Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)
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.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Silver)
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1S features iA mode which automatically determines the most suitable Scene mode and helps correct blurring, focus and brightness problems. With iA mode, it's easy to get beautiful, clear results. In the ZS1, iA mode cannot be used when shooting motion images. The ZS1 packs a LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with 12x optical zoom into a compact body. This versatile photographic tool lets you shoot everything from sweeping vistas at the 25mm wide-angle setting to dynamic 300mm telephoto shots. And the lens system's exquisite rendering ability lets you capture even the subtle nuances of the sights and scenes in your travels.
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