Latest – Video Review at Tiger TV (added 12 February ‘08)
The 7.2 megapixel FZ8 from Panasonic offers 12x (equivalent to 36-432mm on a 35mm film camera) Leica lens, image stabilization, 20 scene modes, 2.5 inch LCD and 27 MB of built-in memory.
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Reviews – (updated 12 February ‘08)
| Imaging Resource |
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| PCMag |
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| Digital Camera Review |
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| Take Great Pictures |
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| Camera Labs |
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| Quesabesde |
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| Digicam Review |
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| ePhotozine |
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| DCRP |
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| Steve’s Digicams |
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| Lets Go Digital |
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| Digital Camera Info |
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| Cameras.co.uk |
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| TrustedReviews |
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| Megapixel |
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| Unbeatable |
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| GoodGearGuide |
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| CNET |
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| DPReview |
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Imaging Resource reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and feels the camera looks good on paper and does an ok good on delivering average quality images. One of the reviewers primary problems with the camera were the image noise and noise reduction. When in low light and forced to go beyond ISO 800 image quality suffers. So people using the camera in nice outdoor light probably won’t see any issues but low light photographers will definitely run into the digital noise speed bump.
Bottom Line: Long list of features and powerful zoom make this camera one of Image Resources top picks.
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PCMag reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and thinks this is a great overall camera for those who like a lot of manual control. Performance was rated as excellent and the reviewer particularly liked the “unlimited” burst mode, which ends up recording about two photos per second. Common control setting are easy to get to with well placed button. No need to do a lot of menu digging with this camera.
Bottom Line: The camera’s only really down side is the lack of true wide angle.
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Digital Camera Review – 7/25/2007 – reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and really liked it. They felt the FZ8 offered a lot of the benefits of an SLR camera but without the need for additional lenses. The reviewer did feel however the camera had higher than normal noise levels at ISO 400 and above.
Bottom Line: The camera was fast to operate both in its write to card speeds and its time in between shots. In fact, it has enough speed under its belt to compete with most other cameras even including entry level dSLRs.
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Take Great Pictures – 7/21/2007 – test drives the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and indicates it is an extraordinary digital camera with a long list of great features. In short the the 12x zoom FZ8 lets you get shots you can’t get with a simple point-and-shoot camera. This camera is the perfect choice for people who want to improve their picture quality and yet have a camera that requires little technical skill.
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Camera Labs – 6/28/2007 – has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and they write, “It’s revealing three-quarters of the cameras we’ve compared the FZ8 against here all cost around 50% more. The simple fact is there’s no real competition for the FZ8 at its price range other than Panasonic’s own Lumix TZ3, which as discussed above is aimed at a different kind of market. In short the FZ8 represents excellent value for money and while it’s understandably missing some of the sophistication of these higher-end models, it really can compete – and in some respects even beat them.”
Quesabesde – 6/27/2007 – has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and they write, “In spite of inheriting the problems of noise of its predecessors, the FZ8 has good optical quality and offers a good general yield”
Digicam Review – 6/21/2007 – has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and they write, “The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 is an excellent ultra zoom digital camera – image quality is very good with great color and detail although noise and lack of detail at the higher ISO settings causes some concern. The camera offers an excellent Leica 12x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization, helping you get sharp, crisp, blur free images even in low light. The camera is very solidly built and feels comfortable to use thanks to a decent hand grip and good button layout. The camera has a clear and easy to see screen, and excels in ease of use, providing quick and easy access to all it’s features. The camera responds quickly with a quick focusing time, fast shutter response, and extremely quick 3fps continuous shooting mode. As well as offering all this, the Panasonic is one of the cheapest ultra zoom digital cameras to feature optical image stabilization, making this an excellent choice!”
ePhotozine – 6/13/2007 – has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and they write, “There’s one prime selling point of this camera and that’s the 12x optical zoom which reaches to an impressive 432mm equivalent with the wide aperture only shifting from f/2.8 to f/3.3 along the way. It’s a little sluggish to start, but rattles along fine when going and the camera features optical image stabilisation to help keep pictures sharp. That can help both at the wide angle end in low light, and at the telephoto end. The image quality is mediocre, you certainly won’t be printing anything larger than A4, but at least colour fringing is kept under control. There is plenty of manual control and it’s good to see that exposure compensation can still be used in the scene modes, unlike, for example, most of the Samsung range.”
DCRP – 6/12/2007 – has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and they write, “The most important feature on a camera is its image quality, and its here where the FZ8 stumbles a bit. Set the ISO to 100 and give the camera plenty of light, and the results are very good. You’ll get nice, saturated color, perfect sharpness, and no purple fringing. While you’ll see a bit of noise reduction artifacting in these situations, it’s nowhere near as bad as when the ISO hits 200 or above, or when light levels drop. Then the Venus III’s overzealous NR system will either smudge or mottle the details in your photos, which reduces your print sizes, and makes viewing the images on your computer a less-than-pleasant experience. Setting the noise reduction option to low helps, and shooting in RAW mode helps even more, but in my opinion workarounds shouldn’t be required to get the best quality images out of the camera. As I said in the first paragraph, this won’t affect the small print crowd, but for those making larger prints, you might want to consider a non-Panasonic camera.”
Steve’s Digicams – 5/24/2007 – has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and they write, “Like all of the “FZ” series models from Panasonic, the DMC-FZ8 is one awesome digicam. With excellent image quality, blazing fast performance, generous 12x zoom range, MEGA O.I.S, and wealth of user-friendly/advanced exposure modes, the FZ8 is hard to beat in the “ultra-zoom” category. With 7-megapixels of resolution, you’ll have no problem creating beautiful 13×19-inch or larger prints. With a street price of only US$349 (May 2007), the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 offers and outstanding value for such a capable 7-megapixel model!”
Lets Go Digital – 5/20/2007 – has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and they write, “The changes in regard to its predecessor are not particularly sweeping, but the new features provide so much extra value that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 is entitled to call itself the king of the Megazoom cameras. With the improved and enlarged electronic viewfinder, the higher resolution of the LCD screen and the RAW option, Panasonic has shown that they have a serious alternative to an entry-level digital SLR camera. It is extremely user friendly, has excellent image quality and a great price/quality ratio. Is the Panasonic Lumix FZ8 the ultimate Mega zoom camera? Not quite, but Panasonic is not far off. The Panasonic FZ8 is a real winner!”
Digital Camera Info – 5/15/2007 – has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and they write, “When the Panasonic FZ8 is up against other ultra-zoomed competition, it still does well. It has manual modes, RAW shooting, and plenty of included software to play with the images. It caters to advanced photographers in this way, but is still very easy to use with its 20 scene modes and intuitive interface.
In the end, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 still provides a lot of good features for its $349 price but isn’t a good hybrid ultra-zoom model.”
Cameras.co.uk – 5/8/2007 – reviews the 7.2 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and writes, “The Panasonic DMC FZ8 is one of the best super zoom digital cameras I have tested. It is also available at a very reasonable price. Picture quality is very good indeed. There are a wide range of features, but Panasonic have still managed to make the DMC FZ8 easy to use.”
TrustedReviews – 5/5/2007 – reviews the 7.2 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and writes, “The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 is a well-made and sensibly designed camera with a range of features well suited to the enthusiast photographer. Its performance is a bit on the slow side, but the excellent lens and brilliant image stabilisation system more than make up for that. Unfortunately however its potentially first-class photographic results are let down by an inferior sensor and poor image processing.”
Megapixel – 4/28/2007 – reviews the 7.2 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and writes, “Negatives: JPEG contains artifacts – Noise as of 100 ISO – Higher ISO levels too noisy Positives: Good image quality – very good with RAW images – Powerful 12X zoom – Effective stabilizer – Aspect ratio choices – RAW mode – Sharp monitor and EVF”
Unbeatable – 4/25/2007 – reviews the 7.2 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and writes, “In comparison to its predecessor, the Panasonic Lumix FZ8 is a very welcome upgrade with some great features for a very competitive price. Along with fast operation, great battery life and the bonus of a very effective image stabilisation, the FZ8 should be very seriously considered.”
GoodGearGuide – 4/11/2007 – has reviewed the 7.2 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and writes, “Overall, the FZ8 is a decent but not noteworthy addition to the advanced camera market from Panasonic. It = could have been a very impressive unit, boasting a speedy shot-to-shot time, big zoom and nice design. But the soft edges and strongly over saturated reds mean the pictures it produces aren’t on par with those from competing models.”
CNET – 4/10/2007 – has an in-depth review of the 7.2 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and writes, “While the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 has problems with noise, in many other ways it is a very nice camera. Its controls make it easy to use, and it packs a very impressive feature set. If you’re not persnickety about noise or image quality, it makes a nice camera for beginner and intermediate photographers to learn on. Advanced shooters who want pristine image quality should look elsewhere.”
DCViews – 3/15/2007 – compares the 7.2 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and the 7 megapixel Olympus SP-550 UZ side by sdie and writes, “Panasonic and Olympus have earned their place in the top ten of camera manufacturers and the Lumix DMC-FZ8 and SP-550 respectively confirm their positions. Both cameras have some exceptional specifications and set benchmarks for compact cameras. Their compact size, long zoom range, easy handling and operation make them the ideal travel companion for novice and shutterbug alike. The extreme specs also have their downside as too many pixels on a small sensor results in higher noise levels at all ISO’s. A zoom range of 18 times on the SP-550 is nice, but it comes with distortion and much chromatic aberration. Although the two cameras have almost similar specifications, they do differ. The SP-550 is better built with very good ergonomics and many features. The FZ8, though, is faster and has a slight advantage in image quality with less distortion, color noise, chromatic aberration and workable RAW. Looking at the plain figures, this match ends in a draw. However, considering the price difference (the FZ8 is over 100 dollar cheaper than the SP-550), the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 wins by a nose.”
DPReview – 2/7/2007 – has reviewed the 7.2 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and writes, “If you accept that the size and convenience of this type of product means a certain level of compromise you won’t be disappointed. Viewed on-screen at 100% the output often leaves a little to be desired, but for ‘normal’ use (standard sized prints, full screen viewing) the excellent lens and reliable focus/exposure systems cannot fail to impress. On this basis I think it’s safe to say that the FZ8 just about offers enough to earn a qualified Highly Recommended, but I’d urge you to check out the sample images – and decide if you’re prepared to shoot raw when it matters and to stick to ISO 100 whenever possible – before deciding.”
Sample Photos
[Sample Photos at Imaging Resource]
[Sample Photos at Camera Labs]
[Sample Photos at Quesabesde]
[Sample Photos at Digicam Review]
[Sample Photos at Digicam Review]
[Sample Photos at DCRP]
[Sample Photos at Digital Camera Info]
[Sample Photos at Cameras.co.uk]
[Sample Photos at TrustedReviews]
[Sample Photos at Megapixel]
[Sample Photos at DPNow]
[Sample Photos at DPReview]
Videos
[Video Guide at Cameras.co.uk]
[Video Guide at Camera Labs]
Spec Sheet
Owners Manual
Press Release
SECAUCUS, N.J., January 31, 2007 — Panasonic today introduced another addition to its expanding Lumix digital still camera line, the long-zoom Lumix DMC-FZ8. The new model boasts 12x Optical Zoom (equivalent to 36-432mm on a 35mm film camera) coupled with Panasonic’s Extra Optical Zoom function that provides additional magnification up to 18x when taking photos with 3-megapixel resolution. The new camera also features a 7.2-megapixel CCD and Intelligent Image Stabilization system now available in all new Panasonic Lumix models.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
HI, CAN’T GET ANY SHARP PICTURES WHEN DOWNLOADED ON COMP., AND GO TO 100%., WHAT AM I DOING WRONG, DMC-FZ8
Please give me some info, thanks Rolien