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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7

First Impressions Review

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March 09, 2007 By Tom Warhol
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7
Page 4

 
 Model Design/Appearance
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.
 
Size/Portability
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.
 
Handling Ability
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.
 
Control Button/Dial Positioning/Size
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.
 
Menu
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. 

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7
First Impressions Review
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Components

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