Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7

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Earlier this year, Panasonic announced the Lumix DMC-TZ7 along with five other shooters at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) tradeshow in January. The compact megazoom TZ7 succeeds the TZ15, and features an upgraded zoom range and HD video encoding which enthusiasts will appreciate. However, Panasonic faces stiff competition from other brands such as Canon, Olympus and Samsung which have similar offerings. Can the TZ7 hold its own against its rivals? Let's find out.

Design

Aesthetically, the TZ7 is easily distinguishable from its predecessor. Not only is it slimmer and lighter than the TZ15, it is also smaller in size. We certainly like the design of the new long-zoom Lumix--the front of the shooter is uncluttered and features only a large lens barrel and the flash.

There are very few cosmetic differences between the TZ15 and the TZ7, save for the metal strip on the handgrip.

The TZ7 feels solid in our hands and the slight bulge on the right serves as a decent handgrip. However, we noticed that Panasonic has removed the vertical rubber strip found on the TZ15 and replaced it with a thin line of metal instead. While the new implementation serves aesthetic purposes, we would have preferred the rubber version as it provides a better grip on the point-and-shoot.

The top houses a stereo microphone, power switch, shutter/zoom control and mode dial. One thing to note about the mode dial is that it turns 360 degrees, and the snapper will refuse to take pictures if it is not in an appropriate position. Shutterbugs who have used a Lumix point-and-shoot will be familiar with the layout of the controls on the back of the TZ7. There is the playback/shooting mode switch near the thumb rest and directly below is a dedicated movie-recording button. The four-way navigation pad not only lets you scroll through menus, it also makes adjustments to exposure compensation, self-timer, flash and focusing modes.

Besides the usual black, silver and blue, the TZ7 is also available in red color.

Tags: Mode, 360-degree, movie, compensation, Panasonic

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