LUMIX ZS100 4K Digital Camera, 20.1 Megapixel 1-Inch Sensor 30p Video Camera, 10X LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT Lens, F2.8-5.9 Aperture, HYBRID O.I.S. Stabilization, 3-Inch LCD, DMC-ZS100K (Black)

I'm an experienced "enthusiast" amateur who has owned 10+ DSLRs and advanced "point and shoots". The Lumix ZS100, on balance, is the most advanced and most competent high quality camera I have ever held in my hand. It packs all of the capabilities of most mid-priced DSLRs and has a 250mm Leica optical lens (that zooms further up to 1000mm equivalent with its seamlessly integrated digital zoom). The ZS100 also includes a phenomenal 4K photo burst video/photo option and also has post shot focus (by allowing you to shoot simultaneously along multiple focal points). In short it includes an unbelievable amount of technology in a very small package. Also I believe it is the only compact "point and shoot" camera on the market with both a large 1 inch sensor (approaching DSLR size) and a 10x optical zoom. And, with almost all of the capabilities of a DSLR it is about 1/4 the size and weight. I expect to leave my DSLR at home from now on. The fully interactive touch screen and separate digital view finder (useful on sunny days) are both quite decent and somewhat unusual in this price range. And not sure why some are complaining on this site, the picture quality is top notch, comparable to the best of them at this sensor level and below. And I think the picture equals or beats many DSLRs with larger sensors. And its a pretty good bargain, especially with the $100 price drop that happened at the end of August (I suspect a new model is around the corner, but so what). And if you are looking for a bargain, what clinched it for me is that Panasonic is running a free three year warranty extension through March of 2018. So be sure NOT TO PAY FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON YOUR OWN. Just search on "Lumix camera extended 3 year warranty" and you should find the registration forms (you need to buy it new from Amazon directly or one of Panasonic's other authorized USA dealers to get this deal.) You can set the camera to "auto" mode and forget about all the settings, but I would not recommend this camera if that's what you are going to do. Yes, as other reviews have said, to take advantage of all of the features (even for an experienced hobbyist) will take a bit of homework as using all these options can be (if you choose) a complicated. The mini-manual in the box is not very good, so be sure to download the full 400 page instruction book from the Panasonic support site. It is a bit dense but quite comprehensive. Also I would recommend the third-party guide book written by Alexander White available on Amazon. It is great book (hard copy or Kindle). So if you are pretty experienced and looking for a very advanced, high quality, easy to travel with camera this is the right one for you! And the free extra 2 years on your warranty (3 years total), will give you peace of mind if you are worried about all the technology that Panasonic has squeezed into the ZS100.

I've had my ZS-100 for about a month now and have had the opportunity to use it in a bunch of different circumstances. It is an AMAZING camera - fast, sharp, versatile. I love its 4K photo burst capability, which makes it possible to grab perfect action photos (in my case, portraits of squirmy babies whose expressions can change in a nanosecond). And I was frankly stunned by how quickly the pop-up flash recycles. The camera feels nice and solid in my hand, the controls are easy to access, and I appreciate the ability to switch from LED to electronic viewfinder (although some reviewers complain about the quality of the EVF, I have no complaints about it). The only thing I wish it had is built-in GPS ... I know GPS is a battery-drainer, but I travel a lot and appreciate having built-in geotagging. I'll adapt. I've probably owned a couple dozen cameras before, from film SLRs to DSLRs and mid- and high-end point-and-shoots, and I think this one might be my favorite. It took me a few weeks to find a case that fits the ZS-100 well. I ultimately bought TWO cases. The Case Logic QPB-202 molded case fits the ZS-100 perfectly, but the ZS-100's lens thickness doesn't leave room in the case's inside pocket for a spare battery or SD card unless you're careful to insert the camera with the lens towards the top, not the bottom, of the case. Its snug fit and hard-shell cover make it a good case for tossing the camera in a backpack or larger camera bag. I also bought an Ape Case small digital bag (#AC165), which offers a slightly roomier fit for the camera itself, plus a small exterior zippered pocket that's large enough for a couple of spare batteries and SD cards. It also has two exterior mesh pockets (can't think of a use for them, unless I decide to make a custom-fit rain cover for the case) and two interior mesh pockets that could, I suppose, hold batteries or SD cards - but I'd rather be able to get the camera in and out without snagging on anything. I use the Ape Case to carry the ZS-100 when I want quick access to it and am not carrying it in a backpack. AN ADDENDA FROM 2019: Several months ago the zoom ring (under the shutter button) began to freeze. I looked around online for solutions, and it looked dire - e.g., shipping the camera to a Panasonic repair facility in Texas and spending more for the repair than a new camera costs now. I also found that lots of other people have run into this problem, with a variety of Panasonic LUMIX cameras. I was really bummed because I LOVE this camera. But then I saw a suggestion from someone somewhere online about putting some PTFE-based lubricant on a cotton thread and running it under the frozen ring. I got a bottle of 3-In-One multi-purpose PTFE lubricant and gave it a try, using just a tiny, tiny amount. It worked! The ring moves smoothly again. Whew.

I picked up the ZS100 as I was going to some indoor sporting events and they didn't allow camera bags/or backpacks, but I wanted something better than my iphone to work with. There are several choices in the "big" sensor compact-point-and shoot camera arena. I went with the ZS100 due to it's superior zoom (25-250mm equiv). However, there's a big trade off that comes with that reach, namely the slow lens. 2.8f-5.9 (tele), if you're zoomed and indoors, and if whatever you're shooting is even remotely moving, you're going to get a blurry mess. It's main competitors, the Canon Powershot G7 and Sony RX100 both have much faster lenses, but don't have nearly the reach of the ZS100. So it's a trade off either way. Outdoors, things get a bit better, video is also quite good as you'd expect with a Panasonic . As far as using the camera goes, if you've used Panasonic DSLR before, you'll be right at home, it's an easy camera to use. Battery life is very good, I did a couple hundred shots without the flash and used less than 50% of the battery. The EVF is very small, and is basically useless IMHO. Overall it's a fine camera, It won't replace your DSLR/mirrorless big sensor camera, but it does offer up a quite of bit of capability for a camera that easily fits in your pocket.

Esta cámara tiene una excelente calidad de imagen en un tamaño sumamente conveniente, cabe, literalmente, en tu bolsillo, obviamente si usas un pantalón ajustado no funcionará igual, pero tranquilamente puedes colocarla en el bolsillo de una chamarra o de una camisa. Su lente 25 - 250 mm tiene un gran rango a tu disposición, es bastante luminoso f2.8 en su distancia más corta, sin embargo tan pronto y haces zoom, rápidamente se vuelve algo oscuro hasta un 5.6, lo cual no es ideal en condiciones de poca luz como un cumpleaños cuando soplas las velas del pastel, aquí viene el flash al rescate, el cual puedes ajustar de intensidad y tener una excelente exposición en tus fotos. Su sensor de una pulgada es de buen tamaño y en general se desempeña muy bien, pero no esperes que sea el menos ruidoso, su ISO al máximo lo colocaría en un 800 antes de que se vuelva notorio el ruido en fotos RAW o el suavizado del filtrado en jpeg. Yo aprendí a tomar fotografías completamente manual con esta cámara, es mi primera cámara que consideraría un poco más seria, así que realmente me dediqué a aprender a utilizarla en su máxima extensión, sin embargo, si eres un usuario más bien de disparar y que la cámara haga el trabajo por ti, también tiene un desempeño excepcional, su autofocus es rápido y preciso, en condiciones de poca luz puede tardar un poco más, pero hace bien su trabajo. Haciendo un lado la fotografía, y entrando a la sección de video, lo que sin lugar a dudas vuelve extraordinaria esta cámara es su capacidad 4K y la estabilización de imagen, puedes tomar videos sumamente suaves y nítidos en todo momento, no tengo queja alguna de sus capacidades de video. Tiene muchas opciones desde VGA, pasando por FULL HD a 60P o 30P y 4K a 24P únicamente. Sin embargo, notas de inmediato la calidad de imagen y sobre todo, no se me calentó demasiado el tiempo que estuve grabando (tampoco es que grabe mucho video, pero lo hace muy bien). En cuanto a su batería, es sencillamente excelente, puedes pasarte todo el día tomando fotos y dándole un uso rudo y te alcanzará perfectamente, realmente me sorprendió su versatilidad en este sentido. Puedes controlarla remotamente utilizando la app de panasonic para celular (en mi caso android), y enviar fotografías desde la cámara, obviamente, en detrimento de la duración de la batería, pero es bueno cuando quieres tomar fotos grupales donde estás incluido. En cuanto a ergonomía, ví algunas reseñas (en inglés) antes de comprar la cámara, donde muchos se quejaron de que no tenía un agarre firme, lo cual, descarté de inmediato cuando la tuve en mis manos. La cámara es tan ligera, que no es necesario tener un mango de hule rugoso o algo parecido, con tus propias manos es más que suficiente. Su pantalla touch no fue para nada un problema como algunos indicaban también, todo el tiempo que la utilicé jamás toqué por error algún botón en pantalla (aun así, si lo deseas la puedes desactivar) y por el contrario, resultó sumamente útil poder incluso tener la función de tocar en algún punto y que la cámara lo enfocara y que automáticamente tomara la fotografía (algo así como en los celulares). Si te tomas el tiempo de aprender a utilizarla (que tiene un manual bastante extenso y detallado), estoy seguro de que le podrás sacar muy buen jugo a una cámara de excelentes prestaciones como esta. Finalmente, como todo, los puntos que creo no son un defecto, sino un aspecto inevitable de intentar tener todo en un empaque tan pequeño: la cámara NO es la mejor para tomar retratos, si lo que te interesa son fotos con un bokeh bestial, sencillamente no lo conseguirás, por el otro lado, si lo que te interesa es tomar fotografías en entornos oscuros, tampoco cumplirá tu cometido, hará lo que pueda y con el apoyo del flash puede salir muy bien, pero no es su ambiente más cómodo. Yo diría que su potencial es en un plan de vacaciones, donde necesitas algo versátil, cómodo y pequeño, listo para salir de tu bolsillo y capturar todo lo que necesites, desde aquellos motivos distantes metiendo todo el zoom y fotos más abiertas en entornos más oscuros con su máxima apertura y sensibilidad. En resumen, si lo que quieres es una cámara discreta, nada ostentoso y que sencillamente haga su trabajo, a un buen precio al fin que no planeas ser fotógrafo profesional, que te ahorre el problema de tener que comprar lentes, tripie, flash y una infinidad de aditamentos que tienen las cámaras gama un poco más alta que apenas y caben en una mochila, esta es tu cámara. PD Adjunto algunas fotografías, como comentaba, si sabes utilizar la cámara, puedes hacer un lado sus defectos y por el contrario saber cómo enfrentarlos para tener excelentes fotos, en este caso, realicé astrofotografía, lo cual, salió excepcionalmente bien, algo que me decían sería muy complicado y no saldría bien.

This is a honey of a camera, which lets you save high quality images in a variety of situations without lugging around a big sack full of accessories. Its relatively large one-inch sensor is a big plus. The camera is very compact yet has a pleasing heft to it, with a metal body shell and a nice retro control layout. The upper control wheels have distinct detents, with a meaty feel to them. But the lens ring is very low effort, so it's possible to inadvertently change its setting if you're not careful. Some reviewers seem to have issues with the Leica-designed zoom lens. I have none, because it makes no sense to compare this thing with a full-bore DSLR. The lens is of good quality, with a useful zoom range. However, be aware that the available f-stop drops off as the zoom increases. You only get f2.8 at the wide angle setting. The eye-level electronic viewfinder is a rare find in a camera this size. It's easy to focus it with the little diopter wheel, and it has enough eye relief to use with glasses. The tiny pop-up flash is quite capable, and there is a slow-synch flash setting, which helps when you need to lighten the background. Beware: If you leave the ISO setting on automatic, the zs100 can select insanely high values that will give you grain that compromises detail -- otherwise known as electonic noise. But you can set an ISO upper limit, or nail your ISO at a specific value. And unlike most cameras this size, you can shoot in full manual mode, and save RAW files for advanced post-processing. You will need an accessory grip for this camera, because the finish is slippery. Amazon has the Flipbac G3 grip, which is inexpensive, made of grippy silicone, and ensures a solid hold. This camera is not splash proof, dust proof or knock-proof, so you need a case. The Megagear case, also sold on Amazon, fits perfectly and accomodates the extra grip if you add one. The camera uses battery power at a greater rate than the manufacturer claims, so I suggest buying the BM Premium combo pack of two extra batteries and a charger. The 400-page advanced manual available online is one of the the most poorly written pieces of documentation I have seen, and anyone who is not familiar with digital cameras will be completely at sea. But if you are familiar with them, you'll be fine with the documentation. I have no comment about the zs100 video features, which I understand are major, but which I do not use or care about. I bought this for still photography. FYI, I'm a former journalist, trained in photography, and recently retired from a communications job in which I regularly used pro-level DSLRs in the line of duty. I hope this review is useful.

Genial para volver a vivir la esencia de la fotografía, sin ser experto, el modo automático te da los parámetros perfectos. Sensor de gran tamaño, obtén fotos puras como lo ve tus ojos. Genial para olvidarte del procesado de imagen de los teléfonos.

tiene una funcion automatica para tomar fotos, pero si quieres modificar cosas como el iso o el tiempo de apertura te tomara un poco mas de tiempo entederle a la camara

Lo mejor de la cámara es el sensor y el zoom óptico 10x Las funciones muy completas y actualizadas. El menu de Panasonic mas complejo qué canon, por ejemplo, pero será cuestión de costumbre.