Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7

By Theano Nikitas, CNET.com
May 17, 2006

Compared to digital SLRs and some other megazoom cameras, the small, lightweight 6-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 feels almost like a toy. Only after acknowledging its powerful 12x (36mm-to-432mm, 35mm-equivalent) optically stabilized lens, manual controls, extended selection of scene modes, and VGA movie capture do you realize that this camera's capabilities far outstrip its size and weight. Despite some image flaws, this modest upgrade to the 5-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 will likely be as popular as its predecessor, appealing to a broad range of photographers who want a camera that will allow them to improve--or prove--their photographic skills.

Design
Available in black or silver, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7's plastic-and-metal body feels well made despite its light weight--a mere 357g with an SD card and the proprietary battery installed. You won't be putting this camera in your pocket, but you'll barely know it's there when it's slung over your shoulder or around your neck.

In the box, you'll find a lens adapter that accommodates the bundled lens hood and optional filters. Unfortunately, the adapter-hood combo causes vignetting at wide angles, with or without the flash. Frankly, using the lens hood was just too much of an ordeal, so I often left it at home when out shooting.

	The external controls that populate the top and back of the camera are well organized.

Atop the comfortably sized handgrip, you'll find the zoom lever, a button for activating the two optical image stabilization modes, and an AF/MF button that switches between autofocus and manual focus. Program, aperture- and shutter-priority, manual, macro, movie, scene, and the camera's Simple mode, which allows for no-brainer shooting, are accessed via the camera's small but smoothly ratcheted mode dial.

Even with the new, larger--but still low-resolution--2.5-inch LCD, there's plenty of room for external controls on the back of the camera. There, you'll find buttons to pop up the flash and to switch between the EVF and the LCD, as well as a joystick to adjust manual exposure settings and manual focus, a control button that cycles between display options and controls the display mode, and a dual-purpose control for both continuous shooting or deleting shots. The left, right, and down arrow pads on the four-way controller provide direct access to the self-timer, the flash modes, and review/playback. The up arrow invokes exposure compensation (exposure bracketing in full manual mode), flash compensation, and white-balance fine-tuning (in all but automatic white balance). In Simple mode, the same arrow accesses only the backlight option.

The center button calls up the menu and acts as a set button. All in all, it's a pretty convenient layout, and you rarely have to go into the menu; even when you do, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7's menu system is easy to navigate.

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