An ideal choice for the ambitious amateur photographer, the Panasonic DMC-FZ8EB bridges the gap between high end compact cameras and digital SLRs. It offers a level of control close to that of an SLR, but without the need for interchangeable lenses. The DMC-FZ8EB offers optical excellence from aperture to zoom. Its equipped with a 7.2 megapixel CCD, allowing you to blow up your photos to poster size prints. Its high-quality Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens offers a powerful 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 36mm to 432mm on a 35mm film camera) with an aperture of F2.8 to F3.3. In 3-megapixel resolution mode, the Extra Optical Zoom function uses the centre part of the CCD to provide additional magnification, extending the zoom power to 18x. And, combined with the 4x digital zoom brings the total zooming power to a remarkable 72x. Its Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) will minimize the jitter from shaky hands that cause many photos to look blurred. As well as tackling hand shake, the FZ8 incorporates a new feature designed to resolve motion blur. It will automatically detect whether your subject is moving and, where necessary raises the ISO setting and shutter speed according to how fast the subject is moving and the light conditions perfect for snapping sports. The FZ8 also features a joystick control, which allows you to manually adjust the focus and exposure setting. Theres also a 2.5 inch colour LCD screen to help you frame your shots and playback your images.