  Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7
In the realm of superzoom cameras, Panasonic has turned out some really impressive cameras that are also great values for the money. Following up on the success of its FZ30, FZ20, and FZ15 superzoom models, Panasonic has introduced the FZ7. The FZ7's predecessors combined super optical zoom with top-notch optics and excellent image quality and stabilization in compact packages (with the possible exception of the FZ15, which was somewhat bulky for a superzoom). Additionally, the FZ30 approached DSLR prices and was not exactly cheap.
The FZ7 tries to combine the award-winning feature set of the FZ30 and FZ20 in a budget-level camera ideal for the aspiring, not-yet-rich photographer. In this review, we zoom in and take a look at Panasonic's latest budget superzoom.
 Features
The stylish FZ7 is a compact camera. Its dimensions (width x height x depth) are 112.5 x 72.2 x 79 mm, excluding the protruding parts such as the telescoping lens and flash. A camera loaded with the battery and SD memory card weighs about 0.79 pounds. The FZ7 comes in two very attractive color choices: silver and black.
Cosmetics aside, the FZ7 integrates a high-quality Leica DC lens capable of 12x optical zoom and a 6-megapixel CCD. The FZ7 can also zoom digitally up to a maximum of 4x. In addition, the FZ7 has a proprietary Extended Optical Zoom feature that brings up the maximum zoom to 16.5x (at 3 megapixel resolution). Combining optical and digital zoom yields a whopping maximum of 48x (without Extended Optical Zoom) and 66x (with Extended Optical Zoom)! The lens has a 6mm to 72mm focussing range and a focussing aperture of f2.8 – f8.0 for wide mode and f3.3 – f8.0 for telephoto mode. Video mode on the FZ7 allows you to record Quicktime movies (essentially Motion JPEGs) at 30 frames per second.
The FZ7 features two modes of image stabilization via motion compensation to reduce the occurrence of blurred images. Panasonic calls this technology Mega Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) technology. Because image stabilization becomes more important with high levels of zoom, this feature is very important. Mode 1 works all the time when activated, allowing you to see the stabilized scene on the LCD monitor. Mode 2 takes effect when the shutter button is pressed, providing maximum compensation in all directions.
The image processing chip of the FZ7 is Panasonic's powerful Venus Engine II. This improvement over the Venus Engine allows you to take higher quality pics than ever before. The chip automatically performs digital correction of color aberrations to capture color accurately.
Bundled with the camera is a 16 Mb media card for storage, a lithium ion battery, charger/adapter, USB cable, and a software and driver bundle.
Pros and Cons
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 certainly kept us busy as we played around with it. Anything and anyone that got too close got photographed... but then again, they didn't even have to get close enough; the 12x zoom of this camera allowed us to zoom in on distant objects and take highly detailed shots. It was just like standing a few feet away from the subject. They don't call the FZ7 a superzoom for nothing.
The Lumix FZ7 is flexible in that it allows the user to compose shots using the electronic viewfinder or the 2.5 inch LCD. The LCD is bright and clear but doesn't have much of a viewing angle, so it would be harder to compose images when positioning the camera in extreme positions (such as overhead, when taking pictures over a crowd, for example). The LCD's resolution is also a bit low. The electronic viewfinder is too small and too cumbersome to use.
The ultimate test of a digital superzoom is in the quality of pictures it can take. The FZ7 is capable of producing images with vibrant, rich colors that aren't overblown and have good contrast and sharpness. However, pictures appear to have a lot of digital noise to them, especially in solid areas of color, though to casual users, this noise isn't really apparent. The noise increases when the camera is set to ISO (higher sensitivity) modes on the camera. For lower ISO modes, image quality is stable with little noticeable noise. From ISO 400 and upwards, noise increases to the point that, at ISO 1600, the image becomes nothing more than an undefined blur of color. Otherwise, users who use mainly ISO 80, 100, and 200 modes are in for a treat – these apparently are the only ISO modes on the FZ7 that produce good quality images. A plus for the FZ7 is that it handled low-light conditions really well, and a really big plus is Panasonic's Mega OIS technology. In our experience with hundreds of compact digital cameras, we feel that nobody does image stabilization better than Panasonic.
The video feature of the FZ7 is a nifty feature. It allows you record and create Quicktime videos up to the maximum capacity of your memory card. Since the FZ7 has a built-in microphone, videos are recorded with sound. This feature might come in handy in some situations, but the FZ7 is by no stretch a video camcorder.
The overall feel of the FZ7 is solid. The controls are intuitively laid out. The FZ7 looks sleek in the same vein as its predecessors. However, some of the plastic parts of the casing seem flimsy.
Summary and Recommendations
The Panasonic Lumix FZ7 is a fun budget superzoom. For the price, you get a good-quality Leica lens, good image quality with normal settings, some rudimentary video capability, and excellent image stabilization in a sleek, beautiful package. |
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