All Around Camera

I have owned the z650, z610, z612 and now the z712. I have used the 612 the longest and in its class, find it to be an excellent camera. Some of the great features; the viewfinder is sharp, large and bright, situational shooting is very good, controls are easy to learn and easy to reach, the zoom is of course very nice, the video capture is clear and stable (not choppy) and the zoom can be adjusted (unlike earlier models),and great battery life. Some drawbacks are lack of static memory. So that if you don't change to a new battery quickly you lose your settings each time, the camera has a penchant for using the flash even in well lit conditions, a quirk that makes you press the flash selection button 3 times to turn it off, and proprietary replacement batteries are pricey! Overall I consider the drawbacks quirks that are easily overcome and lose meaning with regular use. I also find all the "ya but ifs" the same for all other cameras (ya but if you didn't bring extra batteries your camera won't work either...). I take about 100 photos and 45 minutes of video a week. The only camera I love more than this is my new z712... can we say panoramic stitching?