The Goods

The Goods May 2007Movin' On Up

Talk about bang for your buck -- Panasonic's new Lumix DMC-FZ8 ($350, street) puts a lot of camera in your pocket for very little coin. An update of the FZ7, it has a 12X optical zoom (36-432mm f/2.8-3.7 equivalent), Intelligent Image Stabilizer, 7.2MP CCD, and Panasonic's LSI Venus Engine III, allowing ISOs up to 1250 with full resolution. On the outside, a new joystick control lets you quickly adjust focus or exposure, or select from the 18 scene modes on the menu's 2.5-inch LCD. (www.panasonic.com)