Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Sad, but true - I've owned numerous smaller Panasonic Lumix cameras. The smaller, pocket-size versions all work well and last about 2-3 years before they go bad. By that time the technology changes anyway, so it's not a big deal for me to think about replacing them with the latest version. They have always been well-made, and delivered excellent quality pictures. Expected the same for this one. Tried it for over a week, but was just not loving it. The build quality of the Lumix DMC-XS25 was not as good as it should be. They seemed to have replaced some parts with more plastic than in past models, and the quality of the pictures was not perfect either. Disappointing, as I have loved all my other Panasonic cameras and recommended them to others. I still like the smaller versions they offer, but this one did not deliver. It felt like it was going to break, and the photos at 16 MP didn't seem as crisp and sharp as you'd think they should be. Instead, ended up paying less than $100 more for the Sony DSC-HX20V, which seemed like more of an investment but looking back I cannot imagine NOT doing it. The Sony is head and shoulders above this Panasonic. The only downside in comparison is that it's not as fast as the Panasonic (i.e., when you are trying to take pictures in rapid succession the Panasonic is much faster, as the Sony evaluates each photo as it's taken and corrects it electronically). I still like Panasonic, but for this specific camera it's just not up-to-par.