Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, Colors I

#DigitalMoments - Throwback 2009, five frames with a Lumix DMC-FZ18, looking back at images worth preserving.

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The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 is available in both silver and black. While the black version may look more professional and business-like, mine was, however, in the elegant silver, acquired from the auction market where color was not the choice.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18

The front plane of the camera is dominated by the aspherical Leica Vario Elmarit lens that has a killer 18x zoom range (504mm eq.) and a maximum opening of f/2.8. The lens has a 55mm thread on the outer casing for wide-angle or telephoto conversion attachments and a 46mm thread on the inner barrel for filters or polarizers.

A large rubberized handgrip complements the front of the camera. This makes it possible to use the camera single-handedly if you so wish, but in the case of sports or action photography or when using a longer zoom range, that might be the way to prevent camera shake. Powering up the camera takes about 1.7 seconds, which might be especially quick in certain circumstances.

The DMC-FZ18 is light enough to carry anywhere and it rests naturally in the palm of your hand. Autofocus is fast and precise, and a bit slower at the longer focal length. Exposure is spot on most of the time with a slight tendency to underexposure if bright areas dominate the scene. With its 41 intermediate steps, the zoom lever works very smoothly and it only takes 3 seconds to go from wide-angle to telephoto.

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