What are your opinions on the Panasonic DMC lumix fz18?
When you make a camera that’s got a one-size fits all lens, you’re going to have optical compromises. However, the lens does pretty well. It’s the Venus III processing chips that Panasonic uses for noise suppression that I don’t like. They have a tendency to lose detail and smear images to suppress the noise in the image. At anything above ISO 400, forget it. Personally, I prefer the output of the Fujifilm S8000fd to that of the Panasonic, but both cameras are inherently inferior to a digital SLR. If you want a lens to love, try getting a Nikon D40 with the 18-200mm zoom. Now, that is a much better, if more expensive, combination that will actually give you much, much better pictures. As for where to shop, the Internet is probably going to get you cheaper prices.
