Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 (Lumix DMC-ZX1)

Opinion: nearly perfect
-great jpgs
-fast AF
-good to Iso 400
-Iso 800 for small prints, use natural mode and its fine
-Video above average, but for normal use its fine with AF and Zoom, thats great
-small ideal for the pocket

Opinion: + 25mm wide angle
+ excellent build quality
+ fast AF
+ effective image stabilization
+ good IQ

- lack of manual controls (aperture, focus...)
- batteries are very over priced
- switching between Record/Playback
- tripod receptacle in wrong place

Opinion: I had the Lumix DMC-TZ3 for several years and used the cameral mainly for appraisal reports. Zoomed images were clear with distinct edges, even in low light situations. I got caught up in the more megapixels must be better thinking and bought the ZR1. The picture quality was so bad I sent it back to the Panasonic for replacement. When taking a photo under the auto setting and every other setting I could think of, I could not get a clean image without streaks and bloches when the image was looked at at 100% size in photoshop elements. Indoor pictures where I zoomed to full optical and used the level 2 antishake feature could not be made with clean edges. The edges of books on a bookcase 8 feet away were fuzzy dots. Blades of grass in a house photo during the middle of the day were a fuzzy mess. When I got the replacement camera it took the same bad photos. I was contacted by a tech person from Panasonic who said I needed more light. I did not need more light with the TZ3.

One last complaint, when I take a photo of a building on a sunny day I apply the 'highlight shadow' feature of photoshop elements. With this new camera the dark areas have very little detail and are hazzy. With the TZ3 this worked perfectly with clear detail in the shadow. I tried the 'dynamic range' setting on the ZR1 and the image in bright daylight was useless; there was lack of focus, noise, straight lines on siding 40 feet away were wavy, and the dark areas were lighter but still hazzy lacking detail.

I will be selling this camera and getting one that takes better photos overall with emphasis on the ability to take low light photos clearly.

I have been using digital cameras since 1997. The ZR1 is the worst camera I have used with regards to image quality in the past 13 years.

Opinion: Wow! What an unbelievable DISAPPOINTMENT! Coming from the ZS1 and ZS3,
both of which i found to take stunning pictures, the ZR1 blows! The OIS seems to
be nonexistent and focus is soft. even at ISO 100 in a low light condition the grain
looked like finger painting. I'm flabbergasted. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as
the ZS3 but its nowhere close. It must be the lense: too much zoom in too tiny of
a package? I could live without the extra 4x zoom and the pointless low quality
ACVHD Lite of the ZS3 and The ZR! is considerably smaller than the ZS 1 & 3 and
feels nicer in my pocket. But I bought a camera to take pictures with, NOT feel nice
in my pocket. Maybe it'll do better in bright daylight, but I already know I'm taking
this one back. The additional 2MP pixels don't seem to help resolution any, maybe
even worsen it. Should I go back to the ZS3 or wait for the ZS7 which has A/S
priority which in my mind is the only thing lacking on the ZS3