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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 Digital Camera
Date of Review: Apr 16, 2006
The Bottom Line: In the compact ultra-zoom market this is in my opinion, one of the best cameras available. This camera will get you usable pictures in a variety of shooting conditions.
I purchased this camera amongst a convoluted sea of cameras due to its overall per-shot success rate, extensive features, and quality optics in its class as a compact ultra-zoom, fixed-lens camera. Budget was a big concern, considering all digital cameras require the purchase of a large capacity, high-speed memory card.
I find ISO sensitivity noise to be comparable to all other cameras in this range. I find the camera extremely nimble, quick to focus, meter, and shoot at its max pixel mode where it counts. The 2.5" LCD and EVF are somewhat low resolution but they are bright, fast, and extremely usable without having to squint. The controls are well placed, extremely responsive, and the camera feels natural. The camera is constantly striving to get a good shot, and the pictures are totally useable even when I manage to not take something into account. The 848x480 16:9 30fps movie mode with sound is outstanding.
This camera took the respected DMC-FZ5 and updated it, being equal or superior in most every aspect.
This camera was on sale and I got it locally for $329 + $69 for a 512MB SD card (Sandisk Ultra II Plus 66X) which also handily folds into a USB card (allowing transfers at 10MB per second). At that price point it was even more compelling.
Cameras I also considered (both in research and comparison hands on):
Olympus E-500 Evolt - 8 Megapixel, larger SLR size camera, cutting edge low noise sensor, outstanding 215,000 pixel LCD and EVF, updatable firmware, huge selection of lenses, multiple media card types albeit slower offset by a huge 64MB image buffer. Only my budget dictated not purchasing this camera, which is a couple of tiers above in the entry-level DSLR arena. Size was also a minor consideration, I wanted compact.
Olumpus SP-500 - 6 Megapixel, 10X optical zoom, great construction and feel, excellent optics, excellent electronic viewfinder (but no diopter adjustment), hot-shoe, but lacking optical image stabilization and using a somewhat limited media card type.
Panasonic DMC-FZ30 - 8 Megapixel, 12X optical zoom, larger Pro-sumer bridge size camera, excellent optics, overall good camera. Again my budget and the deviation from compact excluded this camera.
Kodak P-850 - 6 Megapixel, 12X optical zoom, well constructed, above average optics, somewhat un-natural, quirky placement of controls (power switch surrounding the shutter button, where you expect zoom to be, and zoom on the rear of the camera).
