The FZ18 manual and camera itself will no doubt seem overwhelming for new digital camera users. You can get started using it right away and capture some great photos.

The FZ18 has a fully automatic mode, plus plenty of scene modes that are factory optimized for a particular scene.  The modes are quite effective, so start with them and take your time learning some of its more sophisticated features.

Intelligent Auto Mode

The FZ18 has one particularly useful automatic mode, called Intelligent Auto Mode (iA). It is ideal for a beginner who doesn’t want to fuss with settings and who may not even be sure what scene mode to select.

iA automatically detects scenes. I was very skeptical about this but was in for a big surprise.

You will also need to know:

• How to use the two-step shutter release button correctly  (pg. 25)
• How to review photos [Checking the Recorded Picture]  (pg. 32)
• How to playback and delete images (pg. 33)
• How to switch between the LCD and Electronic Viewfinder (pg. 36)