Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ15

The DMC-FZ15K has a 12x optical lens system that is equivalent to 36mm to 432mm in a 35mm film camera. It comprises 13 lenses in eight groups, including three aspherical lenses and boasts F2.8 brightness across the entire zoom range. Plus, the DMC-FZ15K also provides 4x digital zooming - combine that with the 12x optical zoom to get up to 48x zoom power for ultra-long-distance telephoto shots.Jitter from shaky hands is one of the main reasons why cameras produce blurry images. Hardly everyone have hands of stone when taking pictures - that's why Lumix cameras help solve the problem of unsteady hands with advanced MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer technology. The DMC-FZ15K has a built-in gyro-sensor that detects any hand movement and relays a signal to a tiny microcomputer inside the camera, which instantly calculates the compensation needed. A linear motor then shifts the Optical Image Stabilizer lens as necessary to guide incoming light from the image straight to the CCD. You won't even notice it working - all you'll see are the outstanding results!The LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens on the DMC-FZ15K follows in the Leica tradition of excellence. Although it is small in size, it has a large, bright aperture, meeting Leica's stringent quality standards. A Leica multi-coating process applied to the lens helps to prevent the fogging caused by flare and ghosts that can result from excessive light. Even enlarged images captured by the DMC-FZ15K are crisp and clear - right to the edges.Thanks to the high-performance Venus Engine II LSI, shutter release time lag is reduced to approximately 0.006 seconds and the shutter interval to only around 0.3 seconds. This gives the DMC-FZ15K a super-fast response that lets you snap off consecutive shots at 3 frames per second with full resolution. And the Unlimited Consecutive Shooting function allows unlimited consecutive shooting up to the capacity of the SD Memory Card in the camera - ideal for capturing fast-moving objects in high resolution.Like doing things for yourself? Then why not give the Auto Focus a rest and try taking some pictures with the Manual Focus feature. Simply flick the Focus button on the side of the lens to MF (Manual Focus) and you're ready to go. If you need to check the focus, the Manual Focus Assist function enlarges the center part of the image in the viewfinder or LCD monitor by 3x for easy viewing. Want more control? The Manual Exposure Mode allows you to select the aperture and shutter speed of your choice. You can even see how much your setting differs from the setting the camera considers optimal with the Manual Exposure Assist function.