good Compromise
This camera is larger than a compact, smaller than an SLR and has more pixels than most. It fits the hand well and is easy to hold and carry. It is very flexible, from fully auto to manual and everything in between. I have one gig of memory in it and it will take over 250 pictures at the highest pixel setting. The batteries seem to last forever and I've taken several hundred pictures, including flash without recharging. It works well in available light conditions and I seldom use flash unless it's actually dark. This camera will last me until I eventually replace it with an SLR.

Excellent
This was excellent service. I was a little nervous ordering over the internet, but delivery and product were top notch.

Fuzzy Picture
If you plan on taking pictures of small children or baby, THIS IS NOT THE CAMERA! As some of the other posting mentioned. Motion produces Fuzzy or Ghost-like image. Low light produce grainy pictures. I know some would say that the way it works but I don't recall my old 2.0MP sony camera was this bad. The only optimal setting I find is a very bright sunny day inside or outside and your subject is not moving around then you have great pictures. I also find that sometimes you think you took a great picture as seen in the LCD but when you actually see it on your computer, its a total different story.

Have decided to give up on my DSC80
I am not sure about all the "positive" reviews on this camera. Maybe it is the particular one I have got, but I do see some very negative reviews. I grew up in a photo studio and know enough about cameras. Only ~1 out of 3 pictures I took with this camera turned out reasonably good. Majority of the pictures were blurry and grainy, sometimes even in well-lighted settings. Overall quality of the pictures are not nearly as good as my ancient Canon G2 (3 or 4 MP? I bought it 8 years ago, unfortunately battery died 2 years ago). What a waste of many cozy moments! I have decided to trash this piece of junk and get a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5, which I hope will work better. Don't think I can return my Sony to Office Depot since I bought it 9 months ago.

makes it easy to take good pics!
I am very happy with this camera! Great picture quality, self explanatory functions, and great size for taking with you every where! I do not need a hundred different settings, or the latest super savvy technology- I was just looking for a camera that makes it easy to take good pictures- whether it's a special occasion, or just a fun everyday moment, and this camera is great for that. The battery life is good, too! Another big plus is the great flash; out of all cameras I have had, it has the most flattering, soft-but-still-illuminating flash; people look great, not like deer caught in headlights. I took me some time to find a camera case for it, since I didn't want to spend almost on the Cybershot ones; if anyone else feels the same way I can recommend Swiss Army's "the sherpa" I believe the style is called- fits perfectly, and costs less than !

Great for outdoor pictures, but not much else
I used to have an Olympus Stylus Zoom 80 digital cam and my finace bought me the Sony Cybershot DSC-W80I last year. I liked the Olympus, but it was an old model and I wanted more functionality in a camera. However, I am disappointed in the Sony Cybershot. It is great for taking outdoor pictures, but don't even think of getting a good picture indoors, of motion or anything that's not stationary. It boasts the Double Anti-Blur Technology with Super Steady Shot, but this is a joke. A lot of the pictures come out blurry and you have to spend a lot of time adjusting the settings to figure out how to get a good picture. It does not take very good low light images even though it has adjustable sensitivity, twilight, and ISO settings. I tried to take pictures at a party where there was average lighting and colored lights, and they ALL came out blurry unless I used the flash, which still didn't look great b/c everything was too bright for the actual setting. Without the flash, the people in the pictures were literally transparent; They looked like ghosts and there were streaks of light across the images. Horrible.
It does have great red eye reduction and fast shutter speeds for taking multiple pictures (again, these will come out blurry if there is ANY movement). I've had the Sony Cybershot for 7 months, but I am going to go back to Olympus.

Fantastic bargain
My wife and I purchased the FZ8S ahead of our honeymoon. The camera was extremely easy to learn, and provides excellent image quality and zoom capability. It's more featured than a basic pocket camera, but doesn't go to town like a DSLR. For people (like me) who are above novice but still well below professional when it comes to picture taking, the FZ8 is simply a fantastic buy.

Yes, at high ISO/low-light levels and deep zoom levels it tends to produce fairly noisy images. To this I say, "Well, it's still only 250 bucks". So there are some sacrifices one must give for the price.

Still and all, it's a great buy for the budget shooter.

Love it
Gave this to my boyfriend for Christmas last year and he absolutely loves it. Works fantastic! You really have to learn how to use all the features and it might take a while if your not a techno geek, but once you get it down you are gonna love this camera. Get a 4g chip for it and you'll probably never need another one. Very easy to install and transfer to your computer so you can burn discs or just print. Highly recommend!!

Quality camera
Pros: Image quality, features and UI, price, optical zoom, weight.

Cons: Larger than expected, not great for wide angle (or indoor, low light stuff).

Thoughts: You can't beat the price. I researched for quite a while before buying this camera and I choose right; I would buy it again. It's just right for what I wanted to use it for: outdoor landscape pictures and long range. Not really interested in indoor photography. (The long shutter setting is great for night shots, as long as you have a tripod.)

Great camera
We needed a camera to replace our Kodak C743 that my wife carries in her purse. We use a Digital SLR most of the time, but we like to have one with us for those times we "wish we had a camera".
Anyway, here are some good points about this camera. Put it on the simple mode and you get great pics. Some pics have some red-eye, but it is probably one of the better compact cameras on handling red-eye. Its very durable and easy to use. We recently came back from a vacation on took almost 1400 pictures with this camera. All with the flash and the battery held up well.
The only real bad point I have on this camera is the size. Its kind of bulky for a "compact" camera, but overall I would recommend it as a buy.

BLURRY PHOTOS INDOORS.
I borrowed my friend's Panasonic FZ8 this past weekend to photograph my son's birthday party. I took about 150 photos total. I took all photos on Manual mode. Finding a photo that is sharp is a actually challenge! I ended up deleting 90% of the photos after uploading them to the computer. So, if you take lots of photos indoors where a flash is usually needed, keep on shopping. After taking dozens of photos indoors, I went outside to test the camera under bright sunlight. Horrible. photos were overexposed. I wouldn't want a free FZ8, let alone buy one.

Fantastic bargain
My wife and I purchased the FZ8S ahead of our honeymoon. The camera was extremely easy to learn, and provides excellent image quality and zoom capability. It's more featured than a basic pocket camera, but doesn't go to town like a DSLR. For people (like me) who are above novice but still well below professional when it comes to picture taking, the FZ8 is simply a fantastic buy.

Yes, at high ISO/low-light levels and deep zoom levels it tends to produce fairly noisy images. To this I say, "Well, it's still only 250 bucks". So there are some sacrifices one must give for the price.

Still and all, it's a great buy for the budget shooter.

Love it
Gave this to my boyfriend for Christmas last year and he absolutely loves it. Works fantastic! You really have to learn how to use all the features and it might take a while if your not a techno geek, but once you get it down you are gonna love this camera. Get a 4g chip for it and you'll probably never need another one. Very easy to install and transfer to your computer so you can burn discs or just print. Highly recommend!!

Quality camera
Pros: Image quality, features and UI, price, optical zoom, weight.

Cons: Larger than expected, not great for wide angle (or indoor, low light stuff).

Thoughts: You can't beat the price. I researched for quite a while before buying this camera and I choose right; I would buy it again. It's just right for what I wanted to use it for: outdoor landscape pictures and long range. Not really interested in indoor photography. (The long shutter setting is great for night shots, as long as you have a tripod.)

Great camera
We needed a camera to replace our Kodak C743 that my wife carries in her purse. We use a Digital SLR most of the time, but we like to have one with us for those times we "wish we had a camera".
Anyway, here are some good points about this camera. Put it on the simple mode and you get great pics. Some pics have some red-eye, but it is probably one of the better compact cameras on handling red-eye. Its very durable and easy to use. We recently came back from a vacation on took almost 1400 pictures with this camera. All with the flash and the battery held up well.
The only real bad point I have on this camera is the size. Its kind of bulky for a "compact" camera, but overall I would recommend it as a buy.

BLURRY PHOTOS INDOORS.
I borrowed my friend's Panasonic FZ8 this past weekend to photograph my son's birthday party. I took about 150 photos total. I took all photos on Manual mode. Finding a photo that is sharp is a actually challenge! I ended up deleting 90% of the photos after uploading them to the computer. So, if you take lots of photos indoors where a flash is usually needed, keep on shopping. After taking dozens of photos indoors, I went outside to test the camera under bright sunlight. Horrible. photos were overexposed. I wouldn't want a free FZ8, let alone buy one.

Great reviews on DMC-TZ3
I previously had a Panasonic DMC-LZ2 with which I was satisfied, so I was comfortable with choosing another Panasonic DMC and familiar with many of the features and menus. The DMC-TZ3 has been an amazing little camera for a point and shoot that I got for just under 0. It has many extras that my LZ2 didn't have - love the candlelight setting - and it does well in low light. I put an 8G memory card in it and purchased an extra battery - these lasted through at least 1.5 hours of video and 150 pictures - both at the maximum quality. I have been receiving rave reviews on my videos on YouTube and many questions as to what kind of camera I used... my only wish for it is that you could change the zoom level in the middle of videoing. Be sure to not have your finger over the microphone while recording - my first test video had this awful sound - fortunately I figured out why.

To see my videos - search for fanmamma on YouTube and look for video created October 28, 2008, or later. Be sure to set it to watch in high quality; as good as these are, the original files are even better.

Best Camera
This is the best camera I have ever used. The pictures are excellent, the zoom is phenomenal. The fast shutter speed allows me to take 4 pictures in the same time other digital cameras take one. Everyone I have shown it to or have tried to use it love the camera.

my digital "Wonderful"
Hello, I bought this item, because it was no longer availabel here in Germany, therefore excuse my typing / errors in spelling.
Well, what can I say this camera is wonderful. It has everything, I mean everything you can ask for. This camera has received best test results in 2007/2008 and is still a hot item in 2008 eventhough the new type TZ5 was launched in the market. This camera has received a better test results regarding the speed shooting pictures in sequence. It is therfore alos good snap shot camera, but much more than this. Read more: It does not take a long time compared to other cameras to charge, focus and take a wonderful shot. It shoots brilliant picutes although the flash is super bright. It does not have manual features, but many many programs from which you can choose of for almost every surrounding the right setting is available. Also, you have two buttons you can "pre-set"with your favourite settings so it is super simple to handle.
The "only" 7.x megapixels are just fine they match to the chip that is inside the camera and that's the important part somebody told me. All pixels should have room on that chip to produce the best quality of pictures - which this camera really does.
But the best part is the super zoom, 10x and an additional digital zoom, also it has some neat functions like the "hold still button" not sure what the correct term is, but it prevents the camera or rather the image on the screen from shaking, you take quick, excellent, high resolution shots! Yeah, I love that camera, I put a fast SD-HD card inside, 4 GB so that I can use the "burst function" as well, many pics I can shoot in quick sequence. It looks nice and helps when you do a photo story.
Well, I could say much more positive things and only positive things this thing is great, remember you cover even a 28mm angle (wide angle).
Hey, if there are more of these "old" cameras on the market - go get one, the new typse not necessarily have to be better- remember this. Most of the time it is a battle among the manufactures more megapixels, but that does not count all the time. So, if you are thinking of buying a camera - this is the one, eventhough it is Japanese, but hey you know they make could quality besides the lens is I think made in Germany(!) Leica and that is still one of the top quality products / brands.
So, I hope I could give all readers a little insight of my feelings and view.

Very good camera.
I have used this camera for two vacations and many back yard pictures and am quite impressed with it's capabilities! It was a little hard to get used to because it has more complicated settings than our previous Kodak digital camera, but I do love the 10-power zoom and high quality images! The 10-power zoom is especially helpful in capturing wildlife shots that will amaze your friends!

Like it.
This camera is a great point and shoot. It replaced a camera purchased from somewhere else and returned due to no battery life. This has great battery life and takes fantastic pictures. I'm a little challenged with all the settings... but.. that's my fault and the reason for the 4 star rating instead of 5.