I've owned the FZ-40 for 6 days.

As an active traveler, I have used several different cameras. You really can't go wrong with any of the mega-zoom point and shoots - they all have their pros and cons.

However, the Panasonic FZ-40 is probably as good as P&S's will get with the current technology. Some day someone will figure out how to get a bigger and better sensor to work with a mega-zoom lens, but until then, the FZ-40 is my choice.

This camera is easy to use, quick focusing, and has all the manual adjustments and flexibility you will ever need. It's well-designed and built for the active photographer. It also has a long battery life, but finding replacement batteries is a problem that Panasonic needs to clear up fast! Image quality is excellent compared to its competitors. Image stabilization is outstanding, even at full 24X zoom I don't need a monopod or tripod (I need one with my Olympus SP-800). The zoom is also quiet and smooth. ISO... Read more

I bought this camera to replace my older Panasonic DMC-FZ28, which I adored but is no longer useable due to recently succummbing to the dreaded "lens cap error" message of death. I told myself I'd never get another Panasonic because of it, but then I did some research and saw that several brands (including Canon) had this problem and that it seems to have been resolved in all the new models. I loved my old FZ28 so much that I just couldn't resist getting its newest relative (with a 3-year warranty this time...just in case). After having played around with my new FZ40, I feel I definitely made the right decision.

I generally shoot things like plants in my garden and my animals (cat, horses), though I do a fair amount of indoor shots as well. This camera performs very well where all are concerned. It is way better in low light than the FZ28 was, and the flash is not so bright that it looks like you've got a spotlight on your subject when you use it. The quality of the... Read more

It's too early for me to give a full review as I've only had this camera for 2 weeks and took it on a vacation trip. First BEWARE. You need 52 mm filters for this camera, not 46 mm as Amazon suggests. Maybe the FZ35 had 46mm??? I've just had a 46mm polarizer delivered and it's too small.

The zoom is amazing. When using movie mode, I zoomed right in from wide to telephoto and the focus was spot on the whole way. The camera is so light, which is why I chose it over the Canon equivalent. The batteries are expensive, but lasted a week and I filled a 4 Gb card before i needed to recharge. You can keep your AAA battery cameras, far too heavy to carry around for my liking.

The manual focus override is useful. I'm struggling a bit with the various auto focus options on non-movie modes, so have been overriding until I learn more. the instruction manual(on CD) is a 233 pages long! The intelligent auto will suffice more often than not.

There are too many features... Read more