panasonic dmc-zs35w digital camera with 3.0-inch tft lcd review made in china

The Lumix DMC-ZS35 (TZ55 outside of North America) is a compact travel zoom camera with a 20X, 24-480mm equiv. lens and 16 megapixel "high sensitivity" MOS sensor. Its 3-inch (460k dot) LCD can flip upward by 180 degrees for self-portraits. The camera can shoot continuously at 10 fps, and can also record Full HD video at 1080/30p. Built-in Wi-Fi allows for remote control of the camera, as well as photo sharing.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 (also known as the DMC-ZS1 in the USA) is a new ultra-compact super-zoom camera, offering a 10 megapixel sensor and 12x, 25-300mm optical zoom lens. The TZ6 is the cheaper brother of the TZ7 model, which additionally features HD movies with enhanced sound recording, Intelligent Auto mode for movies as well as still images, and a larger 3 inch LCD screen. That doesn"t mean that you should instantly discount the more affordable TZ6. It offers exactly the same incredible lens, the addition of AF tracking and Face Recognition to the Intelligent Auto mode, and reliable optical image stabilisation system, plus it features the Venus Engine IV processing engine and WVGA (848x480) movies. Priced at £269 / $299 and available in silver or black, is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 a real alternative to the £80 / $100 more expensive TZ7 model, and can it give rival travel zoom cameras a run for their money? Carry on reading to find out...

With its TZ series Lumix cameras Panasonic has pioneered the inclusion of broader focal ranges than usually offered by a digital compact. In practice this has made them most apt for candid and (amateur) wildlife photography, school sports days (at a push) at maximum zoom, plus landscapes at the wider end. Panasonic has done this while delivering a small-ish form factor that, while no match for the sleek (Canon) IXUS"s or (Nikon) Coolpixes of this world, is still compact enough to slip into your jacket"s inner pocket.

The 10.1 megapixel DMC-TZ6 is the latest example, and, like its TZ7 big brother announced in tandem (which adds AVCHD-format High Definition video, as opposed to the TZ6"s sole Motion JPEG format), this camera boasts a wide-angle Leica-branded 12x optical zoom equivalent to 25-300mm in 35mm terms. This has been achieved, says its manufacturer, courtesy of a lens construction comprising 10 elements in 8 groups, including two ED lenses and two aspherical lenses with three aspherical surfaces. With that whopping range in mind Panasonic is ambitiously pitching the TZ6 as your perfect travel companion - despite the fact that it can"t also play your MP3"s or carry your suitcases.

For an asking price of £265 / $299, the TZ6 features the company"s beginner friendly iA (intelligent auto) functionality also found on the higher-end G1/GH1, which automatically adjusts settings dependant on the subject the camera is presented with (for example choosing "macro" when faced with a flower). It also has much needed optical image stabilization (Mega OIS) on board to avoid blurred images when shooting handheld in dim lighting without flash or at the telephoto end of the zoom.

New this time around is an AF tracking function that allows the user to lock the focus on a moving subject and keep it there without needing to keep the shutter release button half depressed, plus an automatic backlight compensation function that adjusts exposure if a subject is in danger of being thrown into silhouette. Face detection has also been tweaked so that the TZ6 can now lock onto target even if said visage is turned sideways to the lens. The combination of the above pretty much allows for simple, point and shoot operation.

With a construction of metal and plastic, like the FX150 we rated last month the TZ6 subconsciously suggests its asking price is about right by feeling reassuringly solid in the palm with lithium ion battery and optional SD (or higher capacity SDHC) media card loaded. Practically speaking, a raised vertical sliver at the front of the rounded grip provides a means of purchase for the fingertips with the camera gripped in the right hand, while the thumb comes to rest on nine raised nodules forming a square at the back. On the whole the camera"s design is attractive, though conservatively so, our review sample blending silver and grey with standard rectangular dimensions. Surely, Panasonic seems to be saying, the fact that we"ve crammed a lens this large into a body this diminutive is enough?

Unlike the higher resolution, physically smaller (and approximately £30 more expensive) FX150 however, the TZ6 omits fancy tricks like that camera"s "E.Zoom" button that propels the lens from maximum wideangle to telephoto. That"s not to suggest the TZ6 is frill-free in comparison, though the "extra optical zoom" function that extends the range to a 21.4x equivalent by utilising the central portion of its CCD – in effect a crop with a resultant resolution drop to three megapixels – is probably best avoided.

With its appearance obviously dominated by the wide-angle lens, the TZ6 does however present an unthreateningly clean faceplate to the user, the full extent of the zoom hidden within the body when not in use. Top right of this is a pinhead-sized window that (typical for this class of camera) doubles up as the self-timer indicator and AF assist lamp. Top left of the lens is a lozenge-shaped sliver for the built-in flash, and, apart from the "L" for Lumix logo and mirrored sliver of metal running from top to bottom on the rounded grip to the left, that"s it for detailing on the front of the camera.

Moving to the TZ6"s top plate, matters get a little more interesting, with, set into a different coloured silver-grey strip we find a rangefinder-alike mode dial nestling next to a shutter release button with just the right amount of "give", itself encircled by a spring-loaded rocker switch for controlling the zoom. A small on/off power switch comes next and is partly recessed, with a raised lip providing sufficient purchase for a fingernail. Flick this to "on" and the compact powers up for action in two seconds, the rear 2.7-inch, 230k dot LCD blinking into life as the lens extends to maximum wide angle setting in anticipation of the first image capture.

As with most consumer cameras nowadays, no optical viewfinder is provided as a power-saving alternative to deploying the LCD 24:7; the screen"s performance is as acceptable as any when shooting in daylight, though despite Panasonic"s claim for it automatically adjusting its backlight dependant on surrounding ambient levels, when outdoors you still find yourself cupping a hand around the screen to properly scrutinize whether the desired result has been achieved.

Give the shutter release button a squeeze however and the camera is quick to determine focus and exposure and fairly accurate it is too. That being said, in my coming to use the TZ6 (unfairly) immediately after the Nikon D3x DSLR, you realize it"s not lightning fast by any means. The shutter delay as you go on to take the shot however is indiscernible, while a full resolution, least compression JPEG is written to memory in around three seconds, the screen freezing whilst this is taking place. Again, this is hardly class leading but perfectly adequate for the happy snapper market, processing handled (among other tasks) by the camera"s Venue Engine IV, the same processor found in the FX150.

The zoom action itself is smooth and steady, sound tracked by only the faintest of mechanical noise, with the transition from maximum wide angle to telephoto setting taking just three seconds if holding down the lever. Adjacent to the on/off switch is a mono microphone for recording sound alongside video clips, while a built-in mono speaker concludes the features found on the camera"s top plate.

Moving back to study the rather loose-feel shooting mode dial in more detail, the user first has the choice of aforementioned intelligent auto mode. Press the menu button at the rear when in this mode and access is provided to the pared down record folder options of picture size, single or sequential shooting, plus colour mode – the choices here being black and white or sepia alongside standard colour. The set up menu can also be accessed, though this too is drastically simplified, only allowing the setting of the camera"s internal clock, turning off the operational "beep" and selecting language.

The option that follows next on the dial is "normal" picture mode (regular auto mode), the AF point/s highlighted in green when focus/exposure is determined with a half press. The menu folder options in this mode are more expansive, with the user being able to select an intelligent ISO option – limited to ceilings of either ISO 400, ISO 800 or ISO 1600 max – alongside the full manually selectable gamut of ISO "proper", running from ISO 80 up to ISO 1600.

White balance, metering mode (multi segment, centre weighted or spot) are also capable of being manually tweaked, the image aspect ratio can be switched from 4:3 to 3:2 or to a widescreen 16:9, while "intelligent exposure" can be turned on or off as desired. Within the set up menu folder the regular suspects are found – including the ability to call up a compositional grid onscreen or a live histogram to check exposures before firing the shutter.

Next around the dial denoted by the letters "MS" is a "MyScene" mode; as it sounds this allows the user to assign the most frequently-used scene mode option to this setting – very probably portrait or landscape give the camera"s consumer market – and therefore instantly recall it with a twist of the dial. This setting feels slightly superfluous however, as next around the dial is the complete range of scene modes, providing the user with two screens" worth of cartoonish, icon-led options. Whichever option you"ve selected last will be there again when you come back to that mode. Like Olympus" E-30 with its choice of selectable art filters, the TZ6 has added film grain and pinhole camera a-like options to the 27-strong mix, that equally unusually includes a starry sky option along with not one but two separate baby settings that allow name and age to be assigned to an image. Both these settings use a weak burst of flash to bring out flesh tones.

The last dedicated mode on the dial is, rather bizarrely, a "clipboard" option for taking low-resolution snaps of maps and timetables to avoid the need to make handwritten notes or doodles when in transit. These images are saved automatically to the 40MB internal memory. It"s the kind of feature normally ferreted away amongst the rest of the scene modes on other compacts, but here given pride. I suppose it helps give added credence to Panasonic"s "perfect travel companion" claim for the TZ6.

We move next to the TZ6"s back plate, and, with the 2.7-inch screen taking up two thirds of the "real estate" we are presented with some plastic, surely unnecessarily small buttons and controls ranged to the right. At the extreme right top hand corner is a record/play slider switch for alternating between image capture and review. Unfortunately should a possible image suddenly present itself whilst you"re in the midst of reviewing shots, a simple press of the shutter release button won"t throw the user back into capture mode: you have to physically change the setting; by which time the giraffe in question will have trotted off. Below this control is an easily overlooked pinprick for the status indicator light; it"s easily overlooked because its position on the camera back means that it"s almost certainly obscured by your thumb when shooting.

The main focus of attention for the user is therefore the four-way directional control pad requiring fingertip operation just below, with familiar menu/set button at its centre. Used in the main to tab through onscreen menu items or images in playback, the set up here is the same as that of Panasonic"s FX150: a press of the top button set at 12 o"clock when in capture mode brings up an exposure compensation slider on screen with the ability to adjust between +/- 2EV.

The button directly beneath is for switching to macro mode for shooting subjects as close as 3cm, the button on the left for selecting self-timer modes, while the one to the right of the menu/OK button is for selecting flash mode options. In iA mode the user is merely confronted with the ability to turn auto flash on or off, while if turning the shooting mode dial to "normal" capture, a wider variety of five flash choices are offered: auto, auto with red eye reduction, forced flash, slow sync with red eye reduction or off. Press the centrally located "menu" button within capture mode and, as mentioned previously, shooting and set up folders appear in tandem onscreen, each option clearly spelt out to the viewer/user.

The final two buttons at the rear of the TZ6 are the same as those found on Panasonic"s FX150 and FX35 compacts; marked with the self explanatory "display" and the less familiar "Q.menu". The second right hand control is not a "quality" menu as first might be assumed, but a "quick menu" that summons up a drop-down toolbar running across the top of the LCD screen. As it indicates, this allows rapid access to the likes of white balance and resolution without having to otherwise navigate separate menu folders, a bit like the dedicated "F" mode found on Fuji compacts, but more expansive. It"s intuitive to use too, an adjective that could be applied to operation of the user friendly TZ6 as a whole.

Moving to the base of this latest Lumix we find the expected screw thread for a tripod, plus a covered compartment with sliding catch housing both the rechargeable lithium ion battery and optional media card. The pack supplied provides a CIPA certified 320 shots from a single charge which is slightly better than average, though not the very best. While the left hand flank of the camera – if still viewing it from the back – is devoid completely of controls, the right hand side by contrast features a door covering a compartment housing a slot for the combined USB/AV lead supplied in the TZ6"s box. There"s space beside it for the HDMI port supplied on the TZ7, but no such feature is provided here, leading this reviewer to ascertain that this camera is simply a pared-down version of its bigger brother, using the same shell and outer chassis.

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 10 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5.5Mb.

Thanks to some early spring sunshine in the UK we were able to test the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 under seemingly ideal photographic conditions. As we"ve found with previous generations of Lumix models, bright, colourful and moreover crisp images are delivered on a consistent basis. While a trained eye would find them inevitably benefiting from an application of Photoshop"s Unsharp Mask on occasion – particularly those taken at the full extent of the zoom – most "happy snappers" would be more than comfortable with the results straight out of the TZ6. A tweak in Levels is also beneficial, as, if faced with a particularly bright scene the camera will tend to underexpose to preserve highlight detail, which is just as you"d want. While there is slight barrel distortion when shooting at maximum (25mm equivalent) wide angle, this again is at a level we can live with.

I shot still images using a mixture of settings, alternating in the main between intelligent auto mode and "normal" auto mode. The former seems to make a particularly accurate fist of it when presented with close ups – automatically selecting macro setting, which, as it allows the user to get as close as 3cm from the subject and still get a sharp result, proves one of the camera"s most useful features. The fact that operation is pretty much point and shoot all the way lets the user also concentrate more on getting a decent composition rather than fiddling around with on-camera settings. Like our review of the DMC-FX150 model, we found that low light interior shots without flash still suffered from softness even with optical image stabilisation on board – though its performance was no better or worse than image stabilised rivals in this price bracket, and, in truth, you will still be left with a higher proportion of focused shots than fuzzy ones. Instances of pixel fringing are noticeable when zooming in on areas of contrast, but these again are subtler than such aberrations delivered by the likes of Sony"s Cyber-shot range say.

As for light sensitivity settings, and by way of confirming its beginner friendly snapshot status, auto ISO gets it spot on. Though noise starts to creep in within shadow areas of an image from ISO 400 upwards, it"s well controlled; the differences between results at that lower setting and (a softer) ISO 800 only noticeable with particular scrutiny. The gradual deterioration in sharpness from that up to ISO 1600 is more pronounced – detail is readily softer without the need to zoom in on your desktop and scrutinize closely, while noise levels resemble a portable TV set with weak reception. While it won"t deliver keepers 100% of the time, there are in our experience no other digital compacts that will, and, if there"s plenty of light around with the DMC-TZ6 the results you desire can be achieved.

Here are two 100% Crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. Unfortunately you can"t change the in-camera sharpening level.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 handled chromatic aberrations excellently during the review, with very limited purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations, as shown in the example below.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 3cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

The flash settings on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6"s maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds in the Starry Sky Mode scene mode (there are also 15 and 30 second options) and 8 seconds in the Night Scenery mode, which is good news if you"re seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 1/8th seconds at ISO 800. I"ve included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like. The camera takes the same amount of time again to apply noise reduction, so for example at the 15 second setting the actual exposure takes 30 seconds.

This is a selection of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 camera, which were all taken using the 10 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

With its largely frill-free feature set – which Panasonic has bizarrely seen fit to overcomplicate (or perhaps more accurately "pad out") with MyScene modes and Clipboard modes – the Lumix DMC-TZ6 is admittedly more a camera for the happy snapper than the photo enthusiast – and in summary comes across as even more "family friendly" than the higher resolution and RAW shooting (but not as large lens sporting) Lumix FX150, retailing for £299. However the lens reach provided by the TZ6 shouldn"t be sniffed at. A 300mm equivalent telephoto end is perfect for candid snapshots, amateur wildlife or events photography in particular and 25mm ideally suited to landscapes at the wide end, while its total range offers greater flexibility for creative framing in general.

Size wise, it"s not much larger than a standard 3x optical zoom compact, so arguably you may as well go for the broader focal range offered here. Nobody ever says "I wish I had a smaller zoom", and here that lens is its biggest selling point, since its other headline feature of a 10 megapixel resolution has rapidly become the entry-level for dedicated digital compacts in light of the advance of the camera phone. That"s not to say that the images it delivers disappoint; for the most part they are as crisp and colourful as we"ve ascertained. As with previous Lumix generations, the DMC-TZ6 feels well built for its own £265 / $299 asking price that, while not the cheapest, nevertheless feels fair.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 not only does more than you could possibly expect from any pocket-sized camera, it does it spectacularly well. Other cameras may be smaller, cheaper or offer more manual control, but, as a package, the TZ6 provides unparalleled practicality, versatility and quality.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 is an affordable, svelte digital compact camera boasting an array of features such as a 16.1 megapixel MOS sensor, 10x optical Leica designed zoom lens (25-250mm in 35mm terms), a bright 3 inch LCD screen, built-in wifi connectivity, Full HD video and 14 digital effects. With this many features on a camera that costs just £200, will the image quality match up to the impressive feature-set? In this review, we intend to find out. The Panasonic SZ9 is available in silver or black.

Panasonic were one of the earliest manufacturers to design their digital compacts with a retro look to them. Using features such as brushed metal, using a certain shape for the body that resembled an old fashioned camera, then placing the lens in a particular place on the body to accentuate that feel. So it was surprising when they seemingly abandoned that approach – especially with the boom in retro and vintage – and went for more sleek looking cameras.

However, it looks as though they"re back because, along with other models in the current range, the SZ9 is a lovely looking camera that harks back to the olde days of photography. Maybe not the days of bellows and metal plates, but maybe a 1950"s 35mm camera?

The 10x optical zoom pushes the lens out of the body slightly, so it"s not entirely flush. Still, instead of try to mask it away, Panasonic have chosen to wrap a big bezel around it to show it off. It also gives the lens the appearance of being bigger than it really is. As we all know; size does matter.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9"s lens is made to a specification designed by Leica, a German lens manufacturer – in fact, one of the best in the world – and starts at 25mm. It"s not the widest available, but that would only cause barrel distortion. The full test will reveal if the lens suffers from it anyway. Obviously, a 10x optical zoom means that the 25mm wide setting stretches out to 250mm at the top end. That"s enough to prevent you from having to walk to things.

Interestingly, Panasonic have done away with the switches on the DMC-SZ9 – possibly due to keeping costs down – so the camera is powered up using the small, square button on the top plate. It sits flush with the body, just next to the shutter release which is raised slightly to accommodate the zoom ring. A direct video record button is situated on the opposite side of the shutter release on the right shoulder. The small holes are the stereo sound microphones.

The SZ9 is shaping up to be a great little compact to simply slide into a pocket and use on a day out when carrying around bulky camera gear simply won"t do. However, if you"re the type that has larger fingers, you may find the small buttons on the back difficult to operate.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 has wifi connectivity, so you"re able to link up to the internet and upload images to a portfolio on one of several approved sites. This is a great resource for young, travelling photographers as it means you don"t have to mess about with huge memory cards and you can safely store them online where friends and family back home can view them instantly. Regular uploading means parents will be happy that you"re safe, so it"s a triple whammy. In fact, the SZ9 seems to be a camera designed for travelling. In the Setup menu (accessed by pressing the Menu button and selecting the section with the spanner icon), there"s options to set the World time, set a Travel date and switch the camera into Airplane mode. This latter feature simply stops you from activating the wifi which can interfere with navigation systems and doesn"t – as we thought – choose the wrong week to stop drinking coffee.

The other buttons on the back are similar to the layout and organisation of other digital compact cameras. There"s a central control pad with four buttons surrounding it. The pad navigates around the menus on the camera as well as doubling up for shooting options such as macro, exposure compensation, flash and macro. The Mode button is for selecting the way the camera takes pictures such as Auto, Intelligent auto, Panoramic, Creative filters or Scene modes. The Creative filters are digital effects that replicate a particular look or type of photography. Effects such as Low key, Soft focus, Impressive art and High dynamic will interest users more interested in photography while Retro, Toy effect and Cross process will please the Instagram crowd.

The cost of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 is apparent in the build quality. A camera at a lower price wouldn"t have a metal casing, decent lens or even a good quality USB port cover. However, the SZ9 has all these. Interestingly, some of the budget cameras from other manufacturers have recently had metal tripod connectors fitted to them. Weirdly, this has been a kind of unwritten benchmark in quality for many a year until the last 12 months have changed that. Not so with the SZ9, it still has a plastic connector (bush). It"s a disappointment to photographers looking to take long exposures at night because the high volume of use that the tripod will see could make it wear sooner.

The menu systems on the SZ9 are very easy to read and navigate your way around. The Main menu has four sections: Rec, Motion Picture, Setup and Wifi. The Rec section goes into the camera modes and features that you need a lot of access to, such as ISO, resolution and white-balance. But they"re not as commonly used as the flash options, macro or exposure compensation, which have dedicated buttons on the back of the camera. In the Motion picture section, you make changes to the video features such as the resolution, autofocus and wind cut. We"ve delved into the Setup menu earlier in the review and discussed the travelling options available. There are other interesting options available in the Setup menu, though, such as Monitor luminance, Economy mode, Histogram and the option to reset everything. If you want to only reset the wifi, that can be done as well as a number reset for the pictures you"re taking. The latter could lead to a clash of file numbers when downloading and cause overwriting.

Focusing is quite fast on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 and we think this helped it in it"s cold start test. The results yielded a faster time than we"re used to. The time it took to switch the camera on, focus and take a picture was a little over two seconds. That"s around half a second faster than other digital compacts that we"ve tested recently. Not bad going and will help with candid photography.

The DMC-SZ9 has four burst modes. The first two are similar in what they achieve. They both use continuous AF while shooting, just at different rates; 2fps (frames per second) and 5fps. The latter is arguably the one to choose when shooting continuously. We managed a total of 14 pictures in a ten second period which averages at 1.4fps. Realistically, the camera took four pictures in the first second. Not the 5fps advertised, but we think that could be down to the AF. In this mode, the focusing is in continuous, so as the camera is shooting, it will shift if necessary. This focus shift will stop the camera taking pictures – only briefly in our test as we barely moved – while it focuses. The 5fps will be a clinical test performed by Panasonic. Both of these settings are done at full resolution. The rapid burst mode drops the resolution to 5 megapixel, though. This is to ensure the processor can keep pushing the pictures through at a fast enough rate. Shutter lag sits at 0.08sec which is standard for a digital compact camera and our reflexes.

Press the small Playback button on the back of the camera and you can look at the pictures you"ve already taken. This can be done regardless of whether the camera is powered on or off. If it"s off, you have to hold the button down for a second or two. Press up on the pad and you can retouch the picture either with an Auto retouch feature, a Beauty retouch or Creative retouch. Press the Mode button and you can choose different viewing options such as a slide-show, calendar or filter by specifying certain parameters such as only pictures or only video. The Playback menu has some fascinating features such as Location logging (not using GPS, but manual input), Titles, Retouch, Video divide, Cropping or Resize.

In the box, there"s a camera, rechargeable lithium ion battery, charger, wrist strap, Basic owner"s manual and a CD that holds the full manual along with PHOTOfunSTUDIO 9.0 editing software. There"s also a link to a trial version of LoiLoScope – a video editing software program.

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6Mb.

Low noise results from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 seem pretty good when viewed from a normal distance. Zooming in to full magnification shows green colour present even at ISO 100, which is a great shame. Interestingly, edge definition seems sharp enough and the noise isn"t interfering with the overall colour of the image.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9"s pictures suffer from noise a little bit too much for our tastes when it comes to sharpening. We used a simple pre-set Sharpening tool in Adobe Photoshop CS4 and found that the problematic noise was exacerbated in the image.

While we found evidence of chromatic aberration, it was very low compared to other cameras at this level. This goes to show the increased quality that comes with an alliance with Leica.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 didn"t have any trouble with red-eye in our tests, so using red-eye reduction wasn"t necessary as we gleaned the same results.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9"s night shots were interesting. They were both shot during the snow and we used the snow to do a white balance check. The results were a strong green cast, meaning the camera didn"t have the range to deal with the strength of the light. The night scene shot was more realistic to the actual light available. Both shots are sharp and well exposed. The camera chose ISO 100 for the night scene and exposed a 1 second image just like we did in Program.

This is a selection of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

This is the first camera we"ve noticed the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certificate listed for. This is a universal system which was introduced when the main players (Panasonic, Sony, Samsung and a number of non-photographic companies) realised that consumers don"t only use their products. DLNA allows integration with other company"s products so the Panasonic will be able to plug into a DLNA Sony television, for example.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 is a nice enough camera to use, the buttons are laid out intuitively although the video button needs a firm press and being on top of the camera, typically it causes a slight dip when ending video. What we did notice is that the focusing is very fast. Couple that with a good lens that obviates chromatic aberration very well for a lens on a digital compact and you have some good quality images coming through. The main downfall of the camera is the quality of the sensor. We found noise at ISO 100 that was normally found at ISO 400 on lesser cameras. That"s not good in this day and age. It"s entirely possible they don"t want noise reduction to interfere too much with the image but then they could always drop the resolution to help towards that problem.

The SZ9 has a pretty good build to it. We couldn"t fault it with any elements of that area. The flash leaves a lot to be desired for, but more than likely if you"re looking at this camera, you won"t be too bothered about that. After all, the flash will be used in dark places and the vignetting will blend in.

At around £200, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 isn"t a bad little compact. For the price, you"re getting a high resolution, large zoom, sexy compact with fast focusing and multiple picture sharing options. Whether you want to share via wifi, DLNA or plug straight into a PC, the SZ9 will be ok with all three. That"s pretty cool and good to know for anyone thinking of buying a little compact to go out travelling with. The only part of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ9 that lets it down is the noise poking through at the first ISO step. Getting green blobs at ISO 100 is rubbish to say the least. The most unfortunate part of that is that as a camera, that"s its primary function.

Approx. 119g without Battery and SD Memory Card (0.26 lb) / Approx. 134g with Battery and SD Memory Card (0.29 lb)PixelsCamera Effective Pixels

Full- Resolution Image with AF Tracking: 5 frames/sec, 2 frames/sec Max.100 images / High-speed Burst Mode: approx. 10 frames/sec / (recorded in 3M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9, 2.5M for 1:1) / Flash burst shootingMotion Picture Recording (*2)HD Video

7.5cm (3.0") TFT Screen LCD Display (460K dots) / AUTO Power Monitor mode, Power Monitor mode, High Angle modeFlashBuilt- in- Flash

Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V / 690mAh / 2.5Wh) / AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC)(Included, connect with USB cable, playback only)

*1 / Recording conditions by CIPA standard / - CIPA is an abbreviation of [Camera & Imaging Products Association]. / - Temperature: 23 oC (73.4 oF)/Humidity: 50%RH when LCD monitor is on. / - Using a Panasonic SD Memory Card (32 MB). / - Using the supplied battery. / - Starting recording 30 seconds after the camera is turned on. (When the optical image stabilizer function is set to [ON].) / - Recording once every 30 seconds with full flash every second recording. / - Rotating the zoom lever from Tele to Wide or vice versa in every recording. / - Turning the camera off every 10 recordings and leaving it until the temperature of the battery decreases. / *2 / - These are standard times taken at a temperature of 23 oC (73.4 oF) and a humidity of 50%RH. / - The time available for recording varies depending on the environment, the interval between recordings, and the manner of use. / - Actual recordable time is the time available for recording when repeating actions such as switching the power supply [ON] / [OFF], starting/stopping recording, zoom operation etc. / -Maximum time to record motion pictures continuously with [AVCHD] is 29 minutes 59 seconds. / -Maximum time to record motion pictures continuously with [MP4] is 29 minutes 59 seconds or up to 4 GB.

Though it"s small enough to slip into a pocket, the Panasonic ZS7 has a 12.1-megapxiel sensor and a Leica-branded 12x optical zoom lens, including a very wide-angle setting equivalent to a 25mm lens. There"s sadly no optical viewfinder, but this is understandable given the strength of the zoom. The Panasonic ZS7 opts instead for a roomy 3.0-inch LCD display with excellent 460,000 dot resolution on which images and videos are both framed and reviewed. The Panasonic ZS7"s lens has a maximum aperture that varies from f/3.3 to f/4.9 across the zoom range. The minimum focusing distance for the Panasonic DMC-ZS7 is ordinarily 50 centimeters, but drops to just three centimeters when switched to Macro mode.

The Panasonic ZS7 is the company"s first camera to include a built-in GPS receiver, allowing automatic geotagging of images with the location at which they were shot. The Panasonic ZS7 has an 11-point multi-area autofocus system which also includes a single-point "high speed" focusing mode. As with many digital cameras these days, there"s also a face detection function, with Panasonic"s implementation using the information to adjust both focus and exposure to properly capture your subjects" faces. The Lumix DMC-ZS7 can also be programmed to recognize specific individuals" faces, and prioritize these over other detected photos when capturing photos, or search for photos containing a specific face in playback mode. The Panasonic Lumix ZS7 also has an implementation of autofocus tracking, which can monitor a subject as it moves around the frame, continuing to update autofocus as required.

ISO sensitivity ordinarily ranges from 80 to 1,600 equivalents, with the ability to extend this as far as ISO 6,400 equivalent in High Sensitivity Auto mode. Shutter speeds from 1/2,000 to 60 seconds are possible. The Panasonic ZS7 uses Intelligent Multiple metering, with Center Weighted and Spot metering options available. The Panasonic ZS7 offers six white balance settings including Auto, Manual, and four fixed presets. A whopping selection of twenty nine scene modes let users tailor the look of their images with a minimum of effort, and the Panasonic ZS7 also offers aperture-, shutter-priority, or fully manual modes when more control is desired. There"s also an Intelligent Scene Selection function, which can automatically select from a subset of the available scene modes. A five mode flash strobe includes red-eye reduction capability, and has a rated range of up to 5.3 meters at wide-angle, or 3.6 meters at telephoto. There"s also digital red-eye correction, and Panasonic"s Intelligent Exposure, Intelligent ISO, Intelligent Auto functions as seen on past models.

As well as JPEG still images, the Panasonic ZS7 can capture movies with stereo sound at up to 1280 x 720 pixel resolution or below, with a choice of AVCHD Lite or QuickTime Motion JPEG compression. A new Video Divide function allows in-camera movie splitting, letting users trim away the unwanted portions to keep just the parts of movies that they desire.

The Panasonic ZS7 stores its images and movies on Secure Digital or MultiMediaCards, including the newer SDHC and SDXC types. There"s also 15MB of built-in memory. Connectivity options include a USB 2.0 High-Speed connection, plus standard definition NTSC / PAL video output. The Panasonic ZS7 can also output high-definition video via an optional HDMI cable, and is compatible with Panasonic"s proprietary "VIERA Link" system that allows the connected TV"s remote control to be used to navigate the camera"s slideshows.

Power comes from a proprietary lithium-ion battery with ID-Security feature that prevents use of counterfeit or third-party batteries, and is rated as good for 300 shots on a charge to CIPA testing standards. The software bundle includes PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.1 HD Edition (5.0 Edition for China).

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 (in some areas labeled DMZ-TZ10) arrived shortly after I"d shipped back the Sony HX5V, which it very closely resembles. The two compact, long-zoom digicams may be cousins, but not the kissing kind. I can just hear their mothers bragging about what one can do that the other can"t at every family gathering.

There"s plenty of intelligence packed into both packages. The Panasonic ZS7 uses Panasonic"s Venus Engine HD II to provide Intelligent Resolution Technology that analyzes the image to enhance detail even in Movie mode, which itself is HD in AVCHD Lite format. The 12x Leica lens enjoys Power optical image stabilization, an improvement over Mega OIS. Intelligent ISO control considers motion detection and Intelligent Exposure salvages shadow detail, particularly in backlit scenes. There"s built-in GPS and a 460K pixel LCD along with 15MB of onboard memory.

So they"re both intelligent -- but their personalities are very different. Where the Sony HX5V doesn"t need any direction, the Panasonic ZS7 does exactly what it"s told.

You might think that means the Sony would be ideal for the beginner and the Panasonic for the enthusiast, but it isn"t quite that simple, we discovered.

They both sport a large lens of more sophistication than you"ll find on most digicams. But the Panasonic ZS7"s Leica glass is a 12x zoom ranging from 25mm to 300mm, a bit longer than the Sony"s 10x (which stops at 250mm).

Oddly enough, both the Panasonic ZS7 and Sony HX5V locate the flash between the lens and the small grip, so on either model beware of blocking the flash if you have large hands.

The grip is small enough not to protrude but large enough to help secure the camera. Still, I wouldn"t and didn"t use the Panasonic ZS7 without the wrist strap.

The Panasonic ZS7"s speaker is on the top panel (instead of the bottom), which shifts the left and right microphones to nearly the middle of the top panel (rather than directly over the lens, as on the Sony).

Between them a small bump indicates where the GPS radio is, something the Sony doesn"t reveal. I had a little more trouble reading the Sony"s GPS icons in the field, but not so with the Panasonic ZS7.

The Shutter button and Zoom lever are in about the same position. But the Mode dial is to the left of the Shutter button rather to its right on the corner as on the Sony. I don"t find either position a problem. The corner of the top panel on the Panasonic ZS7 is reserved for the Power switch.

Both back panels have 3.0-inch LCDs but the Panasonic ZS7 has more controls. This is where you begin to understand that the Panasonic ZS7 allows you to set things, fiddle with things, make adjustments, where the Sony HX5V prefers to do it for you.

The tripod socket on the Panasonic ZS7"s bottom panel is near the middle of the camera, which may or may not conflict with the battery door operation, depending on your tripod. But it seems a more secure location than the far corner on the Sony.

And the Panasonic ZS7"s battery compartment door has a latch which must be manually pushed to release the door, where the Sony door simply slides out and pops up. It sounds similar but on the Sony it"s one motion and on the Panasonic it always feels like two. One to deal with the latch, another to swing the door.

Where the Sony relies on a proprietary connector for either its octopus plug or HDMI adapter, the Panasonic ZS7 has a connector door on the right side with two outlets: an HDMI socket (mini) and an AV Out/Digital socket.

Controls. Panasonic favors switches rather than buttons for some controls and there"s no better place for a switch than the Power control. After trying to find and press miniscule Power buttons with their dainty LEDs, it is a relief to rub your thumb across the Panasonic ZS7"s knobby Power switch to push the power on or off.

The Panasonic ZS7"s Shutter button and Zoom lever were very much like those on the Sony HX5V (and the Zoom lever was just as jerky too, unfortunately). It really takes the fun out of composing an image to try to game a Zoom lever.

The Mode dial has quite a few things we missed on the Sony. In addition to Program Auto and Manual, the Panasonic ZS7 adds Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes, both missing on the Sony. There is a Scene mode as well (for stills and movies), but there are also two My Scene modes you can dedicate to Scene modes you use frequently (a very nice little touch). There"s also a Custom mode and a Clipboard mode. More about these in the Modes section below.

The Panasonic ZS7 relies on a Mode switch to set the camera into either Record mode or Playback mode. It"s simple, but the disadvantage is getting caught in Playback mode when a photo opportunity strikes: Cameras with a button to switch between modes can return to Record mode with a half-press on the shutter button, while Panasonic ZS7 shooters will be left fumbling for the Mode switch.

Other back panel buttons include the Exposure button, active in Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual modes to enable adjustment of the aperture, shutter or both respectively. There"s also a Movie button to start video capture regardless of mode. Below the four-way navigator is the Display button to cycle through the LCD options and the Q.Menu button to bring up a tool bar on the shooting screen for quick changes to options that might change from shot to shot.

The Panasonic ZS7"s 3.0-inch LCD features 460,000 dots of resolution (which, unfortunately, the fonts don"t take advantage of) and a very wide viewing angle (so you can hold the camera above your head and still see the image on the screen). Panasonic calls it an intelligent LCD because it adjust brightness according to the scene in 11 steps. The LCD"s antireflective coating minimizes glare, and indeed I had no trouble shooting with it in direct sunlight. It also didn"t smudge with fingerprints.

Lens. Like the Sony HX5V, the long zoom on the Panasonic ZS7 starts at a very useful 25mm. You can get the whole room without breaking through the wall behind you. But it extends 50mm more than the Sony HX5V lens, to 300mm. And with Panasonic"s optical image stabilization, you can (just barely) hold that still.

The image did float in the Panasonic ZS7"s LCD at 300mm as I handheld it, but I was able to snag my shot as the zoom range images show. (I wasn"t able to access my usual spot at Twin Peaks because the one afternoon there was sun, the area was occupied by a Bollywood film crew.)

The Panasonic ZS7"s Leica Elmar lens itself includes 10 elements in eight groups with two extra low dispersion lenses and two aspherical lenses with three aspherical surfaces.

Sensor trick. Panasonic uses a neat trick in their pocket long-zoom digital cameras, that leads to better optical quality than would otherwise be the case. We"ve known about this for some time, but thought we"d take the time to make a graphic to showcase it with their most recent models. The essence of the "trick" is to deliberately give up a bit of the sensor area in exchange for better image quality and the ability to maintain a constant angle of view when changing apect ratios.

We first saw this in the TZ3, which we reviewed way back in July of 2007, albeit with a different, much lower-resolution sensor. This year they"re using a 14.5-megapixel sensor in both the Panasonic ZS5 and ZS7, and cropping the raw sensor image to select just those portions of the frame that give the best corner quality and highest resolution for each aspect ratio. The illustration at left shows how the camera"s three aspect ratios are arranged on a nominally 4:3 aspect ratio sensor. While the ZS7"s 4:3 ratio frame yields a 12-megapixel image that"s 4,000 pixels wide, 3:2 is 4,176 pixels wide, and 16:9 is 4,320 pixels wide. As the width increases, the height decreases, so the distance from the center of the sensor to the corner of the frame remains the same. When using a 4:3 sensor, most companies use the full width of the sensor for maximum resolution at 4:3, then just chop off the top and bottom of the image to get the other two sizes. (The illustration above assumes a 4:3 aspect ratio for the sensor itself, but the concept remains the same, regardless of sensor shape.)

Some might wonder why Panasonic doesn"t just use the whole 14.5-megapixel sensor, as do their competitors: After all, it"d let them advertise a bigger megapixel number on their spec sheets. The answer is that geometric distortion, corner softness, and chromatic aberration all get worse, the further from the center of the lens you get. At the edges of a lens" image circle, distortion and optical artifacts are often much worse than they are just a short distance closer to the center of the frame. As you can see above, a modest concession in megapixels lets images at all aspect ratios stay within the area of the lens" best performance. Also, all three aspect ratios capture the same diagonal angle of view, meaning that you always get a 25mm equivalent image, regardless of which aspect ratio you"re shooting with. In fact, in its Multi-aspect Mode, the Panasonic ZS7 captures all three aspect ratios at once, and you can choose which you like after the shot; another neat trick.

Modes. The Panasonic ZS7 features an Intelligent Auto mode that not only recognizes the kind of scene it"s looking at but optimizes the camera"s special features as well. The camera adds to that the traditional manual controls of Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual modes. There are extensive Scene modes and two user-defined Scene mode settings on the dial. And there is a Custom setting to access any of three stored camera configurations. Finally, a Clipboard mode stores small but handy shots in built-in memory with a settable zoom mark to indicate an important point.

Although there is no Movie mode on the Panasonic ZS7, it does take movies when you press the Movie button on the back panel. I was a little disappointed with this arrangement. The ergonomics of pushing the camera instead of pressing the Shutter button to start and stop a video capture led to jerky clips, as my sample shows.

Intelligent Auto can identify six different Scene modes: Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Sunset, and Macro. It also sets many of the Panasonic ZS7"s "intelligent" options to fit the occasion. It"s more than a green Auto mode for both those reasons.

Custom recalls up to three custom camera configurations. After configuring the camera in any of its modes, you record the configuration to one of the three custom settings (C1, C2, C3). You can set the camera to that configuration just by switching to Custom and selecting the custom setting. There are 25 recording functions and 4 setup functions that can be stored.

MS1 and MS2 are My Scene modes that you dedicate to one of the Panasonic ZS7"s Scene modes. Rather than switching the dial to Scene and scrolling through the list to find the mode you want, you can simply set one of these Mode dial options to the Scene mode to switch directly to it.

Scene provides optimized camera setups for the following types of photos: Portrait (improves skin tone), Soft Skin (smooths skin), Transform (slim high or low, stretch high or low, no effect), Self Portrait, Scenery, Panorama Assist, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby (weak flash to spare skin color and records age and name), Pet (age and name), Sunset, High Sensitivity, Hi-Speed Burst, Flash Burst (up to five consecutive shots with flash), Starry Sky, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, Aerial Photo, Pin Hole (vignette), Film Grain (black and white with grain), High Dynamic (less over/underexposure, art, black and white), Photo Frame (2-megapixel image with superimposed frame), and Underwater (color correction).

Clipboard captures a 1- or 2-megapixel image to the clipboard folder of the Panasonic ZS7"s built-in memory. You can, in Playback mode, zoom into the image using the Zoom lever and set a Zoom Mark by navigating to the important point of the image and using the Menu/Set button to mark it. You can then instantly zoom to the Zoom Mark in Playback just by moving the Zoom lever when the image is displayed. This is handy for making visual notes of maps, timetables and other documentation.

Movie mode offers a number of options. While maximum resolution is 1,280 x 720 in AVCHD Lite format, the Panasonic ZS7 can output 1080i video through its mini HDMI port. AVCHD Lite offers three quality or bitrate settings: 17, 13 or 9 Mbps. In 16:9 mode, you can also record Motion JPEG format in HD (1280 x 720) and WVGA (848 x 480) at 30 fps. In 4:3 mode you can record in VGA mode at 640 x 480 and 30 fps or QVGA mode at 320 x 240 at 30 fps, both in Motion JPEG format. Optical zoom is supported, and audio is recorded in stereo.

Menu System. There are two menu systems on the Panasonic ZS7. The main Menu system (as already illustrated in screen shots above) is a tabbed display with line items for all of the camera"s options. A Quick Menu can be displayed on the top of the LCD in Record mode by pressing the Q.Menu button below the four-way navigator.

I never got a handle on which settings the camera remembered when it was turned off. There are so many settings that no one place really shows all of them to you. The Panasonic ZS7 does warn you that the lens is zooming out to its last position if you enable that in Setup mode, but that"s pretty obvious. I resorted to using the Reset option to return the camera to a known state.

Quick Menu. Navigating such an extensive Menu system when shooting would be a problem, so Panasonic has grouped the more common settings you might adjust from shot to shot (apart from those available on buttons) in a tool bar laid out across the top of the screen when you press the Q.Menu button. In Playback mode the Q.Menu button is the Trash button, so beware.

Options available in the Quick Menu are GPS Setting, Burst Shooting, AF Mode, White Balance, Intelligent ISO, Intelligent Exposure, Picture Size, Movie Record Quality, and LCD Mode. The current setting for each option is displayed in the tool bar. When you scroll to a setting, the set of options is displayed below the setting. It"s very quick to make a change.

Storage & Battery. The Panasonic ZS7 includes 15MB of internal memory, which is handy for storing images captured in Clipboard mode. The camera supports SD cards from 8MB to 2GB, SDHC cards from 4GB to 32 GB and SDXC cards from 48GB to 64GB. Card access time is faster than access time to internal memory.

The number of shots varies depending on the aspect ratio selected, image quality and subject matter. In 4:3 at the highest quality a 2GB card will hold about 391 images. No memory card is included with the camera, which accepts cards in the SD format. SD cards from 8MB to 2GB, SDHC cards from 4GB to 32 GB and SDXC cards from 48GB to 64GB are all supported.

Using CIPA standards, Panasonic rates the ID-Security lithium-ion battery pack of 3.6 volts and 895 mAh at 300 shots. An AC adapter is optional, connecting to the camera with a dummy battery through a rubber port on the battery compartment door.

Special Features. The Panasonic ZS7 is packed with special features. It can be daunting to get a handle on them and there were times I wondered if using them to optimize my results wasn"t just screwing something up horribly. How else can I explain the beach shots that varied from ISO 80 to ISO 800 just by swinging the camera north? Moments like that made me appreciate Sony"s approach.

Intelligent Auto. Forget Green mode. The Panasonic ZS7"s red Intelligent Auto mode uses seven detection and correction functions simultaneously to set the camera for you -- both in still and movie modes. That starts with the Intelligent Scene Selector, which automatically sets the Scene mode to either Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, or Sunset. It also taps into a few other Intelligent options, detailed below. And it adds a Happy color mode to bump up the saturation.

Intelligent Resolution Technology. Thanks to the new Venus Engine HD II image processor in the Panasonic ZS7, the camera can enhance detail without adding noise in flat areas like skies. Intelligent Resolution Technology looks for three kinds of things in an image: outlines, texture, and gradations. It applies a different sharpening setting to each area it defines to outlines are sharp while gradations are smooth and texture enhanced.

It works in both still and movie modes and is automatically enabled in Intelligent Auto and some Scene modes. You can toggle it on or off from the Panasonic ZS7"s Menu system in other modes. Because I was taking so many of the same shots I"d just taken days earlier with the Sony HX5V, I turned it on in Program Auto and left it on to highlight the effect.

Intelligent Zoom. If the 12x optical zoom doesn"t quite do it for you (and in a few cases it left me short), you have a couple of choices on the Panasonic ZS7.

You can, of course, slip into conventional 4x digital zoom, kicking things up to 48x or 1200mm (and good luck holding that steady). But sharpness and detail will suffer as it always does with digital zoom.

You can tap into the Panasonic ZS7"s Intelligent Zoom, which is the equivalent of just 1.3x more than optical (16x or 390mm). That maintains sharpness and detail before yielding to digital zoom, which takes you out to 63.8x (1,595mm) using a 12.1-megapixel image size. Intelligent Zoom turns on in Intelligent Auto and some Scene modes. You can toggle it on or off from the Menu system in other modes. I had it on most of the time. I couldn"t see a reason not to have it on, frankly.Intelligent ISO. The Panasonic ZS7"s Venus Engine HD II detects subject movement and automatically adjusts the ISO setting and shutter speed to accommodate any movement in the available light. When it detects subject movement, it raises the ISO and increases the shutter speed to prevent motion blur. When no movement is detected, it reverts to a low ISO setting. It"s enabled in Intelligent Auto and available in PA modes.

Intelligent Exposure. Intelligent Exposure "increases the exposure only in under-exposed areas by detecting the brightness level part-by-part in the image. If the background includes the sky, which tends to be easily washed out, the Panasonic ZS7 automatically adjusts the aperture and shutter speed to keep the setting slightly under-exposed to prevent wash-out while brightening the darkened area by increasing the ISO only in that area. If the background of an indoor portrait receives insufficient lighting from a flash and becomes dark, the ISO sensitivity is raised in only the low-lit area to make it brighter without causing graininess in the subject"s face."

Sonic Speed Autofocus. Panasonic claims that the ZS7 focuses as fast as 0.35 second at wide-angle and 0.41 second at telephoto when using single-point autofocus. The speed increase was achieved using "a higher-speed actuator, optimized algorithms and parallel software processing." Our tests show the Panasonic ZS7"s speed at autofocusing and capturing an image to be 0.51 second at wide-angle, and 0.45 at telephoto using standard 1-area AF. Panasonic claims Shutter Lag time is as short as 0.006 second, but our lab found it took 0.012 second when prefocused, which is still blazingly fast.

Fast Start-Up. By switching from linear processing to parallel processing code, Panasonic says the Panasonic ZS7 is 0.52 second faster starting up than previous models. Panasonic claims it takes about 1.28 seconds to start up, although our lab measured a 2.5 second start up time, but we include capturing a shot.

Power OIS. Panasonic has re-engineered its Mega OIS optical image stabilization into Power OIS to deliver nearly twice the shake correction, particularly low-frequency shake typically induced by pressing the Shutter button or shooting at slow shutter speeds. It"s turned on automatically in Intelligent Auto mode and available in PASM and some Scene modes as well.

GPS. One place the Panasonic ZS7 runs rings around the Sony HX5V is its implementation of GPS. On the Sony, you enable it; but is it working? Turns out it was, but I had a hard time seeing the tiny dots on the screen indicating it was in the process of acquiring the signals.

In contrast, the Panasonic ZS7"s icon clearly shows if the feature is enabled and if it has synched with any satellites. Many of our Sony shots didn"t have GPS data because the Sony HX5V hadn"t synched, which always takes a few minutes.

On the Panasonic ZS7, there"s even a status screen to show you sync progress, when sync was last achieved, and where you are. Very nice. So there"s no surprise about which images have GPS tags.

And as for ongoing awareness, Panasonic simply tells you with a brief popup display that GPS remains on even when the camera is off. The company estimates you lose only the battery power required to take 10 shots by using GPS for an hour, during which the unit checks location once every minute.

It"s so unobtrusive that you may be inclined to turn the Panasonic ZS7"s GPS on and use it all the time. But if you post your pictures publicly, think this strategy over carefully. Do you really want to reveal the location of, say, your private residence or the home of some child whose party you attended?

Built into the Panasonic ZS7 are the names and locations of 173 countries or regions and over 500,000 landmarks. They"re used by a special GPS Playback mode called GPS Area Play to limit display to any particular Country/Region, State/Province/Count, City/Town or Landmark. After selecting one of those options, the Panasonic ZS7 scans the stored images, shows an alphabetical index al