I've had this camera about 3 weeks. This is my third digital camera supplementing a Pentax Optio S4i. I researched this class of camera (more versatility and better quality than a sub-compact, but not as expensive as a DSLR) for a couple of months. If you look, there are a ton of sites doing very helpful, detailed camera reviews, although as a brand new model, there is not yet much on the FZ18.
I wanted something that was point and shoot for my wife (she takes great photos, but does not want the hassle of making adjustments) but versatile for me. I used to have a film SLR, and understand the basics of controlling shutter speed, aperture, etc. I loved the idea of 18x optical zoom, the 28mm wide angle, and all the shake reduction/face finding, etc. I seriously considered the Sony DSC H5, H7, and H9; the Canon S5 IS; the Olympus SP-550UZ/560UZ and the Panasonic FZ8. The Sony looks and feels great, but the spec is not as good as the newer FZ18, and many reviews refer to the no-intuitive user interface and long learning curve. The Olympus and Canon offerings in this class just did not match the FZ18 specs, and the earlier model FZ8 was getting great reviews, so I went with the latest FZ18.
Bottom line both my wife and I are very pleased with the FZ18. The first set of vacation photos are superb. My daughter was with us and borrowed the Pentax, so we have some pretty good side-by-side comparisons, and the FZ18 wins hands down on everything, except fitting in a pocket! Even then, it's pretty light, and with a 4Gig ultra fast card, has loads of capacity. I can highly recommend this camera as the current state of the art in this class. Easy to use for those who want a point-and-shoot, flexible for those who want more control, great specs, and superb quality photos. I even found the manual fairly easy to use a rare treat with some sophisticated electronics!
You will read critics complaints about noise (speckles) when you push the limits of the sensor unless you are always shooting in very low light conditions, and blowing the results up into huge posters, you won't be troubled by noise. If you are, the problem is common to all compacts (from my research), so if it concerns you, spend another few hundred bucks and get a DSLR!
One warning this camera is available at a deep discount on a couple of sites when I tried to purchase one from one of these, it became apparent it was a "gray market" camera from Japan. Not a great idea for a US user! I ended up getting mine through an Amazon partner no problems at all, and a decent price.
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