 Fine Camera, what a Point and Shoot is supposed to be |
| Review Date: September 1, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Juan Carlos R. Laguardia, Santa Cruz, CA |
Already being an owner and user of two different camera types, DSLR and film, I felt I was missing out on the point and shoot category. So, I researched upcoming cameras in June and heard about Panasonic's new Lumix lineup and didn't wait any time to pre order this guy. It is very compact (smaller than a deck of cards) with a serious range 8x zoom. Just be sure you want a camera that takes all the manual control of picture taking before you buy it. There is almost no manual settings, other than choosing which "scene" you think your shot will be. Panasonic has some fun settings - Pin Hole, film grain, and the key word that people love "High Dynamic" mode, which is their attempt to create a High Dynamic Range type of shot. They also have an underwater setting, for those who will later shell out the money for the casing to take this baby in the pool or some other form of wet. The Leica name on the lens is what got me looking at panasonic cameras, and as far as I can tell, its a fine lens. It is no DSLR, but it is a great incognito camera.
Video is Average, but I wasn't really concerned about it. -- When I say average, I'm comparing it to video I've seen taken from a camcorder. The HD component is nice, but you'd need to be still holding it and hope whatever you're filming is not moving too fast for a great recording. |
Buying decision: 720p HD Video, 8x Zoom, Power O.I.S.
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| Review Date: October 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: I. Besenfelder, detroit, mi |
The Lumix ZR1 is a very good snapshot and HD video camera.
I got the ZR1 around a month ago and I am still enthusiastic. The most important things besides picture quality were for me, that the cam should be fast and able to zoom while recording HD video. I hate the low res VGA videos, the older generation cams made. You can't use them for anything. My first reference was the Lumix ZS3, which is a really good camera and it had all I wanted... Until I found out, that some experts claimed that the "Mega Optical Image Stabilizer" works a bit slow, so that when taking snapshots there is a longer focus time. But I was lucky, that Panasonic just released this little beauty here. The ZR1 uses a newer much faster OIS, called "Power OIS", which is even faster than most other snapshot cameras, while canceling camera shakes very well. So for me there was no time to wait and get this thing.
If you are not so focused on speed, check out the ZS3!
Main differences between the SR1 and the ZS3:
SR1:
- 12MP
- Zoom-able 720p HD Video
- Power O.I.S.
- 8x Zoom
- 2.7" display
ZS3:
- 10MP
- Zoom-able 720p HD Video
- Mega O.I.S.
- 12x Zoom
- 3" display
Comments on the comparison:
- Megapixels aren't the point anyway, because even 8MP are very enough for the normal user, but I had to mention the difference.
- Both cams record the same HD Video, so that's also no point
- The OIS made a difference for me: "Power" is faster than "Mega". I think they just fixed a software issue here.
- Zooming while recording video is a nice and (by this time) rare feature at snapshot cameras. Either zoom, 8x and 12x is huge! Of course 12x would be better than 8x, so this point goes to the ZS3.
- Also the display of the ZS3 is bigger.
Conclusion: If you don't care how fast your stabilized auto focus is (perhaps you use tripods so that you don't need a OIS, or have always time to make your shoot - it's really NOT that bad, it's just a bit slower), get the ZS3 (zoom and display is better)! Otherwise the ZR1 is perfect (fast and still fat zooming). |
Be realistic
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| Review Date: December 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Kate, New Jersey |
| Stop the nonsense! This is a tiny camera - smaller than a deck of cards with an F3.3 lens and a necessarily tiny ccd, and people are expecting low light capability from it. Get real! Photography requires light. When you give this little thing light, it does an amazing job! Yes the images at night with poor incandescent light and without flash are grainy. Does anyone remember the grainy images from film cameras with pushed 400 iso? If you want a low light camera, get a big heavy camera with a large sensor and a nice F1.8 lens. If you want a tiny gem of an engineering miracle that takes sharp, well exposed, true colored photographs, get this little Lumix ZR1! It does everything one can rationally expect, given the laws of Physics, and does them extremely well! |
Remarkable for such a compact camera
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| Review Date: November 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Derek Crane, Ontario, Canada |
| I have owned a Panasonic FX35 for almost two years and been very pleased with its handling and performance for a camera so small. When I saw the Panasonic ZR1 with double the zoom range (25-200mm compared to 25-100mm for the FX35) I decided to upgrade. Both cameras are the same size. The FX35 was good. The ZR1 is even better. Having 8x zoom in a camera weighing less than 6oz is astounding. Not only that, but there are two other new features I have grown to appreciate: High Dynamic scene mode and improved image stabilization (anti-shake). This combination means that virtually every photo is a keeper, especially if you shoot both standard and High Dynamic of the same scene and compare--one will be perfect. High Dynamic opens up images with shadows or dimmer interior shots in a more natural way than flash, which I only use as a last resort. The improved anti-shake system allows use of the full 200mm end of the zoom if you have reasonably steady hands in good daylight. Add the reasonable price and this is a great camera. After three months of use, I haven't encountered a downside. Perhaps that's because I also have a DSLR for more demanding shooting, but for people, pets and travel, it is the best I have owned and I've been a photography buff for 45 years and owned more than 30 cameras. |
Excellent Value!
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| Review Date: October 21, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Teflon Tim, Chicago, Il |
I use a camera virtually every day for my work and have had several digital cameras over the years. The ZR1 is an excellent value.
For me having a strong optical zoom is critical to my work and the 8x zoom on the ZR1 is very good. Even on the maximum zoom the new Panasonic Image Stabilization keeps things in focus. In the past I have favored larger more bulky cameras, many times a result fo the optical zoom, but the ZR1 is one of the tiniest and compact cameras I have ever used. In fact let me say this, for some people this camera may be too small, please note the dimensions and weight of the camera if that is of any concern to you. Along these lines, though small in footprint, the build quality is top-notch. It is one solid little device and nothing feels cheap about it. For example, the USB connector door has a great feel to it and snap open and shut with a satisfying click. Some cameras have very flimsy doors that tend to become loose or even break with repeated use. I do not anticipate that happening with the ZR1.
I like the ZR1 so much I have adopted it as my personal point and shoot camera of choice and will be taking it on my next vacation! |
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