Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, Colors I

Throwback 2009, image making with an 8.3MP CCD Lumix DMC-FZ18, looking at images worth preserving, Part I.

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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.

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.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18

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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