Larger than most superzooms, Panasonic’s top-of-the-line Lumix DMC-FZ20 is similar in size and look to a digital SLR. It combines very good image quality with top-notch specs and features. It isn’t perfect, but if we could take only one camera with us on vacation, it would be high on our list. With its impressive zoom lens and other capabilities, there are few scenes this camera couldn’t handle with aplomb.
The 5-megapixel FZ20 has a 36- to 432-mm (35-mm equivalent) 12X optical zoom Leica lens; only the Konica Minolta DiMage Z3 can match its range. The FZ series are the only superzooms that maintain a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range, which makes it easier to use lower ISO settings for less noisy images or faster shutter speeds for freezing the action. But don’t worry if your shutter speed drops a setting or two below what you’d ideally want to use—built-in optical image stabilization, as in the Z3, reduces camera shake for sharper pictures.