Features:
8.0-megapixel resolution captures enough detail for photo-quality 16x 22-inch prints
5x wide-angle optical zoom; Mega Optical Image Stabilized
2.5-inch Intelligent LCD screen; Face Detection
Intelligent ISO; Intelligent Scene Selector
Captures images to SD memory cards (not included)
Accessories:
Kingston 4GB SDHC Class 4 Flash Card (SD4/4GB)
aVinci Media SMG-51-0003 Polar Express DVD Kit
Vista Explorer 60" Lightweight Tripod with Tripod Bag
Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader
Transcend TS8GSDHC6-S5W 8GB SDHC6 Memory Card with Card Reader
Related Items:
Spotlight customer reviews:
Summary: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8K
Comment: Excellent little camera. I have a Nikon D80 and D70 I use for the really professional shots, but this little pocket camera is always ready, not cumbersome and shoots some shots that rival the Nikons in quality. Would recommend to anyone wanting a light, always ready, good shooting camera that you can take with you all the time.
Summary: Very disappointed with LZ8
Comment: On paper, this camera sounds great. It looks good, the black body is slick and it feels good to hold. It takes AA batteries and has a 5x zoom. All very nice. But none of that matters because it's terrible. Image quality is poor- too noisy at any ISO. And it's just so slow... really slow to focus, and incredibly slow between shots using the flash. I don't expect miracles, but by the time this thing cycles, your subject has already gone home. Most pics are blurry, grainy, dark, off-color. Maybe one in 5 will be decent. Yes, it is a cheap point and shoot- but other brands at the same price point are worlds better. Oh- and that Leica lens may have meant something in years past, but now it's just a marketing tool. Just read the pro reviews. This camera is not worth your money. Stay away.
Summary: what a great camera!
Comment: This is a terrific camera! It is so easy to use and the instructions are very easy to follow. I love it! The only negative comment I have is that the AA batteries wear down very quickly even with the camera turned off. It is best to get rechargable batteries or take them out of the camera when you aren't using it.
Summary: Nice feature set; mediocre picture quality
Comment: Major points:
1 In some cases (usually in dark or very dark conditions), the camera produces completely unacceptable results, with small white "bubbles" appearing throughout the shot. I have researched this and there are a couple of notes on the web that complain of how the lens may accentuate "dust dots". Understand I have verified this on 2 different cameras, sending the first one back the day that I got it, only to have the same thing happen with the second. [This is the only serious negative in the mind of this reviewer, and bubbles will not be an issue in most photos.]
2 The general sharpness of the images is noticably inferior to some other point and shoot cameras, such as the Canon SD1000, which I also have. This difference is completely inconsequential for printing 4x6 photos but can easily be seen for example, when displaying at large sizes on a PC. Still, to many people this is probably a non-issue.
3 The general layout of controls, menus, etc. is very well done. To me (and this is subjective), it is much better done and more intuitive than what you see on the point and shoot Canon cameras.
4 The software with the camera is okay, but I like the Canon software better.
5 Panasonic support has sucked in my attempt to get help. I registered my first camera (which I later sent back) online. Later, I filled out a form on the Panasonic site to request help with the bubble issue. It has been eight days since, and I have received no answer from Panasonic. Additionally, the nearest service center to me (Georgia) is Illinois. Luckily, Panasonic devices have good reliability and so you will probably never have to deal with their "support team".
6 The feature set (zoom, manual options, etc.) is clearly good compared to other cameras in this price range.
7 For whatever its worth, I have decided to keep the camera. Honestly I would be very enthusiastic about it if not for the bubble (i.e., dust?) issue.
Summary: Great Product
Comment: Camera works very well. Has a nice point and shoot feature for anyone not into all the details of photography. Extended zoom works very well. Has a lot of other options for someone more into photography. Easy to start using and easy to transfer pictures to a computer.
Editorial reviews:
With both a 32mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens and a 5x zoom, this is one camera that does it all. You can fit more in the photo than you can with a 35mm lens, so you can get more of a sweeping landscape in a single shot. The 5x zoom is great for capturing dramatic shots of small or distant subjects. There's also an Extra Optical Zoom function that boosts zoom power to 8.9x in 3-megapixel resolution mode.The DMC-LZ8 Lumix digital camera gives you a choice of four exposure modes: Program AE (P), Aperture Priority AE (A), Shutter Priority AE (S) and Manual (M). This gives you the flexibility and creative freedom to capture more expressive shots. You can also fine tune the settings in the Scenery, Portrait, Sports and Night Portrait scene modes on the mode dial to better suit the shooting conditions. This makes it easier to capture the exact image you have in mind.Simply set the LZ8 to iA mode and let the camera do the rest. Intelligent Scene Selector chooses the mode that best fits the situation; MEGA Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) helps prevent blurring from hand-shake; Intelligent ISO Control helps prevent motion blur; and Face Detection helps produce clear portraits by optimizing the focus and exposure settings.You can easily change settings such as auto focus, light metering, white balance, ISO sensitivity, image size, image quality and so on. There's no need to switch to the menu screen.The brightness and contrast of the large 2.5" diagonal LCD adjust automatically in 10 steps as ambient light conditions change, so images are clear, bright and easy to see day or night, indoors or outdoors.
