This Panasonic camera was introduced in 2006 and is compact and lightweight plus affordable ($225.00 new). The Panasonic DMC-LZ5 Digital Camera is great for both the beginner and experienced photographer. The DMC-LZ5 boasts a CCD sensor with an effective pixel count of 6.0 megapixels and offers an incredible 6x optical zoom. Panasonic's high-performance Venus Engine plus LSI makes the camera very responsive with a burst capability of 3 fps, and a super-fast shutter lag of 0.005 seconds. The camera also provides a high quality Video mode with sound, and the ability to shoot panoramic 16:9 aspect ratio images. With a resolution of 6.0 Megapixels, you'll be able to produce high-resolution images that can yield photo quality 16 x 20" prints. The DMC-LZ5 is equipped with a 6x optical zoom (equivalent to a 37mm - 222mm zoom on a 35 mm film camera) lens. The 6x zoom ratio can be extended up to 8.3x in the 3-Megapixel image recording mode thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom function by intentionally using the central part of the CCD. In addition, the zoom lens features eight elements in seven groups including two aspherical lenses, which are used to achieve compactness and higher optical performance. The camera also has a built-in flash, OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer), VGA resolution at 30 fps (requires SD Memory Card), Auto angle detection on video mode, up to ISO1600, 2.5-inch LCD screen, and much more. When new it included two Oxyride AA batteries that offered more than 1.6 times the number of shots compared with Alkaline AA batteries, so you can take approximately 240 pictures with the included batteries. You can also use NiMH Rechargeable AA batteries for better cost efficiency. The camera has 14 MB built-in memory and an SD slot for more picture storage. You can send images directly to print, without the need of a PC, when using PictBridge compatible printers.