 First digital camera I've really loved. |
| Review Date: July 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Kevin M. Powell, San Francisco, CA |
I've had quite a number `point and shoot' digital cameras over the past decade-it seems I replace them about every three years. As a believer in the maxim, the best camera is the one you have with you, they have all been Canon Elphs But this time...I wanted more. One of the new compact designs with a big optical zoom, plus the wide angle lens. So it was natural that I picked out a Canon PowerShot SX200IS for an for a birthday trip to Italy. Glad I checked it out prior to departure - its form factor didn't really work for me ...A friend suggested the Lumix ZS1, which just happened to be on sale for $229 at Costco - a hundred dollars less than the Canon.
And I am so glad I made the exchange! The Lumix ZS1 delivers beyond all expectation. There was a point on the trip where I had a vision - imagine (if you go back to the 70's as I do) having an entire photographers bag - say a Nikon F, with a kit of Nikor lens say a 24mm perspective control, 50mm macro, a couple of zooms, multiple camera backs, the flash, the motor drive- in a package that fits in your shirt pocket. The last camera that blew me away like this was the Olympus XA (old school 35mm) which delivered amazing optics in a shirt pocket size.
Cutting to the chase:
Pros:
Unbelievable Leica lens. You can't imagine what a difference there is between 25 mm and 28 mm at the wide end. Imagine taking pictures of building facades and interiors as your eye sees them - and without distortion - extraordinary, and worth the decision to go with this camera alone. Even better - this lens works at all levels. This is by far the best the macro I've seen on a point and shoot, and the lens is solid all the way to 300mm equivalent - and yes, the image stabilization does really help - in old school terms, think light weight tripod with a very heavy long lens
Unbelievable Panasonic electronics. This has a very simple, yet incredibly rich feature set, all of which is useful, all of which delivers great, real world pictures, with as much real world manual control as you could want. For example - you can set the max ISO -which really gives you control over the F stop (since like most compact cameras there really isn't that much of a range) and shutter speed, there is a very convenient toggle button on the camera body to increase/decrease exposure (+/- 2 f stops), and the IA (Intelligent Auto) is the best auto setting I have ever worked with. You do have to read the manual, however, and play with the multiple settings to fully realize what Panasonic has delivered.
Great sensor. Images are very sharp below 400 ISO as others have noted. But ultra low light performance, is what is truly amazing. Think: extraordinary rendition of Giotto's frescos at the Basilica of St. Francis, tapestries at the Vatican, even the Sistene Chapel ceiling - settings where flash will not help or is not permitted - These demanded ISOs of up to 3200 - and the results look truly amazing - when printed, when projected.
Great build quality and ergonomic design. Part of what caused me to return the Canon - it simply didn't fit in my hand well, and the control layout was awkward. This one fits perfectly in the hand, and every control both on the body and in the menus is well placed, well conceived. And it not only feels solid, it looks solid, and that is comforting.
Cons (yes there are a few, but they are few)
The view finder is bright enough in many situations (be sure to turn on the `auto mode'). But there is no substitute for an optical viewfinder in a bright outdoor setting.
Proprietary download cable. Why not use universal mini-USB to USB like Canon does?
Average battery life. All that zooming of the lens barrel and digital wizardry means that this needs to be charged daily
No HD video. I find the widescreen VGA mode delivers very acceptable performance - and because it works with the optical zoom, actually looks sharper than the Canon HD at any zoom setting (Canon is digital zoom). But I think the ZS3's HD video will be even more awesome, and probably will end up being available for the same price point.
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A $3,500 lens...Costing Around $250
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| Review Date: August 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Alan Houston, Houston, Texas, United States |
Leica is famous for the quality of their lens designs. A 24mm super-wide angle lens provides a MUCH greater field of view than the more common 35mm wide angle lens. That makes it possible to take interior photos that show a large portion of a room, or to take architectural photos of entire buildings, even in tightly packed urban areas.
BUT, Leica's famous 24mm super-wide angle lens costs about $3,500. Now Leica has designed a 25mm to 300mm zoom lens for the Panasonic ZS1 and ZS3 which has even LESS visible distortion (bowing of straight lines, such as doors and window frames) and vignetting (darkening of the photo's corners) than does Leica's famous 24mm lens. So, the owner of an LS series Panasonic gets the photo quality of a $3,500 lens for less than $250.
The Panasonic DMC-ZS1 and ZS3 share a superb Leica-designed zoom that provides outstanding performance from the super-wide 25mm range, through to the 50mm "normal" range waaay up to very long telephoto zoom of 300mm...and the lens provides excellent color and contrast in every part of that very long range.
There are NO zoom lenses or digital cameras available at ANY price level that will outperform the Panasonic ZS series for ultra-low distortion, rich colors and excellent contrast throughout the entire ultra-wide 25mm to 300mm long telephoto range of the ZS cameras.
The Panasonic ZS series cameras are designed to be easy to use. Putting them in the "intelligent auto" mode enables the camera to make all of the decisions. You simply zoom in on your subject, press the shutter very slightly to pre-focus, wait a second to see the focus confirmation "dot", then press the shutter to take your photo.
The camera will automatically switch to the "macro" mode if you are taking a photo of something a few inches from your lens, it will recognize a person's face and switch to the "portrait" mode for natural skin tones, and it re-adjusts the ISO level and shutter speed to match the lighting conditions for each photo.
Outdoors, the "intelligent auto" mode delivers consistently fine photos with natural color tones and contrast. The photos are "sharp" due to Panasonic's auto stabilization mode, which makes it possible to get hand-held photos that are tack sharp, even at the full telephoto range of 300mm.
WARNING: Flash photos tend to be mediocre, unless you are VERY careful. Indoors, when using flash, the "intelligent auto" mode works well ONLY with subjects that are very close...about three feet to six feet from the camera. Beyond six feet, many flash photos will be darker than most people would prefer. The solution is to switch to the manual mode, and select a higher ISO of 200 or 400. These cameras have a tiny flash, and good results require getting close, and the results are best in a well lighted room. This camera is a "five star" camera outdoors in bright sun light, but is closer to being a "three star" camera indoors with flash.
In the manual mode, users can select from many "scene" options, including a "night mode" that takes beautiful time exposures in dim lighting. I took some "night mode" shots in a dark coffee shop without flash that perfectly recreate the mood of the dimly lighted room. Also, in the manual mode, users can set the maximum ISO they want to use, and set the minimum shutter speed they prefer. So, for a sports photo, you can chose to use ONLY shutter speeds of 1/250 of a second or faster to "freeze" the action. Or, you can switch to the "sports" mode, and the camera will select a fast shutter speed, and lock the focus to keep subjects beyond about 16 feet away in sharp focus.
The manual options give users dozens of ways to tailor their photos, including ways of fine-tuning the color balance. The instruction book uses 140 pages to detail all of the options for every type of photo. It is worth an owner's time to work page by page through the entire 140 pages to learn everything this camera can do.
But, MOST people will be happy to simply put the camera in "intelligent auto" mode and let the camera make all of the decisions. With just a hour or two of practice, anyone should be able to obtain fine photos consistently.
Digital "noise" is always an issue with pocket sized compact digital cameras. However, with the ZS1, the digital "noise" is well controlled. In an 8 x 10 inch enlargement, it would take a very keen eye to see any "noise" in the ISO 80 to ISO 200 range. At ISO 400, a small amount of noise be visible in an 8 x 10 enlargement, but only if you are looking for it.
For people who are "fanatics" about reducing digital "noise" to a minimum, the ZS1 enables you to select an "auto" mode that has a "locks" the ISO setting to the ISO 80 to ISO 400 range, or you can "lock" the ISO at your choice of ISO 80, ISO 100, or ISO 200. On a bright sunny day, locking exposure to ISO 80 produces photos that can match those made with a $3,000 pro DSLR camera.
The battery will last about 300 photos without using the flash, and about 200 photos if you use the flash for about half your photos. The more time you spend reviewing, editing, and deleting photos, the fewer photos that can be taken. A "battery gauge" tells you the amount of power remaining in the battery so you know when to recharge. The battery recharges in about two hours or less.
WARNING: The size and shape of the ZS1 make it a VERY easy camera to drop. It would be wise to ALWAYS wrap its strap around your wrist BEFORE removing the camera out of its case. The ZS1 will fit into a jacket pocket, but it would be much better protected in a padded case. A camera as nice as the ZS1 deserves being treated as the fine piece of equipment that it is, and keeping it in a padded case is an inexpensive way to protect your investment. |
Just Point & Shoot; Great Pics Guaranteed!
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| Review Date: August 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Pixelman, |
After having used a wide range of Point & Shoot Digicams from different companies, the one camera that has always given me consistent performance in terms of great pictures and good battery life is a Panasonic Lumix FX01, which I have been using since 2006. So, when the time came for upgrading my camera, Panasonic was on the top of my list of manufacturers.
My specifications were :
I wanted atleast 10x optical zoom.
A P&S type form factor, which would be easy to carry around.
After having used a wide range of Point & Shoot Digicams from different companies, the one camera that has always given me consistent performance in terms of great pictures and good battery life is a Panasonic Lumix FX01, which I have been using since 2006. So, when the time came for upgrading my camera, Panasonic was on the top of my list of manufacturers.
My specifications were :
I wanted atleast 10x optical zoom.
A P&S type form factor, which would be easy to carry around.
7 - 10 megapixel resolution.
A CIPA rating of atleast 300 photos per fully charged battery.
I Googled around and checked out various websites, shortlisting 5 models, ranging from a Sony, a Samsung, a Canon & 2 models from Panasonic - the ZS1 & the ZS3.
After a final elimination round, I was left with only the ZS1 & the ZS3. Considering the fact that both featured 12x optical zoom, 10 megapixel resolution, 300+ pics per charge, they exceeded my specs. Some additional sweeteners were that the ZS1 & ZS3 come with 25mm wide angle lens! Sites like [...] too had some very good reviews of both the cameras, so I just had to choose between the two.
When I placed the order in early May 09, there was a $100+ difference between the two models. The main differences were that the ZS3 can record High-definition video clips with stereo sound + there are a few other features that are missing from the ZS1.
Though I was very tempted to buy the ZS3, I decided to go with the ZS1 and invest the money saved in buying an extra battery + a high capacity SDHC memory card. The rest of the process was very smooth & easy.
- Checked the prices of the ZS1 on a couple of websites and Amazon had the best deals, with free shipping too. So placed an order.
- Placed an order for an extra battery pack + SDHC card.
Everything was delivered without a hitch and after a quick glance through the user manual, I was ready to start clicking... and I have been clicking away since the past 3 months.
The main pros & cons of the ZS1 are:
- Very good optical zoom (12x) & great wide-angle lens (25mm)
- iA (Intelligent Auto) mode is really effective in getting great results.
- Battery life is quite good.
- Image stabilization is more effective than most models I have used.
- Very handy and easy to use!
Now the cons:
- Autofocus works good, but a manual over-ride would have been really great.
- Performance of the camera in low-light conditions is just average.
- At higher ISO levels (Above 400), there is a significant amount of noise in the photos in low light conditions.
- The mode selector dial is a little vague and easily moves out of position.
But then, everything cannot be perfect, can it? and these cons are something that I can easily live with.
The bottom line is that at this price point, the ZS1 is a great camera for the casual users, active travellers and anyone who needs a easy to use wide angle camera, with good zoom. I would recommend it without any reservations!
Products I ordered:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Silver)
Panasonic DMW BCG10 Battery pack (The camera will not work with any other non-panasonic batteries)
A Transcend Class-6 SDHC 8GB memory card.
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Great Resolution!
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| Review Date: July 15, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Rodney H. Diramos, Los Angeles, CA United States |
We've always used an SLR but found out that we were taking it along less frequently because of the weight. We needed a good quality smaller camera and tried this out.
What a pleasant surprise. It could take excellent fireworks at a distance or highly detailed macro shots. We'd like to stop using our SLR for our professional food photography shots because we think the quality of this small camera would work for our purposes - were it not for the fact that our clients think that since we're using a big camera (SLR), we are more professional that way.
Great product - must be the Leica lens! |
What you wanted in a little "almost pocket" camera
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| Review Date: September 4, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Noel C. Hastings, Sacramento, CA |
I can't remember how many Panasonic Lumix models I have had now... 3? 5?. I started with one of the first super zooms... added the mini pocket models as well. The last pocket model I owned, the FX-37, was excellent and the larger FZ-28 hard to beat, but I wanted both in one small camera. What do you know... they made the ZS1 with a 25-300mm zoom. In past reviews what I said still holds true in many ways on other models. The lenses on these cameras are amazing, Leica optics can't be beat. What has changed is that Panasonic has put all their efforts into improving their electronics. In the past poor menu design, button placement and chip noise plagued these cameras but I used them for the lens quality. Today, this latest camera has replaced my two camera system and I am very happy.
This camera is small, small enough for your pocket but it is big enough that you will notice it there. It is also big enough that it is comfortable in your hand though, which is nice, but not so big as to attract a lot of attention in a crowded market. Probably the perfect travel camera (see the DP Review Travel Camera Shootout review, search Google!). The battery life is excellent, the optics are sharp and color is somewhat warm. The menu system is easy to figure out. The image results are wonderful and although if you dig enough you can find imperfections, please don't compare this to a $2000 professional SLR. It is not, but it is as close as your are going to get for the money and it is way easier to carry around. The flash on this little camera does better than I expected too, which is a bonus. I recently took it on a 3 day backapck trip and took over 300 photos and only needed to switch to my backup battery near the end. That was with a lot of "on and off" use which requires lens motor a lot and eats battery life. Not much flash use. Also, the image stabilization works very well and is now a feature I won't buy a camera without.
There is only ONE gripe I have with this model and many have had it. The mode dial is the worst design I have seen and surprised since they have other models that solved this design issue. Why did they do this? It only has mode positions that can be selected on about half the dial, the other half is blank, but sadly the dial can be put into these "blank" positions. Because of the dial placement without any protection and the anemic click stops, it is easily bumped into the wrong position. It won't mess up your pictures, but you may sometimes find you are pressing the shutter button while in the wrong mode or worse yet, you try to shoot in a situation that requires a quick shutter finger and instead you find an error on the screen that says "mode dial in wrong position". Once they fix this issue the camera will have been improved to a full 5/5 stars. Now it is a 4.5/5 in my book.
If you want something small, with great optics, great images, a good flash for a small camera and a great battery life (by the way, don't upgrade firmware because all the new firmware does is STOP you from being able to use aftermarket 3rd party batteries which work fine and are way cheaper) this is your camera.... welcome to the Lumix family! |
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