helps you find the perfect gadget. ver. 1.8.7

"A much more useful feature is the optional manual exposure control, with aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual exposure available.... With a minimum aperture of 6.3 and a maximum aperture range of just two stops it's not a particularly wide range of control, but it's better than nothing. The range of shutter speeds is more useful, with 60 seconds to 1/2000th of a second available in full manual."

"Manual allows you to grossly over or under expose the photo way beyond the +/2 EV of exposure compensation offered in any of the (semi) automatic modes for special effects.... Shutter Priority allows you to choose slow exposures to deliberately blur action for the feeling of speed, while Aperture Priority lets you select the f-number which best-avoids diffraction, thereby delivering the ultimate sharpness."

"The [ZS7] joins the handful of Panasonic compacts to offer advanced controls over exposure, with full manual (M), aperture-priority (A) and shutter-priority (S) modes on offer, which will instantly appeal to the more experienced photographer.... Beginners shouldn't be scared off...as Panasonic's excellent hand-holding Intelligent Auto mode is present and correct."

"The photo quality from the ZS7 is very good to excellent with the understanding that this is a compact camera--regardless of its features and price. Photos at ISO 80 and 100 are great; they're sharp with nice color and fine detail. Jump to ISO 200 and subjects get slightly softer and less detailed, but photos are still very good. "

"The TZ10's image quality is, I must admit, slightly disappointing. It's not that it's bad, but I was expecting it to be much better than it is. Exposure metering is excellent and focusing is accurate, but images lack a certain colour depth, and dynamic range is no better than average for a 12MP compact."

"Going up to ISO 800, photos get pretty bad; they're soft and yellowy with visible noise. Forget about ISO 1,600 unless you're shooting in black and white or simply must capture a photo regardless of the results. In other words, if you're looking for great low-light photo quality or if you typically do a lot of heavy cropping, the ZS7 will disappoint."

"The[ZS7] has what appears to be the same AF system as the [ZS3], and it is still very good. It focuses quickly and accurately in all lighting conditions including total darkness thanks to an AF assist lamp with a range of at least three meters. It seems to focus better at full zoom in low light than the TZ7, but that might just be my perception."

"...Focusing is quick in good light and the camera achieves focus most of the time indoors or in low-light situations, helped by the focus-assist lamp. Note that the camera does struggle to lock onto the subject at the tele-photo end of the lens in low-light situations."

"Movies can be recorded up to 720p HD resolution in either AVCHD Lite or Motion JPEG.... You do get use of the zoom lens and optical image stabilization while recording and there is continuous AF, too. The zoom movement is picked up by the stereo mic on top, but it's fairly quiet."

"The TZ10's video mode is the same 1280 x 720 HD resolution 30fps feature as the TZ7. It has stereo audio recorded via two microphones on the top panel. Video is recorded in the AVCHD Lite format. Video quality is good in decent light, and audio quality is very good, and surprisingly directional. One change from the TZ7 is that most of the scene modes are now also available in the video mode."

"In use the TZ10 / ZS7 delivers a very good video recording experience, and one which actually improved upon its predecessor.... You can expect smooth and detailed results albeit arguably a little over-cooked in terms of contrast and sharpness – but at least there’ll be no complaints about lack of vibrancy."

"The strong all-metal body is exactly the same size and nearly the same shape [as the ZS3], although the small handgrip is a different and slightly more comfortable shape and the controls on the top panel have been rearranged. The mode dial, which I criticised for being too loose, has been stiffened up and now turns with a firm click."

"The build quality, like previous Lumix compacts, is excellent. The metal body feels confidently solid with no creaks or poor joins. As before, the camera bulges on the right side to provide a grip."

"The cover for the battery compartment and SD card slot feels a little insubstantial and is locked using a cheap plastic switch. Thankfully Panasonic have addressed the awful Shooting Mode dial of the [ZS3]...and given [it] a much more positive action that makes it less likely to unexpectedly change position when stored in a pocket or bag. "

"[The ZS7] is powered by the same 895mAh lithium ion cell as the [ZS3], and it was stretched powering the big zoom motor in that camera.... Wandering around taking pictures with the GPS system active, the battery indicator was down to one bar out of three after just 70 shots, and it ran out of juice completely after 85..."

"Panasonic also quotes the same 300 shot lifespan for the TZ10 / ZS7 as its predecessor under CIPA conditions, but these don't take GPS into account."