Panasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 MP High Sensitivity MOS Digital CameraPanasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 MP High Sensitivity MOS Digital Camera

Panasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 MP High Sensitivity MOS Digital Camera with 20x Optical Zoom (Black)

Thoughts: Video is smooth and high quality. Control and button placement is good and easy  to use especially for video with its own button on top. You can take still photos while recording videos. Telephoto works while shooting videos. Single photo 20x and extended 40x telephoto  works well and focus stays sharp. GPS tagging works well for me with Map Flickr and Flickr and  will make for a nice trip display for photos taken in the same trip. The map data downloaded to the SD chip without a problem and the maps make for a nice on-camera display of the locations the photos were taken. GPS tagging with the actual name of the location and not just coordinates  is a feature I wasn't finding in other cameras. It's easy to burn through the battery in 1 to 2 hours while trying out all the features. I've ordered two more batteries to ensure more picture and video taking time. Reviewing and deleting photos is intuitive and easy.  The ability to touch the screen to tell the camera the focus of the photo is useful on  a moving object like wildlife. The up to 14M photos are the best I've taken with a digital camera.  USB charging is very useful. I've ordered an AC wall charger to be used charging back-up  batteries while the camera is in use. I'm glad I waited for the ZS20 to be released and  didn't get the new Nicon or Canon telephoto versions.  Smallest of the 20X cameras I was interested in. A great buy for less than $300. LENS PERFORMANCE
Powerful 20x Optical Zoom The DMC-ZS20's powerful 20x optical zoom (35mm camera equivalent: 24-480mm) draws your subjects right up close, and lets you freely capture decisive sports scenes, along with the natural expressions of people and animals, and details that you can't even see with your bare eyes In addition, this single camera lets you record 20x zoom in video recording. It makes the DMC- ZS20 twice as attractive.
	40x Intelligent Zoom The Intelligent Zoom is an extensive zoom function using digital zoom, however,  you can even draw the subject 2x closer than the original optical zoom with minimum  deterioration of image quality thanks to the Intelligent Resolution technology.  This means the 20x optical can virtually extend to 40x equivalent.
	24mm Ultra Wide-angle Lens The 24mm ultra wide-angle lens* — rare on a compact camera — gives you a wider range of composition possibilities with approx. 213% larger viewing space compared to that of 35mm camera. The super-high-quality LEICA DC lens minimizes distortion at the wide end. *Converted to standard 35mm camera equivalent, at the wide-end.
	LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR Lens Newly developed LEICA DC lens system that achieves both high image quality and small size is redesigned to further extend its powerful zoom to 20x (35mm camera equivalent: 24-480mm). Comprising 12 elements in 10 groups including 3 aspherical lenses with 6 aspherical surfaces and 2 ED lenses, adoption of ultra thin lens for its new structure optical system makes the unit's overall length short to fit in the slim body despite its versatile zoom range from 24mm ultra wide-angle to 20x telephoto.
POWER O.I.S. The POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) suppresses the low-frequency vibration hand-shake component, which is physically generated when pressing the shutter button or when shooting at night with a slow shutter speed. The POWER O.I.S. also works for powerful zoom shots, which are especially susceptible to hand-shake in a compact camera. Active mode is effective for video recording.
IMAGE QUALITY
14.1-megapixel MOS Sensor The 14.1-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor is newly developed for the DMC-ZS20 for even higher image quality. This boasts better S/N ratio compared with the 14.1-megapixel MOS sensor in the DMC-ZS20. Together with the performance of the Venus Engine, quality of image shot in low-lit situations is dramatically improved reducing the noise to its half level*. * At ISO1600, Panasonic measurement. Venus Engine The DMC-ZS20's Venus Engine processes large amount of progressive full HD data at high speed. At the same time, the multi-task image-processing engine, the Venus Engine realizes a super-fast response time. Intelligent Noise Reduction System The excellent S/N ratio of the MOS sensor and the Intelligent Noise Reduction system in the Venus Engine make both photos and videos shot at any sensitivity from low to high and boast outstanding clearness. Multi-process Noise Reduction System Newly developed Multi-process Noise Reduction applies optimum noise reduction according to the brightness of the part of the image. Images recorded in low-lit situations are now dramatically clear. Intelligent HDR The DMC-ZS20 integrates Intelligent HDR (High Dynamic Range) in the iA Mode. Several still pictures consecutively shot at different exposure levels are overlaid to produce a single composite picture without whiteout (over-exposure) or blackout (under-exposure). The HDR Mode is also available in the Scene Mode.
Intelligent Resolution Technology  Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative technology Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way according to the area. As a result, images are naturally clear and crisp.

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Panasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 MP High Sensitivity MOS Digital Camera with 20x Optical Zoom (Black).