Panasonic ZS8

Panasonic ZS8 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Superzoom camera first released on July of 2011. It has got a 14 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4320 x 3240. The camera is also known as "Lumix DMC-TZ18" in other markets.

Panasonic introduced this camera in an effort to upgrade the previous Panasonic ZS7 (Read Full Comparison)

The ZS8 is rated #181 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and all around #840 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can use our Advanced camera finder to find camera ratings based on your personal requirements.

The following is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.

The Panasonic ZS8 is part of a family of digital cameras. You can see the full range below.

You can check the ZS8 from various angles in the gallery underneath.

Below is a list of pros and cons of the Panasonic ZS8 based on things that are often seen as necessary in a camera.

The Panasonic ZS8 features the Venus Engine FHD processor chip. The sensor spec in the Panasonic ZS8 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4320 x 3240 pixels and aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has got Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is superior than digital stabilization as the latter may lead to cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 14MP and provides a native ISO range of 100 - 6400. Unfortunately, RAW files are not supported which means that the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The picture below illustrates the ZS8's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The ZS8 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.9 and is showcased in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Panasonic ZS8 weighs about 0.46 lb (210 gr / 7.41 oz) and the volume of the camera is 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr so the Panasonic ZS8 is lighter in comparison with various competitors.

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The following is a visual of the Panasonic ZS8 next to a soft drink to help you have a sense of its scale.

The top view directly below will illustrate the button layout on the ZS8.

The ZS8 houses a fixed lens and it has a focal range of 24-384mm making it a 16.0 x zoom which is outstanding and would let you zoom right in.

At the widest 24mm, the lens provides an aperture of f3.3 making it quite slow and not ideal in low light occasions and you will find it difficult to capture good bokeh. You will also have to raise the ISO setting resulting in noisy pictures. With the tele end, 384mm is exceptional zoom and comes with f5.9 which is very slow and you will need to go with slow shutter speeds.

The ZS8 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• HDMI Yes

Cameras that contain NFC or Bluetooth compatibility can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to copy pictures and usually change camera settings without connecting physically to the camera.

Some applications even provide a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external monitor. Most cameras will allow you to recharge the battery with the USB socket.

The highest video resolution in the Panasonic ZS8 is 1280 x 720 and it can shoot in MPEG-4 format. 720p is low by today's requirements. You should really go for a minimum FUll HD resolution for good video. The camera doesn't include a mic or headphone socket which means you get little control over your sound. It is perhaps best to shop for an alternative camera if you require decent sound in your video clips.

There is no weather sealing on the Panasonic ZS8 so you need to be cautious in rainy or dusty situations.

The Panasonic ZS8 has got a 3 inch fixed display screen supporting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Please be aware that the display offers no touch support.

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The View Finder specs regarding Panasonic ZS8 are below:

• ViewFinder None

In those bright outdoor situations which make the camera screens washed out and challenging to view, viewfinders will be very helpful.

Panasonic ZS8 has the ability to shoot continuously at 2.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

Panasonic ZS8 has got only integrated flash without external flash ability.

Panasonic ZS8 has got just Contrast Based AF and doesn't have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more snappier & exact in comparison with Contrast Based focusing.

It has got 11 focus points to select from. It also features Tracking AF for moving subjects. Panasonic ZS8 has no manual focusing. Manual focusing option is useful for low light or you want more accurate depth of field control.

The battery power on the Panasonic ZS8 is built to last for 340 pictures based on the CIPA standards making it about average when compared to its competitors. The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR offers the highest (600) battery life for this range of cameras.

Listed below is a listing of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras which have the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
ZS8 vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
ZS8 vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
ZS8 vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
ZS8 vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
ZS8 vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following graph indicates a analysis of the Panasonic ZS8 for various types of photography. To look at more, go to the specific paragraph below.

The Panasonic ZS8 has a points total of 30 which is low, and means the camera is not appropriate to use for portraits. Photographing portrait images favors greatly towards sensor specs, RAW support together with the flexibility to utilize external lighting.

Coming in at a above average score of 61, the Panasonic ZS8 is a very decent option for street photography. A decent street photography camera features a perfect balance of image quality and portability.

A moderate sports photography points total of 47 means the Panasonic ZS8 is reasonably adequate for taking photos of sports. A camera really should have excellent tracking plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Size is extremely crucial in buying a camera for travel. All things considered, the Panasonic ZS8 gets a above average 69 for a travelling camera which makes it a fine pick for your holidays.

If you are looking to buy a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most essential factor is going to be image quality. The Panasonic ZS8 and it's low score of 44 as a landscape camera is not appropriate among its competition.

A camera for vlogging should really come with a moving screen, microphone port and ideally IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Panasonic ZS8 is not appropriate as a vlog camera as it comes to a low rating of 30.

If you are searching for replacements to the ZS8, here is a range of the top scored cameras which fall under the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The line chart down below shows you a bird's eye view of the ZS8 compared to it's top ranking competitors shown earlier.

Here are a few more cameras you might have a look at as alternative options. To see a full comparison, simply click the "compare" link.