Question 1

Does this camera support audio input like for a shotgun microphone?

Accepted Answer

Brady, I wish I knew.  I'm transitioning from a Panasonic wi/24x zoom to this one and am not that experienced with it yet.  Suggest that you look at the owner's manual on line for that answer.

Question 2

Does it include a manual, memory card, Battery, etc? No info on your page.

Accepted Answer

Manual - No, but you can find on internet as pdf (google it)
Memory Card - No (Recommend a High Speed card if you take video)
Battery - No (Need 4 AAs)

Question 3

Does it have am optical view finder or just the screen?

Accepted Answer

It does have an optical view finder which is very helpful in sunlight.  Please note that the optical view finder is electronic in that you are looking at another small screen though the eye piece and not through a lens.  BUT... it does serve the purpose of making pictures much easier to take in sunlight and similar conditions that render the screen hard to see.  Using the viewfinder can also save battery life, I've discovered.  A button on the camera switches between the two. I do like this feature...

Questions & Answers