PANASONIC LUMIX ZS100 4K Point and Shoot Camera

https://www.amazon.com/PANASONIC-Vario-ELMARIT-Megapixels-Sensitivity-DMC-ZS100K/dp/B010NU5AX8/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=damian03-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=161755fd4ff8d0f61c27cc1b360527ab&creativeASIN=B010NU5AX8

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  FW

  5.0 out of 5 starsPanasonic fits between Point-and-Shoots/iPhones and DSLRs with a larger camera sensor for better detail and a generous zoom

  April 4, 2016

  Color: Silver|Style: Camera Only|Verified Purchase

  I was a Nikon shooter and have owned several DSLR bodies and lenses. But ever since the iPhones came out, I just wasn't using all of my "good" photography equipment as often as I should. The iPhone cameras had become "good-enough" for what I photograph (school events, concerts, vacations, family, etc...). Currently, I carry an iPhone 6 and feel that its picture quality has exceeded most 2/3" sensor point-and-shoot cameras. Still - I often miss the detail of the DSLR sensor, clarity of true optical zoom, and the DSLR's superior low-light capability.
  
  That's where this Panasonic fits in. I've been looking for a pocketable travel camera that can bridge the gap between an iPhone 6 and my Nikon DSLRs. My requirements were as follows: small camera body, attached lens (so it can be used at concerts), 1" sensor, and a generous zoom range.
  
  What's so important about the sensor size? A camera with a larger 1" sensor is able to capture more photo detail with less noise than the usual 2/3" size. This is most noticeable when taking photos in low light. The Sony RX 100 III and Canon G7x are the benchmarks for the 1" sensor cameras, but I needed a longer zoom in order to shoot concerts, and sports. As far as I can tell, the Panasonic is unique in this price range for the combination of the 1" sensor and longer-than-the-competition zoom.
  
  Likes:
  * Solid Feel
  * standard micro-USB cable
  * Larger 1" sensor (larger than the majority of point-and-shoot models)
  * Longest zoom in this price range amongst its peers
  * RAW+JPG option
  * 4K Video
  * Touchscreen
  * Electronic Viewfinder
  * physical lens-ring control
  * thumb-wheel control
  * Smartphone integration (I can only test the iPhone app) - Live real-time camera controls, transfer photos and videos, GPS tagging
  * Fast menus
  * Fast focus
  * Custom White Balance
  * Full manual controls
  * Customizable Dials
  * Create features such as Post Focus and 4K Photo
  
  Dislikes: (these are really first-world problems)
  * no flash hot shoe (but its competitors may not have one either)
  * no external microphone option (but its competitors may not have one either)
  * It barely fits in my front-jeans pocket. I have to be careful not to scratch it with the metal rivet on the jeans
  
  Panasonic has this very interesting feature called Post Focus. The camera will rapid fire a series of shots using different focal points and let the user choose what to focus on AFTER the picture has been taken. Another unique feature is 4K Photo, the camera will basically take 4K video and let you extract high-quality 4K stills from the stream. I can see this being extremely useful with fast moving kids and pets.
  
  I plan to add more to this review in the future...but for now, I've attached some photos samples. I've also included a size comparison between the iPhone 6 and Panasonic. As well as low-light comparison shots between the iPhone 6 and Panasonic in a poorly lit room. All shots including the low-light shots were hand-held without a tripod.
  
  So far, every camera feature appears to work as advertised. There were comments on another website about wifi problems, I had none. The wireless bridge between the camera and iPhone worked every time. Note: I do have a dual-band router and although the 2.4Ghz channel was found, the 5Ghz was not. That may be why it didn't matter in my place.

• MED-REKTop Contributor: Photography

  4.0 out of 5 starsNot Perfect but a Major Step Forward

  April 30, 2016

  Color: Black|Style: Camera Only|Verified Purchase

  I wanted this camera badly, so I bought it a day or two after it became available. It was through Amazon, but the order was fulfilled by Focus Camera. The ZS100 arrived in a few days (seemed a little slow on the shipping) and immediately there were problems out of the box. I got lots of error messages just trying to do the initial setup. I did get it set up and took a couple of photos, but was getting error messages and freeze ups every minute or so. So the same day I received it, I shipped it back to Focus Camera for a refund. Once the camera arrived at Focus, the refund was slow in coming and I was not reimbursed for the return shipping. I eventually got the refund and Amazon reimbursed for the shipping after I complained.
  
  The camera was in short supply and I wanted it badly for an upcoming assignment (a paying photography gig), so I ordered a replacement from Adorama. That one came promptly with a carton full of accessories -- and the camera worked perfectly out of the box. On to the review of the Panasonic ZS100:
  
  I like it... I really like it. I have had several Panasonic ZS series cameras starting with the ZS7, but the last one I got (the ZS50) was not nearly as good as I expected. It's photos were just fair at best, although video was pretty good. I loved the size and the long zoom (30x) but the lens added distortion and artifacts, especially when zoomed all the way in. I knew what I needed: I wanted to trade some zoom length for a bigger sensor. That's exactly what the ZS100 is, and it works much as I expected.
  
  The Panasonic ZS100 has a "1-inch" sensor, which works out to a diagonal of about 16mm. That doesn't sound that big, but it has something like four times the area of the sensor in the ZS50 (which is a 1/2.3 inch sensor). More area means bigger pixels that have better light gathering ability, which means lower noise and higher resolution from less optical interference. This sounds complex, but I can tell you that it works -- the ZS100 takes much better photos and much better video than the ZS50. Of course, it costs quite a bit more.
  
  What I like about photos from the ZS100:
  
  -Excellent clarity and color
  -Much better in low light than a small-sensor camera. The ZS100 really is usable to ISO1600.
  -The flash on the ZS100 is excellent. It's a pop-up flash that lines up with the lens almost exactly, eliminating ugly flash shadows.
  -Even though the lens is f5.9 when zoomed all the way in, I still get excellent bokah. Check one of my images below.
  -At 20 megapixels, there is plenty of resolution for my applications, which includes magazine publishing.
  
  What I don't like about photos from the ZS100:
  
  -The lens is not as good as the removable Panasonic lenses I have for my GX8 Micro-FourThirds camera. Lens quality seems to be the limiting factor on the ZS100
  -The auto focus doesn't always find the right focus, even when the subjects are in the clear and seemingly obvious.
  
  I want to re-iterate what I said about the flash on the ZS100: This is the best flash I have seen on a pocketable camera, and I have owned about 10 such cameras over the years. It reaches out 15 feet or so with good illumination and the results look natural. Because it's a pop-up flash, it is virtually impossible to accidentally cover it with a finger. (It was much too easy to accidentally cover the flash on the ZS50.)
  
  I complained about the autofocus on the ZS100 and you might think that I could just use manual focus. I do use manual focus and it is easy to use, but it's just not as fast as touching the shutter button to get a focus. I love that the ZS100 has a convenient manual focus, which I find especially useful for video shooting -- more about that in a moment.
  
  As for my photography assignment, I completed it with the ZS100 with good results. A couple of these photos are shown below.
  
  Now onto the ZS100's video capabilities. I actually shoot video more than I do photos, so I was really excited to get the ZS100 for its 4K video capability.
  
  Here's what I like about the Panasonic ZS100's video:
  
  -4K video quality is excellent, and HD (1080p) is even better.
  -The format the ZS100 uses for 4K video (100 Mbps MP4) plays back on all my computers with minimal complaint. I can even take the raw video files and play them on my Hisense 4K TV. That has a REAL "wow" factor!
  -When shooting 4K video, the lens works out to be 37mm to 370mm, and I like the 370mm telephoto. Having 37mm at the wide end is not so good.
  -Although no one has mentioned it that I've seen, the ZS100 will record 1080p at 120 fps for nice slow motion. Yes, it will do 120 fps at 1080p -- very nice. When shooting at 1080p, either slow-motion or normal speed, the zoom range is 31mm to 310mm.
  
  Here's what I don't like about the ZS100's video:
  
  -Again, the lens is not as good as the MUCH more expensive lenses I have for the Panasonic GX8. As with photos, the lens quality limits the ultimate quality of the images. They just don't look quite as pristine as the photos and videos I get from the GX8, although the ZS100 does fine with both. (The cheapest lens I have for the GX8 costs as much as the ZS100 camera, so this is not a surprise.)
  -There's no jack for external audio.
  -Having the widest shot be 37mm (31mm at 1080p).
  
  For a pocketable camera, the ZS100 does a great job with photos and video, although a tick below the similarly priced Panasonic LX100. On the other hand, the LX100 has just a 3x lens, although higher quality... decisions, decisions.
  
  Ergonomics and handling:
  
  The ZS100 is chunkier and noticeably heavier than the ZS50. The ZS100 will easily fit in a jacket pocket and will even go in a roomy pants pocket, but you'll notice it. I carried it for four days at a big convention, where I took dozens of photos for publication. It was in the pocket of my sport coat and was not a problem there at all.
  
  The 3-inch touch screen display on the ZS100 is excellent, and I quickly adapted to the touch screen after not having one on the ZS50. The ZS100 also has a small but useful eyepiece (electronic) viewfinder that is wonderful when shooting outdoors or when I need the added stability of holding the camera to my face. The eyepiece viewfinder has just enough pixels to be useful -- as far as I can tell, the ZS100's eyepiece viewfinder is identical to the viewfinder on the ZS50.
  
  The other buttons and controls on the ZS100 are in logical locations, although there is a knob on top of the camera that I don't really see the need for. I can probably assign it to do something I regularly use, such as exposure, but I haven't yet done that. It's just there and does nothing at the moment.
  
  Overall, I like the size, photo quality and video quality of the ZS100 quite a bit. I wish the auto focus was better, but I very much enjoy the lower noise and higher sensitivity of the ZS100, as compared to the ZS50. It does exactly what I expected the larger sensor to do. And the flash -- I'm very happy with the flash on the ZS100, despite the fact that it shoots only straight forward and can't be pointed anywhere else.
  
  Below are a couple photos from the ZS100. Amazon won't let me post a link to a video, but if you go to YouTube and search on my name (Bob Kovacs) and ZS100, you will find multiple videos that I've shot with the ZS100. I also have a l-o-n-g video review of the ZS100, and a comparison video: ZS100 vs. the Panasonic LX100. One nice recent video I shot with the ZS100 is on Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day 2016. Go to YouTube and search on "arlington cemetery memorial day 2016 zs100" and you'll find it.
  
  I recommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100, and appreciate Amazon's customer service for making right the initial problem I had.

• 5.0 out of 5 starsMy vacation shots are great

  BySearoveron January 11, 2018

  Color: Silver|Style: Camera Only|Verified Purchase

  Every 4-5 years I buy a new Pocket-able Camera. The technology gets better and the owners manuals get thicker (actually you get an 'overview' manual and the full one is a PDF). Works great and the battery is long lasting ( I do not shoot much video). My vacation shots are great and survive lots of Cropping and Tilting as I often have to do quick grab shots.