Panasonic's 2007 12x compact superzoom — 7.2MP CCD, 36-432mm equiv stabilised lens, RAW and full manual modes.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 was a compact superzoom released in 2007 as the update to the FZ7, and was itself succeeded by the 18x FZ18 later the same year. It brought RAW capture and higher-resolution displays to Panasonic's smaller FZ body style.
It pairs a 7.2-megapixel CCD with a 12x stabilised zoom equivalent to 36-432mm, offers full PASM manual exposure plus Panasonic's Simple mode and twenty scene modes, and adds RAW file support. The 2.5in LCD was upgraded to 207k dots and the EVF to 188k dots. Storage is SD/SDHC with 27MB internal memory, and the lithium-ion battery is CIPA-rated around 380 shots.
It suits enthusiasts and learners alike: novices get effective auto modes and a steady 12x reach, while advanced users get RAW, exposure bracketing, white-balance fine-tuning and selectable AF points. Noise and aggressive noise reduction above ISO 100-200 are its known weakness, so it rewards good light.
Second-hand, confirm the proprietary battery and compact wall charger are present and working, check the pop-up flash charges and fires, and cycle the zoom and joystick controls. Inspect EVF and LCD for dimming. The bundled lens hood and cap are often missing; neither is essential. SD/SDHC media keeps running costs minimal.