7 Wondrous Ways the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Compact Camera Makes Your Travel Photography More Enjoyable and Rewarding
1. As a smart traveler, you know size and weight of what you pack and carry is critical. That’s why the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Compact Camera is an excellent choice for any traveler, including serious amateurs and professionals on vacation who don’t want to haul heavy and cumbersome DSLR equipment with them. Officially released during February 2012, Panasonic claims the DMC-ZS20 is the thinnest compact with a 20x-optical-zoom lens at just 1.1 inches (28mm). Even with the lens extended from the body, this camera remains balanced and easily fits in one hand, which is all you need to use it. At just 7.27 oz. (206g), the DMC-ZS20 actually frees weight you can use to pack other items.
There were 109 real customer reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Compact Camera all giving it 4-5 star rating if you would like to read these reviews you can do so here.
2. The back of the camera features a 3-inch, 460,000-dot touchscreen LCD, which, according to independent testing, produces a pleasing and crisp view. Important to travelers is that the LCD does a marvelous job outdoors, projecting a strong, and highly visual image, even in bright sunlight. Take the DMC-ZS20 into low-light situations and the touchscreen’s brightness responds with a well-lit LCD. Most of the camera controls and settings are performed by simply touching the LCD screen, including focus, shutter, zoom controller and playback.
3. Another obvious external feature of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Compact Camera is its 20x-optical-zoom lens and the prominence of the Leica name, which virtually guarantees its high quality. It is an f/3.3–6.4 lens with a 4.3–86mm focal range. Of course, in the 35mm format, this is the equivalent of 24–480mm. Again, travelers benefit greatly from the opportunity to use wide-angle creatively, then shoot in the 70–200mm range for interesting portraits, and rack the lens to the long end of the focal length to capture great images from a distance, unobtrusively.
4. Travel photography is as much about the place as the image of it, so Panasonic gave the DMC-ZS20 a quite comprehensive GPS unit. It maps the location of your travel photos and embeds it in the image metadata. Now, you can provide friends and family with a larger story about where you traveled and what you saw and photographed.
5. A small, high-performance camera that shoots automatically in various modes is equally important when you’re traveling and taking photos. The DMC-ZS20 features nine different automatic modes, with its Intelligent Auto mode considered the best, of all comparable cameras. The IA mode does it all, which is what you need during a busy travel schedule. Point and shoot the DMC-ZS20, and IA takes command, with automatic scene selection, face detection, subject tracking, intelligent sharpening, dynamic range improvement and additional functions.
6. As a traveler, you don’t want to carry an excessive number of batteries for your compact camera. Neither do you want the batteries drained so quickly that you seem to be always replacing batteries instead of enjoying your journey. Of 7 comparable cameras the DMC-ZS20 had the third best battery life at 260 shots (with GPS off). You might want to use some of the space the DMC-ZS20 didn’t take in your luggage for Panasonic’s optional external battery charger (model DE-A65BA). It charges batteries quite quickly, so you’ll have plenty for your travels.
7. Some travel experiences must simply be preserved in video; and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Compact Camera is fully loaded with many moviemaking features. First, it shoots Full HD 1080/60p as well as 720/60p, but the camera has been upgraded to record AVCHD Progressive video. This translates into you being able to record 30-minute segments and easily view your footage on an HDTV. Other versatile video capabilities include zooming the lens and capturing as many as 15 still images while recording.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Compact Camera is available in black, red, white and silver. The black model is only $319 from B&H Photo Video at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Panasonic+Lumix+ZS20&N=0&InitialSearch=yes.
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