Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7K 7.2MP Digital Camera with 6x Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

I purchased a Nikon L5 from Costco 2 weeks ago but returned it on Saturday after I saw the LZ-7. The LZ-7 is way better in all aspects than the Nikon L5, save for the adjustable zoom in movie mode.

PROS: Takes great pictures; optical image stabilization; 6X zoom; and, great price. It is also made in Japan, not China as the Nikon L5 is.

Cons: Fixed zoom while in movie mode; no on-board camera speakers.

First of all, I was just looking for a decent camera for ~$200 that took good clean pictures and had a 6x zoom. I narrowed it down to a Canon A710 and this. Since I didn't need the few extra features the Canon had, I went with the cheaper LZ7 and although I had some reservations, I'm very happy with my decision. I primarily use the camera for taking pictures of my pets, family get togethers and wildlife/nature pictures while hiking...I've had the camera for about two months.

Pros: Simple to use, image stabilization works great, takes AA's so you'll never run out of batery power, there are several different image size settings that change to accomadate the use of the extended zoom (up to 9x v. regular 6x), manual exposure controls, nice bright screen, battery life is excellent using NiMH batteries, price for everything that comes with it.

Cons: There is a lag when the flash is used, but I think this is common for all cameras that don't use a lithium battery; there is no view finder although I haven't encountered a situation where I've wanted one; the size is a little large for a "pocket camera" but any camera with a 6X optical zoom will be, and it's really not bad.

I haven't really used the camera for night-time party type shots, which I'm guessing would not be a problem. I have also not used the video capabilities, which based on the claims should be excellent.

Overall, for $200, you'd be hard pressed to find a 7 megapixel, 6x optical zoom camera with excellent image stablization, and excellent picture taking capabilities. Seven years ago, I paid $180 for a 1.8 megapixel Fugi with no zoom...this camera is an awesome deal!

I've only had the camera for a few days, so I hope to write a more encompassing review later.

But I'm writing now to clarify that the movie function on the DMC-LZ7 DOES record sound...I had read (maybe in the product specs) that there was no sound, so I was quite happy to discover otherwise! I had purchased the camera for its low-light abilities and thought I had to give up the sound to get it -- so glad that I was wrong.

NOTE: The nearly-identical DMC-LZ6 does NOT record sound. The lack of sound-recording and the size of the LCD monitor (the LZ7 has 2.5 inch screen, LZ6 has 2-inch screen) seem to be the only differences between the models. Certainly worth the extra $30 or so to get the DMC-LZ7 with the sound.

The DMC-LZ7K movie quality is good for a digicam. My only comparison is my 4-5 year old Canon Elph -- and it's much better than that. The old Elph only records approx 15 second clips, and the Lumix will keep going until you fill up your card.

As one might expect, there is noticable chromatic noise using ISO settings above 800 -- but even the manual says that setting is basically only suitable for 4x6 prints. But at least you will get the picture in extreme conditions, even if the quality is less than optimal.

Again, comparing to my old camera - the 1200 ISO on the Lumix looks like the 400 ISO did in my old Elph. The Lumix 400 ISO looks great, at least on the monitor. I haven't printed anything yet.

Shutter response time is good and I have no major complaints, at least not so far.

I'm using rechargable AA batteries and a SanDisk Extreme III 1GB card. Both are working well with this camera.

PROS: Fantastic "straight outta the box" image quality. There is almost little or no shutter lag the second your press the shutter button. Auto focus is fast too. It wasn't so much that this was a standard point-and-shoot when I was looking for an ultra-slim camera - but most of the ultra-slim cameras I've tried sacrifice image quality to cram as much technology in such a little body - while boosting the price up. The LZ7 is a fantastic performer. The 6x optical zoom with OPTICAL image stabilization (not digital, I'm not a fan of "digital" image stabilization) is a plus. It's actually BETTER than the IS on the Canon SD700IS and SD800IS that I previously tested out (I returned both of them because paying DSLR body prices for a point-and-shoot camera is outrageous). The major plus of this camera is the image quality. Fantastic, sharp and decently saturated. It's one of the few cameras where I feel comfortable printing photos straight outta the camera. I even impressed a few colleagues of showing some 8x10s that I printed straight out of my silver LZ7 and they were shocked that I didn't take the shot with a DSLR. That's what I call great image quality!

CONS: This is quite a beefy camera. In the age of ultra-slim point-and-shoot cameras that boasts the same features as the LZ7, for the price I paid for it, it's totally worth it. The use of AA batteries might be convenient to some, but it sure contributes to the weight and size of this camera. I'm still pleased regardless. The image quality and pros outweigh the cons of this camera.

This camera shoots gorgeous pics and movies. I picked it after some pretty intensive research. I wanted a camera that would capture ALL pics even in low light with a stabilizer that would give me steady pics even if the person holding it had shaky hands. I also wanted it so simple that it had icons that was obvious. (In other words, a camera for the "point & shoot" challenged.) I wanted it to have easy to get and cheap batteries (Double A)and memory card (my 2 gig SDM cost $29) I also wanted it to download right to my pictbridge printer in the event I didn't want to power up my pc. And just to make it REALLY fun, I wanted all this for less than $250.

Does it deliver?

Oh yeah.