Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 Digital Camera Preview

[Howard Creech]

Prosumer digital cameras fall into a gray area somewhere between consumer point & shoot digital cameras and entry-level digital SLR cameras.  Despite that uncertain classification, they have become increasingly more popular over the past few years.  Typically, prosumer digital cameras provide shooters with a broad array of exposure options and more input into the picture making process.  Many of them sport high-resolution sensors, near real time shutter fire, and monster zooms.   Panasonic's recently introduced Lumix DMC-FZ7 could be the poster child for this class of enhanced usability digital cameras.

The FZ7 (12X image stabilized Leica zoom, 6 megapixel resolution, super fast performance, and SLR like handling and ergonomics) is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary update of last year's very popular Panasonic FZ5.  The "best in class" FZ5 was designed by photographers for photographers.  The FZ7 actually improves on its illustrious predecessor, and does so at a lower price.  Check back here in a few days for an in-depth review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7.

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Sample Images

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[Black sun]

are you kidding me? panny put 1 more MP onto the same 1/2.5" CCD... and you expect better image quality?

not physically possible. I have FZ-5 and I consider the noise border line bad (espeically the blue sky).

This will have insane noise.

Please be sure to take some night photo's preferably 8 sec or greater to prove me wrong. Oh yea, be sure to take night images as well. I know these FZ 1-30 does great in daylight, but I'm looking forward to night time shots.


oh yea, 2" LCD with LOWER RESOLUTION then FZ5? what were they thinking?!?!?!

[Ben Stafford]

It is pretty interesting that Panasonic did this. I emailed my contact there just to make sure that LCD resolution was not a typo, but don't have a response yet.

My guess is that Panasonic is doing some price shifting of their product line, so that the FZ7 may not be an "upgrade" over the FZ5. We'll definitely have to see about the noise - I know a lot of people aren't happy with the noise levels, at even moderate ISO levels, of the current cameras.

dpreview's conclusion of this camera made it sound like it wasn't any worse than the FZ5, and still a lot better than a lot of cameras, but they also questioned the "downgrade" in specs. They did notice high levels of noise.

Panasonic is really going to have to reverse this reputation of high noise cameras somehow.