Panasonic LUMIX FZ80D Compact Camera 20-1200mm Zoom, Point and Shoot Lens with Built-in Lens, 4K Video and Photo Recording, DC-FZ80D

A right pain in the neck. So many things to do unless you use the Ai or preset functions. Older models with more options far easier to use with much better results, as you can be in control much quicker.

Small, light & easy to carry around when travelling. Zoom range is sufficient for bird & animal video/photo.

I recently got into photography and this is a great point and shoot camera. The zoom is INCREDIBLE. Pictures at full zoom (1200mm) come out crystal clear. When traveling across Europe, I sometimes used it as a telescope to see something (like the top of a cathedral better) because the zoom was that good. It's 100% worth the investment and the camera is far smarter than I am. I've had the camera for 9 months and have never regretted this purchase.

This is a GREAT camera FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE. Please read before buying. This camera is a "superzoom bridge" camera. That means it has a small sensor (it's physically impossible to get this much zoom out of any portable camera with a large sensor). So, it is NOT a professional grade large sensor camera to get the best depth of color and pin sharp detail. BUT, it IS fantastic to take traveling or hiking to get ALL the shots you cannot get with your phone. Your phone is amazing at wide landscapes, panorama vistas, portraits, low light, etc. HOWEVER, your phone SUCKS at natural looking macro shots (close ups of small things) and it REALLY sucks at long zoom shots - that wildlife off in the distance for example. This camera does a great job of taking the pictures your phone simply can't. It takes really good macro shots - like really good. Not expensive DSLR or mirrorless quality, but pretty close. AND this camera has lots (tons!!!) of OPTICAL zoom and high enough resolution that you can still crop to zoom in even a bit further and still have very solid resolution and quality (though not professional level by any means). Superzoom bridge cameras are, in my opinion, the best travel companion to your phone when you really need long zoom reach. And I believe this one is the best option for many people. It is cheaper, lighter, and smaller than the competition that can compete for image quality. Problems with (ALL) superzoom cameras: They SUCK in low light especially when zooming in - don't bother, get out your phone instead - it's great in low light. Once you get into twilight this camera will be mostly useless - but so will all similar cameras. They are a niche tool. Consider carefully whether you really need this amount of zoom. You can find 20X or even 30X large sensor compact cameras that will get better image quality and be even more portable, and 20x is still quite a bit of zoom, plenty for most uses. Problems with (THIS) superzoom: The physical and digital interface is not intuitive. You will need to spend some time learning how to use this. Having to push a button to switch from viewfinder to LCD screen is annoying (but not a big deal really). Taking any control over ISO, shutter speed, aperture, etc is a bit wonky. It also lacks some bells and whistles like wifi connectivity. Great things about (ALL good) superzoom cameras: Optical zoom is the ONLY good kind of zoom. Digital zoom is just cropping down your picture and losing resolution. It has its uses, but it's better to just do it in the computer when you'll have more control. These cameras have TONS of optical zoom in a small package, making it possible to get shots that are simply impossible with anything else you can afford or carry around - to give you an idea, the Canon 1200mm zoom costs about $20,000 and weighs a "surprisingly light" 7.4 lbs and is 21 inches long. This camera will get you the same distance optically at 1/50 the price of just the lens, less than 1/5 the weight of just the lens, and at a size you can pop in a purse or day pack. Good things about (THIS) superzoom: It is cheaper by far than all other options that get this kind of quality. Half the price or less of the Nikons that are only marginally better. It is smaller and lighter than the competition. The Nikons are nearly twice as long when turned off (lens retracted fully). They also weigh about twice as much (the Nikon P1100 weighs 3.1 lbs compared to this camera at 1.4 lbs). Weight and size really make a big difference in a travel/hiking camera. The Image Stabilization on this one is as good as it gets in a superzoom, which REALLY REALLY matters when zooming. I've managed to get very acceptably sharp photos at 1200 mm (full zoom) while handheld with NO support. That is incredibly impressive. You'll need good technique - holding the camera properly, watching your breathing, and pressing the shutter without jiggling the camera body. To sum up, if you have been frustrated with the limitations of your phone when traveling, hiking, etc. and want something that can get all those pictures your phone simply can't without having to carry around a dedicated camera bag, this is a FANTASTIC option - especially when out in nature to capture the wildlife that can often be very far off in the distance. If you don't really need all this zoom, then maybe look at some of the more compact large sensor options that still have good zoom and can do good macro shots. If you have lots of spare money, and want the maximum possible zoom, and don't care about carrying a larger heavier camera, then consider the Nikon P1100. But for the sweet spot of those who need the zoom that goes well past 20 or 30x, and want the most compact lightweight option, or people who have a budget to stay inside, this is the best option on the market, in my opinion. I'm a backpacker who is also a photography enthusiast, and after doing tons of comparisons and research, this is the camera I choose to carry on the trail because it solves all the problems I had with every other option. I'm giving it 4 stars out of 5 only because of the lack of wifi and the less than intuitive interface. Otherwise, I think this is a perfect camera for my needs.

Ive had this camera for 9 months now, heres my thoughts. Good camera for the money. It's not the absolute best but between buying 400-600$ body and having to drop another 200-400$ for a decent lens, I would 100% recommend this camera STRICTLY for beginners with a budget. Easy to use and understand ,mildly lightweight. Works great in outdoor lighting ,Noticeable grain indoors. Battery life is great. I shoot Airshows and the most batteries ive ran through is 2. Autofocus/stabilization is decent no complaints. Would be a great fun gift a kid whos into aviation photography! Overall good for budgets but if you can drop a bit more go ahead.

The images are just not good. At any range. I didn't realize that I owned pretty much this same camera 7+ years ago, and didn't like it. This camera is just a refresh of its predecessor the FZ80. The only differences are the charging cable type, and touch screen, and a few things like that. The pictures it takes are still the exact same quality. So in 2018, I had the previous version of this camera, and was truly underwhelmed by its picture quality.It has been sitting in a box for years, untouched, and I had completely forgotten about it. I have been using my phone instead because the pictures come out 20 times better than on these cameras. After getting this FZ80d, and using it for a day, I was also underwhelmed at the pictures, and thats when I realized it's pretty much my old camera. When you're out taking pictures, you look at the picture on the camera's screen, and you think it looks great! It's got great zoom, the picture looks like it's in focus and properly exposed, and you then go home, look at these same pictures on a larger computer screen and realize how bad they really are. They're not sharp. The details are just not there. Now I understand you lose detail at max zoom. But the pictures are disappointing at every zoom level, and at every light level. I tried out this camera on a landscape, on people, on my dog sitting still 2 feet away, on birds at varying distances, and on other still objects at varying distances on a Florida afternoon with perfect light conditions and not a single photo came out sharp. The lens was perfectly clean, and I tried many shooting modes and fine tuned some of the settings in manual mode, but the results are the same. This camera is not worth the price, if the one thing it's supposed to do, it doesn't do well. I returned this camera, and purchased another brand for $300 more than this one, and the results are so much better. It's also a superzoom bridge camera, with even better zoom, and actual beautiful results. Don't waste your time on this one if you want decent quality pictures, which I'm sure you do if you're looking to get a dedicated camera in the first place.