Is that a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1? Nope, it's the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1, the Mini-Me of its predecessors. Read about our hands-on experience here.
We had the luxury of playing with two of Panasonic's latest compacts a few weeks ago, along with the somewhat anticipated Panasonic HDC-TM10 camcorder. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 is the company's fashion pioneer while the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 is a more compact and affordable version of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. We were more intrigued by the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 because we've already reviewed the Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Lumix DMC-ZS3 and found the Lumix DMC-ZR1 to be too closely related to warrant any shade of excitement. So, without any further adieu, here's what we thought.
Honey, I Shrunk the Lumix DMC-ZS1
Apparently, the DMC-ZS1 and DMC-ZS3 were a little on the hefty side in Panasonic's eyes, so they cranked out the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 to suit the smallness needs and budget cravings of the entry-level shooter who longs for a big zoom and a few advanced features embedded within a sea of consumer-oriented fluff. The camera looked just like a scaled-down version of its bigger siblings, but the smaller body felt much cheaper. The Mode dial is still smashed next to the shutter button, which makes inadvertent Mode shifts a common event, and the interface is just as scarce. We get a four-way directional pad, which is still better than the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8's LED button configuration, but the 2.7-inch LCD was just a standard job. Menus mimicked every non touch-screen Lumix model within the past year, so there were no surprises in that corner of the room.
We liked the fact that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 only sacrificed a small percentage on the zoom ratio, cramming in an 8x optical zoom, compared to the Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Lumix DMC-ZS3's 10 optical zooms. The 25mm wide-angle lens was also carried over, in addition to the 12-megapixel sensor with Venus Engine V processing. We will miss the AVCHD Lite, but the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 is equipped with new features like the company's latest POWER OIS, which flaunts double the effectiveness of the previous generation MEGA OIS. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 also gets the new high-speed Auto Focus for freezing fast action and an expanded battery life.
Intelligent Auto and Face Recognition have now become standards on nearly all Panasonic compacts, and the Lumix DMC-ZR1 not only gets its fill of those beginner-friendly components, but the camera will be equipped with the new High Dynamic Mode, designed to boost overall dynamic range. We do not know how Panasonic is achieving this dynamic range amelioration, and we can only guess it has something to do with a bracket-and-fuse technology. A new Travel Mode is available on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1, allowing shooters to organize information relating to destination and date and time, and view them on the calendar. PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 will be included in the sales package, enabling shooters to edit and archive saved stills and videos.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 is set to ship in September for $280 and will be available in Black, Red, Blue and Silver.
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