Hi - a noob here,  on the launch day of the new P80... as after hours of research my decision to get a new camera for my birthday (just gone) is now down to a choice of 2.

Having used lithium batteries before I really wanted to stick with them, so have a limited choice of bridge cameras to choose from. But these two seem pretty close and I think it'll be a decision on what the reviews of the P80 have to say which will be the deciding factor. 

I love the wide angle and 18x zoom facility they both offer....plus i think both will be excellent as a learning camera for me without the bulk of an SLR.So it'll still be about a week before I get my new toy, in the meantime I'll just have to make do with what I have - an Casio Exilim EX757 and a Panasonic vdr d300 (excellent for stills!).

Kathy

 

 

Kathy
I have the Panasonic FZ8 and can't praise it high enough. Excellent camera. So I think the FZ18 will be at least it's equal. The increased length zoom lens especially at the wide angle end is very welcome.
Having said that I'm sure that the Nikon will be a fine camera as well. So in my opinion it's a trip to the photo shop to handle each of them. The fact that you have narrowed it down to two models should make the choice somewhat easier.

Hi Dangie

Thanks for your reply....I will be seeing what the Nikon is like as soon as it hits the shops. I've also probably rather been confusing myself with all the different models available now, and am also considering the FZ50 into the melting pot.

From the reviews the FZ18 doens't perform hugely well in low light, and a lot of my shots would be at my husbands gigs, where the lighting is quite poor.... so I am hoping that it'd out perform what I have now, which wont be hard LOL!  (but may not be perfect according the the critics....)

K

k_sparkle:

(but may not be perfect according the the critics....)

Ah.... Critics....
Remember they are doing a job........to criticise.....!!!!!
According to the critics, my FZ8 is supposed to suffer from excessive noise, but unless I push the ISO level right up, I've yet to find it...!!
Either of the two (or now three) cameras you've mentioned will perform excellently. By all means read what the critics say, but then disregard it. Afterall no two critics seem to agree, that should tell you something.

Regards Dangie

Cheers Dangie

 

I have actually gone ahead with the FZ18 - and been playing around with it for the past couple of days now.

I have to say, IMO, for what I want it seems perfect - the lowlighting comments which worried me, seem to be irrelevant, as with the flash it is powerful enough to get some great pictures, even with the zoom at Bruces gigs.  So we'll see what happens at the darker  ones in the more salubrious bars I expect!!

Kathy