Panasonic lumix dmc-zs100/tz100 отзывы

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 7Mb.

JPEG images directly from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 are great. They show a good level of saturation, to be nicely warm and vibrant, without edging too far into unrealistic colours.

The overall impression of detail is excellent, especially when viewing an image at normal printing or viewing sizes (A4 or below). If you zoom in at 100%, it’s possible to see some degree of image smoothing for even low ISO (100-200) shots, but it’s impressively quite comparable to some of Panasonic’s compact system cameras.

As you move up the ISO range, then image smoothing starts to become a bit more noticeable at smaller printing sizes, but images remain impressively sharp at ISO 800 and ISO 1600. For now, it’s not possible to open raw format files in Adobe Camera Raw, but upon it’s release you’ll be able to download Silkypix software from the Panasonic website.

All-purpose metering does a good job of helping to produce accurate colours, however if you’re photographing something which has areas of very high contrast, you may find you need to dial in some exposure compensation. Automatic white balance also copes with a range of lighting conditions, including artificial lighting. It perhaps ages towards slightly warmer tones under some artificial lights, so switching to one of the presets may result in more accurate tones.

Images taken at the far reach of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100’s 10x optical zoom focal lens have a great amount of detail, which is pleasing to see. Similarly, images taken at other focal lengths throughout the range are also good.

Noise

There are 8 ISO settings available on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 125 (100% Crop)	ISO 125 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web — Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can change the in-camera sharpening level via the Picture Adjust menu option.

Original (100% Crop)	Sharpened (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100’s 10x zoom lens provides a versatile focal length of 25-250mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.

25mm	250mm

Chromatic Aberrations

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 handled chromatic aberrations well during the review, with just a little purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Chromatic Aberrations 1 (100% Crop)	Chromatic Aberrations 2 (100% Crop)

Macro

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 5cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro	Macro (100% Crop)

Flash

The flash settings on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Forced Off — Wide Angle (25mm)	Forced On — Wide Angle (25mm)
Forced Off — Telephoto (250mm)	Forced On — Telephoto (250mm)

And here are some portrait shots.

Flash On	Flash On (100% Crop)
Redeye Reduction	Redeye Reduction (100% Crop)

Night

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100’s maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds, which is great news if you’re seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 60 seconds at ISO 125. The camera takes the same amount of time again to apply noise reduction, so for example at the 15 second setting the actual exposure takes 30 seconds.

Night	Night (100% Crop)

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 camera, which were all taken using the 20 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

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1/320s · f/8 · ISO 125 30mm (35mm)

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1/250s · f/8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/500s · f/8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/800s · f/3 · ISO 125 30mm (35mm)

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1/1000s · f/2.8 · ISO 125 27mm (35mm)

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1/2000s · f/2.8 · ISO 125 27mm (35mm)

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1/80s · f/4 · ISO 125 27mm (35mm)

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1/400s · f/8 · ISO 125 250mm (35mm)

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1/40s · f/2.8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/40s · f/2.8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/50s · f/2.8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/4s · f/8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/40s · f/8 · ISO 12800 25mm (35mm)

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1/30s · f/2.8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/40s · f/2.8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/25s · f/2.8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/8s · f/2.8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/50s · f/2.8 · ISO 1600 25mm (35mm)

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1/160s · f/8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/400s · f/2.8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/60s · f/8 · ISO 500 25mm (35mm)

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1/250s · f/2.8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/160s · f/2.8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/250s · f/2.8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/500s · f/2.8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/800s · f/2.8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/60s · f/8 · ISO 160 25mm (35mm)

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1/250s · f/8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/200s · f/8 · ISO 125 25mm (35mm)

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1/60s · f/3.1 · ISO 800 27mm (35mm)

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600/10s · f/8 · ISO 125 49mm (35mm)

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20/10s · f/3.1 · ISO 125 27mm (35mm)

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13/10s · f/3.1 · ISO 200 27mm (35mm)

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1/2s · f/3.1 · ISO 400 27mm (35mm)

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1/3s · f/3.1 · ISO 800 27mm (35mm)

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Product Images

Отзывы panasonic lumix dmc-tz1 Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 / Lens Extended

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 / Image Displayed

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 / Turned On

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 / Main Menu

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 / Quick Menu

Top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Bottom of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Battery Compartment / Memory Card Slot

Specifications

Price
MSRP	$699 / £549
Body type
Body type	Large sensor compact
Body material	Metal, composite
Sensor
Max resolution	5472 x 3648
Image ratio w:h	1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels	20 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors	21 megapixels
Sensor size	1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm)
Sensor type	CMOS
Processor	Venus Engine
Color space	sRGB
Color filter array	Primary color filter
Image
ISO	Auto, 125-12800 (expands to 80-25600)
Boosted ISO (minimum)	80
Boosted ISO (maximum)	25600
White balance presets	5
Custom white balance	Yes (4 slots)
Image stabilization	Optical
Image stabilization notes	Hybrid 5-axis available in movie mode
Uncompressed format	RAW
JPEG quality levels	Fine, standard
File format	JPEG (Exif v2.3) Raw (Panasonic RW2 format)
Optics & Focus
Focal length (equiv.)	25–250 mm
Optical zoom	10×
Maximum aperture	F2.8–5.9
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor) Multi-area Center Selective single-point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection Live View
Autofocus assist lamp	Yes
Digital zoom	Yes (4X)
Manual focus	Yes
Normal focus range	50 cm (19.69″)
Macro focus range	5 cm (1.97″)
Number of focus points	49
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Fixed
Screen size	3″
Screen dots	1,040,000
Touch screen	Yes
Screen type	TFT LCD
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	Electronic
Viewfinder coverage	100%
Viewfinder magnification	0.46×
Viewfinder resolution	1,166,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	60 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/2000 sec
Maximum shutter speed (electronic)	1/16000 sec
Exposure modes	Program Aperture Priority Shutter Priority Manual
Scene modes	Clear Portrait Silky Skin Backlit Softness Clear in Backlight Relaxing Tone Sweet Child’s Face Distinct Scenery Bright Blue Sky Romantic Sunset Glow Vivid Sunset Glow Glistening Water Clear Nightscape Cool Night Sky Warm Glowing Nightscape Artistic Nightscape Glittering Illuminations Handheld Night Shot Clear Night Portrait Soft Image of a Flower Appetizing Food Cute Dessert Freeze Animal Motion Clear Sports Shot Monochrome
Built-in flash	Yes
Flash range	8.00 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash modes	Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off
Continuous drive	10.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes (2 or 10 secs, 3 shots @ 10 sec)
Metering modes	Multi Center-weighted Spot
Exposure compensation	±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
AE Bracketing	±3 (3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 1 EV steps)
Videography features
Resolutions	4K/UHD (3840 x 2160 @ 30p/24p), 1920 x 1080 @ 60p/60i/30p/24p, 640 x 480 (30p)
Format	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone	Stereo
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Connectivity
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
USB charging	Yes
HDMI	Yes (microHDMI)
Microphone port	No
Headphone port	No
Wireless	Built-In
Wireless notes	802.11b/g/n
Remote control	Yes (via smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed	No
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	Lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	300
Weight (inc. batteries)	312 g (0.69 lb / 11.01 oz)
Dimensions	111 x 65 x 44 mm (4.37 x 2.56 x 1.73″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
GPS	None

Autofocus & Performance

The ZS100 uses the same Depth from Defocus AF system as the FZ1000, which is good news. In real-time, the camera builds up an understanding of depth based on knowledge of what its lens’s out-of-focus behavior looks like. This means it has an idea of subject distance and can jump focus straight towards a subject with minimal error or ‘hunting.’ It contributes to the camera’s very good continuous AF and surprisingly good subject tracking — even at 6 fps.

We did a simple ‘bike test’ where the subject rode straight toward the camera, and the continuous AF performance was excellent, with a ‘hit rate’ approaching 100%.

To see how the ZS100 performed at subject tracking, we set the camera to tracking mode, tapped our subject and fired away at 6 fps. In order to get the fast shutter speed needed the freeze a moving subject we did have to increase the ISO, so the images below are a bit noisy, but you can still tell when Richard is in focus.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16

Out of the sixteen frames above, only one is noticeable out of focus (back-focused in this case). And that was our experience when we repeated this test several times over — the ZS100 rarely missed. Great work for a camera in this class.

Something else that impressed us is how well the camera did in face/eye detect mode with continuous AF. In whatever axis the camera moved, it almost always captured a photo with an eye in focus.

Touchpad AF

Touchpad AF isn’t a new feature but it’s still worth a mention. With your eye to the viewfinder you can move the focus point using the touchscreen and your thumb. You can select from offset mode, which moves the point in much the same way as a joystick, and exact, which places the focus point in the exact spot on which you touch.

Continuous shooting

The Lumix ZS100 can record full resolution bursts at up to 10 fps with single AF and 6 fps with continuous AF and live view. If you don’t mind capturing 5MP images with the electronic shutter then a 40 fps mode is also available.

To put Panasonic’s claims to the test we used a Lexar Professional UHS II (Speed Class U3) SDXC card to see how the ZS100 performed.

Single AF — 10 fps claimed

	Frame rate	Buffer limit
Raw+Large/Fine JPEG	9.7 fps	11 shots
Raw	9.8 fps	13 shots
Large/Fine JPEG	10.2 fps	Unlimited

Continuous AF — 6 fps claimed

	Frame rate	Buffer limit
Raw+Large/Fine JPEG	5.6 fps	11 shots
Raw	5.8 fps	14 shots
Large/Fine JPEG	6.2 fps	16 shots*
* Continues to shoot at ~5.6 fps for 3-5 shots, with very brief pause in-between

All-in-all, a solid performance at both full speed and at the continuous AF and live view burst rate of 6 fps. Do note that the burst speed at the 6 fps mode may vary depending on how often the camera needs to refocus.

Battery life

The ZS100 uses the DMW-BLG10 lithium-ion battery, which holds 7.4Wh of energy. This translates into 300 shots per charge with the LCD and 260 with the EVF (per CIPA testing protocols). That’s right in the middle of the range for cameras in the 1″ sensor class.

This is one of the first Panasonic cameras that uses a regular microUSB port rather than proprietary jack, which means that you can charge the ZS100 without having to carry around the expensive cable found on previous models.

Характеристики Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100/TZ100

Объектив

Фокусное расстояние (35 мм эквивалент)

25 — 250 мм

Оптический Zoom

10x

Диафрагма

F2.8 — F5.9

Название объектива

LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT

Число оптических элементов

12

Число групп оптических элементов

10

Особенности

асферические линзы

Матрица

Общее число пикселов

21 млн

Число эффективных пикселов

20.1 млн

Размер

1″

Кроп-фактор

2.7

Максимальное разрешение

5472 x 3648

Тип матрицы

CMOS

Чувствительность

80 — 3200 ISO, Auto ISO

Расширенные значения ISO

ISO6400, ISO12800, ISO25600

Функциональные возможности

Баланс белого

автоматический, ручная установка, из списка

Вспышка

встроенная, подавление эффекта красных глаз

Стабилизатор изображения (фотосъемка)

оптический, подвижный элемент в объективе

Режимы съемки

Макросъёмка

есть

Скорость съемки

10 кадр./сек

Таймер

есть

Время работы таймера

2, 10 c

Формат кадра (фотосъемка)

4:3, 3:2, 1:1, 16:9

Видоискатель и ЖК-экран

Видоискатель

электронный

Использование экрана в качестве видоискателя

есть

Поле зрения видоискателя

100%

Число пикселов видоискателя

1160000

ЖК-экран

1040000 точек, 3 дюйма

Тип ЖК-экрана

сенсорный

Экспозиция

Выдержка

60 — 1/16000 с

Ручная настройка выдержки и диафрагмы

есть

Автоматическая обработка экспозиции

с приоритетом затвора, с приоритетом диафрагмы

Экспокоррекция

+/- 5 EV с шагом 1/3 ступени

Замер экспозиции

мультизонный, центровзвешенный, точечный

Брекетинг экспозиции

есть

Фокусировка

Тип автофокуса

контрастный

Количество точек фокусировки

49.00

Подсветка автофокуса

есть

Ручная фокусировка

есть

Фокусировка по лицу

есть

Минимальное расстояние съемки

0.05 м

Память и интерфейсы

Тип карт памяти

SD, SDHC, SDXC

Форматы изображения

2 JPEG, RAW

Режим записи RAW+JPEG

есть

Интерфейсы

USB 2.0 с поддержкой зарядки, HDMI, Wi-Fi

Питание

Формат аккумуляторов

свой собственный

Количество аккумуляторов

1

Емкость аккумулятора

1025 мА*ч или 300 фотографий

Запись видео и звука

Запись видео

есть

Формат записи видео

AVCHD, MP4

Видеокодеки

AVC/H.264, MPEG4

Максимальное разрешение роликов

3840×2160

Максимальная частота кадров видеоролика

120 кадров/с

Максимальная частота кадров при съемке HD-видео

120 кадров/с при разрешении 1920×1080, 25/30 кадров/с при разрешении 3840×2160

Оптический Zoom при записи видео

есть

Запись звука

есть

Другие функции и особенности

Цифровой Zoom

4x

Дополнительные возможности

крепление для штатива, дистанционное управление, датчик ориентации

Дата начала продаж

2016-03-30

Размеры и вес

Размер

111x65x44 мм

Вес

312 г, с элементами питания

Полезное

Эта модель на сайте www.panasonic.com

Перед покупкой уточняйте технические характеристики и комплектацию у продавца

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100.

Canon PowerShot G9 X

The Canon PowerShot G9 X is a pocketable compact camera with a 1-inch image sensor and 3x zoom lens. The G9 X also offers built-in wi-fi/NFC connectivity, 1080p HD video at 60fps with stereo sound, a 3 inch touchscreen LCD, RAW file support and a full range of manual shooting modes. Read the World’s first online Canon PowerShot G9 X review now..

Canon PowerShot SX520 HS

The Canon PowerShot SX520 HS is a bridge super-zoom camera with a 42x zoom lens. The Canon SX520 also offers 16 megapixels, a 3-inch LCD screen, full manual controls and 1080p HD movies. Read our in-depth Canon PowerShot SX520 HS review now…

Nikon Coolpix S9900

The Coolpix S9900 is Nikon’s new flagship travel-zoom compact camera for 2015. Featuring a 30x zoom lens with a focal range of 25-750mm, the Coolpix S9900 has a 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, high-resolution 3-inch vari-angle screen, 7.5fps burst shooting and boasts GPS tracking and both wi-fi and NFC connectivity. Read our in-depth Nikon Coolpix S9900 review now…

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ80

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ80 is a new travel-zoom compact camera for 2016. The 18-megapixel TZ80 (also known as the Panasonic ZS60) offers a 30x wide-angle zoom lens, 4K video recording, lens control ring, RAW file format, focus peaking, touchscreen control and an electronic viewfinder. Read our in-depth Panasonic TZ80 review now…

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V is a new premium travel-zoom camera with a 30x Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T-star zoom lens. The HX90V also features an 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, pop-up electronic viewfinder, lens barrel control ring, flip-up LCD screen, built-in wi-fi, NFC and GPS, full 1080p high-definition video with stereo sound, manual shooting modes, 10fps continuous shooting, ISO range of 80-12800 and fast auto-focusing. Read our Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V review to find out if it’s the best travel-zoom camera on the market…

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV is the latest version of Sony’s flagship pocket camera for enthusiasts, now offering 4K video recording, a new image sensor and an electronic shutter. Is this the ultimate compact camera? Read our Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV review to find out…

Дизайн

1.имеет поворачивающийся экран
Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ200

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100EB

Наличие поворачивающегося экрана полезно для съемки сложных кадров.

2.Всепогодный (брызгозащищенный)
Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ200

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100EB

Устройство защищено дополнительной изоляцией для предотвращения повреждений от пыли, дождя и водяных брызг.

3.имеет встроенный моторизированный фокус
Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ200

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100EB

Фокусный мотор перемещает линзу, для того чтобы автоматически сфокусироваться. Системные камеры, оснащенные фокусным мотором позволяют вам использовать широкий спектр различных объективов, в том числе объективы, которые не имеют собственного фокусного мотора. В компактных камерах фокусный мотор обычно встроен.

4.пыле- и водонепроницаемый
Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ200

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100EB

Устройство является пыленепроницаемым и водостойким. Водостойкие устройства защищены от проникновения воды, например от мощных водяных струй, но не при погружении в воду.

5.зона охвата видоискателя

100%

100%

При 100% охвате вы можете правильно составить образ при съемке. С неполным охватом вам придется обрезать фотографии впоследствии, чтобы добиться их совершенства.

6.вес

340g

312g

Мы считаем, что меньший вес лучше, потому что более легкие устройства удобнее переносить. Меньший вес также является преимуществом для бытовой техники, поскольку транспортировка становится удобнее, а также для многих других видов продукции.

7.имеет оптический видоискатель
Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ200

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100EB

Оптический видоискатель (или ОВИ) позволяет фотографу скомпоновать кадр и увидеть именно то, что видит объектив. Для ОВИ не характерно отставание изображения, и они не требуют энергии — в отличие от электронного видоискателя, который может разрядить батарею. Они также лучше справляются в условиях плохой освещенности.

8.Имеет башмак
Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ200

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100EB

Башмак может использоваться для подключения внешней вспышки, а также экспонометров, видоискателей, дальномеров и других принадлежностей.

9.разрешение экрана

1240k dots

1040k dots

Более высокое разрешение экрана обеспечивает более четкое изображение, что помогает легче рассмотреть ваши фотографии.

Body and Design

The Lumix ZS100 is surprisingly compact given its 1″ sensor and long zoom range, and should fit into most pockets. It’s not a whole lot bigger than Panasonic’s ZS60, which has a longer zoom but smaller sensor. Unlike its big brother, the FZ1000, the ZS100 has a premium feel, with an all-metal body and stiffer dials.

The ZS100 (left) isn’t much larger than the ZS60, which offers three times the zoom but uses a much smaller sensor.

Ergonomics are good overall, there is room for improvement. The control dials are easy to reach, though buttons are cluttered, especially on the back, where there’s little room for your thumb. The ZS100’s grip is adequate for the size of the camera, but whatever material Panasonic is using is very slippery and quite the fingerprint magnet. The lens dial on our sample ZS100 was difficult to the turn, as well.

Your thumb covers the majority of the buttons on the rear of the camera.	There’s not a huge grip, but it works. Unfortunately the body material is quite slippery: so hold on tight.

Photos can be composed on the electronic viewfinder described below or on a 3″ touchscreen LCD with 1.04 million dots. The usual touch features are all here, including tap-to-focus/shoot, menu navigation, and image playback. It also has a handy Touchpad AF feature, which we’ll touch on in the Features section. One thing that bummed us out a bit is that the LCD is fixed, rather than tilting, like on the Sony RX100 III/IV and Canon PowerShot G7 X I/II. Something else that’s common but still frustrating is the LCD’s poor outdoor visibility, but that’s where having an EVF comes in handy.

Top of Camera

There isn’t too much to see on the top of the camera. In the center is the pop-up flash (closed here), which has a range of 8m at the wide end of the lens, with the ISO set to Auto.

One nice thing about the flash is that you can tilt it back with your finger for bounce effects.

Straddling the flash are the ZS100’s stereo microphones. At right you’ll find the mode and top control dials, zoom controller and shutter release, as well as the dedicated movie recording button.

Electronic Viewfinder

Its electronic viewfinder is easily the most disappointing feature on the ZS100. It’s small (almost half the size of what’s on the Sony RX100 III/IV) and the 1.17 million dot-equivalent resolution is quite low. Since this is a field sequential display, meaning that the screen rapidly cycles between red, green and blue, you’re only seeing about 307,000 dots at any one time, meaning that the effective resolution of the screen is only a bit above 640 x 480. By comparison, the Sony RX100 III displays 1.44M-dots (800 x 600) at all times, and the RX100 IV is even higher, showing 2.36M-dots (1024 x 768).

Something else that field sequential displays bring is ‘color tearing’, which appears when you blink or pan the camera. Some people are simply not susceptible to this, but others can’t ignore it. It may be worth trying out the ZS100 in person to see how you react.

To the immediate right of the EVF is the diopter correction knob, with an eye sensor just beyond that.

Customization

Here you can assign functions to the four physical and five virtual buttons on the ZS100.

The ZS100 is highly customizable, with four physical and five ‘virtual’ buttons to which you can assign functions. There’s a large selection of options available — pretty much anything you can find in the menu.

Here you can customize the two dials…	…with options like these.

Both the top and front (lens) dials can be customized, as well. Again, most camera settings can be assigned to each dial, with the front having the added options of zoom and step zoom.

By default, the items on the four-way controller have fixed functions, such as exposure compensation and drive mode. You can, in theory, turn on ‘Direct Focus Area’ in the menu and use those buttons for moving the focus point instead. We didn’t find this necessary however, since the camera’s touchscreen is so good for setting AF point.

The Q.Menu can be customized by dragging the little icons to or from the bottom of the screen.

The camera’s Quick (shortcut) Menu has a ‘Custom’ mode that allows it to be set up to your taste. There are a total of fifteen spots in the quick menu, and adding a new function is as simple as dragging your finger.

Two other nice things that many people won’t even notice are the ability to place the histogram wherever in the frame you like as well as set up custom gridlines.

Lens Performance

If there’s one thing we’ve seen in the 1″-type camera market, it’s that lens quality has been hit-or-miss. The DMC-FZ1000 has a really nice lens, while the Canon G5 X and G7 X’s lenses are disappointing. We’ve had a lot of sample variation with the Sony RX100 III and IV, but when you get a good sample, the lens is great.

Below we’ll take a look at the quality of the ZS100’s lens at a variety of focal lengths, starting at the wide end of 25mm.

Real World

Image Comparison
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At the wide end of the lens (25mm equiv.) the center of the frame is quite sharp both wide open and at F4. The center gets softer at F5.6 and by the time you hit F8, you can see the effects of diffraction. The corners aren’t great regardless of the aperture.

The lens gets really soft in the center at 50mm, as shown here. Even stopping down to F5.6 doesn’t help a ton — note how this sign is still pretty soft. The corners at 50mm are better than at wider focal lengths, especially at F5.6, but still, not terribly sharp.

At mid-zoom (90mm equiv) the ZS100’s lens is doing okay at the center, with F5.6 again being the best setting for central sharpness.. Corners are at their best with the lens stopped down all the way to F8.

Atmospheric effects makes it hard to judge sharpness at the tele end of the lens (the studio test below is the best place to look), though you can see reasonable center-frame performance at both 200mm and 250mm, with the lens stopped down to F6.3.

Studio

This series of photos is taken so we can figure out the focal length and aperture that has the most consistent and presentative performance. In the case of the ZS100, it was at F5, 70mm equivalent (compare the center and corners to see why). We can also use these results to take a look at how the lens performs in a controlled environment.

Image Comparison
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Let’s start off comparing the ZS100 against itself. At 25mm you see the best central performance at F4 but, just like the real-world shots above, F5.6 gives a more consistent result out to the corners. That trend continues through the double-digit focal lengths.

As the focal length gets longer, the corners start to look better, especially with the lens stopped all the way down to F8. The optimal center sharpness still occurs a little wider open than that (at, say, F5.6). Once you get above 200mm or so the maximum aperture is reduced enough that diffraction appears to play a role. That said, in this scene the Siemens star and text get a bit softer when downsized to 8 Megapixel, it’s not a deal-breaker.

Taking a quick look at the competition, you can see that the ZS100 has roughly the same level of center-frame sharpness as the Canon G7 X, while in the corners it’s equally as bad as the two Canons, and not as sharp as our ‘perfect’ RX100 III sample.

As mentioned earlier, we got the best results from the ZS100 at around 70mm with an aperture of F5. Here you can see that the sharpness in the center finally closes the gap with the the RX100 III. The ZS100 continues to lag in the corners, but it’s important to recognize that trade-offs come along with having a long lens in a relatively small body. The RX100 III and G7 X ‘run out of zoom’ at 70mm and 100mm, respectively, while the ZS100 keeps on going all the way to 250mm.