Front (8.0)
The Panasonic DMC-FZ7 is a sleek SLR-like compact camera, with a thick grip for the right hand and a fat lens barrel opposite. It's available in black or silver (metallic-flake) finishes.
Viewed from the front, the lens assembly is on the right. When the camera is turned off, the lens retracts completely inside the stationary part of the barrel, and when the FZ7 is on, it sticks out about an inch and a half. The moving part is lightly built and rattles a little, so it is not strong enough to hold auxiliary lenses or even a lens shade securely, both of which are ironically available. They fit on a tube which screws into the end of the stationary outer barrel. The tube and a petal-shaped lens shade come with the FZ7.
Panasonic has kept the FZ7's face more or less plain and very much like the other cameras in their Lumix line. There is the trademark script “L” in the lower right, a LUMIX logo on the viewfinder/flash hump, and, in very small type between the grip and the hump, “Panasonic DMC-FZ-7.” Two small holes for the microphone and a small round window for the AF assist light and the self-timer lamp are in the upper right.
The right-hand grip is covered in a leather-textured rubber. On our silver sample, it's gray. The grip has an indent for the user's middle finger, and it is comfortable to hold, even though it's small.
Back (8.0)
The FZ7's 2.5-inch LCD takes up most of the space on the camera's back. The electronic viewfinder is above the LCD. The diopter control is on the left side of the viewfinder, and the button that flips up the flash is to the left of that. The 10 holes that make up the speaker grille are on the right side of the viewfinder. Below and to the right of that is a button that switches the display between the viewfinder and the LCD. Still further right is the power switch, which is small, and slides back and forth.
There's a joystick below the power switch, and to the right of that, there is a dimpled area and a ridge that form a thumb rest.
The four-way controller is toward the bottom edge of the right side. It's made up of four separate directional buttons, plus a center Set/Menu button. There are two more buttons on the edge of the controller, one at 8 o'clock and one at 11 o'clock. The upper one changes the display information and the lower one controls the burst/single-shot mode. The top button on the controller itself activates exposure compensation, the right button controls the flash mode, the bottom one brings up the last image shot in review mode and the left button activates the self-timer.
Left Side (8.0)
A wide, chrome strap lug is at the top of the left side of the FZ7. The chrome is a pleasant departure from the typical plain stamped metal lugs on many competing cameras. A door at the bottom of the left side covers a jack for external power, a USB port, and an A/V output for television. The door is flimsy and doesn't have a solid latch.
Right Side (8.0)
The right side of the FZ7 has a chrome strap lug as well. It's high and toward the back of the camera, which is probably the best spot for it, but on a camera this small, it could get in the way of the user’s grip. The rest of the right side is fairly plain. The rubber grip wraps around from the front, but stops about two-thirds of the way back. The front and back shells of the camera meet there, but the rubber doesn't jump across that seam. That's too bad, as the user would have a more secure grip if the back corner weren't plain hard plastic.
Top (8.0)
At the top of the grip and in a place that’s comfortable to reach is the FZ7's shutter release. It is round and gently convex, recessed deep in a ring that activates the zoom lens in shooting mode, and image magnification in playback. Also on the right side of the top is a button that activates the FZ7's optical image stabilization and another that switches the camera between auto and manual focus. The mode dial is closer to the viewfinder/flash hump. It sets the camera to simple mode, various exposure modes, movie mode, playback mode and scene mode.
The flash pops up directly above the lens. Pop-up flashes are naturally more delicate than a fixed flash, but the FZ7's flash is robust. It swings up on a simple pivot and, rather than being supported by two thin arms, rides up on a wide, curved cowling above the entire viewfinder assembly.
Bottom (7.0)
While the FZ7's tripod socket is not directly under the lens, which is the most useful spot for it, it is metal and near the middle of the camera, so it should not cause too much hardship. The battery and SD memory card share a door on the underside of the FZ7. The door opens when the user presses and slides it simultaneously. We would rather see dedicated latches on compartments like these, since they don't loosen up with use as much as this type of friction fitting does.
