Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7 First Impressions Review

by Tom Warhol
Published on March 09, 2007

Navigation
Intro	Testing/Performance Expectations
Physical Tour	Components
Design/Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity/Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Specs

The LZ7 is slightly beefier than a typical slim point-and-shoot. The most striking feature of the LZ7’s black design is the nonfunctional metal band jutting out from the lens along the plastic body. This is also found on the silver model, but obviously, it's less noticeable. Otherwise, there is not much distinguishing this camera from the rest of the Lumix line or from the overall point-and-shoot group. It’s slim and unassuming, meant more for the inside of a pocket than the inside of display case.

 

The LZ7’s slim, 3.88 x 2.45 x 1.30-inch body weighs about one-half pound, barely noticeable in the hand or on the wrist, probably. The show model was tethered to the display case on a retractable cord with no wrist strap to check this claim. With all the media, connection, and lens compartments closed, it can fit neatly in a pants pocket or in the glove compartment.

 

The camera can easily be held in one hand to shoot and, with practice, many of the controls could probably be operated with the same hand. The simple thumb pad on the back would probably do better with raised bumps rather than recessed ones. Users with large hands will probably want to avoid the Lumix models in general, but the one-handed grip does prevent the flash from being blocked. The wrist strap’s location on the right side will keep it from getting tangled in the computer or power cables on the left side.

 

Sporting very small buttons, we did not find the Lumix LZ7 difficult to operate. The paucity of controls made it fairly easy to navigate, although larger buttons would make it more appealing to a wider range of users, especially since much of the back right side is void of controls. The 4-way controller could be enlarged and/or raised away form the Display and Function buttons.

 

The LZ7 has a tabbed menu that is bright with large slender text against a white menu. The active item is highlighted in orange. The shooting menu is accessed while in shooting mode. Playback menu is accessed in playback mode.

 

Shooting
White Balance	AWB, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set
ISO Sensitivity	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1250
Aspect Ratio	4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Picture Size	7m standard, then 5mEZ, 3mEZ, 2mEZ, 1mEZ, 0.3mEZ in Easy Zoom mode
Quality	Fine, Standard (represented by 6 dots or 3 dots-kind of obscure)
AF Mode	1-point, 1-point high speed, 3-point high speed, 5-point, spot
Stabilizer	Options are Off, Mode 1 (always on), Mode 2 (which engages only when the shutter is depressed). Modes have a Demo function which shows bar graphs for Image Stabilization and ISO sensitivity.
Burst	Only Off or On, at an estimated 3 fps.
AF Assist Lamp	Off, On
Slow Shutter	1/8-, 1/4-, 1/2-, 1-
D Zoom	Digital zoom off or on.
Color Mode	Standard, Natural, Vivid, Black-and-white, and Sepia

 

Set-up
Battery Type	NiMh or Oxyride (Panasonic’s own battery, supposedly higher capacity)
Clock Set	Set date and time
World Time
Monitor	Brightness settings for the LCD
Guide Line	Record Info (Off or On)

 

Playback
Slide Show	Options are to start a slide show and to select its duration—1, 2, 3, or 5 seconds.
Favorite	Off or On
Rotate Display	Off or On
Date Stamp	Apply the date to single or multiple images.
DPOF Print	Print single and multiple or cancel printing.
Protect	Protect single and multiple or cancel printing.
Resize	Reduce the image size to 3m or 5m.
Trimming	Within this function, you can select an image, zoom in, and crop.
Copy	Copy image files from internal memory to memory card and vice versa.
Format	Format the memory card.

 

Ease of Use
The LZ7 simple design and components make it an easy camera to operate. The buttons are small but still easy to manipulate. Basic functions like flash, exposure compensation, and self-timer are accessed through the 4-way controller, with a handy review button rounding out the quad. This allows you to review the most recent image without entering the Playback mode. The various menus are bright, clear, and easy to navigate.