The battle in the ultra-zoom segment of the digital camera market doesn't appear to be letting up. In February, Sony introduced its 8MP Cyber-shot DSC-H7 ($400) and DSC-H9 ($480) digital cameras with 15x optical zoom. Canon then introduced its 8MP PowerShot S5 IS ($499) with a 12x optical zoom lens in early May.

Not to be left out, Panasonic today announced its new Lumix DMC-FZ18 which features an 8.1MP image sensor, 2.5" LCD (207k pixels) and an 18x 28-504mm LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens. In order to tackle handshake with an 18x zoom lens, Panasonic has incorporated its MEGA O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer) and an Intelligent ISO control which detects and suppresses motion blur.