Amazon.com: Customer reviews: PANASONIC LUMIX ZS200 15X Leica DC Lens with Stabilization, 20.1 Megapixel, Large 1 inch Low Light Sensor (DC-ZS200S USA Silver)

Great Casual Travel Zoom Camera

WeekendWarrior

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2018

I previously had Canon, Casio and Sony compact digital cameras until I switched to the Panasonic LUMIX travel zoom cameras which I liked for their image quality, ease of use and great zoom range. This is my third Panasonic travel zoom camera with this one replacing a ZS50. The ZS50 was good but it had a small image sensor and I was looking for better image quality along with low light performance. The ZS200 is slightly thicker and heavier than the ZS50 but it feels more solidly built. With the introduction of the ZS200, this is the first compact camera which I thought combined a large sensor with a zoom range that would be large enough for travel photography, so I purchased it for an upcoming vacation. The previous ZS100 had a more limited zoom range and produced unacceptable “softer” images based on reviews. A co-worker of mine has a ZS100 and complains about the camera producing soft images with a lot a purple fringing occurring around foliage. The lens and image processor are different between these two cameras.

I just came back from a 23 day trip to Greece visiting Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Delos, Meteora, Delphi and used the ZS200. I used SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB Class 3 95MB/sec SD cards and took 5,200 photos (24GB) with the ZS200 using 16:9 format for widescreen displays, 8MP jpg, high-quality setting since am not planning to make any large prints or do any post production modifications. I set the camera to full intelligent auto+ mode for ease of use while traveling and found the camera easy to use in terms of start up, shut down, focusing, image stabilization and framing the view using the screen. Regarding Image quality, I feel that this camera takes excellent images in terms of sharpness, color rendition and low lighting when placed in full auto mode. Compared to all the other digital cameras that I have had, the battery life of this camera is truly remarkable. After a full day of taking over 300 photos, constantly zooming, cycling on and off the camera, the battery still had two bars left. If you just take photos with no videos, then I don’t ever see a need for having a second backup battery if you charge at night like I did

I am not a fan of the touchscreen because it is too easy to mistakenly bring up the side menus and make unwanted adjustments to the camera. The on-off switch could also use more resistance since I mistakenly turned it on in my camera bag several times. It would be nice to have some water and dust resistance incorporated but maybe Panny is saving these features for future versions. I also installed a Peak Design Leash Camera Strap Black (L-BL-3) which works better than just a hand strap in being able to walk with the camera hands-free on my neck or over my shoulder and take images on the fly. There are some major features like manual modes, RAW format and 4K video which I am not interested in and did not use. I am a casual travel photographer and this camera on full intelligent auto+ mode works for me. Having owned three Panasonic LUMINX cameras, I have not had any problems which required me to contact Panasonic for servicing so I cannot comment on their quality (or lack thereof) of customer care. I may just have been lucky in getting perfectly functioning cameras but I am not complaining:)

28 people found this helpful

Ajay Warner

Good camera for everyday

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2018

I need a lightweight camera so that I don’t dread carrying it with me, but it must have as large a sensor as I can afford, and full manual controls. The 1" sensor won't compete with an APS-C sensor of larger cameras, but it's still far bigger than phone cameras, 116 sq mm compared with 15 to 25 sq mm on phone cameras.

The ZS200 is a compromise: it has an aperture range of 3.3-6.4 so low-light photos are little more of a challenge, but the size and weight are appealing – large enough to make buttons and dials easy to use, but small enough to be unobtrusive at an event or on the street. The zoom is 24-360mm (35mm equivalence), an astonishing range in such a little camera. The 1” sensor and stabilization make sharp photos (a little soft at full zoom). The image quality is very good with everything I’ve tested: full zoom in good light outdoors, macro, action with continuous focus, color testing with cool lights and warm lights, hand-held at 1600 ISO indoors (I try not to go above 1600 but 3200 is still acceptable). I can turn it on, focus in, and take a good shot in about 5 seconds, and that's with me being careful about lining up shots.

The image stabilization is everything I wanted it to be. I loved some of the results I got with a prime lens f/1.8 50mm on the Canon SL2, but it was hard work and lots of blurred images, since the Canon had no image stabilization in the camera or the lens. With the ZS200, I like my no-flash, no-work, handheld museum pictures.

I'm impressed with the video, especially the 4k. It crops the shot so you may need to pan slowly to get a wider view, and I suggest using a tripod if possible. The slow motion works well.

I like: the 1” sensor; the tilting built-in flash for bouncing the light; touchscreen menu and touch focus; 5-axis image stabilization; good size and weight to have it with me all the time; easy customization; the zoom range; the styling and placement of the controls; focus peaking; 49 autofocus points are plenty; the good battery life; the cost compared with an interchangeable lens camera.

I don’t like: the Panasonic app, which is clunky; the fixed screen; the widest aperture is 3.3; it isn’t weather sealed; there’s no hot shoe; the lens ring turns too easily in my opinion; the grip could be deeper and more grippy.

Note: I returned the camera because the shutter delay timer didn't work and there were some glitches with the touchscreen. I'm getting a ZS100, since I've seen other reviews that say the build quality is sometimes unreliable on the ZS200. But regardless of my luck, if you get a good one, I think you'll like it a lot.

46 people found this helpful

The Most Powerful Pocketable Camera

Joseph C.

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2022

In the last years, I was hesitating to choose a pocketable zoom camera between Sony RX100 VII and Panasonic ZS200, for occasions when I meet beautiful natural sceneries or animals during my daily life without the DSLR or mirrorless camera in my hand. After trying ZS200 for a month, I can say clearly now that this is absolutely what I'm dreaming of, and it's certainly the best portable camera with such a powerful zoom (24-360 mm, 15X!!!) one can find on the market. My main points are:
Pros: * 1" large sensor;
* 24-360 mm (15x) the most powerful zoom lens;
* numerous professional features similar to your DSLR or mirrorless;
* fixed built-in viewfinder (less chance to fail like the pop-up one);
* very sharp images from wide angle to the longest zoom (see attached images cropped from 100%
originals);
* half price of the same class pocketable camera.
* very strong material and make.
Cons: * relatively slow lens;
* slightly bigger;
* a little complicated menu and setting.
Conclusion: Don't be scared by the negative reviews online, if you are an experienced DSLR user and a landscape lover. This is not an ordinary point-and-shoot, it's really a pocketable professional tool which will expand enormously your creation's chances(convenience) and ranges (15x long zoom). I would give it a perfect score of 10 stars if I could!!!

12 people found this helpful

Extremely well made but the lens is only mediocre in sharpness and speed. Consider your requirements carefully before buying!

Just Jim

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2018

I was pleasantly surprised by this camera's obviously solid and precise build quality. Every bit as nice as the Sony RX100 cameras. The viewfinder is very usable. I had heard it was almost too small to use but I felt comfortable using it all the time and I wear spectacles.

The lens is not as sharp as I expected. I understand that in putting such a huge zoom lens in this camera that there would be some compromises. Unfortunately, a loss of sharpness is not one that I can abide. If you don't intend to enlarge your photos you should be fine. However if you crop your photos there just isn't much sharpness to work with. I'm sure things would be much sharper with a tripod support, however, for a walk around travel camera who really wants to burden themselves with extra gear? I know this makes me a lazy photographer. However, I have lugged full-frame cameras with huge telephotos and a bag of lenses and flashes all over the place and back and let me tell you, a small camera like this with all its features is a joy. Still, I want a sharp lens.

The lens is too slow for me. While perfectly adequate for static subjects like landscapes or achitecture, you will tear out your hair trying to stop even the most gentle motion. Either you crank up the ISO and suffer increased noise or you can slow the shutter and tempt camera shake.

The viewfinder is very low contrast and seems hazy. Physically, it is clean. However, it just looks hazy and washed out. It is certainly usable, but the poor image quality is annoying. If you have ever used an old-style rangefinder camera with a fingerprint smeared up front glass, it looks just like that.

The battery life is good, a bit better than I expected. Also the camera gives several options for working with reduced power so your mileage might go up by 20% or so from usual. Also, you can charge the battery in the camera. Very nice for travel as you can use the same charger for phone (in most cases) as the camera and have less gear to pack.

The menus are very complete and not too disorganized.

The 4K modes are astonishingly useful and the focus stacking can help you get a usable photo in a difficult situation. This camera lets you exercise your creativity with so many modes and options. Or, if you want simple, just put it in iA mode and let the camera do the work.

The camera is made in China. (Just like the RX100VI)

The wireless features work as expected with my Android phone. Bluetooth location tagging is top notch for travel. On the down side, there is NO airplane mode. You have to wade through the menus and turn all the radios off if you need to go dark.

No "Delete First" option when viewing photos. You always have to press a button to confirm you want to delete. The extra step annoys me especially because I am so used to having this available with Nikon and Sony cameras.

The touch screen is what everybody seems to clamor for these days. I'll say it works as it is supposed to. Unfortunately I grew so tired of touching the screen inadvertently and having annoying things pop up that required attention that I just turned the darn thing off.

Be prepared to read the manual. Even if you consider yourself a photography whiz this camera can baffle you right out of the gate. For example, if the monitor does not work you may have inadvertently pushed the LVF button. Press it a few times to cycle through the options and bring things back to life. Also, what does LVF mean anyway? I finally figured out it means "Live View Finder". It's buried in the big manual online. Just like other things such as "Starlight Mode" and others. The camera has vast capabilites but they are not all laid out in a linear easy to grasp fashion. You have to practically stumble onto each one and then grope for understanding in the manual. Various bizarre icons drove me nuts trying to look them up when they pop up. Stay strong, persevere and you will catch on to it all. (Or, just go to iA mode and wrack your brain some other day.)

I don't like where the movie button is. I keep pressing it to turn on the camera. Perhaps I should say instead that I hate how long it takes me to break old habits but still, that's where the power button should be in my opinion. Generally speaking, all the buttons should be larger and a little bit easier to press. After an all day session with the camera my button pushing finger was pretty sore. On the contrary, the large lens ring is way too easy to turn. This makes it pretty much useless as it takes nothing to bump it and change a setting.

I've made some negative comments but I do find this an acceptable camera for the right user, namely, casual photographers who will not be overly critical of the picture quality and who want the many travel-oriented features.

223 people found this helpful

Reader1

Watch who you buy from

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2023

I had to return the first which was purchased from Amazon through Adorama. I'm almost positive they sent me a defective reboxed camera. It came with a fully charged battery, date and time all ready programmed. On first use the lens jammed and then kept giving error messages. The pictures were just ok. Returned it for one from Amazon directly and I am very impressed with the quality and zoom capabilities in such a small package. At least the refund process was easy with Adorama. They of course denied sending a reboxed camera. It will take time to learn the full capabilites but so far I'm impressed. Direct comparison to iphone 14 pro shows better image stabilization in the iphone (especially in video mode). Equal in macro modes and the Lumix has it all over the iphone for telephoto. Happy with the purchase

8 people found this helpful

Truly compact ‘large sensor’ zoom camera!

Sam

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2018

I was searching for a travel camera with a big zoom and sensor larger than a 1/2.3 or 1/1.7 inch —one I would actually take on trips and not leave at home because it was just to big or heavy for packing light. (Phones work well for selfies and panoramas, but the photo quality is pretty limited.) The ZS200 is the small, light camera with a 15x zoom, 1” sensor, and WiFi for remote control and transfer of images to phones or tablets for posting or emails. Through blue tooth/WiFi, remote control of the camera w a phone works really well and allows you to get photos that your physical presence would preclude (see birds below). The burst shot and 4K options help in getting great single frames of action shots and in-camera editing options allow production of fabulous final products. I did buy an extra battery and separate charger, as otherwise the battery is charged by plugging in the camera. Rather than take the chance that a second market battery might not charge appropriately or safely in the camera, I bought the Panasonic brand ($$).
Drawbacks—the ZS200 is not weatherproofed and the aperture does get small at the high zoom positions, limiting light capture. No camera met all my criteria! This was the best compromise.
Note: It seems that when you pair your phone or ipad w the camera, you should put the camera in playback mode. Otherwise for me the pairing failed.

91 people found this helpful

I hate this camera because of its complexity

Augusta

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2019

This camera takes great, high-quality photos, but the pathways you have to follow to get to various settings and functions are overwhelming, and once you're in one, it's not always easy to find out how to get out of it -- the end result is that I often find myself in a function or setting I can't get out of, and photo sessions end up being an exercise in frustration and missed shots. The instructions that came with the camera are inadequate, so I bought an independently written manual. It's about 200 pages long, which should give you a clue. This is the right camera for you if you already know a lot about photography or, if you don't, you're willing to buy an extra manual and spend many, many -- sometimes fruitless -- hours reading it.

16 people found this helpful

A Great Camera but Nonexistent Customer Support

GP

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024

This is a great camera. I am no stranger to photographic equipment and knew how to use it. There is absolutely zero Consumer assistance. In this day and age all it takes is some email or phone conversations to remedy most problems.
With this company it’s the manual, troubleshooting or YouTube videos otherwise you were on your own. When you spend $700, you expect a company that stands behind the product.
After a week of having to spend a lot of time, researching how this camera works I decided just to return it.

Gtting much sharper (focused) photos than my other SLR camera, but softer (will explain)

Kindle Customer

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2021

I had been using a camera rebel single lens reflex, and the pictures I am getting with the LUMIX ZS200 camera are sharper and softer at larger sizes.

By sharper I mean the focus and depth of field are much better than with my larger camera, so a 16x20 image will usually be better than with my Rebel camera, especially if focus is difficult, such as a bird with branches in front and in back of the bird. The focus is on the bird, not the branches. On my older SLR focus is very uncertain.

By softer I mean that if both cameras are on a tripod, and perfectly focused, at larger sizes the photos from the Rebel camera will show far less pixelation, and be sharper, At large sizes the images from the LUMIX ZS200 will be pixalated.

In the long run I greatly prefer not using a tripod, being able to trust the auto-focus, and having confidence the eyes in my subjects will be tack sharp, over a camera that will produce larger prints. Much more important to me to have fun and have sharp 8x10 or 11x14 images I can display on my wall, and know the eyes in my subjects will be sharp so I greatly prefer the LUMIX ZS200 over my Canon Rebel single lens reflex.

disclaimer: I have not tested how large of print can be made from the Lumix camera, it's only my uncertain estimate.

One person found this helpful