Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 16x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Silver)
- This gives you highly natural expressions from people and animals that you can’t get close to.
- The 16x Optical Zoom Keeps the Subject Sharp While Giving the Background a Soft focus.
- The DMC-ZS8 features a 1/2.33-inch CCD with effective 14.1-megapixel high-resolution.
- Images remain clear and sharp even when they are enlarged to A2 size.
- The camera comes along with a Battery Charger, Battery Pack, AV Cable, USB Cable, Hand Strap and a CD-ROM
Panasonic Lumix ZS8 3-Inch LCD 14.1 Megapixel Digital Camera. Get the smooth video recording that will deliver a stunningly smooth video. The Panasonic Lumix ZS8 3-Inch LCD 14.1 Megapixel Digital Camera features a versatile 24mm ultra-wide angle and powerful 16x optical zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens and intelligent resolution technology which adds delicate detail that exceeds even optical image quality in both photo and movie recording. Features Include: 14.1 Megapixels 16x Optical Zoom Lens Aspect Ratio of 1:1 / 4:3 / 3:2 / 16:9 Battery Life approx. 340 pictures Face Detection Dimensions: 1.3″L x 4.1″W x 2.3″H
List Price: $ 279.99
Price: $ 169.77
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Read 100’s of reviews and settled for this one and love it.,
I purchased this camera (in black) a few weeks ago with the Lowepro Ridge30 case Lowepro Ridge 30 Camera Case (Black) and Transcend 8GB Class 10 SDHC card Transcend 8 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC10E. I was tired of my old cameras not getting the right shot because they were never fast enough. That was my main criteria for purchasing this camera. After UPS dropped off the camera on a Friday, I took the kids to the park to see what it could do. The camera’s ability to capture fast action shots is amazing. Kids coming down slides, crossing the monkey bars, or spinning on the merry-go-round…this captured them all crystal clear. Keep in mind, I did have to do some experimental shots first, but on fast action, set it to sports mode and fire away. Saturday was off to an outdoor Graduation. Again, the colors, ease of use, and quality of the shots was better than I was expecting. Sunday, we were off to the amusement park. I wore cargo shorts and the camera was in the side pocket all day wrapped in a napkin in a ziplock bag to protect it from rain and water rides. It took abuse from roller coasters to bumper cars. This is where I was stunned by the photos. I was able to take pictures of the kids on the roller coasters with their screaming, eyes wide open, hair blown back, “I’m going to kill you dad for making me ride this” expressions. See my pictures in the zs8-black photo’s. BEAS62 has included some photos of closeups and the quality of the zoom. I have taken similar photos and had the same results. In my opinion, this is a great everyday-general use camera. As for the battery, I took 300 pictures between two weekends before it went to ‘low battery’. Most shots (80%) were outdoor with no flash and most shots were turning the camera on and off to take 1-5 shots at a time.
When I began this journey of trying to find a camera to take fast action shots, I was in the mindset that only a DSLR could achieve this. I have had, and used many others, in the past and have been let down. Finally I accepted that nothing was going to take these action shots without shelling out $800+. But I don’t want to shell out that much, not now at least. Besides, I want a camera small enough to throw in my pocket during trips/events and not have it hanging from my neck shouting “tourist”. The reviews on Amazon were not enough alone to convince me. The negative reviews, I felt, were lacking more detail. Some, I get it, you dropped the camera and panasonic wont fix it so now you bash them here. After weeding out the bashing, reading professional reviews on other sites, I had it narrowed down. I did have a spending limit of $250. What sold me was others recommending this one for the fast action shots, however, several of those reviewers did comment on poor low light pictures being grainy. Most of my pictures are outdoors or indoors with good lighting. I have taken several indoor photos and played with some of the scene modes. Quality indoor photos can be taken when the right scene mode is used. Auto mode does not always take the best picture. Use the different scenes for the appropriate picture. I feel many reviews are based on this Automatic picture setting. No camera I have seen will take the best pictures in Auto mode. This is not a $50 film camera of yesteryear. These are advanced electronics, the other modes are there because they take the best shots. Auto mode is there for those who don’t want to stray away from the basics. Those folks are the ones who should not gripe. Mom…Dad…Grandpa…Grandma…I understand technology is too much for you, but if you are not willing to use the features as they are available or intended, don’t review it based on your lack of fully testing the product. I may have passed up several better cameras because the ratings were by less-than-amateur users. I digress.
What I like about the camera:
1. 24mm ultra-wide angle lens. No more backing up to get everything in the picture.
2. 12 element in 10 groups Leica lens. Well known high quality lens.
3. 16x optical zoom. This baby zooms and zooms. Equivalent to 24-384mm lens
4. Intelligent Scene Selector sets the scene automatically. Played with a little and should be useful.
5. Auto focus subject tracking detection. No need to keep pressing shutter button half-way to readjust focus. This helps with the kids and fast action shots.
6. Optical image stabilization, not electronic…keeps the quality of the picture during shaking.
7. 2 speed zoom, fast or slow depending on how fast you swivel the lever…
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|I love this camera – it’s ACE !,
For the majority of people looking for a “pocket” camera – they can stop looking. This will honestly do for pretty much everything you really need. It’s the newly released little brother to the more expensive ZS10/TZ20.
It is not perfect, of course, but even if you take a “money no object” approach to picking an upper premium compact camera – there is currently nothing on the market that is head and shoulders better than this – although there can always be a case made for different qualities.
Big Zoom – check
Good “glass” on the front – yep, Leica
Optical Image Stabilisation – uh huh, works quietly and efficiently in the background making your shots less blurry.
Good quality photos – sure – but with the caveat that a “full on” digital SLR will always do better. The photos come out are a nice colour (not too vivid – but also not too washed out) and they don’t come out a funny colour under artificial lighting (some cameras can struggle and give you a funny tint under striplights or old fashioned tungsten bulbs).
Noise levels – the “speckly” bits on photos that you sometimes get in dark conditions – is definitely there – especially at higher ISO’s – but you get this problem in dim lighting conditions even with all compact cameras to a greater or lesser degree. Even if you get an SLR camera – even up to a year or so ago – you’ll find that they aren’t infallible to this either.
HD Video – check, but in MPEG format. I think that this takes up more space than the newer AVCHD format on the SZ10/TZ18 – but I would be wary of getting a camera that uses this format if you have an older PC or laptop and especially if you have a netbook – in case the hardware can’t cope. I guess Windows XP/NT/2000 users should definitely be careful – and to a lesser extent even if you have a Windows Vista machines you might think twice – especially if you are on a laptop where the hardware will always be slower than the equivalent price PC.
I have a mixture of laptops and netbooks running Windows 7 through to XP so didn’t want to take the chance – especially as other family members and the kids will probably want to view some of the footage (family and my kids have the older machines whilst dad gets the upgrade LOL).
I do wonder if the AVCHD format on the more expensive ZS10/TZ20 is going to be a bit of an evolutionary dead end – just as BLU RAY hasn’t really taken off – even though it’s technically better than DVD – most people even if they have a big widescreen TV find that their DVD is fine (probably because the modern DVD players and TV’s will upscale the DVD resolution to give a semi-HD picture quality). The ZS10/TZ20 I think gives you the option to record in both (I think I read that somewhere but if this a deal breaker you should check to be sure).
If you only want a great point and shoot camera this is brilliant and has loads of options. Not only that but the options are really well laid out and easy to understand – by which I mean the dials and menus are set out in a common sense fashion and also instead of just little symbols/icons to indicate that you are in portrait mode or landscape mode – there is a little text underneath which tells you what it will do.
I’ve had a number of Nikon’s and Canon’s – and for some reason they can still make cameras with menus and buttons that were laid out by Martians – they can be so unintuitive even for people who are really experienced photographers – and you have to keep referring to the instruction book to work out what to press or what menu icon you are looking for – and even then it doesn’t stick in the memory because it’s all so counter-intuitive.
If you think you might – in a little while – like to step up in your photography later and get a bit more creative – or you are thinking of this a second camera to augment your SLR – then you’ll want to know that this has A LOT of manual control thrown in which is pretty unusual in the compact camera class and it has Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Full Manual modes which is quite a rarity in the pocket camera class.
If you are an experienced SLR user, I can tell you that the PASM options are pretty nicely implemented. Sensibly placed access buttons (the small round exposure button and Q Menu buttons to the right of the screen do this) and the menus are nicely set up to easily access the bits you want for Aperture / Shutter priority / full manual control. It’ll never be as good as your SLR but you can’t carry that around with you this easily and it won’t shoot HD video either (or probably not unless you have the latest generation).
The 16x optical zoom is class leading. You can get really good close ups if you want to.
You should only compare OPTICAL zoom when you are looking at different cameras and ignore the Panasonic advertising…
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