Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200/TZ200 Review
The Panasonic ZS200 (known as the TZ200 outside of North America) is a compact travel zoom camera with a 24-360mm equiv. lens and a 20MP, 1" sensor that's larger than what you'd find on a typical long-zoom camera. In addition to capturing 20MP stills, it can also record decent quality UHD 4K video. In general we like what the ZS200 has to offer in terms of spec and performance, though lenses in this class of cameras are often on the soft side. While the ZS200 has the longest zoom of any nearly pocketable enthusiast compact, most people will be better served by the less expensive ZS100, if they don't mind less zoom range.
Key Features:
- 20.1MP 1"-type BSI CMOS sensor
- F3.3-6.4 24-360mm equiv. zoom lens
- 2.33M-dot equiv. EVF with 0.53x equiv. magnification
- 10 fps burst (focus locked on first shot), 6 fps burst (continuous AF)
- UHD 4K video at 30p and 24p
- 5-axis Hybrid IS for 1080p video
- 3" touchscreen LCD
- Depth from Defocus AF
- Wi-Fi with Bluetooth
- 4K Photo with new Sequence Composition feature
- USB charging
To put it simply the ZS200 seems to take the excellent pedigree of the ZS100 (one of our picks for best travel camera), makes some slight improvements and adds a longer, slightly slower lens. Combined, these two cameras fill a gap in the 1" -type compact camera market, providing significant telephoto reach beyond that of other pocket friendly models, such as the Sony RX100 series, without being bulky like Panasonic's FZ1000 and FZ2500.
The ZS200 is now available for $799, while the TZ200 (its non-US name) is £729 and €799 in the UK and Europe, respectively. The color choices are black and an attractive gunmetal/silver.
What's new and how it compares
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Here are the differences between the ZS200 and its predecessor - the ZS100 - plus how it compares to existing models from other companies.
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Body and design
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The ZS200 has a sleek design with a usable grip, though the LCD can't tilt and the EVF isn't great.
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What's it like to use
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From landscapes to portraits, we've spent plenty of time shooting with the ZS200 in several different situations.
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Image Quality
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The one consistent thing we found in our lab tests is that the ZS200's lens quality isn't very consistent. That aside, image quality is competitive.
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Autofocus
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The ZS200 uses Panasonic's Depth from Defocus system, which allows for speedy focus speeds and good, but not great, subject tracking. It does tend to hunt, though.
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Video
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You can capture UHD 4K video on the ZS200, plus high speed 1080/120p footage. It offers a decent set of controls, though 'jello' and focus hunting can be issues.
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Conclusion
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The ZS200 is worth considering, but unless you need that extra 110mm of zoom, the old ZS100 performs just as well for less money.
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Jun 25, 2018
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May 18, 2018
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Apr 26, 2018
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Apr 7, 2018
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Spending time in Japan for CP+ also means that we've been able to get out and take some photos on the vibrant streets of Yokohama. With a 20MP 1" sensor and 24-360mm equiv. zoom, the Panasonic ZS200 / TZ200 was up to the task.
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