Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 Review Discussion

[Jim Keenan]

It wasn't that long ago that "superzoom" - or "ultrazoom," if you prefer - digital compacts hovered in the vicinity of the 10x optical zoom multiplication factor that defined the starting point for the class. Now that lens envelope has been pushed to 30x for the biggest zooms available, and who knows where it might end. Into this market niche comes the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 with a seemingly modest 12x optical zoom.

Read the full content of this Article: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 Review

Related Articles:

• Canon PowerShot SX210 IS First Look
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7, Lumix DMC-ZS5 expand ZS line
• Panasonic replaces TZ cameras with 12x zoom Lumix DMC-ZS3, ZS1
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ50 Review

[KCook]

Very cool about the MS1/MS1 and Custom modes! Sure hope the other brands take note.

But the ISO 800, 100% crop sample is not encouraging for indoor shooters. From the reviews here:

ZS7


Canon SX120 IS


Olympus Stylus 9000


Looks like Panny hasn't broken that pattern?

Kelly Cook

[Nautilus]

Wow you gave it 4.5 stars. Most reviews on this camera mentioned the IQ of this model is not so good and the GPS drains the battery.

[Jim Keenan]

Very cool about the MS1/MS1 and Custom modes! Sure hope the other brands take note.

But the ISO 800, 100% crop sample is not encouraging for indoor shooters.
Looks like Panny hasn't broken that pattern?

Kelly Cook

Panasonic hasn't reinvented the wheel with regard to ISO performance with the ZS7, but the camera is right there with anybody not packing a Fuji Super CCD sensor to my eye.

I also tend not to use the 100% crop as the sole criteria - I think enlarging the full frame and looking it over gives a broader base for consideration (along with the crop).

[Jim Keenan]

Wow you gave it 4.5 stars. Most reviews on this camera mentioned the IQ of this model is not so good and the GPS drains the battery.

I try to present a fairly large number of shots to illustrate reviews on the simple theory that pictures are worth a thousand words. I also make it a point not to read other reviews until mine is posted, if I read them at all, so as to not be influenced one way or the other. I'll leave it to you to decide what you think the IQ of these shots is.

I didn't do a specific battery test comparing life with and without GPS enabled, but it stands to reason that running more features will deplete the battery quicker. So it's a good thing that ZS7 batteries are small and light for carrying spares.

I can tell you that based on my time with it, if I were in the market for a camera in this class I'd get a ZS7 in a heartbeat.

[KCook]

I also tend not to use the 100% crop as the sole criteria ...

Fair point, none of us have 100% eyeballs after all! My thinking is that 50% crops would be a more reasonable gauge. But faint hope of that ever taking hold at this point ....

Kelly

[mamber-m]

Thanks Jim for a nice review.

As a fan and owner of Panasonic cameras, I am planning to buy one of those, but I am planning ZS5 instead of ZS7. I assume that the only things missing in ZS5 are some bells and whistles (like high-def video and GPS) but as a camera it is virtually the same. Am I correct?

[Andy Stanton]

I assume that the only things missing in ZS5 are some bells and whistles (like high-def video and GPS) but as a camera it is virtually the same. Am I correct?

The ZS5 has a hi def. movie mode but, unlike the ZS7, does not use AVHCD technology. Also the ZS5 lacks the GPS and has a lower resolution LCD than the ZS7. Those are all the differences I'm aware of.

[mamber-m]

Thanks Andy for a quick reply. Wasn't aware that the only difference in terms of video is the available recording format and not the video function itself. Definitely go for ZS5. Thanks!

[Jim Keenan]

Fair point, none of us have 100% eyeballs after all! My thinking is that 50% crops would be a more reasonable gauge. But faint hope of that ever taking hold at this point ....

Kelly

When I look over the shots for any review, I'm doing so on a 24" HP LCD monitor that's been calibrated to 6500 Kelvin and 2.2 gamma grey point. I recalibrate every 28 days. I have to view the studio shots online as you do, but do have the advantage of seeing the review shots I'm going to use firsthand, and on a platform with consistent settings so comparisons with other cameras are being done under as close to the same conditions as I can make it on my end. And having those shots in hand I can evaluate at enlargements as high as I care to go, although 100% is the max I use in terms of establishing what I think of image quality.

I can still see a fly on a coke bottle a mile away, but I've also acquired one set of glasses for the computer screen and another for reading books.........in my next life I'm not gonna get old.