Panasonic LUMIX DC ZS70 Review | 108 Data compared

The Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS70 (TZ90) is highlighted by DPReview as a feature-packed, lightweight travel camera offering fast autofocus, 10 fps shooting, and high-quality 4K video recording. It boasts advanced tools like focus peaking, 8-megapixel frame grabs from 4K video, and reliable 380-shot battery life. However, the camera suffers from soft, overly processed JPEGs and aggressive noise reduction at higher ISOs, resulting in a loss of fine, organic detail. Despite these optical limitations due to its long-zoom design, it remains a versatile, control-heavy option for users prioritizing convenience.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 (also known as the ZS70) is a highly capable pocket super-zoom camera that features a 30x optical zoom (24-720mm equivalent lens), a new 20-megapixel sensor, and a built-in 1,166k-dot electronic viewfinder. A major update over its predecessor is the inclusion of a 180-degree tilting touchscreen, making it highly versatile for shooting from difficult angles and taking selfies. The camera excels in performance with an incredibly fast and accurate autofocus system that uses Depth from Defocus technology, snappy continuous shooting at up to 10fps, and an excellent optical image stabilisation system that allows sharp handheld shooting at up to five stops slower than normal. It also features robust 4K UHD video recording at 25/30fps alongside Panasonic's innovative 4K Photo and Post Focus modes, which allow users to extract 8-megapixel stills from video frames or shift focus after shooting. Despite its high utility, the TZ90 has several notable drawbacks. Recording in 4K introduces a significant sensor crop that narrows the wide-angle coverage from 24mm to a 35mm equivalent, meaning you lose wide field-of-view capabilities unless you drop the...

The Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ90 (ZS70) is a versatile, pocketable travel zoom featuring a 30x optical lens, a 20-megapixel sensor, and a 180-degree tilting touchscreen, according to ePHOTOzine. Key strengths include 4K UHD video, 4K Photo functionality, a high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF), and decent battery life. However, the review notes increased image noise due to the high-density sensor and muted color reproduction. While the camera features improved ergonomics, it is heavier than its predecessor, and the white balance can be inconsistent.

The DxOMARK review of the Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS70 highlights it as a highly capable, pocket-sized superzoom camera designed primarily for travel photographers who want to pack light. Key advantages of the device include its massive 30x optical zoom lens (offering a versatile 24-720mm equivalent focal range) and an effective 5-axis Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) system, which helps ensure sharper handheld shots at longer telephoto focal lengths. It updates its predecessor, the ZS60, by upgrading to a 20.3-megapixel sensor and introducing a tilting touchscreen LCD, alongside capturing 4K video and offering RAW format shooting. According to the tests, the camera performs best in bright, daylight conditions at its base ISO 80, where it achieves its highest color depth (19.1 bits) and dynamic range (10.6 EV). However, the primary drawback of the ZS70 centers on its small 1/2.3-inch sensor size, which severely restricts its performance in dim environments. DxOMARK’s testing notes that as sensitivity increases, image noise becomes highly prevalent, and high ISO settings of 1600 and above should be avoided because the signal-to-noise ratio drops below acceptable thresholds. When compared to...

Despite its robust features, the Lumix ZS70 has a few notable performance and design drawbacks. On the positive side, its major pros include a very impressive zoom range, highly effective image stabilization, excellent selfie functionality with specialized shooting modes, and highly competitive 4K capabilities for its class. Conversely, its main cons center around hardware limitations, such as a very small electronic viewfinder, occasional lag when starting up the device, a grip that could be improved for better handling, and soft image results when shooting at a wide-angle. Ultimately, while it falls just short of greatness due to these small shortcomings, it stands out as a highly satisfactory, feature-rich choice for both stills and video.

The Panasonic Lumix ZS70 (known as the TZ90 outside North America) is a highly versatile, pocket-sized travel zoom camera featuring a 20.3-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor and a Leica-branded 30x optical zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent). Built as a robust point-and-shoot option that outpaces smartphone digital cropping, the camera delivers dependable performance with a swift 0.1-second, 49-area autofocus system and effective 5-axis image stabilization. Key highlights include 4K video recording with a dedicated top-plate button, Raw image capture capability, and a 3-inch flipping LCD screen tailored specifically for framing selfies. Battery life is quite reasonable, surviving up to 380 shots per charge when utilizing the rear monitor. However, the ZS70 comes with distinct drawbacks, notably visible softness and a loss of definition towards the outer corners of the frame when using the widest focal lengths. Physical design limitations also hinder the user experience; the integrated electronic eye-level viewfinder (EVF) is excessively small, making it prone to causing eye strain and ultimately rendering it better left ignored. Additionally, the camera's ergonomics are compromised by a weak faceplate grip, featuring only a slender rubberised...

The Consumer Reports review identifies the 20-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 as a capable, pocketable travel-zoom camera featuring a 30x Leica optical zoom lens and effective 5-axis image stabilization, making it ideal for sharp, daytime, and outdoor photography. Its 4K video capabilities and 3-inch, 180-degree tilting touchscreen, which aids in self-portraiture, are noted as major advantages. However, the camera shows limitations in low-light environments, producing images that are less sharp and more grainy than comparable models, largely due to heavy-handed JPEG noise reduction at higher ISO settings. Additionally, testers and users reported that the electronic viewfinder is quite small, and the unit can suffer from occasional startup lag.