Pretty good picture quality, easy to use, small and light

3x optical zoom not enough, uses 2 AA batteries and sucks them down fast so you either have to a. turn off the LCD screen and use the viewfinder to conserve power, b. turn off the camera in between shots and wait for it to warm up (turn on the digital zoom from the menu again, if needed) to conserve power, which can cause you to miss shots or c. bring along several extra sets of AA batteries (make sure they are rechargable or what you spend on batteries will soon exceed what you spent on the camera), as the batteries drain the flash recharge time gets longer and longer (which can also cause you to miss shots), awkward compartment for battery and memory card

I bought this camera pretty much because it was a. on sale and b. came with a bunch of goodies (a free 128 MB memory card and 2 free 16 MB memory cards). This was my first digital camera purchase, and I hope I learn from this $200 mistake. The Panasonic brand has pretty much always been good to me, but I guess I should have stayed with a brand that has been in the industry a bit longer (Cannon, Olympus, Minolta, Kodak, etc.) Anyhow, this appears to be an entry-level camera...not too many bells and whistles.

Similar Products Used:

None

Buitiful color saturation and clarity of image. No camera in this price range can touch the quality image it produces. I have no difficulty with 8 x 10 enlargements. They are almost indistinguishable from 35mm. The controls are simple and intuitive. I spent about a half-hour with the manual out of the box and I am now comfortable with all the settings and adjustments available. The fact that it runs on only 2 AA means that it won't keep a charge as long as other digitals, but it also means you can take pictures as long as you can find 2 AA's with a charge. The camera also comes with a set of NiMH AA's and a charger (not part of the competition's packages). For night and indoor portraits, put it on a small tripod and set it to the night scene mode with extended exposure. It takes great shots this way. The SD cards are are expensive, but seem to be the next trend in multi-media memory with many other applications. The burst and video modes are fun, but only useful if image quality is not an issue. With the included video cable, you can view images/video directly from camera to TV, or record a slide show/video on the VCR, no PC required.

The BIG problem with this camera is it's focus speed, reload speed, and low light auto focus. This camera cannot mill around a dimly lit party and snap off quick pics. In AF/AE mode, it needs way too long to focus in low light, if it can focus at all. I missed many pictures before I discovered it works fine left in infinity mode for simple snap shots. However, the flash has very limited range. I have been able to salvage low light images on the PC, but the quality and color is not the same. The simple solution was a $20 Quantray slave flash. Throw in a couple of AAA batteries, and put the flash in your pocket. If you want a flash shot that's more than 10 feet away or using the zoom, pull out the slave and hold it with the camera. This has worked great. One surprising draw back, considering the technology put into this unit, is the inabilty to use AF/AE lock with the timer. If you are taken shots with the timer, you have to shoot in infinity mode, or rely on the camera's first impression focussing. In daylight, this is not an issue, but it is impossible to get a good indoor/night shot by using the timer (except in night scene mode, which requires your subject's patience).

This camera was none of the things I expected in a first digital. I purchased it with intention of replacing the 35mm point and shoot to avoid shooting roll after roll of film, paying for processing, only to put a handfull of prints into an album. My LC20 does that just fine, but I was surprised how much more effort it requires to take simple snap shots compared to my Olympus Stylus. That said, I never dreamed that an entry level digital could take such incredible pictures. The Leica lens lives up to the company's reputation. If you're on a budget, but want to go digital and take quality photos, get this camera. It does not have the speed and ease of use as some others (e.g. Nikon coolpix 2500, 2000; Canon A40), but those guys can't touch the image quality.

Customer Service

Not an issue yet. Camera feels very solid and sturdy.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon coolpix 2000, 2500; CanonA40