"I've had the Lumix DMC-TZ1K for several weeks now, and I couldn't have asked for more in a compact digital camera for this price (which has already gone down since I ordered). I'm a digital camera novice, but I did my homework before buying, and this model seems like an all-around great deal.

Likes:
- Takes better macro than I was hoping.
- I love the settings in Scene mode. I use Soft Skin, Portrait, Food, and High Sensitivity modes most, and they really do work.
- Video quality is very decent; it'll be even better when I invest in a 2G memory card. My 512MB card holds about 5 minutes of video.
- I've taken some surprisingly good shots on the road, 60mph, in High Sensitivity mode. In this mode, you can compensate for lack of shutter speed and image stabilization.
- The buttons and menu are easy to use and highly readable.

Dislikes (minor):
- I wish the image stabilization was a little more effective. You still have to hold the camera very still to take a well-focused shot.
- Any other dislikes would be because I couldn't afford a digital SLR. ;-)

I'm quite satisfied with my purchase, and I recommend this camera for those who don't want to spend a lot. "

    "I had been researching digital cameras for a while and had been trying to decide if a better zoom was more important than one of those teeny tiny cameras. This camera not only has a fantastic zoom but it is still smaller than many of the non-compact cameras with limited zoom. The camera is incredibly easy to use. It has a macro setting, which is fantastic for close ups and has adjustable flash settings. The flash itself is a teeny slit just above the lens but it is amazingly bright. You can review your pictures quickly and easily on the generously sized screen and downloading was a snap. The pictures come out amazingly clear and crisp. They're just terrific. It also has color settings right on the menu so if you wanted to make color look warmer or cooler (or in black and white or sepia) you can select it from the menu. The only thing I don't love about it is that it has an external lens cap that you have to actually take off yourself. It comes with a string to attach the cap to the side of the camera so you don't loose it though. I've found that most if not all cameras with an extended zoom tend to have external caps though. I also don't love that you have to take the battery out of the camera in order to charge it. I'm a little afraid that I'll forget to put it back in. I've seen that it's recommended to use high-speed SD cards with the camera but I don't find it very necessary. I used a normal 1GB SanDisk card and it still records the picture faster than many other digital cameras. One thing you have to know though is that the TZ1 does not have a viewfinder. You just use the LCD screen on the back. I actually like this more because then you're seeing exactly what you get and there is no more squinting through that teeny hole. Basically I think that it is the best camera that you can get - certainly in such a tiny package."

    "I used to have a old Leica camera that gave me really nice pictures. After playing with many different film and digital cameras in last few years, I am glad to re-discover the beauty of Leica lens on this great pocket sized camera.

We have purcahsed a few different digital cameras from other brands, including Canon, Sony, and Nikon. For larger size, I really liked Nikon D70s, which takes great pictures, if you don't mind the weight and size. But my wife really likes a smaller one for taking with her in her hand bag.

Many people selecting the camera with how many mega pixel first. From our experience, mega pixel is not the first critiria for selecting a good picture. For many instances, with other brand of small camera (I don't want to bash other brand, so no name mentioned here), when my wife tried to shot photos for our children, camera would not be ready until they already gone from the scene. Many times, the other small camera would not be able to get good focus. Another problem we have with other brand small camera was no enough optical zoom so that the person very small in the picture. You can see mega pixels will not help in any of those cases. From our experience, if you have taken a good picture even with 3Mega pixel, that would be able to produce a nice 8x11 inch print out.

This little Panasonic DMC-TZ1K solved many of our problems. It produces fabulous pictures. Its pictures have vivid color. It reminds me my old Leica film camera in its picture quality. Its amazing 10x optical zoom with optical stablization produce really nice picture. 10x optical zoom is similar to a 200mm zoom lens in DSLR or SLR camera. This small camera also can take three pictures per seconds, instead of take three seond per picture of our old smaller digital one. Its size is not smallest for men's shirt pocket all the time, but small enough for fit in wonmen's bag without noticed.

This camera has no manual focus, due to its small size. For taking picture in different situation, it has two sets of scene sittings, one set for different objects, another one for different sceneray. If you are shooting for dark situation, please make sure select the night scene setting -- this camera will emit extra light for help focus in the dark night. The camera has a built-in light meter sort of thing that showing you if the light is enough before taking the picture.

If we plan to take a lot of night picture in dark places, we probably will take our Nikon D70s with a big external flash. Without flash shoe and manual focus, like all other small camera, it is hard to take good picture in dark places.

With enough room light or outdoor light, getting this camera is the first step for shooting a good picture. You will be delighted that you get this camera. "

    "I've spent the last year reading and looking at the Canon Powershot S2, Sony H1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7. Looking at the new Canon Powershot S3 and the Sony H5 I found myself drawn to the new Panasonic TZ1K camera because of the new Venius III engine, fast response times and the best Lens in the business. For a Family person that takes pictures of children playing sports and takes over a hundred pictures a month but never develop pictures bigger than an 8 X 10, this is the perfect camera. Sure some people criticize Panasonic's cameras for picture noise above ISO 200 but it doesn't matter if you are doing less than 8 X10 photos. The sharpness of the photos is amazing for a camera that's under $350. After all, if noise is a concern then spend a lot more money and get a DSLR. This camera is not totally perfect and requires a little learning curve of the features but it worth the half hour of time to read the manual. The best feature of this camera is that is a megazoom that is lightweight, can easily fit in your pocket and is $150 cheaper than a Canon Powershot S3 and Sony H5. Sure the Canon and Sony have more manual features and higher megapixels but they can't fit in your pocket. I think 5-megapixels with a Leica lens will be more than satisfying for most people that take spontaneous family pictures. This TZ1K feels well made and the screen is very sharp. Good job Panasonic for making the perfect pocket do-all zoom camera!"