Over the last few years, Panasonic has been releasing a series of impressive digital cameras. They offer robust build quality, a host of features and a comparatively affordable price tage, making them a favourite with shoppers around the world. The latest in the TZ series, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 is no exception, and seems as promising as its predecessors the Tz6, Tz7 and Tz4. These models were released just about a year before the Tz7, but Panasonic promises that the Tz7 is more than just a more stylish version of last year’s models. The Tz7, it claims is an all new camera with new electronics, a new body of course and even a new lens.

Putting down a list of the new features on the Tz7 was an enjoyable experience – we start with the Leica lens, which is of course the most renowned feature of any Panasonic Lumix camera. This lens offers a 12x zoom, a good 2x over its competitors (but then Panasonic has come to be associated with more-than-average zoom ranges on their cameras), with an aperture of f 3.3 and 4.9 on the wide and tele ends respectively. This is equivalent to a 25-300mm zoom lens on a 35mm camera! The Tz7 has an impressive 3inch LCD that gives you extremely sharp image previews. The camera is built around Panasonic’s dual processor Venus engine HD. This model can also record high quality video of 1280 x 720 pixels, coupled with stereo sound recording, while enabling complete zoom lens functionality during video recording as well. It uses a camcorder-like recording system usually dedicated to solid-state recorders. Keeping the features in mind, it is safe to say that the Tz7 is very similar to the Tz6 as far as still photography goes. However, it has the added video feature as well as a larger LCD (the Tz6 had a 2.7 incher).

In line with earlier Tz models, the Tz7 is a large camera as far as compacts go, and feels nice and solid in your hands.  It weighs in at 229 grams with the battery and memory card, and its dimensions are 103.3 x 59.6 x 32.8mm. Keeping this in mind, it is marginally slimmer and lighter than its predecessors. But then the bodies of the Tz series have proved to be well worth the little extra weight. The Tz7 has an aluminum finish with a matt feel. The camera is available in three colors – black, brown and silver.

Panasonic has always advertised its Tz series as a travel companion, and hence the Tz7 has been built keeping in mind that it may receive some rough usage. The build quality in this regard is better than average, all controls are mounted well. We expect this model to do well in the markets. It sells for just over 400 USD and at this price is well worth the money when you keep in mind you are getting a robust camera capable of high quality still and video images with sound, and a 12x zoom equivalent to 25mm-300mm.