Panasonic DMC-FZ150K 12.1 MP Digital Camera with CMOS Sensor and 24x Optical Zoom (Black),5.0 out of 5 stars Take sports pictures like a pro with this gem!, November 11, 2011

Let me begin by saying that my knowledge of cameras is very limited and I am as "newbie" as they come regarding photography. My son was going to be playing in a national lacrosse tourney in Florida (We are from the midwest) and I wanted to purchase a camera that would let me capture all the action. I was looking for zoom, burst, high quality action pics, and a reasonable price package. Done, done, done, and done.

After reading countless reviews and trying to make heads or tails out of every photography detail out there, I finally decided to purchase this awesome camera. I could not be more satisfied. After downloading the manual, it took me a couple of minutes to read about and set the action sports & burst settings. With a couple of turns and button pushes, I was ready to go. The pictures I took at the tourney are absolutely stunning. I used the 5.5 pics/second auto focus burst mode and captured unbelievable action shots. When my son went to shoot, I would capture the entire sequence from beginning to end with perfect focus - about 5 pics from the load to the end of the follow through. Amazing is all I can say. All I did was zoom in, put my son in the center of the frame, and press the button. I was at least 50 yards away when I took the shots and they are perfect - like I was right next to him. High level lacrosse is a very fast moving game and this camera made it simple to catch the action. I would like to take some credit, but I would have no clue how to catch the shots that I did if this camera didn't make it so easy.

In between games, we had the opportunity to head over to the beach a couple of times and the photos taken there with iA were just as good. We took photos in bright sunshine, the shade, and at dusk using the iA mode and all the pictures were excellent. We took some movies with the camera as well and they are also excellent.

If I was a camera aficionado, maybe I would find some faults with this camera. Since I am not, I can't find any so far. If you are a novice like me, this camera will have you taking outstanding pictures as soon as the battery in charged. Speaking of battery charge, we took about 800 pictures and five short movies over two days. There was a lot of reviewing of pictures in the stands during this time and the total battery usage was about 1/3 of a full charge. We used a class ten memory card and had no issues with lag or inability to shoot pics. The camera's ergonomics are good. Everything I used was well placed, easy to use, and I had no accidental touches that changed camera settings. The camera seemed very lightweight - I mountain hike and this camera will definitely be in my pack from now on.

I rarely write reviews - usually only if something is terrible or is a real pleasure to use. This camera is definitely the latter. If you need a camera to capture action shots and want to spend less than $500 bucks for the camera, card, case, etc. - you can stop comparing because this is it.