Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 Reviews: Lumix Digital Compact Camera

Photo of Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 Digital Camera

458 Real Customer Reviews - In Summary

+ This digital camera scores high on image quality. - It has no outstanding negative points. “I am not a technical person, and therefore my view is based on looking for a…” Anonymous verified purchaser View all 458 real customer reviews

Available via Reevoo.com from £212 – £365 at 26 retailers

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Product Details

3" Screen, 12x optical zoom, SD Card storage More »

Customer reviews
Expert reviews
Product details
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Real customer reviews

458 verified purchasers have reviewed this product.
96% of people recommend it.

Show scores of…

All purchasers (456)

Build Quality	9.1
Ease of use	8.8
Features	9.0
Image quality	9.3
Value for money (at time of purchase)	8.8
Overall rating	9.1

Keen amateur (86)

Point & shoot (63)

Experienced amateur (34)

Other (273)

*not all purchasers provided a score or review

Matt, Cambridge , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ Great zoom lens (12x). High def movie capability. Great quality.

- Would like more manual controls. Shutter / aperature priority. Included PC software clunky (best find alternatives)

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47 of 51 people found this review helpful

purchased 01 Apr 2009

hamev, Worthing , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ Good results can be easily obtained by non photographers as well as those with some expertise.
The TZ7 is slightly smaller in size than earlier TZ models and doesn't bulge a jacket pocket, therefore more likely to be taken out and about and capture those fleeting special moments.

- Battery life is dismal, but to be expected as it's smaller, with a lower capacity, than in earlier TZ models.

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28 of 28 people found this review helpful

purchased 17 Jun 2009

STEVE, SEDGLEY, WEST MIDS , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ HD VIDEO QUALITY & CLARITY,
PHOTO RESULTS EXCELLENT,
EASE OF USE,

- WHEN SHOOTING VIDEO,SLIGHT BREEZES SOUND LIKE GALE FORCE WINDS DESPITE HAVING THE WIND REDUCTION MODE ACTIVE. MUCH BETTER RESULT IF YOU SLIGHTLY COVER THE MIC WITH A FINGER. NO VEIWFINDER

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8 of 8 people found this review helpful

purchased 11 Aug 2009

Robert, Nairn , “Experienced amateur”

Score 8.0/10

+ Love the 12 x zoom and the fast picture capture. Have got the hang of the basic functions which is enough to go with for now

- Battery does not last long, had to buy a second one, and it would be better if you could charge battery on the camera, sad you have to buy memory for the camera, and no case for camera.

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6 of 7 people found this review helpful

purchased 14 Jul 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Experienced amateur”

Score 10.0/10

+ Very well built, effective for all at this price.
A compact all automatic, that's what i wanted and it's good to.

- Little problems with button's position : run video record or power on by accident, specially when out of the pocket.
With time, learnt the good way of taking it.

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3 of 3 people found this review helpful

purchased 24 Jul 2009

Holz, Cornwall , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ HD video & sound quality is excellent. Loads of features to discover.

- None I know of.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

purchased 26 Jul 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ Reviewer left no comment

- to easy to push buttons on the back

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

purchased 11 Aug 2009

Gary, Liverpool , “Experienced amateur”

Score 10.0/10

+ the ability to shoot HD movies is amazing

- The mode dial moves when the camera is put in your bag or is easily moved to the incorrect poison my mistake, a small flaw in an otherwise fine camera

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

purchased 14 Jul 2009

FRANK, LEICESTER , “Experienced amateur”

Score 10.0/10

+ Small;easily handled;clear LCD screen; good quality pictures and clear menus.

- Full opticaol zoom only available in intelligent mode.

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

purchased 09 Aug 2009

sean, chamonix, france , “Experienced amateur”

Score 8.0/10

+ Wide angle lens, powerful zoom. Good colours & exposure metering (to my very amateur eye !)

- Video recording difficult to manage with a one handed operation - fiddly small button. Mode selector button poorly placed and too easy to inadvertently change the position as it rotates with a very slight pressure - needs a firmer operation for this rarely used button. A little heavy.

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

purchased 11 Aug 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ Zoom
Image quality
Video quality
Build quality
Features

- Flash is not the best in the world but acceptable, not much wrong with it to be honest

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purchased 08 Oct 2009

anthony, salisbury , “Experienced amateur”

+ easy to use fantastic picture quality . hd playback fantastic quality. without doubt the best camera i have ever owned best money i ever spent

- none what so ever

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purchased 11 Aug 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Experienced amateur”

Score 10.0/10

+ The wide angle is really wide for a compact and the big zoom range were exactly what I was looking for and they performed well. It also produced great results in low light conditions without having to use flash.

- The video button was perhaps too easy to accidentally press on with your thumb when holding the camera in the right hand.

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purchased 07 Sep 2009

Samantha, Helston , “Experienced amateur”

Score 10.0/10

+ great amount of scene modes, fold in lens brilliant, screen size great, hd video fantastic

- no fun features like frames, bit long winded to change colour mode.

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purchased 16 Sep 2009

bozier, suffolk , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ this is a brilliant little camera

- the auto focus dial seems to move to easy so when its put away in its carry case you have to check the dial each time it is taken out for use,this might sound trivial but important.

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purchased 05 Aug 2009

Maja, Jersey, Channel Islands , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ Its absolutely brilliant for photos and videos if you recording on festivals or clubs.

- Its a bit heavy but you can expect that with the 12x zoom ability.

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purchased 06 Aug 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Experienced amateur”

Score 8.0/10

+ Zoom range. Image quality. Display. Ai control.

- Lack of manual control. Limited time on video (Common Market to blame for this).

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1 of 2 people found this review helpful

purchased 29 Aug 2009

Brian, welshpool , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ Super little camera quick and easy to use,fantastic screen which makes the camera a great photo album.Best used as backup to single lens reflex type,not instead of

- The instruction manual is very difficult to understand,and a complete printed copy should be available.

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purchased 29 Aug 2009

didier, caluire, France , “Experienced amateur”

Score 8.0/10

+ very easy to use!
a very good lumix product
perfect video HD

- the price?...ok,I have personnal problem with new technology and world business but I think it s the good price for this item...

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1 of 2 people found this review helpful

purchased 02 Sep 2009

Adrian, Warrington , “Experienced amateur”

Score 10.0/10

+ 12 x Optical Zoom for stills @ 10Meg & Movies. Zoom In/Out function can be used when shooting Movies.

- Recommend a Screen Protector - approx £10.00.

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purchased 01 Sep 2009

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Experienced amateur”

Score 9.0/10

+ Nice fit in hand, intuitive handling and set-up. Excellent video recording.

- Some features are just a gimmick - face recognition, babies etc. Beware to buy generic replacement battery - the firmware does not recognise it. Nasty move from Panasonic.

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purchased 08 Sep 2009

Terry , Worcester , “Experienced amateur”

Score 10.0/10

+ Excellent wide angle lens and zoom . Excellent pictures

- Reviewer left no comment

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purchased 22 Sep 2009

Eugène, Luxembourg , “Experienced amateur”

+ still and movie in one

- no optical view finder

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purchased 06 Oct 2009

Andrew, Manchester , “Experienced amateur”

Score 10.0/10

+ Ease of use - point and shoot with over-ride for the extra photographic user (non SLR)

- Too new to find any. Video recording with camera at 90' - not found out how to rotate output,,,, yet.

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purchased 16 Oct 2009

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Expert reviews for Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7

PC Advisor expert review - by Elias Plastiras

The 10.1Mp Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7, equipped with a 10-element LEICA DC 25mm lens, is a hybrid camera capable of taking 720p-resolution videos using the AVCHD Lite codec, with a 12x optical zoom capable of reaching up to 300mm.

This Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 review continued on PC Advisor

reviewed 12 Feb 2009

Product Features

Camera Type	Compact
There are 2 main types of camera: The SLR and the Compact. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras use a prism to reflect the exact image as seen through the lens and so offers a more accurate viewfinder. SLR cameras have detachable lenses offering greater flexibility if you wish to take a variety of different photographs. Compact cameras have a built in lens and an ‘above lens’ viewfinder which is less accurate but they are often cheaper, more sleekly designed and easier to carry anywhere with you to capture that moment perfectly without having to fiddle with complex settings or a bag full of lenses.
resolution (Megapixel)	10.1

Optical Zoom Ratio	12
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Screen Size in Inches	3
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Digital Zoom Ratio	4
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Face Recognition	Yes
A function for automatically detecting peoples faces and correctly adjusting the focus and exposure to take the best photo
Face Recognition	Face Detection
A function for automatically detecting peoples faces and correctly adjusting the focus and exposure to take the best photo
Image Stabilisation	Optical Image Stabiliser
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Image Stabilisation	Yes
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Colour	Multi
The main colour of the product.
Memory Card Slot	Yes
Having a memory card slot allows you to save data to a memory card and then transfer it to another device. For example you may put a photo from your camera or mobile phone onto a memory card and then plug it into your printer to print directly. Memory card slots come in many formats: Compact Flash Card Memory Stick Duo Micro SD Card MMC SD Card SDHC Card
Media Format	MMC Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	SDHC Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	SD Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
PictBridge	Yes
An industry standard allowing images to be printed from camera to printer, without needing a computer. CIPA PictBridge Standard Website
Macro Mode	Yes
This mode allows close-up photograpy of small objects such as insects and flowers.
Video Recorder	Yes
Video recording functionality allows the capture of videos in mpeg or avi format which is great if you want to capture a whole scene, not just one moment.
Manual Focus	No
Almost all modern cameras have autofocus. Manual focus allows you to override the autofocus and set the distance yourself. This is especially useful if your camera is struggling to focus in a low-light or confusing scene.
Timer	Yes
Having a timer function is essential if you want to get into the shot yourself. Make sure your camera has this feature if you plan to go on holiday and capture photos of you and your friends or family having fun together.
Under Water	No
An under water feature means your camera is safe to dive with, usually between 3 and 5 metres. Most dSLR cameras will require expensive separate housing so consider investing in a waterproof digital compact first.
Dimensions (mm)	103.3x59.6x32.8
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
Weight (g)	206
The weight of the product in grams.
Flash	Yes
Whether or not your camera has an in-built flash. Flashes are essential for fully capturing a low light image.
Series	Lumix
The name the manufacturer has given to this model’s range.
Resolution (Pixels)	3648x2736
A camera sensor, that captures the photograph, is measured in pixels. The number given here is the horizontal amount of pixels followed by the vertical quantity of pixels. The more pixels a camera sensor has, the bigger and higher quality the image will be.
Shortest Shutter Speed	1/2000
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Longest Shutter Speed	8"
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
Longest Shutter Speed	60
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
Max. Aperture Lens 1	f3.3-4.9
Measured in f-stops the aperture of a lens dictates the maximum amount of light captured. If you want to do low light photography look for something with a wide aperture like f2.8. The widest aperture is given as a range as it changes when your lens is zoomed in.
In-Built Memory (MB)	40

USB Port	Yes
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components
WiFi	No
Wifi allows you to connect your device to wireless routers or modems which allows you to connect to broadband internet.

Also known as: Panasonic DMC-TZ7EB-T, Panasonic DMC-TZ7EB-S, Panasonic DMC-TZ7EB-K, Panasonic DMC-TZ7, Panasonic DMCTZ7EBK, Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ7, Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7EB-R, Panasonic Lumix TZ7

Digital Cameras Buyers' Guide

Photos taken with this camera

Manufacturer's Description

25mm Wide-angle 12x Optical Zoom LEICA DC Lens with HD Movie Recording in AVCHD Lite and iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode

The new TZ series 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.

TZ7 records HD movies (1280 × 720-pixels) in AVCHD Lite, which lets you shoot beautiful HD video with almost twice the recording time compared to the conventional Motion JPEG. Optical zoom can be used when shooting motion images. TZ7 is also the world’s first compact camera to feature Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator, which records dynamic, true-to-life audio that brings out the power of the HD video. The wind cut function minimises distracting sound from the background during audio recording.TZ7 is also the world’s first compact camera to feature Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator, which records dynamic, true-to-life audio that brings out the power of the HD video. The wind cut function minimises distracting sound from the background during audio recording.

iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode makes it easy for anyone to take beautiful recordings. Photo iA Mode controls MEGA O.I.S., Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Recognition, Intelligent Exposure and AF Tracking. The new Face Recognition function memorises faces automatically and works to optimise both focus and exposure settings by prioritising on the registered person’s face. Movie iA is also available, controlling MEGA O.I.S., Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection AF/AE, and Intelligent Exposure.

The DMC-TZ7’s LCD features a large 3.0-inch, 460,000-dot resolution, and a wide-viewing angle that lets you frame your shot in a variety of ways for both shooting and viewing. LUMIX’s acclaimed Intelligent LCD function also automatically adjusts the brightness in 11 steps according to shooting conditions. This LCD provides sharp, clear images in virtually all shooting situations, ranging from nighttime to bright daylight scenes and from low-angle to high-angle shooting. It lets you share the fun of viewing images with family and friends.

The Venus Engine HD, with its twin CPUs, has exceptional processing capabilities and low power consumption, enabling both HDMI support and HD movie recording in AVCHD Lite. It features effective noise reduction even at high ISO sensitivity levels. Connect to a Panasonic VIERA via an optional HDMI mini-cable, and use VIERA Link to run mixed slideshows of still and motion pictures. Or, insert your SDHC/SD Memory Card into an HDTV equipped with VIERA Image Viewer (SD Card slot) to playback pictures and movies.

*must be recorded in AVCHD Lite

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