1) Incredible HD video. I was very impressed by them. It was one of the first brand that put HD video into a rugged compact camera.
2) possibility to use optical zoom while shooting videos
3) frontal led lamp
4) Night scene gives back very good pictures
5) Shockproof is very good. The camera fell down few times from waiste height but it worked perfectly
6) good underwater pictures
6) Good beahviour at high ISO
7) Good zomm extension
8) long battery life

1) The LCD is very reflective at direct sunlight, it behave like a mirror more then a viewer.
2) I sctrechted it very easily after my first outing at beach
3) The sealed door is not very reliable, you need to take a lot of attention to sweep out any dust particles
4) Colors are sometimes too greenish
5) zoom lever can be improoved

I bought this camera as a second choice to my DSLR Nikon D40 + 18-200VR lens, to have a compact camera to bring with me everywhere, even at beach or in the sea!
I read enthusiastic review throughout internet and I decided for it compared to CANON POWERSHOT D10 model.
I bought one sample at camerabox.co.uk and I used it all summer 2009.
Really terrific HD videos, very good resistance for dropping from belt height, good wide-tele extension, frontal LED very useful, zoom availability during video is very interesting and battery life is very good!
But.. LCD display scratches very easily at beach, just after my first outing, under direct sunlight it behaves as a mirror instead as a viewer.
About still pictures: colors were very poor an all the pictures are greenish, except for the sunset mode in which pictures have good saturation even if they are reddish.
I had to retouch all the pictures in Photoshop to obtain good color, contrast and white balance!
Moreover, after two months, the battery compartment-door started having some leakage and the camera was unusable.
Camerbox service was very bad, while Panasonic was excellent.
They paid a new model for me, and I'm still using it.
I have to say that after one year, my first bad impression has been revalued (maybe the first sample was not very good).
I have not tested again into water. I'm waiting this summer to do it, but results are very good in all other fields!
Very good camera


My suggestion is to try it and its competitors, useful links are:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2346778,00.asp#

Customer Service

Excellent for PANASONIC
Very poor for CAMERABOX.CO:UK

I bought my first sample at camerabox.co.uk but I was not very happy of that sample.
After my first summer the camera failed, water started entering from the waterproof seal.
I sent it back to camerabox and since there were no news from them I directly contacted Panasonic.
They offered to paid back a new sample of the camera and so I purchased a new sample at MEDIAWORLD and had my bill fully refund by the customer service.

Similar Products Used:

I used a CANON IXUS V2 for 6 years and a NIKON D40+18-200 VR for 3 years