Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7

January 23, 2006 | Mark Goldstein | Digital Compact Cameras , PMA Show 2006 | Comment |

PMA 2006: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 is announced. 6 megapixels, 12x zoom with optical stabilizer, 2.5 inch LCD.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 Panasonic UK Press Release

New Digital Camera DMC-FZ7 Combines 12x Optical Zoom with MEGA O.I.S. in a Compact Body

Panasonic is introducing the incoming LUMIX model 6.0-megapixel DMC-FZ7 with MEGA O.I.S., Optical Image Stabilizer that compensates the hand-shake, incorporating a 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 36mm to 432mm on a 35mm film camera) LEICA DC lens. Differing from the FZ30 with manual focus ring and manual zoom ring, which was already released and highly evaluated by prosumers, the FZ7 is more compact and easy to carry while preserving the same powerful zoom capability and manual controllability. It is the heir to the 5.0-megapixel DMC-FZ5, but enhanced its excellence not only with the total number of pixels but also with other innovative technical improvements such as incorporation of joystick which allows easy manual control on focusing in addition to the manual exposure setting. The 1.8-Inch LCD monitor for FZ5 has become large as 2.5-Inch for FZ7 gaining much brightness even in the low-lit situations thanks to the pixel-mixed readout method performed at the CCD. Furthermore, the adoption of 710 mAh big battery extends the battery life realizing 320 pictures shooting per a single charge. Last but not least, the FZ7 gains the High Sensitivity mode for one of the new scene modes that allows shooting at Max. ISO 1600 setting as another anti-blurring measure in addition to the MEGA O.I.S.

Normally, when shooting with high zoom, shooting indoor or nighttime when shutter speeds tends to slow, even a slight hand-shake would be a critical problem. However, LUMIX MEGA O.I.S. solves these problems enabling you to easily take clear, beautiful pictures with no deterioration of image quality even in such situations.

Thus, the hand-shake and the movement of the subject, both the major causes of the blurred picture, are compensated with MEGA O.I.S. and High Sensitivity mode to help you to take clear and beautiful picture in various situations.

The engine, or the brain, driving high picture quality and quick response of the camera is once again the leading-edge image processing LSI Venus Engine II. It corrects the chromatic aberration that tends to occur at edges especially in telephoto shooting and peripheral vignetting to render a beautiful image in detail. An industry-leading release time lag of 0.008 sec minimum and shutter interval of approx. 0.5 sec* minimum, allowing you to precisely capture your target subject. What’s more, consecutive shooting performance boasts the capability of sequential shots at a rate of Max. three frames per sec at full resolution**. An unlimited*** consecutive shooting function allows you to take photos in succession until the memory card is full.

The DMC-FZ7 is the exclusive model in the point that has high optical performance supported by O.I.S. even including the good manual controllability with joystick, offering nonexclusive users, from the very beginners to the prosumers, a-step-above enjoyment of photography.

* Not including the time for AF.
** Max. thirteen images in standard mode / seven images in fine mode.
***The speed of the consecutive shooting varies depending on the memory card. The number of recordable picture depends on the memory card size, battery life, picture size, and compression.

1. A Remarkable 12x Optical Zoom LEICA DC Lens in a Compact Body
The LUMIX DMC-FZ7 digital camera is equipped with 6.0 megapixel CCD and LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens offering 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 36mm to 432mm on a 35mm film camera) with aperture of F2.8 to F3.3. The combination of three aspherical lenses, the crystallization of Panasonic’s optics technology, generates high optical performance while preserving the compactness of the unit. The zoom ratio can be extended up to 16.5x in the 3-Megapixel recording thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom function with minimal deterioration, by intentionally using the center part of the CCD. The zoom range can be totally extended to 66x when combined with 4x digital zoom.

2. MEGA O.I.S. – The Essential Feature for Digital Cameras and the High Sensitivity Mode to Freeze the Moving Subject
MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer), that Panasonic thinks it indispensable for all digital cameras, is subsumed under LUMIX all line-up. Now this hand-shake correction system, which accompanies no deterioration of image quality, is appreciated by the users of the world and positively getting to be the standard of digital camera photography. Every slight hand-shake movement is detected accurately with the sampling frequency at 4,000 times per second and will be compensated to render clear, sharp images. It also features two corrective modes, Mode 1 and Mode 2. Mode 1 constantly detects and follows movements and continuously compensates for them. In contrast, in Mode 2, the O.I.S. lens suppresses hand-shake only at the moment the shutter button is pressed. In this mode, the lens can move in all directions at the moment to maximize its effect, and higher-resolution image can be taken by capturing the image as close as to the center of the lens. In consequence, since MEGA O.I.S. enables a beautiful picture shot without blurring at slower shutter speeds of more than 3 steps compared to the conventional models without O.I.S. You can enjoy shooting subjects at a distance with powerful zoom as well as shooting under low-lit condition when shutter speeds tends to slow, without worrying about the blur. It is surprisingly easy for you to take clear, beautiful pictures of telephoto close-up, indoor portrait or illuminated scenery at night.

In addition, the FZ7 allows shooting with max. ISO 1600 setting in the newly incorporated High Sensitivity mode, which suppresses blur caused by the movement of subjects such as baby and pets especially indoors by shooting with fast shutter speeds. This High Sensitivity mode is made possible by the pixel-mixed readout method of the CCD. The picture quality is good enough for the development into ordinary 4”x6” (10cmx15cm) print size.

3. Quick Response and High Quality Image Processing LSI: The Venus Engine ll
The engine, the brain of digital camera, driving high picture quality and quick response of the camera is once again the leading-edge image processing LSI Venus Engine II. The Venus Engine II gains precise imaging process which adds the luminance signal extracted only from the G pixels upon detecting the horizontal / vertical lines in the image. This results in the improvement of the horizontal and vertical resolution by more than 10% compared with the former Venus Engine, while maintaining the 50% improvement in the diagonal resolution.

The multi-task image processing LSI realizes outstanding response of industry-leading release time lag of 0.008 sec minimum and a shutter interval of approx. 0.5 sec* for achieving more stress-free operation. It also boasts high consecutive shooting performance, providing shooting at Max. three frames per sec at full resolution**. The Unlimited*** Consecutive Shooting function allows limit-free consecutive shooting up to the capacity of the memory card.

4. Joystick-operated Intuitive Manual Control
The FZ7 offers manual focus and manual exposure, and both are adjustable with an independent omni directional joystick. When you focus in the Manual Focus mode, not only the focus distance but also the DOF (depth of field) according to the zoom range and aperture is displayed. A MF assist function enlarges the center of the image to make focusing easier. Both features contribute to easy and comfortable manual focus.

A joystick was incorporated to facilitate operational ease and thereby get the best technical advantage of functions offered by the camera easily. You can quickly shortcut to frequently used variables containing white balance adjustment, ISO setting, image size setting and compression format just by pressing and holding down the joystick, even while monitoring a subject on the LCD.

Shutter speed extends up to 60 sec at slowest in Manual Exposure mode and adjustable from 1/2000 to 60 sec for wider ranging shooting opportunities.

5. Bright 2.5-Inch large LCD with High Angle LCD Function
Compared to the previous FZ5, the LCD for FZ7 becomes larger to be easy-to-see 2.5-inch.

Thanks to the pixel-mixed readout method performed at CCD, the sensitivity is greatly increased to offer brightness on the live image displayed on LCD, allowing you to enjoy comfortable shooting even in low-lit situations.

The 2.5-inch large LCD makes the display extremely easy to view from bottom angle with the High Angle LCD function, for example, when taking photos raising a hand upward to shoot the subject over the crowd. This option can be set instantly by the independent button*. The Power LCD function also supports clear view even in sunny outdoor by offering brightness of 40% up.

The newly incorporated large LCD allows the display of images even in tiny thumbnail size. Playback of 9 and 25 is possible on a multi-split screen in addition to the normal 1 frame playback.

In the playback mode, you can recall the images sorted by the date of recording as you look back the diary thanks to the newly installed Calendar Display mode.

In addition, the EVF is newly located in vertical line with the lens barrel to offer more comfortable monitoring when shooting through viewfinder.

*The button also performs as display setting.

6. The Industry-leading Short AF Time for a High Zoom Model and Wide VGA Motion Image Recording
An AF method can be selected according to the shooting situation and subjects’ position: 9-point, 3-point high-speed, 1 point high-speed, 1-point normal-speed and Spot. Notably, 1 point high-speed AF boasts industry-leading short shutter time lag for a high zoom model promoting quick and smooth operation.

Although screen-freeze in high-speed AF is now minimized, if you take the picture of subject with fast movement, you can select 1 point normal-speed AF which does not have any screen-freeze while focusing.

The pixel-mixed readout method performed at the CCD makes it possible to record beautiful full-size movies in Wide VGA (848x480) size at 30 fps especially good for viewing on wide-screen TV in addition to the normal VGA (640x480), while the predecessor FZ5 records QVGA. Much higher luminous signals are provided by the pixel-mixed readout method, the picture quality is enhanced not only in size but also in the brightness level of the image.

7. Rich Options to Meet Wide-Ranging Users’ Needs
The big and powerful battery fits in the FZ7 resulting in the extension of battery life enabling the shooting of 320 images per single charge.

The FZ7 contains total of sixteen scene modes* to assist your shooting according to the wide-ranging situations. Our unique mode “Baby”, allows easy growth recording in which the baby’s time of age according to the preset birthday would be automatically recorded onto the image. This mode has already been incorporated in other recent LUMIX series and favored and now doubled for FZ7 so that you can set two birthdays to apply to two children’s records of growth. “Starry sky” helps you capture the beautiful star-filled night sky by securing shutter speeds as slow as max. 60 sec. Plus, Tele-Macro function allows shooting the subject in the Macro mode as close as 100 cm at tele end giving a soft-focused background to make the subject stands out.

*Not including Macro mode.

8. Further Expandability with Enriched Accessory Lineup
You can enjoy more creative shooting by combining with various accessories sold separately with FZ7. The 1.7x tele conversion lens (734mm on a 35mm film camera) and the 0.7x wide conversion lens (25.2mm on a 35mm film camera), either can be applied by attaching the lens adaptor between the camera unit and the conversion lens. It is also possible shooting through close-up lens, ND filter and MC protector as appropriate.

-DMW-LT55 Tele Conversion Lens*
-DMW-LW55 Wide Conversion Lens*
-DMW-LC55 Close-up Lens*
-DMW-LND55 ND Filter*
-DMW-LND52 ND Filter
-DMW-LMC55 MC Protector*
-DMW-LMC52 MC Protector
-DMW-LA2 Lens Adaptor
-DMW-AC7 AC Adaptor
-CGR-S006 Lithium-Ion Battery (710 mAh)
*Requires Lens Adaptor (DMW-LA2) for attachment

DMC-FZ7 Specifications

Color: -S(Silver), -K(Black)
Dimensions(W x H x D) Approx. 112.5 x 72.2 x 79.0 mm (4.43 x 2.84 x 3.11 inch)
Weight Approx. 310g. (0.68lb)
Approx.357g with Battery and SD Memory Card (0.79lb)
Camera Effective Pixels 6.0 Megapixels
Image Sensor 1/2.5”, 6.37 Mega Total Pixels CCD
Primary Color Filter
Optical Zoom 12 x
Extra Optical Zoom 4:3 Aspect Ratio : 14.7x for 4Mega, 16.5x for 3Mega, 2mega, 1Mega, 0.3Mega
3:2 Aspect Ratio : 16.5x for 2.5Mega
16:9 Aspect Ratio : 16.5x for 2Mega
Digital Zoom 4 x
( Max. 48x combined with Optical Zoom without Extra Optical Zoom)
( Max. 66x combined with Optical Zoom with Extra Optical Zoom)
Focal Distance f=6-72mm (35mm Equiv.: 36-432mm)
Lens LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT
11 elements in 8 groups (3 Aspherical Lenses / 3 Aspherical surfaces)
Optical Image Stabilizer MEGA O.I.S. (Mode1 / Mode2)
Focusing Area Normal: Wide 30cm/ Tele 200cm – infinity
Macro, Motion Image, Simple (except for Tele) : Wide 5cm/Tele 200cm – infinity
Macro, Motion Image, Simple Tele (Tele Macro Mode): 100cm - infinity
AF Metering 1 point/1 point high speed/3 points high speed/9 points/Spot
Focus AF/MF Switchable, Manual Focus(Joystick), Normal/Macro(Dial), Continuous AF On/Off
AF Assist Lamp Yes
ISO Sensitivity Auto/80/100/200/400
High Sensitivity Mode: Auto / 800 / 1600
White Balance Auto/Daylight/Cloudy/Halogen/Flash/White Set
White Balance Adjustment ( 150K step, -1500 - +1500 K)* (Except for Auto set)
Exposure Program AE, Aperture Priority AE,
Shutter Priority AE, Manual, Program Shift (P mode)
Exposure Compensation 1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV
Backlight Compensation Yes (at simple mode)
Auto (AE) Bracketing +/- 1/3 EV -1EV step, 3 frames
Light Metering Intelligent Multiple/ Center Weighted/ Spot
Scene Mode Dial: P(Program) mode, A(Aperture Priority) mode, S(Shutter Priority) mode,
M(Manual) mode, Macro mode
Simple, SCN mode (Portrait, Soft Skin, Sports, Scenery, Night Scenery, Panning,
Night Portrait, Fireworks, Party, Food, Candle, Starry Sky, Baby1, Baby2, Snow, High Sensitivity), Motion Image, Playback
Shutter Speed Program AE / Aperture Priority AE / Shutter Priority AE : 8-1/2000 sec
Manual : 60-1/2000sec.
Starry Sky Mode : 15, 30, 60sec
Aperture Wide: F2.8 - F8
Tele: F3.3 - F8
Self Timer 10 sec / 2sec
Auto Review 1sec / 3sec / Zoom
Review 1x / 4x / 8x
Color Effect Mode Cool, Warm, Black & White, Sepia
Recording Format Picture with audio: JPEG (Design rule for Camera File system, based on Exif2.2 standard)+ QuickTime
Still Image: JPEG(Design rule for Camera File system, based on Exif 2.2 standard), DPOF corresponding
Motion Image: QuickTime Motion JPEG
Recording Image Size Still Image
[ 4:3 Aspect Ratio] 2816 x 2112 pixels, 2304 x 1728 pixels, 2048 x 1536 pixels, 1600 x 1200 pixels, 1280 x960 pixels, 640 x 480 pixels
[ 3:2 Aspect Ratio] 2816 x 1880 pixels, 2048 x 1360 pixels
[16:9 Aspect Ratio] 2816 x 1584 pixels, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Motion Image (Only with SD Memory Card)
[ 4:3 Aspect Ratio] 640 x 480 pixels, 320x240 pixels
[16:9 Aspect Ratio] 848 x 480 pixels
Image Quality TIFF/ Fine / Standard
Motion Image [ 4:3 Aspect Ratio] 640 x 480 pixels, 320x240 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps
[16:9 Aspect Ratio] 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps
Max. recording time depends on the memory card capacity.
Burst Shooting Mode Full-Resolution Image, 3 frames/sec or 2 frames/sec
Max. 13 images (Standard mode), Max 7 images (Fine Mode)
Unlimited Consecutive Shooting Yes*1
Still Image Rec. with Audio 5 sec
Audio Dubbing Max. 10sec
Real-time Histogram Yes
Composition Guide Line Yes
Scene Mode Help Screen Yes
Auto Angle Detection Yes
Flip Animation Yes
Built-in-Flash Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced On/Off
Flash output Adjustment (1/3EV step, -2 - +2 EV)
Wide) 0.3 - 6.0m (ISO Auto) Tele) 0.3 - 5.4m (ISO Auto)
Viewfinder 0.33” Color EVF (114K Pixels),Field of View : approx. 100%
LCD Monitor 2.5” Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display(114 K Pixels)
Field of View : approx. 100% Power LCD Mode, High Angle LCD mode
Playback mode 25-thumbnail display, 9-thumbnail display, Calendar Display, zoomed playback (16x max.)
Image Rotation, Slide show (duration is adjustable, also manual controllable),
Playback of favorite pictures, Resizing (selectable number of pixels), trimming, protection, DPOF print setting
OSD language English,German,French,Italian,Spanish,Japanese,
Recording Media SD Memory Card, MultiMediaCard
Microphone Yes
Speaker Yes
Interface DC Input, AV Output (NTSC/PAL), USB
Direct Print PictBridge
Power Li-ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 710mAh) (Included)
Battery Charger/AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC) (Optional)
Battery life (approx.) 320 pictures*2 (CIPA Standard) / 340 pictures (with EVF)
Included Software LUMIX Simple Viewer, PhotofunStudio -viewer-, ArcSoft PhotoBase, ArcSoft PhotoImpression, ArcSoft Panorama Maker, USB Driver
Standard Accessories Battery Charger, Battery Pack, SD Memory Card (16MB), Lens Cap, Lens Hood,
Lens Hood Adaptor, AV Cable, USB Connection Cable, AC Cable, Strap, CD-ROM
*1 The speed of the consecutive shooting varies depending on the memory card.
The number of recordable picture depends on the memory card size, battery life, picture size, and compression.
*2 Shooting conditions: 23?C with 50% humidity; LCD on; using the enclosed SD Memory Card; starting to shoot 30 seconds after turning on the power; shooting once every 30 seconds with the flash in full operation for every other shot; changing the zoom setting from telephoto to wide, or wide to telephoto, for each shot; and temporarily turning the power off after each 10 shots (long enough to lower the battery temperature).

*The use of recorded or printed materials that are protected by copyright for any purpose other than personal enjoyment is prohibited, as it would infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder.
*Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
*The LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company’s quality standards.
*All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective corporations.
*QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are used under license. QuickTime is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries.

*Some accessories are not available in some countries.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7

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