Pros:
Extreme battery life. Very large optical telephoto for the money.
Cons:
Difficult to see either through the viewfinder or with the LCD screen.
The Bottom Line:
Don't buy it because it's too difficult to view the image through the viewfinder or on the LCD screen.
Overall Rating:
Author's Review
I am disappointed in this camera. When in zoom mode the viewing picture, either through the viewfinder or the LCD is very unclear. I was in Costa Rica trying to shoot monkeys, birds etc. high in the trees. I could see them with my eyes much, much better than I could see them through the viewfinder or LCD. I have 20:20 vision.
There is a focus knob next to the viewfinder. It is tiny and extremely difficult to turn. And it never stays in place.
The quality of the photographs was inferior to my last camera, a Canon G-3, 4 MP. It was far easier to frame shots with the Canon.
The best thing about the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 is the battery life, which is quite amazing.
The instruction book leaves a lot to be desired. For example, the word, "battery," does not appear in the index. Other critical issues do not appear there either.
Another problem. I left the charger in a hotel room in Costa Rica. I can't find a new charger anywhere. No one seems to carry it. My camera is useless until I manage to find one. I just went to the Panasonic web site and couldn't even find the charger there.
The image stabilizer is not easy to use. However, I haven't used one on other cameras, so I cannot make a comparison. You cannot just turn the image stabilizer on and leave it on. You must set it again for each shot.
A fellow traveler in Costa Rica had the same camera and had the same complaints as I.
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