Panasonic DMC-FZ18

Reviewed October 2007

Introduction

The Panasonic DMC-FZ18 is the newest addition to Panasonic's FZ series of cameras. The Lumix DMC-FZ18 is a bridge camera that offers an SLR feel, an optically stabilized 18X zoom, and an 8-megapixel resolution.

A 2-stage shutter release tops the front part of the grip, with the zoom control wrapped around it, one of the most practical and natural positions for such a control. Moreover, the zoom speed depends on how far the zoom control is pushed or pulled, fast or slow, with fast being twice the speed of slow.

In playback, the zoom control allows the user to review images as thumbnails in an index sheet format when pushed towards the W side, with first 9 thumbnails per screen, then 25 when pushed again, and finally in a calendar view, one month per screen, when pushed a third time. Still in playback, pulling on the zoom lever towards the T side reverses the process, gradually returning the image full screen, and then zooming into it in steps: 2X, 4X, 8X and 16X.

The other controls on the top right side of the camera consist of two small buttons, the power switch and the mode dial. Both the buttons nearest the shutter release have functions related to focus:

AF Macro/Focus button serves to switch from standard auto focus, to macro focus. Set to the Macro mode, the FZ18 is able to focus on a subject 1 cm (0.39 inch) from the front element of the lens when the camera's lens is at the wide angle end; 2 m (6.56 ft.) when at a zoom position between 6X and 11X; and 1 m (3.28 ft.) when at a zoom position between 12 and 18X.

Selects either Auto Focus or Manual Focus. To select the Manual Focus mode, the button must be held pressed for at least 1 second. The FZ18 is manually focused using the joystick (see further) over the entire focus range of the lens, from 1 cm (0.30 in.) to infinity.

The mode dial controls all camera modes, providing 14 positions of which 12 are capture modes. If desired, an option of the Setup menu allows the camera to display an on-screen representation of the dial that turns as the real dial is turned, making it possible to change mode without having to look at the dial directly.

Of all the modes on the dial, two are highlighted by the use of colour:

	Program lets the FZ18 set the aperture and shutter speed automatically. However, if desired, the user can modify the camera's selection (Program Shift) by pressing the shutter button halfway, which displays the camera's selection for aperture and shutter speed, and moving the Joystick (see further) up or down to select alternative combinations of aperture and shutter speeds that would still result in a good exposure.
	Aperture Priority provides control over the aperture from f2.8 at the wide end, and f4.2 to f8 at the maximum telephoto end, while the FZ18 selects the shutter speed.
	Shutter Priority: provides shutter speeds ranging from 1/2000 second to 8 seconds when the zoom is set to the wide angle end, and 1/1300 second to 8 seconds at the telephoto end, while the camera matches an aperture to the selected shutter speed.
	Manual Mode provides control over the aperture with the same range as the Aperture Priority mode, and the shutter speed over a range that covers from 1/2000 second to 60 seconds, depending on the maximum aperture available to the camera as determined by the focal length in use.
	Serves to pre-select any of 3 sets of preferred settings that can be recalled using this dial position.

The next mode dial position is only useable when the camera is connected to a PictBridge compliant printer:

Print mode serves to select photos for printing, using the options of the Print menu. The menu serves to select the images to print, the number of copies to make, the paper size, the layout, and whether or not the capture date should be superimposed on the print.

More capture modes, starting with the Motion Picture mode, follow the Print position:

Motion Picture mode captures movies with mono sound. Three frame sizes are available: 4:3 Ratio: VGA: 640 x 480 pixels at 30 or 10 frames per second. QVGA: 320 x 240 pixels at 30 or 10 frames per second. 16:9 Ratio: 848 x 480 pixels at 30 or 10 frames per second. The optical zoom is locked at its current position when the recording starts. The digital zoom is unavailable. However, focus, if set to continuous, exposure and white balance are adjusted as the recording progresses. The MEGA OIS optical stabilizer operates in Mode 1.

All the remaining positions on the mode dial are Scene modes, starting with the SCN position which is the access to any of 14 fully automatic scene modes of the FZ18. Worth noting, pressing the DISPLAY button (see further) displays a text explanation of the use of the currently highlighted mode:

Unlike the modes contained in the SCN section, the other 4 scene modes that have their own mode dial position offer some level of user control, by offering a choice of sub-scenes types:

	Night Portrait mode provides a choice of: Night Portrait: standard mode that uses the flash to light the foreground and a relatively slow shutter speed to capture the background. Requires a tripod. Night Scenery: captures night scenery with a exposure time of 8 seconds. Illuminations: has a maximum exposure time of 1/8 second to capture a well-lit subject. Creative: allows the aperture value to be changed to control the depth of field.
	Sports mode provides a choice of: Normal: controls ISO sensitivity to maximize shutter speed. Outdoor: maximizes shutter speed. For use in good weather and bright light. Indoor: increases ISO sensitivity to prevent blurring. Creative: allows control over the shutter speed.
	Scenery mode provides a choice of: Normal: uses distant focus. Nature: enhances blues and greens. Architecture: adds a composition grid. Creative: allows the shutter speed to be changed.
	Portrait mode provides a choice of: Normal: selects a wide aperture to blur the background. Soft Skin: softens skin tones. Outdoor: prevents underexposure of the subject. Indoor: increases ISO sensitivity to prevent blur. Creative: provides control over the aperture so the depth of field can be controlled.

All the other external controls of the FZ18 are on the back of the camera, and starting on the left side, the Flash Open button serves to release the pop-up flash mounted in front of the EVF (electronic viewfinder). The FZ18's flash is always manually opened, even when the camera is set to a scene mode that requires it, at which time it displays "Please open the flash".

The EVF of the DMC-FZ18 has a resolution of 188,000 pixels, which provides a relatively crisp image. A dioptre adjustment dial, to the left of the exit pupil, provides a correction range of ± 4 dioptre, allowing the EVF to be adjusted to most people's eyesight.

The FZ18's speaker is positioned immediately to the right of the EVF, with next to that the EVF/LCD button, which serves to select either the EVF or the monitor. Worth noting, captured images can be reviewed on either the LCD monitor or the EVF.

The other button is the AF/AE LOCK. The button can be configured in the camera's menu to lock the focus (AF Lock), the auto exposure (AE Lock) or both. By default, the focus and exposure are locked when the button is pressed.

The remaining external controls of the FZ18 are all on the right side of the monitor. The monitor is composed of 207,000 pixels, which allows for a crisp and detailed image.

The joystick, positioned close to the top right edge of the monitor, is a multi-function tool that can be used to control and select some settings directly on the monitor or the viewfinder, such as exposure compensation, or the AF area, or even adjust the manual focus, or when the camera is set to the playback mode to review images, or when a menu is displayed, to make selections.

Furthermore, pressing the joystick straight-in displays a quick setting menu that is superimposed on the image coming from the lens, allowing for quick changes to current settings without having to access the relevant menu sections:

• Stabilizer Mode provides 3 settings (this option is the only one shown when the camera is set to the Intelligent Auto mode):
  • Off: turns off the optical stabilizer. This setting should be used when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
  • Mode 1 allows the stabilizer to function continuously while the image is composed, and at the moment of capture.
  • Mode 2 only activates the stabilizer when the shutter release is fully depressed, stabilizing the image at the precise moment of capture. This mode provides a greater degree of stabilization and conserves power.

• AF Mode provides a choice of six settings:
  • Face Detection: automatically detects one or more faces in the frame and focuses on them, placing a rectangle around each face detected, and focusing on the face that is at the middle distance so that all are in focus.
  • Multi-area focusing: uses multi area focusing to find the focus point, even if it is not at the centre of the frame.
  • H 3-area focusing (High Speed): allows the camera to focus quickly on any of three AF points positioned horizontally in the middle of the frame.
  • H 1-area focusing (High Speed): high speed focusing using the centre AF point, but it can be moved to any of 11 points in the frame using the joystick.
  • 1-area focusing: allows the camera to focus on the centre point in the frame but it can be moved to any of 11 points in the frame using the joystick.
  • Spot focusing: focuses on a small area of the frame that can be placed at any of 11 points in the frame using the joystick.
• Metering Mode provides a choice of patterns:
  • Multiple.
  • Centre-weighted.
  • Spot.
• White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Flash, Halogen (incandescent), White Set 1, White Set 2 (both of which are memories for user-set white balance settings), and White Set, for setting a white balance to take into account a specific light environment, and then saving it to either White Set 1 or White Set 2.
• Sensitivity: allows adjusting the CCD sensitivity, providing settings of 100, 200, 400, 800, 1250 or 1600 ISO. An Auto mode is also available, covering from 100 to 200 ISO when the flash is not used, and 1000 to 400 ISO when the flash is used. Worth noting, the High Sensitivity scene mode has a range that covers from 1600 to 6400 ISO.
• Picture Size: serves to set the image size (see the Characteristics section of the review for more details on the available image sizes).
• Quality: to choose the compression level, or the RAW format that is available with the FZ18. (See the Characteristics section of the review.)

Pressing the DISPLAY button once adds a real-time histogram on the right side of the image.

Pressing the button a second time changes the display so that the image coming from the lens is a bit smaller and positioned on the top left, allowing the current settings to be shown on the right and bottom of the screen over a black background, increasing their legibility.

Pressing the button once more removes the histogram but adds a composition grid, the style of which is determined by an option in the Setup menu. (See the Interface and Software section of the review for details about the Setup menu.)

Yet another press of the button clears all but the AF area from the screen.

With the camera set to the Playback mode, the default setting simply superimposes the icon for the playback mode in the upper left corner, while the top right corner indicates the image size and quality, the battery state, the image's file name, and its position within those contained in the folder. At the bottom, a strip shows the time and date on which the photo was captured.

Pressing the button once places additional information above the date: the shooting mode used, the aperture and shutter speed, sensitivity, flash mode and white balance, and adds the image's histogram.

A second press of the button removes all superimposed information from the image.

As a secondary function, when the button is held pressed for more than a second, its LCD MODE function is activated and it displays a short menu, superimposed on the image:

• OFF is the default setting.
• Power LCD increases the brightness of the monitor, making it more legible outdoors or under bright ambient light.
• High Angle serves to boost the monitor brightness to such an extent that it is too bright when seen normally, but perfectly visible when the camera is held overhead and the screen is seen from below, ideal for situations where photos can only be captured overhead.

When the camera is set to the Playback mode, the LCD MODE options are limited to the first two choices.

A group of four semi-circular buttons, arranged in a circle around the MENU/SET button, form the cursor buttons. While the MENU/SET button serves to call up the camera menu and confirm selections, the other buttons serve to navigate the menus, or move from one image to another in the playback mode, as does the joystick. In addition, each of the 4 directional arrows provides control over a specific function when the camera is set to a capture mode:

	The up arrow serves to set: Exposure Compensation over ±2 EV in 1/3 EV increments. Auto Bracketing (JPEG only) over 3 frames and ±1 EV in 1/3 EV increments. Flash Output Adjustment to compensate flash exposures over ±2 EV in 1/3 EV steps. While with the camera set to the Intelligent Auto mode, the button activates Automatic Backlight compensation.
	The right arrow selects Flash Modes (only when the flash is opened): Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On with Red-eye Reduction, and Slow Sync with Red-eye Reduction.

The last button on the back of the DMC-FZ18 has two functions. First, in the still image capture modes and when the camera is set to record JPEG images, the button controls the Burst mode::

	The Standard burst mode captures 3 frames per second or up to 4 frames at the best image quality, and up to 7 frames with the most compressed image quality. Captures 2 frames per second with no limit on the number of frames.
	The button also serves as the Delete button when the camera is set to the Playback or Review modes.

The DMC-FZ18 has a built-in flash that is manually released with a button on the top left side of the camera's back, near the exit pupil of the EVF.

When the sensitivity is set to Auto ISO, which allows the camera to increase sensitivity up to 400 ISO, the flash is described in the camera's specifications has having a range that covers from 30 cm (1 ft) to 6 m (19.7 ft) with the zoom at the wide angle end.