It is so far the best camera we had! Image Quality It has the sharpest clarity of photos! Performance Great and has not done anything weird at all like other cameras out there! Ease of Use Even a novice can work this camera. Durability I have dropped this a couple of times already but it has not changed the quality of the camera at all. Battery Life I take a lot of photos and this camera still last weeks! Portability It is small enough to keep in my bag without making me a hunchback :P

jupps

Louisville, KY

I chose this camera after reading some great reviews. I wonder now if that reviewer got compensated in some way. I have used a Konica/Minolta Dimage Z6 for the past few years and have been happy with it however it's only 6 megapixels and it's too bulky to throw into a purse. So I wanted a more compact style with more MPs. The Lumix has that, and more. So here are the features I like: - 14 megapixels - 8x zoom (which is plenty for most needs) - iA (intelligent auto) mode selects scene type for you. Notice this is also in my cons list. - The battery charge lasts quite a while under normal use - fairly easy to pick up and start using - nice big LCD screen to view shots Cons: - The iA mode does not always pick the best scene type/mode for your shot and for me often results in grainy or blurry shots - no viewfinder for outdoor shots - a ridiculous number of modes, I think there are 22 including strange ones like self-portrait, food, party, baby 1, baby 2, pet, aerial photo, and a few more other confusing ones that I will never use. - You have to go into the menu to select a scene mode which is time-consuming, would have been better to have some kind of button or switch on the camera. - My biggest disappointment with this camera is that almost every photo of a person has red-eye, particularly light eyes like blue. With my two brown-eyed children it doesn't happen as often. That makes for time-consuming corrections. This is to be blamed on the compact size with flash being so close to the lens. This likely is a problem with all compact cameras in this class. All in all, it's a good back-up camera and the size is nice to stick in a purse. But I find myself turning back to my old Z6 (with a pop-up flash so no red-eye, easy scene selection switch on camera, and excellent zoom capabilities) even though it's less than half the MPs.

lotterino

Dalton, MN

When I gave up my black-and-white darkroom and made the move to digital, I didn't know what to expect. My old SLR was a Nikon, so I figured, if it's Nikon it's the best. But I had problems with the Nikon digital camera I bought. The worst was that the color always seemed off and had to be corrected using photoediting programs. I did a lot of online research this time as well as looking at cameras in stores. Canon, of course, sounded good, and was a brand I recognized. But in photography blogs and reviews, the name Panasonic Lumix kept popping up. It was totally unfamiliar to me, though I knew Panasonic made reliable electronics. For many years I used Panasonic tape recorders, so I trusted the brand. But cameras? Still, so many photographers seemed to recommend it, and looking at their work (though I knew not to expect exactly the same results!), I could see why. The surprising thing is, the more moderately priced DMC-FH20 seemed to be getting better ratings than the more expensive models, even the ones with Leica lenses. And it has a setting called "Film Grain" for shooting B&W pictures. I gave it a try, and for the most part I am thrilled! The color is vibrant and true - the only trouble I have is sometimes in fluorescent lighting, which is just evil in general. And I find I have to set the light meter higher than normal when shooting on the Film Grain setting, or it comes out very dark. I've gotten some very nice shots at night without using flash. City lights reflected in rain or snow are beautiful for this. But I would like the technology to improve so I could get better pictures without flash in almost all settings, like I used to when shooting with film. All in all, it's a wonderful camera which I wholeheartedly recommend. Performance To tell the truth, I have since gotten a Canon S95 because I kept hearing so much about its low light capabilities. And it is better in that regard, which is important to me. But the Lumix camera is still an excellent camera and I would recommend it.

selkie305

Brooklyn, NY

I was really excited to get the Panasonic Lumix FH20 digital camera, the reviews/ratings were consistently great and the price was certainly right but so far I am dissappointed with it overall. There seems to be an issue with the camera that leaves me with a spot on one corner of the photo that is darker than the rest, like my finger was over part of the flash or something but it isn't. It also doesn't seem to take photos that are focused correctly; if my son moves just a little bit when I am trying to take a photo it will end up blurry or out of focus, even in sports mode. Now, I have been in contact with Panasonic and they are happy to replace it for me, but with a refurbished camera, I would prefer a new one obviously but I think I will take them up on their offer, 5 stars for customer service at least. If this is an isolated incidence/problem with quality I would actually recommend the camera as I do like it otherwise. What I DO like about it is that it is very fast to turn on and take photos, writes quickly also. I am a little irked that it requires an HD SD to use the video function but in the long run that is a minor issue/expense I guess.

zstotts

Montgomery, TX

The Lumix DMC-FH20 is a compact high zoom point and shoot (p&s), and in that category it does very well. It's lightweight, has a simple and somewhat comprehensive feature list, and excellent image quality in its class. As point and shoots go, this can produce some of the best images of cameras up to and beyond this price range. The build is a brushed aluminum front, with some of the sides and top aluminum and the rest plastic. It's a solid build, and after several bumps, small drops, and light weather exposure, and it held up well. There's an eyelet on the right side for a sturdy wrist strap, as well as the USB connection, and the battery and memory card slot opens on the bottom. It takes SDHC cards, which are nice and cheap these days. For video shooting, the manual says you must have at least a 6x speed card, so keep that in mind if you want to shoot video. There about 30 picture modes offered by this camera - landscape, fireworks, food, etc. Many times I can't tell the difference, and usually keep the camera in "Intelligent Auto" mode, which will select the best mode for the conditions. One mode I can speak highly of is "Night Portrait" mode - for low light and outdoor pictures, this offered excellent results that most other cameras couldn't replicate. Very very useful. Other than that, there's not a lot of tweaking available for picture settings, which is typical for most p&s. The battery lasts for about 200-300 pictures, and is a recharghable li-ion. On long days, I've started to run close to the edge in terms of battery life. It's a bit inconvenient to be out and realize you're starting to run low on batteries, but that's the price of a small form factor and low weight. Overall, I'm very happy with this camera. I think this is one of the best options for a mid to high end p&s.

thejakal

Suffolk, VA

I was in the market for a new, compact digital camera. I have an SLR but also wanted something small to take with me when I didn't want to lug around the SLR. This is a very nice camera in a very small size. I find that it takes excellent pictures when you are outside. The indoor pictures are still good, but when I compare them to what my SLR takes indoors, the color and sharpness just isn't quite the same. However, I wasn't expecting to get the same quality in a point and shoot compared to an SLR. It has the quick response I was looking for, the ease of use, and the small size. THe only fault I have found with the body of the camera is that the battery door easily comes open if the latch is hit in just the right way. My battery has flown out more than once due to this.

momof2inil

Monticello, IL

When my old camera finally gave up the ghost, I bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. I don't like it nearly as much as my last camera, but for everyday capturing of random photographs, it is adequate. It's small enough to carry in my pocket wherever I go. It takes decent night photographs, which I was surprised by. You can fine-tune the controls to a point. It uses SD cards that are very standard. Though it has decent specs for its pay grade, I don't think it quite stands up to them. I find that even on the brightest days with the nicest shooting conditions, the images are noisy at the large size. Many photos get a colorful digital noise in them, and they're not nearly as crisp as the photos my last camera took. Since I like doing lots of macro photos, I was really displeased by this. The ISO settings are all off too. The stabilization doesn't work so well. The flash makes things garish and sometimes way too bright. I even had a friend with a little more training in photography test it out for me to see if it was a user problem. Sadly, it was the quality of the camera itself.

astokes

Chicago, IL

I must say, I am very impressed with this little point-and-shoot camera. Recently I went on a trip to New York, and I didn't feel like lugging around my Canon 40D camera. I picked up this trusty little camera and took it with me on my big city adventures. I really love how compact and light this camera is. I could fit it easily into my coat pocket without any bulging or it prodding me. The features also surprised me. Upon receiving it, I did not realize exactly how many settings it had. There's one for virtually every scenario. You have your standard portraits, night portraits, action shots, etc. , setting you'd find on any plain point-and-shoot. Then here are it's "slimming" setting, beach setting, firework setting, snow setting, and even a black and white mode!  The video quality was also great - full HD videos right in the palm of your hand! It also has a great ISO range as well. Really, I can't think of anything bad to say about this camera! It's great to have, and I highly recommend it! It's a small point-and-shoot, but boy does it pack a punch!

ColonelSanders

New Port Richey, FL

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 is a great compact point and shoot camera.  I had been looking for a new camera to take on a trip with me, and after much research, I ended up getting this model and after taking a few test shots, it is definitely looking like I made the right choice!  This camera has an intellegent auto mode that sets your mode automatically for the setting that will produce the optimal results with your pictures.  The camera has up to an eight times optical zoom which allows you to capture great details in your images.  The lens takes a wide angle to keep it a compact point and shoot.  Generally, camera with this type of zoom are going to be the much larger professional cameras; however, this panasonic packs it into a small package.  The resolution on the pictures gives you the option to shoot at 14 megapixels, so you know you are getting even the smallest details clearly brought out in all your snapshots.

fungirl9285

Oklahoma City, OK

I bought this camera for my mom.  The film cameras she used years ago were by no means simple, but she has a hard time with complicated electronic gadgets.  I've gone over the features and controls of the camera a few times with her, and I think it was a good choice.  The controls are very simple.  The onscreen menus usually are explanatory, and there aren't many settings that should need to be changed manually. I looked at a few other point-and-shoot cameras in this price range first, and I was very disappointed by their build quality.  I was particularly bothered by light cheap plastic housings and flimsy zoom toggles.  I really like the FH20 in this regard.  The case is very strong, and by looks and weight it could pass as metal.  The zoom toggle is larger than others I've seen and feels more durable.  Other nice touches are the battery/memory door that springs open but locks shut with a latch, the clip that locks the rechargeable battery in place underneath that door, and the solid little door over the USB port that springs open and shut (rubber ones tend to get ripped off), and the on/off toggle power switch.  The controls on the back of the camera are slightly recessed, but are surprisingly easy to push and click solidly. Technically the camera is very capable as a point-and-shoot.  The zoom lens is more than is usually necessary.  I'm thankful for the optical stabilization, but with such a small frame long exposures are tough without a tripod (usually end up blurry).  The picture quality is decent, and 14+ megapixels should be more than enough for any kind of print.

wieland

Sioux Falls, SD