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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 Review

  • Overview
  • Alternatives
  • Panasonic ZS70

    Main Features

    • 20MP - 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor
    • ISO 80 - 3200( expands to 6400)
    • 24-720 mm F3.3-6.4 Zoom Lens
    • Optical Image Stabilization
    • 3″ Tilting Screen
    • 1166k dot Electronic viewfinder
    • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
    • 4K - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
    • Built-in Wireless
    • 322g. 112 x 67 x 41 mm
    • Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ90
    • Replaced Panasonic ZS60
    $397.99
    12%
    off

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    Panasonic ZS70 Overview

    First introduced in April 2017 , Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 is a 20.0MP Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor. ZS70 is also sold as Lumix DMC-TZ90 in some of the countries. Panasonic replaced the older ZS60 with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these model:
    Compare Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 (Lumix DC-TZ90) vs Panasonic ZS60

    Panasonic ZS70 has an Overall Score of 70/100 and ranked #3 out of 621 in Compact cameras (Top 10 Compact), and ranked #169 out of 1131 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall). The only two Compact cameras that are ranked higher then the ZS70 are Nikon P7800 and Fujifilm X30. You can find the specs comparison of these three cameras here.

    Panasonic ZS70 Type Scores
    Imaging
    Features
    Value for Money
    Portability
    Overall Score
    Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras

    Panasonic ZS70 Compared to other Compact Cameras

    Now let's get in to more details of Panasonic ZS70's specs and feature, and list out its pro's and con's compared to average cameras in its class.

    PROs
    Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi)
    Image Stabilization
    Articulating Screen
    4K - 3840 x 2160 Max Video Resolution
    Touch Screen
    Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
    RAW Shooting
    Face Detection Focusing
    20.0MP - High Resolution Sensor
    49 Focus Points
    1.040k dots LCD Resolution
    1/16000s High Shutter Speed
    10.0fps Fast Continuous Shooting
    Long Battery Life (380 shots)
    Manual Focusing
    Manual Exposure
    Timelapse Recording
    24mm Wide Angle Lens
    720mm Good Tele Lens
    30X Optical Zoom
    1166kdot Viewfinder Resolution
    AE Bracketing
    Wide AE Bracketing Range: ±4 EV
    Selfie Friendly LCD Screen
    4K Photo (8MP photos)
    Post Focus Mode - Change focus point after taking a photo
    Remote control with a smartphone
    High Video bit rate of 100mbps

    Buy Panasonic ZS70 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO


    CONs
    No External Flash Shoe
    Max Sensitivity only ISO 3.200
    Heavy Body: 322
    No Environmental Sealing
    Slow Lens at Wide: f3.30
    Slow Lens at Tele: f6.40
    Panasonic ZS70 Sensor and Photography Features

    Panasonic ZS70 has a 20.0MP 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 5184 x 3888 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. ZS70 has a native ISO range of 80 - 3200 which can be boosted to 6400 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

    Panasonic ZS70 is not the highest resolution Small Sensor camera. Kodak Astro Zoom AZ651 with its 21.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Panasonic ZS70 vs Kodak Astro Zoom AZ651 or take a look at Highest resolution Compact cameras list.

    Let's look at how the size of the Panasonic ZS70's 1/2.3 sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

    Panasonic ZS70 Sensor Size Comparison

    Panasonic ZS70 Physical Specs
    Panasonic ZS70 weighs 322 g (0.71 lb / 11.36 oz) and has external dimensions of 112 x 67 x 41 mm (4.41 x 2.64 x 1.61″). Considering that the average weight of Compact type cameras is 187g, Panasonic ZS70 is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 41mm, it is not small either, 12mm thicker than the average of its class.
    Weight Comparison

    Compact Cameras

    Panasonic ZS70
    Min
    Average
    Max
    Thickness Comparison

    Compact Cameras

    Panasonic ZS70
    Min
    Average
    Max

    Here is the front and top view image of Panasonic ZS70 with the dimensions:

    Panasonic ZS70 Body Size Dimensions

    In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Panasonic ZS70, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.


    Panasonic ZS70 Real Life Body Size Comparison


    Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Panasonic ZS70 with its main competitors:

    Panasonic ZS70 Size Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Sensor Weight vs ZS70 Thickness vs ZS70
    Panasonic ZS60 18.0MP - 1/2.3" 282g 40g lighter 38mm 3mm thinner
    Panasonic ZS100 20.0MP - 1 312g 10g lighter 44mm 3mm thicker
    Canon SX730 HS 20.3MP - 1/2.3" 300g 22g lighter 40mm 1mm thinner
    Sony HX90V 18.0MP - 1/2.3" 245g 77g lighter 36mm 5mm thinner
    Panasonic ZS50 12.0MP - 1/2.3" 243g 79g lighter 34mm 7mm thinner
    Nikon A900 20.0MP - 1/2.3" 289g 33g lighter 40mm 1mm thinner
    Panasonic LX10 20.0MP - 1 310g 12g lighter 42mm 1mm thicker
    Sony HX80 18.0MP - 1/2.3 245g 77g lighter 36mm 5mm thinner

    Panasonic ZS70 doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

    Panasonic ZS70 Lens

    Panasonic ZS70 features a 24-720 mm F3.3-6.4 30x zoom lens. This camera offers exceptional wide angle capacity thanks to 24mm focal length on the wide end and remarkable super telephoto reach at 720mm.

    Wide Coverage

    Compact Cameras

    ZS70
    Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
    Average
    Telezoom

    Compact Cameras

    ZS70
    Longest - Canon SX520 HS
    Average

    With a max aperture of f3.30 at 24mm, we can not consider this lens fast on wide end, and it is slow at the tele end with its max aperture of f6.40.

    Max Aperture at Wide

    Compact Cameras

    ZS70
    Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
    Average
    Max Aperture at Tele

    Compact Cameras

    ZS70
    Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
    Average

    ZS70 is also equipped with Optical image stabilization system which is very handy especially at lower shutter speeds. Panasonic ZS70's lens also has a Manual Focus Mode.

    Panasonic ZS70 Other Features
    LCD and Viewfinder

    Panasonic ZS70 has a Tilting 3″ LCD screen with a resolution of 1,040k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

    LCD is Touch screen type, so you can change the settings and set the focus point with your fingertips. For those of you who loves shooting self portraits or group photos, Panasonic ZS70 will make your life easier with its Selfie friendly screen.

    Panasonic ZS70 back view and LCD

    ZS70 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. The viewfinder has a resolution of 1,166kdots and coverage of 100%. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later.

    Max Shutter speed
    Panasonic ZS70 can shoot continuously at max speed of 10.0 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/16000 sec.

    Flash
    Unfortunately ZS70 doesn't have an external flash shoe so you are limited with the built-in flash.

    Focusing
    Panasonic ZS70 features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 49 points to choose from.

    Panasonic ZS70 also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

    Post Focus

    Panasonic ZS70 has a special Post Focus mode which uses its 4K video and focus bracketing features together to shoot and stack a burst of images into a single image which you can change the focus point on the LCD screen after it is taken. Although the resulting image has only 8 MP resolution, the flexibility this feature gives to the shooter is unmatched.

    Video Features
    With Panasonic ZS70, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 30p fps with bit rates up to 100 mbps and save in MPEG-4 and AVCHD formats. This means that Panasonic ZS70 provides 4K (Ultra-HD) video, highest resolution that is available in the market today. When viewed on a 4K screen, you will be amazed by the level of details and the crispness.

    ZS70 has a built-in Stereo microphone and a Mono speaker.
    Panasonic ZS70 doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Compact camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Nikon Coolpix P7800 or Fujifilm X30 in a similar price range.

    4K Photo Mode

    Utilizing its 4K Video recording abilities in a creative way, Panasonic ZS70 sports a 4K Photo Mode where you can capture 8 MP photos from 4K videos. Using a software such as Adobe Lightroom on your PC or in-camera function, you can review the 4K video frame by frame and extract the image that you like the most.

    Connectivity and Storage
    Panasonic ZS70 features built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( 802.11 b/g/n) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection.One other feature that we like is the ability to use our smartphone as a remote to control our ZS70. You can change camera settings, release shutter, view LCD screen and tranfer files using remote control app.

    You can connect ZS70 to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.

    Battery Panasonic ZS70 is powered by a proprietary battery which provides a shooting life of 380 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Compact type cameras is 253 shots, Panasonic ZS70 has a good battery life for its class.

    Battery Life Comparison in Small Sensor Superzoom Cameras

    Panasonic ZS70
    Min
    Average
    Max

    Fujifilm HS35EXR with its 600shots is the model with longest battery life among Small Sensor Superzoom cameras. Check the comparison of Panasonic ZS70 vs Fujifilm HS35EXR or take a look at Longest Battery Life Compact cameras list.

    Panasonic ZS70 Features Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Max Video Battery Life Wi-fi Bluetooth NFC
    Panasonic ZS60
    >>Compare to ZS70
    3840 x 2160 320shots Yes No No
    Panasonic ZS100
    >>Compare to ZS70
    3840 x 2160 300shots Yes No No
    Canon SX730 HS
    >>Compare to ZS70
    1920 x 1080 250shots Yes Yes Yes
    Sony HX90V
    >>Compare to ZS70
    1920 x 1080 360shots Yes No Yes
    Panasonic ZS50
    >>Compare to ZS70
    1920 x 1080 300shots Yes No Yes
    Nikon A900
    >>Compare to ZS70
    3840 x 2160 300shots Yes Yes Yes
    Panasonic LX10
    >>Compare to ZS70
    3840 x 2160 260shots Yes No No
    Sony HX80
    >>Compare to ZS70
    1920 x 1080 390shots Yes No Yes

    Lowest Price
    Current Lowest price for Panasonic ZS70 is $397.99

    $397.99
    12%
    off

    What type of Photography is Panasonic ZS70 Good for?
    In this section, we review and score Panasonic ZS70 in 5 different photography areas. This first spider web graph shows how the ZS70 compares with the average Compact camera.
    Hover your mouse over the points to see the score details for each photography type.

    Panasonic ZS70 for Portrait Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 has a score of 55 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Portrait Photography list.
    Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
    Image Stabilization
    RAW shooting capability
    Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
    Manual Focus Mode
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Small 1/2.3 sensor
    No External Flash Shoe
    Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

    Read the details of how we scored Panasonic ZS70 for Portrait Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 for Street Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 has a score of 86 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.
    Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
    Manual Focus Mode
    Live-view
    Face-Detection Focusing
    Tilting LCD Screen
    Image Stabilization
    24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
    RAW shooting capability
    Small Body
    Small 1/2.3 sensor

    Read the details of how we scored Panasonic ZS70 for Street Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 for Sports Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 has a score of 39 for Sports Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Sports We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Sports Photography list and consider these alternatives over theZS70.
    Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
    Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
    49 Focus Points
    Wireless Connection
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Manual Focus Mode
    Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
    Image Stabilization
    720 mm Tele Lens
    RAW shooting capability
    Environmental Sealings
    Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
    No External Flash Shoe
    Slow Lens at Tele: f6.40

    Read the details of how we scored Panasonic ZS70 for Sports Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 for Daily Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 has a score of 69 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Compact Cameras for Daily Photography list.
    Compact Body
    30X Optical Zoom
    RAW shooting capability
    322g
    Body Thickness 41mm
    Small 1/2.3 sensor

    Read the details of how we scored Panasonic ZS70 for Daily Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 for Landscape Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 has a score of 54 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Landscape Photography list.
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Manual Focus Mode
    24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
    RAW shooting capability
    Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
    Small 1/2.3 sensor
    No Environmental Sealings

    Read the details of how we scored Panasonic ZS70 for Landscape Photography

    Panasonic ZS70 Alternatives
    In this section, we analyse how Panasonic ZS70 compares with other Compact cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of ZS70 and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.
    Read a more detailed analysis of Panasonic ZS70 alternatives.
    Popular Comparisons of Panasonic ZS70
    Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Panasonic ZS70 amongst Camera Decision readers.

    Panasonic ZS60
    Panasonic ZS60
    Compare
    Panasonic ZS100
    Panasonic ZS100
    Compare
    Canon SX730 HS
    Canon SX730 HS
    Compare
    Sony HX90V
    Sony HX90V
    Compare
    Panasonic ZS50
    Panasonic ZS50
    Compare
    Nikon A900
    Nikon A900
    Compare
    Panasonic LX10
    Panasonic LX10
    Compare
    Sony HX80
    Sony HX80
    Compare
    Panasonic ZS70 Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras
    It would also be interesting to compare Panasonic ZS70 with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Panasonic ZS70's price range.

    Olympus E-M10 II
    Olympus E-M10 II
    Compare
    Panasonic GX7
    Panasonic GX7
    Compare
    Olympus E-M10 MIII
    Olympus E-M10 MIII
    Compare
    Olympus E-M10
    Olympus E-M10
    Compare
    Olympus E-PL7
    Olympus E-PL7
    Compare
    Sony A6000
    Sony A6000
    Compare
    Olympus E-PL8
    Olympus E-PL8
    Compare
    Nikon 1 J5
    Nikon 1 J5
    Compare
    Frequently Asked Questions about Panasonic ZS70
    Does the Panasonic ZS70 have Image Stabilization?
    Does the Panasonic ZS70 have RAW support?
    Does the Panasonic ZS70 have Weather Sealing?
    Does the Panasonic ZS70 have built-in GPS?
    What is the Max ISO of Panasonic ZS70?
    What is the Sensor Size of Panasonic ZS70?
    is the Panasonic ZS70 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
    Does the Panasonic ZS70 have Touch Screen?
    Does the Panasonic ZS70 have built-in Wireless?
    What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Panasonic ZS70?
    Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 Detailed Specifications

    General
    Brand Panasonic
    Model Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70
    Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ90
    Announced 2017-04-19
    Body Type Compact
    Price $397.99
    Lens
    Manual Focus
    Lens Mount fixed lens
    Lens Focal Range 24-720 mm (30x)
    Max Aperture F3.3-6.4
    Macro Focus Range 3cm
    Screen
    Screen Type Tilting
    Screen Size 3″
    Screen Resolution 1,040k dots
    Live View
    Touch Screen
    Viewfinder
    Viewfinder Electronic
    Viewfinder Resolution 1,166k dots
    Viewfinder Coverage 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.46
    Photography Features
    Min Shutter Speed 4s
    Max Shutter Speed 1/16000s
    Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps
    Shutter Priority
    Aperture Priority
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Exposure Compensation Yes
    Custom White Balance
    Image Stabilization
    Built-in Flash
    Flash Range 5.60 m (at Auto ISO)
    Flash Modes Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off
    External Flash
    AE Bracketing
    WB Bracketing
    Exposure Modes
    Multi-Segment
    Average
    Spot
    Partial
    AF-Area
    Center Weighted
    DxO Sensor Scores
    DxO Overall Score not tested
    DxO Color Depth not tested
    DxO Dynamic Range not tested
    DxO Low Light ISO not tested
    Report a correction

    Sensor
    Sensor Type BSI-CMOS
    Sensor Size 1/2.3
    Sensor Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm
    Sensor Area 28.07mm2
    Sensor Resolution 20 megapixels
    Max Image Resolution 5184 x 3888
    Max Native ISO 3,200
    Max Boosted ISO 6400
    Min Native ISO 80
    RAW Support
    Autofocus
    AF Touch
    AF Continuous
    AF Single
    AF Tracking
    AF Selective
    AF Center
    AF Multi Area
    AF Live View
    AF Face Detection
    AF Contrast Detection
    AF Phase Detection
    Number of Focus Points 49
    Number of Cross Focus Points Unknown
    Video Features
    Video Resolutions 3840 x 2160 (30p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
    Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160
    Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD
    Microphone Port
    Headphone Port
    Connectivity
    Wireless Connectivity Built-In
    HDMI
    USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
    Physical
    Environmental Sealing
    Water Proof
    Dust Proof
    Shock Proof
    Crush Proof
    Freeze Proof
    Weight 322g
    Physical Dimensions 112 x 67 x 41mm
    Battery Life 380 shots
    Battery Type Battery Pack
    Other Features
    Self Timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, 3 shots / 10 secs)
    Timelapse Recording
    GPS None
    Storage Type SD/SDHC/SDXC
    Storage Slots 1
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