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Point and shoot cameras have become frighteningly good in the past few years, and the Lumix DMC-ZS7 is no exception. This is a fantastic all-round camera that does many things very well, and the three-thousand-and-something shots I've done with mine have taught me something about how to maximize my use of this camera. The GPS was the main reason I chose this camera over the others in its class, and I'll comment on that first. While it's not the fastest GPS I've ever used, it generally gets a lock in under a minute. I was a bit disappointed to learn that it doesn't record altitude, and that it only updates your position every 5 minutes. Still, it's about the cheapest you'll get into a GPS enabled camera; especially one that fits in your pocket. The image quality has been easily on par with the Nikon D80 that this camera replaced. True, the lens isn't quite as fast and the zoom isn't as wide as the excellent Nikkor 18-200 that I was using, but it also fits unobtrusively in my pocket. In typical point-and-shoot fashion, the flash is really only good for basic daylight fill, but that's a limitation of virtually every point and shoot with an integrated flash, so I really can't fault Lumix specifically for that. One thing I'd recommend with this camera is an extra battery. The GPS stays on even when the camera is turned off, and that can run down the rechargeable battery faster than you'd expect. And, if you're turning it on and off regularly (which cycles the GPS every time), it'll burn through the battery. If you're doing a lot of outdoor shooting and using the GPS I'd probably turn off the flash; this will preserve the battery. Battery life is still acceptable; I have just found that it's not quite what I'm used to. Still, it's an excellent camera. The GPS tagging comes into iPhoto flawlessly, the colors are rich and well saturated, and the macro mode works well enough that I also sold my dedicated SLR macro lenses. A hands-down winner in the point-and-shoot world, and a camera I'll hang onto for a while.Read full review
I use my DMC-ZS7 camerea exclusively for video at 30 fps to record action sports and then transfer the video to video slow motion software for reviewing golf swings. This is the 2nd camera I've purchased to record front & rear images. It's the best 12x optical zoom on the market with excellent resolution. The Stereo Mic works great and very sensitive picks up everything. Setting the ASA / ISO from 160 to 6400 is a great feature for all lighting situation. Small & compact fits on my push golf cart with a quick release tripod adapter. Highly recommend this product.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
It's a great camera. It's so good that it's the only camera I've needed to take pictures of my new baby, born a year and a half ago, even though I have a Nikon D90 slr. I literally have not picked up the D90 since the baby was born. One minor complaint is that the zoom feature, both in shooting and playback mode, is in steps rather than smooth and continuous. Very happy with the sharpness and color on monitor and images. Features and controls are well-placed and intuitive. So good that I bought a back-up ZS7K rather than "upgrading" to a more current model.
This is THE best point-and-shoot digital camera I have ever owned. The Leica lens makes the difference. The photos are so crisp, even on the macro mode. Many times I don't even need the flash mode for evening shots. I took it on a recent trip to Japan . . . 1500+ photos later. I do recommend that on big trips, you take at least 3 batteries and 2 8gb or 16gb cards so you don't have to wait for a battery to be re-charged, etc. with this camera, you can't stop clicking away . . . scenes, close-ups, action, etc. The cost of this camera is more than worth the price; it's only when you purchase one and use it that you will truly understand!
I have owned the older previous version of this camera with the same EXCELLENT results so I decided to upgrade to this camera by buying TWO! The software technology used by this camera is the best available. You can shoot a picture from a moving vehicle and there is NO BLUR -- the picture looks absolutely still -- try doing that with anyother brand of small camera. Also, as an added feature of this newer Panasonix Lumix, there is now a BUILT-IN 15 MBs of memory! No memory card needed unless you need more storage space than that! A great camera all around from a great seller.
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