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Question: Nikon S8100 vs Panasonic DMC-ZS7? With the understanding that both have their respective pros and cons which would you recommend for the amateur photographer?
Document: The super sharp large monitor is great, too! Definitely would highly recommend for both the amateur and more serious photographer!
The Nikon Coolpix S8100 is a nice camera but remember that it is a point and shoot only. Some times the camera reacts very slowly and take a few seconds to either focus or even take the picture.I sold my Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 because I was looking for a camera that took 1080p Video but guess what?
Pros:1. S8100 takes great or good enough photos. I've compared S8100 photos to other small sensor cameras, and I couldn't  find any other camera with noticeably better image and similar camera size. Of course, there are better image quality cameras with large sensors and large non-collapsible lenses, but they are significantly larger, heavier, and more expensive.2. Small. you can easily fit it in your pocket.3. Value for the money.Cons:1. Flash.
I purchased the Nikon S8100 after much research and review. The best price was from Amazon! I took the camera out of the box, charged the battery and started shooting photos right away. It was so easy and the photos are absolutely fantastic. I would definitely recommend this camera to new users, as well as those with much more photography experience.
The video was great though. Very clear and easy to use. The zoom was great too, especially for a compact. I ended up getting the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35.
I'm a midrange amateur photographer, upgrading from an earlier Olympus 3mp digital. The Olympus had nice features (8x optical zoom, manual capabilities and threaded lens barrel).So, why the strong rating for a point and shoot Nikon?1. It feels good and solid.2. The main operating features are very intuitive.3. The mode dial is well thought out; the auto scene select mode is dynamite. I like that it automatically goes to or from facial reconition to macro, etc.4.
Handy little camera with lots of quality features. Cons: Flash unit pops up out of an inconvenient location, no manual settings option, flimsy mini-HDMI cover. Pros: Great picture quality, multiple auto-settings, strong flash, handy shirt pocket size, under $200.00.
I found the S8100 is in some ways better than the Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and Kodak cameras that I compared in the spring. I've taken many comparison shots with the Nikon S8100 and the Canon SD1400. I give the Nikon the edge in IQ for still images taken in good light. The Canon focused faster and more reliably, especially in dim light. The Nikon's focus  and exposure were horrible when taken in dim light. The Canon did far better.
I didn't buy my Nikon Coolpix S8100 from Amazon, but I wanted to review the product, yet found it strange how it isn't anywhere online to be purchased except for here on Amazon. I'm an aspiring/learning photographer, and I don't have the money to get a bigger or more professional camera, so I have to settle for digital point-and-shoots.
With the Nikon S8100, you have your own little artist to take anywhere. The Auto mode on this camera will render excellent shots and the 10x optical zoom will bring everything up, close, and personal. My brother gave me this camera for Christmas, and I am so grateful to him.I like the placement of the flash on the S8100 because having it elevated reduces red-eye vs. those cameras that have the flash embedded in the mechanism near the lens.
Answer: I try to be agnostic in my camera buying (I have owned about equal numbers of Olympus, Pentax, Nikon, Canon, and now, Panasonic). After reading the "camera review sites" which are all shockingly biased towards Nikon and Canon, I decided to partially rely upon the sales ranking and feedback reviews on Amazon.Our most recent purchase is a LUMIX SZ7 with GPS and a 4.5 star user rating on Amazon. I think the best-in-class image stabilization helps with low-light pictures in a travel zoom camera. Panasonic Invented the Travel Zoom class of cameras with its SZ1 which is still a highly revered camera. Compared to the Nikon S8100, the Panasonic (a) Has best-in-class video system (AVHC codec and zoom-while-videotaping plus superior video resolution & video autofocus), (b) Has a 12x Leica Lens (very competitive with Nikon, even better, it has a 25mm wide angle), (c) Is also very fast and compact, and (d) Most importantly, has the most manual controls in its class. For the extra $30 over a Panasonic SZ-5, on the SZ-7 auto-sets the time and date (via GPS), displays a whopping 400 kpixels, and has a codec (AVHC) that doubles the video capacity and allows a 2-hour nonstop recording time.The biggest failing of the Panasonic is a need to add +1 EV in very-low-light situations, i.e. the dark-of-night metering is not good. Compared to my previous compact camera (Canon SD850) which was a disappointment in low light, there is much better grain and the manual controls allow to get MUCH better (2-3 stops) low light posed pictures (only 1 stop better for candids in low light, however.)Photography has been a hobby of mine since I was a Yearbook editor in 1980.I don't believe Canon will EVER release a compact camera without crippleware HD video (no true zooming, no refocusing, etc.)  It seems like they are too invested in their line of HD Camcorders to do that (weirdly, Panasonic also makes excellent HD camcorders and don't have the same "screw up the video" attitude towards HD video in their travel zoom cameras.)I highly recommend the Panasonic Lumix SZ-5 or SZ-7, I have now owned it and taken indoor and outdoor panoramic pictures.  I think it is measurably more versatile (25mm wide angle, better video, more compact, GPS to set date, more manual controls) than the S8100, however, I haven't tried the S8100 in real-world situations.  Good luck !!