Features:

  • 20. 3 Megapixel MOS sensor plus 30x Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR lens (24-720mm), Plus 5-axis Hybrid O. I. S. (Optical image Stabilizer)
  • 0. 2-Inch 1, 166k-dot EVF (electronic view finder) with eye-sensor for easier viewing under sunny outdoor conditions
  • 4K QFHD video recording (3840x2160), Plus exclusive Lumix 4K PHOTO and 4K post focus with internal focus Stacking feature
  • Lens barrel mounted control ring enables quick, intuitive operation of important functions
  • Wi-Fi plus a 180 Degree front Flip-up touch feature-enabled screen simplifies selfie photography, and framing for unusual perspectives
You don't get good pictures from a camera you leave at home.

My trusty Nikon DSLR was stolen recently and instead of replacing a camera I increasingly left at home, I tried a Sony a6000 which is an excellent camera and I'd have kept it except it still requires more than the grab it and stick in my pocket style that I was seeking for a replacement camera. This camera is exceptionally close in photo quality for the casual use my photo needs have: Online posts, printing online photo albums as family mementos and the occasional print for framing from my Canon Pixma pro 100 printer. The lens is adequate for printing to 13x19 unless you're looking for ultimate sharpness in which case you need lenses that cost 3x the entire price of this camera. As you'd expect, the extremes of the 30x zoom are where the weaknesses lie but hey, you can get superb, stabilized images at 30x from a camera you can carry in you cargo shorts pocket! Add the very good video, the variety of in camera processing, RAW images, innovative burst shooting, and a Pre-focus or pre-shutter feature that I couldn't figure out in time to take pictures of whales on my first week with the thing, and you have what might be the best all round travel camera. (don't disagree that the fixed focal length Leica rangefinder wanna-be's are awesome tools and even more pocket friendly, discreet travel cameras, if you spend time on boats, in range of wildlife, at sporting events or other telephoto rich activities, this is great) I'd like a wider wide angle, a faster lens and while I'm at it, I'd like to be 25 years old again too which is just as impossible for under 500 bucks. Tip: Get big, fast memory cards if you want to do a lot of video.

Amazing range and quality

The camera is pretty amazing. Once you get the hang of its numerous features, taking quality pictures day or night is a snap. With a 30x zoom and an amazing set of features, the camera is a versatile tool. I have a telescope that I use for lunar observations, with the right settings, this camera surpassed the capabilities and quality of that telescope. Dropping the resolution of the output image allows one to increase the range of the zoom by 1 to 4 times (720mm to 2936mm), without using the digital zoom. I have yet to test the camera at its maximum range, but I have at 2x (1440mm). I don't know much about cameras, but so far it has out performed any camera that I've ever owned.

Great camera.

Great camera. Very impressive picture quality. My favorite feature is the 30X zoom. It is comparable to 10X binoculars in magnification when set to 30X zoom (because the camera starts off at wide angle, it takes 30X to equal 10X). With the eye piece viewfinder, you can use it like binoculars. (or monocular to be technically correct) Great battery life. Easily fits in a standard pocket. Nice selection of shooting modes. 4.5 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches.

Ended up recording ~70 minutes of video at 1080P and the results are fantastic. I had i

Picked up this camera last-minute for the increased zoom (my other point n shoot is a ZS100) to take to a concert. Ended up recording ~70 minutes of video at 1080P and the results are fantastic. I had i.zoom turned on and enjoyed fairly stable close-up zooms of various members of the band from half way across a 30,000 seat arena. Audio and Video are clear and distortion free. I'm AMAZED. As for photography, it's decent, about the best you'll get out of a sensor this size. The ZS100 definitely takes sharper pics, but that's expected out of a sensor 4x the size. Out of the two cameras, I find myself reaching for the ZS70 more than the 100, both are fine examples of 2017 technology packed in a point n shoot case. Would HIGHLY recommend.

Amazing camera!

Now that Panasonic has officially released this camera... I purchased mine from Best Buy since it was only available from Amazon third party sellers. For a 1/2.3 sensor, it does remarkably well in low light. Compared to the highly rated Lumix FZ300, this compact superzoom has more features in a significantly more compact design. The high resolution, numerous filters, time delays, flash syncs and other custom settings beat the majority of bridge cameras (with the same sensor size) on the market. The aperture ring, viewfinder and tilting touch screen were what attracted me to this camera in the first place, but Panasonic's remote image app was the icing on the cake. The app works flawlessly, allowing you to control virtually any camera & video setting from your phone. While this is a compact camera, it is a brick of a compact. You won't find yourself tucking this in the pocket of your jeans comfortably. With the battery installed, it comes in at 300 grams (10.58 oz). It's a chunky thickness of 4.1", 4.3" wide and 2.75" tall. The camera comes with a battery, a charging cord (and a short one at that) and the manual. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of a wall charger. Charging the camera with the battery installed is an accident waiting to happen. The cord is too short for it to rest comfortably anywhere out of the way. I went ahead and ordered a wall charger and two extra batteries to make life easier. Other than that, I have no complaints. Great design, great features, awesome camera! I waited months for this to release and it was worth every penny!

Great point and shoot camera

So far after checking to make sure everything works as described.... this is an amazing point and shoot camera. bought this to compliment my main camera canon 70D. I needed a smaller camera to fit in pocket or the bag I carry main camera in... this works perfect.... bought this also for the 4K capability and the post focus ability and it all works fine in this small compact camera... I have the lumix dmc-zs7 and it took good pictures and video... but the sharpness is way better on this new camera... I am still messing around on this, so I have not used this in a real scenario scene, only for testing in house and outside, and I am impressed with video and picture quality in such a small camera... zoom works great and better than all other point and shoot cameras I have used, but I would not zoom in on subjects to max, sharpness gets very dull and cloudy.... now with my camera, changing focus points in post focus was a little hard to figure out, but once you figure this, I love this feature, and you won't find this in any camera or phone that I know of. Now the flash mode on and off was a little difficult to figure out on my camera, because you can't use flash in 4Kburst or in post focus modes. There are many many functions on this camera I have not yet played with, like changing picture scenes, expressive, monochrome, high key etc, for giving your pictures even more style... I also love taking video in 4k and freezing frames in action and using that pic to print off. I am getting a charger and a couple more batteries for this, because you do drain the battery quick when in 4K bursts and using post focusing modes... also it's good to have a strong good SD card, I use the sandisk extreme pro speed class 3, 10. It's still early to see if this camera holds out long because it just came out, but I highly recommend this.

great camera so far

So far it is a great camera. More camera than I even need but that is beside the point :) I am learning as I go on how to make all the options work. I accidentally shot my first photos in raw but I quickly figured out how to change to Jpeg and that was that. Live and learn. I sue my camera outdoors and no matter how careful I am dust is a big issue with the zoom lenses. I have gone though more Sony digital camera than I care to remember. I will see if Panasonic is a bit more outdoor friendly. Will send a update in a few months and let everyone know it things are going. Attached are a couple of photos from this camera.

A Sleeper Powerhouse!

Short review for the ZS70 here, my full review shortly will be published on my blog (google camera name and photographic-central). Quick rant/explanation: I'm giving it 5 stars for two reasons- One, I can't choose 4.5, and two, there were a couple one star reviews here when either the camera wasn't released yet or there was obvious user error. To me, those aren't valid reviews so the extra half point helps to mitigate them (since Amazon hasn't removed the reviews, and probably won't I'm doing my part to keep things fair). Moving on... Review: There simply aren't any decent pocket-able super zoom cameras on the market that shoot raw. As a professional and enthusiast, I demand raw. I suggest readers who don't use raw learn how to so that they can get the most out of the TZ70. This camera has a very small sensor, but, it is a modern BSI CMOS, which means it's very efficient for the size of its pixels. As long as you have reasonable expectations from a sensor this size, it will probably exceed those expectations. Image quality from raw is much better than I anticipated. The lens is very sharp through the range (just don't go over f5.6 if you can avoid it, natural diffraction kicks in). Therefore the sensor and lens combo out perform a camera of this class. Even dynamic range is better than I could have possibly thought. Credit to technology moving on. When you factor in all its features (a vast array from 4k video to wireless to time lapse video), it's top notch design aesthetics (minimalist, classy, utilitarian), excellent build and ergonomics, this camera is a powerhouse of a pocketable "all in one" compact. My only wish is that the lens were slightly brighter (max aperture through the range), but otherwise it's a camera in its class of sensor size that shadows all others. At first I dismissed the ZS70 because of its packed tiny sensor, but I was shocked and pleasantly surprised looking at the image quality in raw. 1" sized sensors are still going to outperform it mind you, but this sensor is much better than you might think. Once you get it set up, it's a joy to shoot with. That lens is so versatile for all kinds of snapshot photography- from landscapes to macros, action shots to long range stills or portraits. Its fast focusing so even actions shots are within reach. Overall the ZS70 is everything you need in a little point n shoot, and nothing you don't. The controls on the exterior are plenty and holding it is quite lovely for one handed shooting- it's slightly larger, thicker, and heavier than the ZS50/60 but that is a good thing for a camera with such a long zoom. It makes a more stable platform when you are shooting at full telephoto. It has just the right heft to it for a camera of its size and type, welcome if you ask me. The five axis stabilization helps tremendously to keep blur at bay. Most of the controls are customizeable. The LCD is helpful for waist level shots and acts as a sort of angle bi-pod when you place the camera down for more stable shots (if you don't have a tripod for example). The EVF is welcome and usable, and helps in bright light and for extra stability when you are looking through it with the camera pressed to your eye/face. I cannot get over how lovely its designed- all sides are nice n flat, nothing protrudes to snag, there's no obnoxious advertising of features on the camera itself, and everything appears proportionate and cleanly organized. The front and rear grips are improved and excellent. The design looks very Leica-esque - minimalist and beautiful. Great choice in exterior materials, the blend of flat fleck paint and satin metal. The black and silver versions are both excellent and classy. If you print, you can easily make lovely prints to 13x19", and if you have some talent or stack your raw images, you can raise that number substantially (30x40" perhaps!). To me this camera is the sleeper compact out there right now. And it's likely to get more reviews and fans as a result. Overall the ZS70 is the best of the newer ZS series (or TZ series if outside the USA) cameras. It's classy, versatile, discreet, minimalist, and utilitarian. I wish more cameras were designed like this. Keep it up Panasonic! Edit: My full review is now up on photographic-central blogspot dot com :)

Packs a PUNCH for a camera in its range...

This is a nice camera that I am still learning, and there are quite a few things to learn if you are coming from a point and shoot. Still has some neat tricks even for the seasoned photographer coming from the dSLR side as well. What I like: - Image quality - Large zoom (30x) - OPTICAL - Full manual control - Viewfinder (this is increasingly more difficult to come by in the point and shoot market) - Full program mode to take the thinking out of it when in a hurry - Many various ease of use photographic capture features - Connectivity options (xfer, remote shutter control) What I do not like: - Odd placement of flash (on opposite side of camera to what is 'normal') and just below where you naturally hold the camera. Still not used to it after nearly 4 months. My fingers still get in the way and most people that I hand over the camera to in order to take a picture get stumped on it as well. Seems odd and can get annoying, or worse, ruin a good shot opportunity.. - Limited F-Stop range (but somewhat to be expected for what this camera is) Overall it is a nice camera that gives a lot for its size.

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