I am kind of in love with Panasonic Lumix cameras. Problem is, Panasonic doesn't care about us/you/consumers/me or quickly solving manufacturing defects. Their first line (for me) of Lumix cameras were all ruined by dust getting on the sensors, and they apparently let that go on for YEARS. Mine is broken in several ways and the pictures are unusable from the dust, but the camera itself still works great (actually, it's my replacement, as the first one got dust on the sensor THE FIRST WEEK). I am partial to Lumix for one main reason (other than their image quality and fantastic auto-focus): VIDEO SOUND QUALITY. You could not imagine in your life the unbelievable sound quality I get in videos at loud rock concerts (where I perform). Bands use my sound because it's always better than their professionals can get on their big, fancy cameras. The mic apparently has a sensor that records in such a way as to eliminate distortion when the sound is too loud. It's like magic. So, I really do love the Lumix line. HOWEVER. They all break. All of them. I guess they're designed not to last. My first is unusable (except for sound, I guess) per the dust on the sensor (everyone had that problem, per internet comments). The second (technically my third, as the first/second was a replacement from AMAZON, not Panasonic), one I waited TWO YEARS to afford, broke on exactly the 365th day! And Panasonic wouldn't cover it! !!!!! The lens made a crunching sound, got stuck, and stopped going in and out, rendering the camera unusable. They effectively told me 'too bad for you,' for no reason at all, despite supposedly being under a one year original warranty. Some warranty. Please. The camera wasn't lost, it wasn't stolen, and it wasn't dropped. IT STOPPED WORKING. Screw you, Panasonic. You leave a hell of a lot to be desired, and you are no friends of mine, but I will continue using Lumix, I will just have to buy used, I guess, with seller warranty. No more new ones for me, and as soon as I find something I like as much or better, I'm switching manufacturers. So, consumers, there's your warning per Panasonic cameras/customer service. They kind of hate you. If you don't need video, use a different camera brand. Everyone seems to recommend Canon.
