FZ20 is a great buy!

Author's Rating:

Pros: See above

Cons: See above

The Bottom Line: 
It's versatile and easy to use, but it allows the user to get as detailed as they want to be. A great buy for both the beginner and expert shooter.

Author's Review
After my Canon Rebel died (after 14 years) I was searching for a camera that was capable of producing quality shots for less than $1000 complete. It took me a year to resolve the digital vs. film debate but after reviewing numerous articles and actually "test driving" a friend's FZ20, I was hooked. With the addition of a view basic filters, I am extremely impressed with the quality of the images it produces. From nature photography to portraits to sports to scenery, this camera can do it all, and very well. While I was hesitant about the fact that I can't interchange lenses, the addition of filters has suited my taste just fine. (Not to mention it's got a very good lens that is quite versatile.) My total price was just under $1000 with camera, filters (about all the basic ones), bag, tripod, spare battery, 1 gig card, etc. I think it was money well spent.

If you are considering a digital camera that won't break the bank, I would highly recommend the Panasonic FZ20 camera.

PROS
-Excellent photo quality
-True color reproduction (using a polarising filter definitely helps)
-Nice selection of "point and shoot" setups (sports, portrait, etc.)
-Ability to make manual adjustments on the fly
-Nice size LCD with some helpful display options
-Excellent value for the price

CONS
-Manual focus ring sometimes gets messed up by the "auto focus helper"
-SD card included with the camera is waaaaay too small, a high speed 1 gig card or higher is the way to go
-My hand shakes too much on the macro shots so I really have to use a tripod (which is more my fault than the camera - maybe I should stop drinking so much caffeine!)

Overall the FZ20 is a great model for those who want better than a "point and click" camera but don't want to spend bundles of money for either.