Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1

At the top we will see the jog dial and shutter button which the edges function as zoom lever too, and switch on / off. Shutter button placement slightly to the first in our opinion less convenient and should be exchanged with the jog dial position. When in a hurry to take pictures, we often press the wrong button. But after using it, we realized that the laying into that position also makes the camera more balanced when held with two hands, while right hand pressing the shutter button.

An LCD screen 2.7" seemed to dominate the back of the Panasonic DMC-ZR1. On the right side screen panel can be seen playback switch, the E-Zoom, 4-way circle, display button, and Q menu button. This feature is typical of Panasonic compact cameras.

E-Zoom button on the rear panel arouse our curiosity. So we pressed. Well, LCD camera with 12.1 megapixel resolution directly show object in a very close shows, showing that the zoom lens moves from wide-angle mode to the telephoto. It's really fun. We pressed it again, and the digital zoom was presented with a maximum magnification of 16x.

What else is new? One of them is optical image stabilizer technology that by Panasonic is called Power OIS. This is different from Mega OIS system previously used. Stabilization in Power OIS, according to Panasonic, is twice than previous.

In the widest condition, 25mm camera lens and a long stretched out from a compact camera body. This lens has a maximum aperture f/3.3 (wide) and f/5.9 (telephoto). This camera brings aspherical lens elements 0.3 mm the first in the world. That's why the lens can be more compact than its predecessor. ZR1 Unfortunately does not package AVCHD video recording modes like others, presented only 720p HD recording format.

Approximately 2.57 seconds after the power switch is shifted to the right, ZR1 is ready. It takes 2 seconds to start shooting. Zoom was a bit slow, takes about 3 seconds when pressed.
Although the speed is still need to be increased, image quality is very good overall. At telephoto conditions, any object is maintained sharp. Unfortunately, the colors less accurate presented. Especially in blue look less bright, except clear blue sky. Noise started looking at ISO 400, with visible grain at ISO 800 and 1600.

Nice feature here is intelligent auto mode that automatically determines Best Scene when we shoot in macro and landscape conditions. Power OIS worked fine, but of course we do not expect to get a picture that does not blur without using a tripod, especially when shooting at night with a slow opening.


What about video quality? Compared to the quality of the image (still image), video still shows noise. Fortunately, the recorded voice sounds clear, though still interrupted by breeze sound. Which is also fun, optical zoom can be used when we are recording a video.

If you are looking for a compact camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 is worth considering. Good picture quality, its zoom length, and endurance batteries good enough. Which is also fun, Panasonic plant 40Mb internal memory, which can be used as our SDHC card capacity out while we still want to take pictures. Besides silver, the camera is available in black, red, and blue.


PLUS: Slim and compact; E-Zoom button; 40Mb internal memory; good image quality.
MINUS: Burst speed; not Full HD; placement of the shutter button.

SPECIFICATIONS Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1
Sensor Resolution: 12.1 megapixels CCD
Resolution photos (min / max): 640x480/4000x3000 pixels (4:3)
Video resolution (min / max): 640x480/1280x720 30fps (HD)
Recording Media: SD Card / SDHC max. 32GB, 40Mb internal memory
File format (image / video): JPG / QuickTime Motion JPEG
Size-35mm equivalent lens (mm): 25 to 200
Setting aperture (wide / tele): F/3.3-F5.9
Equivalent ISO: Auto/80/100/200/400/800/1600
Zoom: Optical 8x; Digital 4x
Shutter speed (s): 8 - 1 / 2000
Timer: There are (photo)
The best closest focus: 3cm
Diagonal LCD: 2.7 "TFT, 230,000 pixels 16:9
Viewfinder: --
Connection methods: USB 2.0, AV
Type batteries / rechargeable Li-Ion 895mAh 3.6 V / O
Dimension: 9.78 x 5, 46 x 2, 6 cm
Weight with battery and SDHC card: 158 g
Web site: www.panasonic.co.jp
Warranty: 1 year