Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-ZS7 has been around since the end of January but continues to be in the information a whole lot as of late. That’s since Leica rebranded this video camera for its new V-Lux 20 position-and-shoot (right after providing it a substantial cost quality).
The ZS7 is a 12.1MP video camera with 25mm extensive-angle lens and 12x optical zoom. It could possibly history 720p HD online video employing AVC HD Lite and there is developed-in GPS for geo-tagging shots. The complete specifications are available from Panasonic.
The ZS7 reminds me lots with the older Panasonic’s ZS3 stage-and-shoot (the ZS7’s predecessor). They may be each high-stop consumer cameras with great assemble top quality, a nice lens, and lots of zoom. The ZS7 bought some internal upgrades too as some design and style tweaks that fixed minor troubles with the exterior. The alter was comparatively minor although.
The Zs7 is undeniably a quality stage-and-shoot video camera. The metallic human body just oozes high quality, as do the On/Away from switch and the Photographic camera/Execute switch (as opposed to a button) plus the metal door covering the external ports. The digital camera includes a definitely good heft to it and while it’s to the huge sizing for your customer digicam it shoots HD picture and packs in 12x optical zoom, so it’s really worth a handful of added ounces.
The controls on the ZS7 are pretty common, with all the heavy lifting being handled by a five-way navigation location. Individuals who applied the ZS3 will right away note which the mode dial now uses the entire circumference, to ensure there's no dead space on a single side of the dial. Within the back from the digicam there is a dedicated online video button, that is generally a nice perk, after which it your standard controls. The one particular point folks might have to obtain used to will be the Publicity button, which can be employed for toggling settings when you happen to be in Aperture Priority (F discontinue), Shutter Precedence (shutter velocity), and Manual (equally). The controls think excellent and they are really matched by a uncomplicated, straightforward-to-fully grasp arranged of on-filter menus.
Probably the coolest function of your ZS7 would be the built in geotagging. If you've this element turned on, the digicam is capable to tag equally snap shots and videos with geographic coordinates which can then be use to map out your shots. This can be best utilized in companies like Yahoo and google’s Picasa along with other photo sharing websites, but this EXIF info has all kinds of unique uses. The technique could also realize nearly 500,000 unique landmarks so you are able to get over just a place title and a few figures. Geo-tagging can be turned off at the same time as customized, just in case you don’t want, say, the the landmark or city/town data. For travelers and map geeks, this is often a killer function. The GPS can be somewhat sluggish to seek out its place nevertheless, which would seem being a downside of slapping it with a not-so-powerful gadget.
Interestingly the GPS stays on for some time even after the camera is turned off (you’ll see a inexperienced light blinking each and every few seconds). This is accomplished so the photographic camera can retain its positioning and be all set in your case to shoot once again. In the event the digicam doesn’t move it's going to shut off GPS soon after two hrs, if it has it's going to shut away 9 several hours immediately after the camera was powered down. You may shut off GPS manually nevertheless, which will avoid any leakage of battery everyday life.
Shooting with the Zs7 is an awesome experienceâ€"only about as beneficial as I’ve received using a stage-and-shoot. The Leica lens on this video camera is fairly beneficial and it delivers nice macro photographs after which it actually nice telephoto kinds. Right here the automobile image stabilization plays a key position as keeping a level-and-shoot continual at 12x zoom is no effortless undertaking. The digicam’s car concentrate is fast and exact and hunting is stored to a bare minimal, even in significantly less than excellent lighting. Pictures are sharp through the assortment of your lens, which is usually a testament to the Leica glass. The macro qualities are particularly impressive given the versatility in the lens.