ZS Series Dimensions

[panoptic]

After finding the "right" case for my ZS70 (see previous post), I've been reflecting on how much the ZS series has grown over the last 5 years, so I put together a little table:

ZS20: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 206G

ZS25: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 193G

ZS30: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 198G

ZS40: 4.37x2.52x1.34, 240G

ZS50: 4.37x2.56x1.34, 243G

ZS60: 4.41x2.52x1.50, 282G

ZS70: 4.41x2.64x1.61, 322G

ZS100: 4.37x2.56x1.73, 312G

The ZS25 is tied with ZS20/30 for smallest size, a few grams lighter

The ZS100 is almost the same size as the ZS70, so the case I mentioned in the previous post might be a good fit.

Larry B

 

[snappyden]

After finding the "right" case for my ZS70 (see previous post), I've been reflecting on how much the ZS series has grown over the last 5 years, so I put together a little table:

ZS20: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 206G

ZS25: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 193G

ZS30: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 198G

ZS40: 4.37x2.52x1.34, 240G

ZS50: 4.37x2.56x1.34, 243G

ZS60: 4.41x2.52x1.50, 282G

ZS70: 4.41x2.64x1.61, 322G

ZS100: 4.37x2.56x1.73, 312G

The ZS25 is tied with ZS20/30 for smallest size, a few grams lighter

The ZS100 is almost the same size as the ZS70, so the case I mentioned in the previous post might be a good fit.

Larry B

Larry,

For me the growth over time has turned me off of the series. I loved my ZS19, carried it everywhere, took it to France, Italy, England, Hawaii and all over California for several years. Always happy with the images, often happier than with the highly acclaimed Sony RX100i, my other small camera.

Then about 2 weeks ago my ZS19 broke, so I bought a ZS60. As soon as I picked it up i couldn't believe the difference in weight and size. 40% heavier and 60% larger in size. I couldn't fit it in my pants pocket, I didn't think the IQ was any better, and who needs 720 zoom, not me. So back it went and I'm now trying to find another "pocket" camera, not an easy task.

I'm sure some are happier with all the bells and whistle and the longer zoom on the newer models, but certainly not me!

Best,

Den

 

[Isola Verde]

Think they've been on a similar diet to that of the VW Golf / Rabbit series?

Peter

 

[kkardster]

Yeah, they keep getting bigger. Same with the LX series, whose size complaints started with the LX7. But the travel zoom series should have a pocket-fitter rather than leaving that market to the crapphone cameras.

It is impressive that they were able to keep the ZS100 slightly smaller WxH than the ZS60. I'm sure they had to go a little deeper to illuminate that 1" sensor.

 

[snappyden]

Yeah, they keep getting bigger. Same with the LX series, whose size complaints started with the LX7. But the travel zoom series should have a pocket-fitter rather than leaving that market to the crapphone cameras.

It is impressive that they were able to keep the ZS100 slightly smaller WxH than the ZS60. I'm sure they had to go a little deeper to illuminate that 1" sensor.

--
Bruce
You learn something new every time you press the shutter

Why not 1 or 2 cameras with 24-480 or less zoom range and keep the size/weight similar to older ZS models? I think there may be a market for that type of camera. I'm not convinced every camera needs a 1" sensor or larger. Keep the cost to $300 or so. In good light I sure don't see much difference in IQ on my 27" 5K iMac between images shot with my now dead ZS19 and my 1" sensor Sony RX100i.

Den

Just a simple comparison:

 

[ANAYV]

After finding the "right" case for my ZS70 (see previous post), I've been reflecting on how much the ZS series has grown over the last 5 years, so I put together a little table:

ZS20: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 206G

ZS25: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 193G

ZS30: 4.13x2.32x1.1, 198G

ZS40: 4.37x2.52x1.34, 240G

ZS50: 4.37x2.56x1.34, 243G

ZS60: 4.41x2.52x1.50, 282G

ZS70: 4.41x2.64x1.61, 322G

ZS100: 4.37x2.56x1.73, 312G

The ZS25 is tied with ZS20/30 for smallest size, a few grams lighter

Actually the ZS30 is smaller than the ZS19/20. I think the same size as ZS25...but for sure ZS19/20 was thicker.

Where did you get this info from?

If from DPreview...than don't trust the info.
I will try to find the real dimensions...

ANAYV

 

[panoptic]

From DP Review

 

[ANAYV]

Here's a snippet from the announcement of the ZS30 :

"... Wherever you are in the world, the LUMIX ZS30 – one of the world’s slimmest 20x Optical Zoom digital compact cameras....."

105 x 59 x 28 mm (4.13 x 2.32 x 1.1″)

ANAYV

 

[panoptic]

Why not 1 or 2 cameras with 24-480 or less zoom range and keep the size/weight similar to older ZS models? I think there may be a market for that type of camera. I'm not convinced every camera needs a 1" sensor or larger. Keep the cost to $300 or so. In good light I sure don't see much difference in IQ on my 27" 5K iMac between images shot with my now dead ZS19 and my 1" sensor Sony RX100i.

Den

Agreed that the size has become awkwardly large, but so far the ZS70 works for me to use on belt, especially with the new case. I'm still able to get quick one-handed shots. However, I often carry my ZS25 instead as it is less obtrusive and still small enough to fit inside my pocket, even with the case.

For something ZS 19-30 size, Canon and Sony still have cameras in this size class with decent zoom, also Casio I think.

However, I'm trying to stick with Panasonic for various reasons, probably because I know the general menu and control layout so well.

 

[panoptic]

I took a look at the available options for THIN and LIGHT pocket cams with considerable zoom.

Not much out there, the market seems to be hollowing out, as many have predicted, with cell phones chewing up the intermediate "point and shoot" market.

So this group is an endangered species, not likely to be around for long. I'm now looking at them to buy a few before they disappear.

Only Sony and Canon have stuck around in this market, and perhaps Casio, though they are not generally available, I understand that the Casio 800 series is an excellent contender. I'll leave it to others to supply info about Casios.

BH Photo has pretty much abandoned this segment, but many are still available from Adorama, perhaps elsewhere, but I didn't look into that.

Here's the short list. None appear to have PASM and other manual controls, however. That was one of the big attractions of the Panasonic ZS series, even though they didn't really have an aperture control.

Sony W830, $118, 8X, 25-200?, 3.75x2.12x0.90, 122G

Sony WX220, $198, 10X, 25-250, 3.8x2.1x0.90, 106G

Sony WX350, $268, 20X, 25-500, 3.77x2.16x1.01, 138G?

Sony WX500 and HX 80/90/90V with 30X zoom are much thicker, 1.40 inches, so I left them out, though they are smaller than the 30X Panasonics and Canons.

Canon 180HS, $120, 8x 28-224, 3.75x2.14x0.87, 111G

Canon 190HS, $150, 10X, 24-240, 3.75x2.24x0.93, 138G

Canon has a bunch of 30X and 40X cams, but they are much thicker, so I left them out. Don't think they have PASM controls.

Looks like I'll keep my ZS25 going as long as possible.

Larry B

Portland

 

[snappyden]

Why not 1 or 2 cameras with 24-480 or less zoom range and keep the size/weight similar to older ZS models? I think there may be a market for that type of camera. I'm not convinced every camera needs a 1" sensor or larger. Keep the cost to $300 or so. In good light I sure don't see much difference in IQ on my 27" 5K iMac between images shot with my now dead ZS19 and my 1" sensor Sony RX100i.

Den

Agreed that the size has become awkwardly large, but so far the ZS70 works for me to use on belt, especially with the new case. I'm still able to get quick one-handed shots. However, I often carry my ZS25 instead as it is less obtrusive and still small enough to fit inside my pocket, even with the case.

For something ZS 19-30 size, Canon and Sony still have cameras in this size class with decent zoom, also Casio I think.

However, I'm trying to stick with Panasonic for various reasons, probably because I know the general menu and control layout so well.

I would prefer to stick with Panasonic also, but I guess I'll go look at Sony and Canon. Do you see any improvement in IQ with your ZS70 over your ZS25, I don't think I did?

Den

 

[panoptic]

Why not 1 or 2 cameras with 24-480 or less zoom range and keep the size/weight similar to older ZS models? I think there may be a market for that type of camera. I'm not convinced every camera needs a 1" sensor or larger. Keep the cost to $300 or so. In good light I sure don't see much difference in IQ on my 27" 5K iMac between images shot with my now dead ZS19 and my 1" sensor Sony RX100i.

Den

Agreed that the size has become awkwardly large, but so far the ZS70 works for me to use on belt, especially with the new case. I'm still able to get quick one-handed shots. However, I often carry my ZS25 instead as it is less obtrusive and still small enough to fit inside my pocket, even with the case.

For something ZS 19-30 size, Canon and Sony still have cameras in this size class with decent zoom, also Casio I think.

However, I'm trying to stick with Panasonic for various reasons, probably because I know the general menu and control layout so well.

I would prefer to stick with Panasonic also, but I guess I'll go look at Sony and Canon. Do you see any improvement in IQ with your ZS70 over your ZS25, I don't think I did?

Den

I'm not a pixel-level viewer, so no, not a dramatic improvement. What I do see is 30x vs 20x, which gets me closer for picas (small mammals) and eclipses. Together with the increase in pixels a lot more room for cropping/digital zooming.

All photos hand-held, straight out of camera.


American pika (Ochotona princeps) in Washington State Cascade Mountains, about 6,000 ft elevation.

Also the tilting screen is a delight. When filming the eclipse, I could stay at a comfortable angle whilst the lens was pointed up at a high angle.

[ATTACH alt="August 21 Eclipse from Albany, Oregon. Note the sunspots below the "bite" and opposite near edge. "]1820246[/ATTACH]
August 21 Eclipse from Albany, Oregon. Note the sunspots below the "bite" and opposite near edge.




August 21 Eclipse from Albany, Oregon. "Totality"




Wildflowers in Washington State Cascades




Distant herd of 17 wild mountain goats in Washington State Cascades. Note the three youngsters!




Crickets or Grasshoppers? clinging to the last warmth of day, Washington Cascades

I've found myself using the tilt several times since, especially for low-angle wildlife macros, things like flowers and bees. Also low-angle wide-angle landscapes with flowers and rocks and water in the foreground, helps greatly with the framing. Also the horizontal and vertical level indicators.

Larry

PS: Still discovering new and interesting "features" I haven't explored. Overall I'm rather impressed.

 

[kkardster]

I'm not a pixel-level viewer, so no, not a dramatic improvement. What I do see is 30x vs 20x, which gets me closer for picas (small mammals) and eclipses. Together with the increase in pixels a lot more room for cropping/digital zooming.

All photos hand-held, straight out of camera.

Nice shots! The ZS/TZ models are almost like having an FZ in your pocket!

American pika (Ochotona princeps) in Washington State Cascade Mountains, about 6,000 ft elevation.

I love running across pikas and marmots in the mountains. Except the time I was climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park and we bivouacked under a large boulder. I awoke to find that the resident pika had shredded my entire pack of cigarettes and made them part of its nest. I've since given up the cancer sticks for good, but it was a rough day climbing and hiking out!

--
Bruce
You learn something new every time you press the shutter

 

[saudidave]

Yeah, they keep getting bigger. Same with the LX series, whose size complaints started with the LX7. But the travel zoom series should have a pocket-fitter rather than leaving that market to the crapphone cameras.

It is impressive that they were able to keep the ZS100 slightly smaller WxH than the ZS60. I'm sure they had to go a little deeper to illuminate that 1" sensor.

--
Bruce
You learn something new every time you press the shutter

Why not 1 or 2 cameras with 24-480 or less zoom range and keep the size/weight similar to older ZS models? I think there may be a market for that type of camera. I'm not convinced every camera needs a 1" sensor or larger. Keep the cost to $300 or so. In good light I sure don't see much difference in IQ on my 27" 5K iMac between images shot with my now dead ZS19 and my 1" sensor Sony RX100i.

Den

Just a simple comparison:

Den

I've been having the same thoughts for a long time and I do agree, albeit if you were photographing the scene at dusk the Sony would have come in to tit's own. That said, most of my photography is done in the day, outside, so it wouldn't be a massive effect.

I've begun to seriously thinking about getting another LF1 or Cannon S100/110. They are both tiny, light, very pocketable and the IQ is superb - the perfect size/IQ balance I think

Dave