I'm interested in buying a digital camera with decent zoom, optical image stabilization and so forth that this camera have. I've checked DPReview and Steve's and camera.co.uk, but I'm not much of a techie and don't understand 95% of the contents after reading the glossary.
What's the pros and cons of this camera and is this a good camera for a traveler and a hobbyist? YES, the FZ-8 is a great camera for the traveler and hobbyist. It's very flexible and the 12x zoom is wonderful, and you can tweak a lot of settings if you wish (but don't have to). Its main weakness relates to sensor noise and relatively low sensitivity but all small-size sensors have this (and if you want a large sensor w 12x zoom well you have to carry gear weighing maybe 4x as much as this camera).
Just remember, it's not THAT small, so if you want something more pocketable but also w large zoom, you could consider Panasonic's TZ-3 instead (prices are comparable).
THIS BEING SAID, PLEASE BE AWARE that Panasonic just launched the FZ-18, w 8mp vs. 7mp, but more importantly an 18x (vs. 12x) stabilised zoom, starting at 28mm (vs 36mm) i.e. more useful to shoot buildings, groups at close range, etc. It also has some new features such as face recognition, etc. The 18x zoom can be great if you intend to do sports photography, shoot wildlife, etc. Expected availability, mid-August.
Hope this helps
A Taking the piece of cake between high-end compacts (10 MP FZ50 or R1) and DSLR, Panasonic鈥檚 DMC-FZ8 offers useful and not expensive SLR-like high quality cameras.
Good: Excellent color reproduction, Nice 6x lens with optical Image stabilization, Fast auto focus, Face tracking, Remote shooting, Optical image stabilization, 12x Leica lens, Good handling, Records RAW images, Large viewfinder
Bad:High noise levels over ISO 400, Limited dynamic range, Soft corners , 220-shot battery life, No optical zoom in movies, No RAW file shooting, Confusing user manuals, Cheap plastic housing, No optical zoom in movies, Zooms slowly
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