This is the 8th Panasonic Lumix camera I've purchased since my first in 2008. For some reason the ZS25 reminds me of my SZ7 looks-wise Panasonic Lumix SZ7 14.1 MP High Sensitivity MOS Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom (Black) -it's the rounded top to allow for the lens. Even though the SZ7 is over $150 cheaper than the ZS25, it takes much sharper photos. However, the SZ7 doesn't have full PASM manual controls and has only 10X optical zoom. They both start-up fast, faster than any other cameras I own/have previously owned, fast focusing (unless you are zooming out at the max), fast shutter response, fast recycling to take the next photo. (I always use Class 10 SDHC cards). If only the SZ7 had full manual controls, it would be THE perfect camera as the photos are much more sharp to my liking.PROS:
-This is a fast camera for focusing, shutter response, etc.
-Leica lens LOVE Leica! Too bad it can't help the processor--or whatever causes the noise.
-You can optically zoom during the video and the zoom motor is quiet.
-Metal body (aluminum?) although it sounds like plastic when I tap on it, it has good build quality.
-CMOS sensor.
-Creative Controls: Like these, some never available in previous Panasonic cameras
-Made in Japan!
CONS: Or, what the heck is up, Panasonic?
- MAJOR Deal Breaker! It's almost like you have to set your ISO to 400 or less; it seems anything above ISO 400 starts looking out-of-focus but I think it's Panasonic's new way of smoothing out the noise.
-No separate battery charger, the battery charges inside the camera. This is starting to become the "new normal" with Panasonic cameras, other than the LX7. Quit being so cheap Panasonic, supply us with a separate battery charger!
- No RAW, for the RAW enthusiasts (I am not)
Panasonic photos are notorious for being "soft", these are more than soft and I'm not happy with this aspect AT ALL. Colors are good and natural. It's the sharpness which is "off" for me. And so the reason for my 3 star rating!!
The 1080 video is decent, but not as good as Sony cameras provide (cheaper ones, like this camera): Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Camera with 16x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Silver) (2012 Model). With the ZS25, you can optically zoom during the video, the zoom motor is quiet and you can also take a photo while shooting a video (limited to 2 pics).
Battery life pretty much average. I got 200 photos and a couple videos before the low battery indicator was down to 1/3 left.
I've always loved the Quick Menu feature on Pannies and this one is in the correct location (lower right corner, sometimes they are on the left side, lower right, such as the LX7). What I don't like on this camera is they eliminated the playback switch, now it's a button. On older Panasonic cameras, I kept the Playback Switch on playback when I put the camera in the case, as that prevented accidental zoom of the lens if the camera accidentally was turned on inside the case. Can't do that with this camera.
Yarii's Conclusion: This is the first Panasonic I've rated 3 stars. I struggled and decided the ZS25 is not worthy of 4 stars. I'm disappointed; Panasonic should have done better. This camera replaced the ZS15. If you're happy with your ZS15 (or ZS20) there's no reason to upgrade to the ZS25; I wouldn't even call it an upgrade, it's more like a downgrade. If you don't care about having manual controls, check out the SZ7 (see link above) and save over $150. I think the ZS25 (and the ZS30) are both WAY overpriced, and I think Panasonic has run out of ideas and they came out with new models only because all the other camera manufacturers do for the CES.
They have always been well-made, and delivered excellent quality pictures. Expected the same for this one.
Tried it for over a week, but was just not loving it. The build quality of the Lumix DMC-XS25 was not as good as it should be. They seemed to have replaced some parts with more plastic than in past models, and the quality of the pictures was not perfect either. Disappointing, as I have loved all my other Panasonic cameras and recommended them to others. I still like the smaller versions they offer, but this one did not deliver.
It felt like it was going to break, and the photos at 16 MP didn't seem as crisp and sharp as you'd think they should be.
Instead, ended up paying less than $100 more for the Sony DSC-HX20V, which seemed like more of an investment but looking back I cannot imagine NOT doing it. The Sony is head and shoulders above this Panasonic. The only downside in comparison is that it's not as fast as the Panasonic (i.e., when you are trying to take pictures in rapid succession the Panasonic is much faster, as the Sony evaluates each photo as it's taken and corrects it electronically).
I still like Panasonic, but for this specific camera it's just not up-to-par.
Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS25 16.1 MP Compact Digital Camera with 40x Intelligent Zoom (Black) Now
I just got this camera in time for the first nice weather weekend on the East Coast and we went to NYC with the family for a nice day in Central Park.I purchases a ZS10 2 years ago and skipped last year's model to buy the ZS25 this year.
It is a very fast camera from start up time to auto focus time and shutter release. I can't even tell the difference in speed compared to my DSLR (5 yrs old)
Lumix is known for superior lens quality I read an article that they have a very close working relationship with Leica which speaks for itself. So I wasn't surprised at the image quality even at max zoom. BTW keep in mind this is a 24 mm to 480 mm lens meaning that 24 mm is a nice wide angle comes in handy for indoor and nice group shots.
The reason I sound so exciting is the video capability of this camera. We went to a school concert the other night and I took some incredible videos of our little girl on stage. Just make sure you switch the recoding mode to MP4 the default setting is on AVCHD the compression mode that no computer can read!
The videos I took were great not too noisy even though it was real dark.
I am very pleased and feel this is a great little camera that is compact but gives you lots of shooting options.I think that this is great camera as long as you do not attempt to print a photo on letter size paper. Results will not be that good. The main problem that this system has is that it compresses JPEGs to 180 dpi. Thus, trying to do any re-touching is out of question. So, if you are planning to do 6x4 prints, email family and friends, or upload to the Facebook, this will do great. Focus is fast and I had no problems catching up with my 4 year old. However, I need something that can print on larger paper, and for 16MP, results were unacceptable. I have exchanged it for Nikon Coolpix 9500SThe 20x zoom and 16MP sensor combined with the compact size makes this a great pocket or travel camera, particularly when I don't want to take my larger interchangeable lens camera with me.
The 10fps burst mode makes shooting my son's sports easy and yields great results, and I like that I can take full HD Video with the same device.
I've experimented with the creative controls, and the modes help me take more creative/artistic photos and never need to edit them on my PC.
Definitely worth a look!
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