I bought the Fuji f30 because of its reputation for the best image quality in a camera of this size. It took great pictures, but the ergonomics were problematic. It was difficult to use, the controls weren't intuitive, and it was limited to 3x magnification. In addition, I found that almost all uses of the camera seemed to require more zoom. I looked at the Lumix range and decided the TZ4 is the price I pay for the features I need. I bought one and a week later I was able to sell the f30 (still like new) for more than I paid for the Lumix. The Lumix controls are more logical and intuitive than the f30, making it MUCH easier and more comfortable to use. Its best image quality is about 98% that of Fuji, but overall it's a much more useful camera for my purposes. Not only can I get the technical and whiteboard shots I need, but with the 10x optical zoom I can get respectable wildlife shots that would normally require a DSLR. However, images taken with digital zoom are less impressive. Lumix was the first line of small and affordable enthusiast superzoom cameras on the market. It has some competition now, but Lumix cameras are still the smallest and one of the cheapest.
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