Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20S 5MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Silver) Reviews.

The best all-purpose 5mp digital camera., February 11, 2006
Reviewer: Scott A. Mcpherson "Scotty Mac"

The FZ20 is a great camera--large zoom, image stabilization, reasonably fast reload time, lightweight for the features. I wanted a camera with a long telephoto optical range and 12x is the equivalent of over 400mm in 35mm SLR land. The Leica lens coupled with the image stabilization makes for clear, crisp images under most conditions with a reasonably steady hand. I'd recommend a tripod at 8-12x under challenging conditions (windy or low light). The manual is excellent and friendly to read. The camera has a tremendous number of features and light weight, all in one package. Compared to my days of packing my Nikon SLRs, lenses and accessories around in a huge, heavy bag, the FZ20 is a pleasant surprise. I took this camera to Africa and captured some amazing shots over a month-long trip--I did take extra batteries and SD cards, all of which are lightweight and take up little space. I recommend this camera highly for a recreational user and it will produce professional-quality 11x14" prints.

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Well worth every penny spent!, January 14, 2006
Reviewer: Golfer Mom "Mom"
What a fantastic camera!! I spent months reading reviews and shopping cameras before I finally purchased the Lumix FZ-20. This camera is a little more than I wanted to pay, but I knew I would have to spend to get a camera that would be able to take the pictures I would be going after.

I have a 16 year old competitive golfer. At the tournaments, spectators are required to keep their distance from the players and I wanted a camera that would take good quality pictures from at least 30 yards away, which is my biggest requirement. This camera performs beautifully!

I also take pictures of the high school players at their matches to post on our golf booster website. Over the course of 2 months, I took over 5000 sports action pictures and have been wonderfully pleased with the quality and clarity of the pictures.
When I printed out the pictures of the boys for the end of season party, the parents and kids couldn't believe how great these pictures came out. And believe me, it is all the camera's doing. When I am walking for 4+ hours around a golf course to get pictures of 5 kids, I get unsteady trying to stand still and take a picture, so the stabilizer is a fantastic asset.

The zoom is great. I can stand a 100 yards away and still get great pictures of the players hitting their shots. When I have a little extra saved up, I am looking forward to getting a telephoto lens.

I would recommend this camera to everyone. This camera goes everywhere with me. I am not a professional photographer by any means, just a mom taking pictures. This camera makes me look like I am a professional. It is easy to use, and the manual is easy reading.

Con:
I wish that Panasonic included the AC adapter since I am downloading 300-400 pictures in a sitting. I haven't been able to find the adapter anywhere expect for the Panasonic website.
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Panasonic Lumix FZ20K, January 9, 2006
Reviewer: C. W. Thomas

Pros: Very good image quality. The shutter response time is very good. The 12X optical zoom is excellent. The manual is easy to read and programming the camera is very easy. It is an impressive camera.

Cons: It is very battery intensive. After a few hours shooting, the battery must be recharged. Spare batteries are very expensive. Also, no AC adapter is included in the basic accessories.
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A Great Camera Either Digital or Film, December 28, 2005
Reviewer: Digital Photographer "Used to Like Nikon,s"
I have had several digital cameras from other other manufacturers, some were not bad, some were awful,
the FZ20K is in a league of its own, I think its quite user friendly while still giving you a host of features.
The final test are the results, I dont think that any of the manufacturers can come near the 20K.
It certainly is not pocketable, but yet is not heavy, The Leica lens is the best and it is always at F 2.8, not shifting to a smaller F stop as you zoom out.
I could go on and on, so very simply, this is the finest camera I,ve ever owned. I'd give it 10 stars if I could!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Awesome camera, December 28, 2005
Reviewer: Quinton Beach

Ok, this review is short and to the point. This camera was bought mainly to take pictures of Tae Kwon Do students performing. The shutter speed is surprisingly fast. I've repeatedly taken 4 continuous shots of sparring (fighting) and all of the shots are clear and crisp. I also got 4 perfect shots of my husband doing a midair 540 jump kick (and this is handheld - no tripod needed).
Another plus is that you can take pictures in different colors. Within 3 clicks of a button you can take photos in black and white, sepia, warm tones, cool tones...

The only disadvantage is that it's bulky, you can't take it with you everywhere.

Quick note, when the 8MP came out for $700, this camera's price dropped seriously. I got it for $250, so you should shop around.

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