Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Blue) Review
I just bought the Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS7 4 days ago, and I've been nothing but pleased and amazed with it. I had read the reviews and watched multiple videos, and was frankly sold on getting the Fujifilm FinePix HS10, with it's 30X optical zoom and 1080p HD recording. I hadn't considered anything else. But I clicked on a banner ad for the DMC ZS7, liked what I saw, and researched further. I ultimately chose it over the FujiFilm HS10, and don't regret it.
Let's start with the DMC ZS7 zoom....it says right on the camera when you open the box "16X Intelligent Zoom". That's a combined 12X optical with a 4X digital. The 30X optical zoom was what drew me initially to the FujiFilm HS10. But guess what I discovered about the Lumix DMC ZS7?? Something that many reviews, both professional and amateur, seemed to have missed?? The DMC ZS7 is capable of an astounding 63.8X extended zoom!!! I discovered it in the vast array of submenus that are present on the camera. The firmware is lightning fast, and navigating menus is quick and effortless, and the 4-directional keypad works well and feels solid under your fingers as you use it. The camera is part plastic, part metal, and is heavy for a point and shoot, and I like that "not cheap" feeling. But about the zoom.
It's 12X optical plus 4X digital...so it says on the camera itself...and so many others have said...but after going through the array of submenus in the setup options, I found where you can turn on and extened digital zoom, an EXTRA 51.8X!!! No lie. Of course, it's grainy at best, and pixelized, but pics come out surprisingly well, and video, at the max range, are not as diluted as one might think. For best quality, stick with 16X--that's covered by Panasonic's proprietary "Intelligent Resolution", which keeps things hella-sharp. After that, yes, the pic and video quality degrade. But still, the max 63.8X zoom is bearable, and is helpful in situations where you just have to get up close. More expensive bridge megazoom cameras also get blurry and have focus issues as you max out the zoom. I know, I have an Olympus SP 570UZ bridge camera that does that. I can deal with it on a pocketable point and shoot!
I just uploaded a wealth of videos on YouTube displaying the zoom capabilities of the DMC ZS7; I don't have the link as I'm writing this. I'm going to try and upload some videos right here after I finish this review, and maybe find that link to the YouTube vids I posted.
DO GET A FAST, SANDISK, CLASS 10 20 OR 30 Mbps SDHC card!! It's what allows me to take video (by merely pressing one red dedicated "record" button) in 720p and brilliant, "punchy", 12 megapixel stills, with little to no delay between shots and recordings. Anything less would be...uncivilized...LOL. Seriously, Amazon has great cards at reasonable prices, and I purchased an 8GB SanDisk Class10 30Mbps read/write Extreme card, and the choice is rewarding. No long waits between shots & recording, no BS.
I like the menus and indicators on the screen when you film. As you zoom, the actual number zoomX is printed on the screen and increases as you go all the way to 63.8X(extended zoom "on"). Not just a zoom bar. An icon shows what scene mode you're in, or what filter you're using (I like the "Film Grain" black and white setting, which adds an Old World style class and charm to your stills AND videos--yes, it works on videos, and the PinHole setting which makes you look through a virtual "pinhole" for that "peeping" effect) . When you record, the square reticule flashes red, a red dot above flashes, and there is an icon flashing with an arrow pointing to a memory card. You definitely know you're recording! No wondering. Stills same thing, just green. Every function you enact is clearly and visually displayed, nothing cryptic. Easy and bold and defined. Always know EXACTLY your function, filter, etc. Counts down recording seconds on screen, and time left on the card in seconds and minutes right on the screen. There's TWO PAGES of scene modes and filters. Multiple options for GPS (yes, there's a "bump" on the camera top that proudly displays the GPS logo). If you're into geo-tagging your filming and using them in iPhoto on Mac, it's my understanding it works great with "Faces". I have an Apple iMac 24" with iPhoto '09, but I haven't tried the GPS feature on the DMC ZS7 yet. It's well documented that it SEVERELY drains the included lithium battery (Amazon offers the exact replacement at a good price---get the original with the "PP" designation or it won't fit).
Quick note about importing to a Mac---When I tried to import my 1st stills and vids, my 8GB Sandisk Class10 Extreme card did not import everything-even on multiple tries. However, my Windows 7 HP laptop had NO problems EASILY importing ALL the content. Can't explain that yet. Not the card, otherwise why did it work on my Windows 7 laptop?
The 720p HD recordings on the DMC ZS7 are OUTSTANDING. I've seen test videos of the 1080p vids on the Fujifilm HS10 that can't hold a candle to what I get with the Lumix. Panasonic's algorithms for resolution and clarity REALLY are a tour-de-force to be reckoned with, and ACTUALLY WORK!! Zooming is smooth and fast (slower on vids, I admit, but still good). You have a "zoom resume" feature that allows you to cut the camera on from sleep mode, and start shooting with the exact zoom level you left off at. The sound is recorded from 2 mics set on the camera's top, and provide sterling audio. In options you can cut off the "wind effect" so that the sensitive mics don't pick up wind noises that might obliterate the more important audio in your recordings. You can control the LCD display brightness to 3 levels, and it is 460,000 pixels, not the standard 240,000, as the card attached to the camera says when you get it. That's evident when you play back your HD movies. I zoomed in on a float gliding across the pool, and you can actually see the "Inflate instructions" and safety precautions printed on it.
The exposure, one-touch recording button, and switch for playback and filming are located in the upper right corner on the back, and CAN be hit accidentally. I find myself consciously always trying to avoid that, though I've never had any "accidental" recordings or stills taken. But it is the only little nitpick I can think of on an otherwise "Joy-to-use", "easy-to-understand", PHENOMENAL point & shoot that is a pocketable, portable powerhouse. Like a mini-DSLR in your pocket. AMAZING performance (get the FAST card...). Oh! Just thought of another nitpick. There's vertical light streaks present when you film DIRECTLY into a light source, such as the sun, oncoming nighttime headlights, etc. But the lowlight capabilities on the DMC ZS7 are INCREDIBLE--zooming with little to no blur, and excellent clarity. Okay, this has become a Bible, and I've only had the camera 4 days. I'll update when I discover anything new or significant. These are my 1st impressions, and don't cover every technical aspect, so sorry. Just wanted to convey the pleasure of owning and using what has now replaced my more expensive Megazoom as my camera of choice---"What's the best Camera? The one you have with you..."
I forgot only one review can be submitted for a product here, but I wanted you to see how to achieve the 63.8X zoom for this Lumix, so go to YouTube and type this into the SEARCH bar: PANASONIC DMC-ZS7 INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GET 63.8X ZOOM Take you straight to my video & others as well. Enjoy.
UPDATE Sept.8th 2010: It was my fault that my Sandisk 8GB Class10 Extreme card was not importing videos to my iMac. In the "Record Mode" options, you have the choice of "AVCHD Lite GPS", "AVCHD Lite", or "Motion JPEG". I had the ZS7 set to "AVCHD Lite", which is not compatible with the iMac. When you try to import, you get executable files in the window & and it says the "file format is not compatible". I'm assuming "AVCHD Lite GPS" would be no different, just with geo-tagging. So I tried "Motion JPEG". Took some test vids. Imported with no problems. It's interesting to note that not only are the videos imported, but also an iconic pic that represents the 1st frame of each video that is taken. The "Motion JPEG" setting allows for WVGA, QVGA, VGA, and HD. I chose HD, which also shows up as a movie icon with the HD letters stamped on it when you're filming, so you know what record mode you're in, as well as the quality chosen.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Blue) Feature
- Features 12.1-megapixel effective recording
- Features 12X optical zoom (4X digital/48X total zoom)
- Built-in GPS function lets you keep track of your photos by location
- Features 3-Inch LCD screen
- Features optical image stabilization
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Blue) Overview
25mm Ultra Wide-angle Powerful 12x Optical Zoom LEICA DC Lens Featuring Intelligent Resolution Technology and Built-in GPS
- Ultra Compact 25mm Lens and 16X Intelligent Zoom - Easily bring your images closer without losing picture quality in an ultra compact camera
- AVCHD Lite HD Movie Recording - Record HD quality movies
- Travel Mode with GPS - Access your images easier by automatically recording location and time of each photo
25mm Ultra Wide-angle Lens The DMC-ZS7 features a 25mm ultra wide-angle
* 12x optical zoom f/3.3-4.9 LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens (35mm camera equivalent: 25-300mm). Incorporating Panasonic's advanced optical technologies, this lens system is comprised of 10 elements in 8 groups, with 2 ED (Extra Low Dispersion) lenses and 2 aspherical lenses / 3 aspherical surfaces while preserving compactness. This lens system enables a remarkable 25 to 300mm range of focal length in this compact body. The powerful zoom of the DMC-ZS7 can be freely controlled even when shooting motion images. Inheriting the fine rendering and outstanding quality of the LEICA ELMAR lens, this easy-to-carry camera delivers beautiful images any time, any place.
* Converted to standard 35mm camera equivalent, at the maximum wide position. The 25mm ultra wide-angle lens
* has about twice the shooting area as a standard 35mm lens. This enhances all kinds of shooting situations, like when you're photographing a group of people at an indoor party or shooting a large structure or sweeping landscape while traveling.
* Converted to standard 35mm camera equivalent, at the maximum wide position.16x Intelligent Zoom / 23.4x Extra Optical Zoom
Thanks to the newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology, the Intelligent Zoom is available with the DMC-ZS7 which extends the zoom ratio by approx. 1.3x maintaining the picture quality even combining a digital zoom. Th
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Customer Reviews
Phenomenal point and shoot - K. Strode - AZ
I spent a lot of time researching cameras before making this purchase. I have many friends who are independent photographers who swear by their digital SLRs, but I needed a camera that was more compact to be my primary travel camera - meant primarily to capture memories and events. However, I did love the quality of the SLR photos and hoped to find a camera that could approximate that.
This camera is absolutely phenomenal and consistently surprises me with the photos it takes. In situations such as high speed or low light this point and shoot out performs the Canon I previously had by a long shot. For more controlled settings, the images are crisp, and well focused. The color it can capture is rich and more true to life than any other point and shoot I've ever used or seen - sunsets on this camera actually show up with the rich oranges, pinks and purples. The video also works quite well - I went to a concert and was able to zoom all the way to the stage which was quite a ways away and get a really decent video of the performance - even with the strange lighting and noticeable distance.
There are a few button layouts that aren't immediately intuitive, but can be figured out with a bit of tinkering and experimenting. The special scene settings, again, work WAY better than any I've used in the past. The general intelligent auto setting is actually quite intelligent - from macro to portrait to landscape it usually identifies the scene correctly, and within a couple attempts I've been able to get the exact shot I was trying for.
I had been certain I would purchase a Nikon or a Canon, but I was impressed by the photos others shared, taken by this camera and can pleasantly report that it requires no skill or special knowledge to take similar photos.
I love this camera and look forward
Great Camera with a Few Minor Faults - Forrest J. Thiessen - Mountain View, CA USA
I wanted a small point-and-shoot camera with a better-than-typical lens, and the DMC-ZS7 is it--it performs very well and takes great pictures, the larger lens giving it a real advantage over similar cameras I've tried. The GPS is cool, too (although it sucks power like you wouldn't believe).
I'd give it 5 stars, except for one very annoying (to me) problem, which I haven't seen covered in other reviews here: incredibly, Panasonic chose to put a non-standard USB jack on the camera. You can only connect it to a computer if you use a special, Panasonic-only cable. I this age when just about every type of consumer electronic device has a regular, mini-, or micro-USB jack, this camera doesn't. They provide a proprietary cable that fits the jack along with the camera... but if you want to connect the camera to a computer to download photos while traveling, say, you have to pack the special cable along with you. And if you loose it, you'll have to order a replacement from Panasonic--no interoperability for you! Oh, and you can't recharge the camera battery through their non-standard USB connector, either.
The crazy USB jack isn't a huge issue--my MacBook has a compatible memory card slot in the side, so it's easy to work around it by just moving the memory card back and forth between the camera and my computer when I want to move photos off the camera--but it's the only thing wrong with an otherwise great camera, and it makes no sense to me from a design perspective: it probably cost Panasonic more to use a non-standard jack than a standard one, so why do it, especially on a top-of-the-line camera? Despite this annoyance, I still fully recommend the DMC-ZS7.
A good choice for a multi-purpose camera - Bob Allen - WV
Pros: Although the wide range of settable options may make the operation of this camera appear complicated, the intelligent automatic setting works very well, making manual settings unnecessary in most circumstances. With automatic "point and shoot" mode, it usually takes fantastic, sharp shots. The zoom range is great, and it takes good videos, with zoom. The screen is large and bright, except in sunlight.
Cons: I guess no camera can be perfect or be all things. This one's main shortcoming is its lack of a viewfinder, which makes it a multi-purpose, not an all-purpose, camera. I made the mistake of taking mine to an air show. Even with the screen brightness on high, I could see absolutely nothing in it in the bright sun. It took excellent pictures if I happened to aim it in the right direction, but forget taking video of moving objects. I erased a lot of pictures of nothing. A few other weaknesses: Buttons are very small. There is no manual focus. It rarely happens that the camera doesn't focus better than can be done manually, but it can happen. The camera is heavy for its size. I wonder if plastic is really all that bad. It certainly would be lighter. It does have a good grip/feel, though. The wide angle does produce some "fish eye" effect, especially noticeable in panning video or with buildings in the picture. Unfortunately, there is no indication of "normal," and if you change the zoom, it returns to wide angle if you turn it off and back on. There is only a brief printed manual; the main manual is on the disk in PDF format. It would be a book if printed (177 pages). As with most all compact cameras, the flash is not powerful, but you could always use a slave flash. Except for 5-second clips with pictures, it will not record sound without video, nor can you add sound to pictures after taking them.
Overall, the cons are minor annoyances I can live with to get the beautiful pictures and movies it takes. It certainly has more capabilities than I will ever use. I may find a few other picky things as I use it, but I would for sure recommend this camera to my friends.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 11, 2010 01:20:30
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