Anyone have a link to the manual for this camera? Sorry if this has been posted and I missed it.

Reeeba1 wrote:@btflorey: I have had nothing but good experiences with Woot customer service. Twice I had problems (once the product was advertised with a manufacturer warranty but the mfr refused to honor it; another time the product didn't work properly) and both times Woot sent me an RMA number and I returned the item, no problem, no questions asked, full refund.

Regarding refurbs - I buy them frequently. They should not be scratch and dents. Usually the manufacturer takes a product that was either returned, or that didn't make it through QA, fixes the problems inside, puts a new (or like new) housing on it, and stamps it REFURB. I've never gotten one that looked beaten up.

I jumped on this WOOT - although my brain tells me I already have about six photographic devices at my disposal, my heart was won over by the comments.

WOOT!

Yep. Never any problems with the refurbs I have bought.

bacalum wrote:=============================
Dude, it's called shutter lag. Some comprehensive reviews may include benchmarks for comparison. The processors have gotten faster, but for action shots in low light (such as concerts) you have three basic choices: 1) use a film camera w/high ISO film; 2) using a digital, manually set the ISO to 400 or 800 (I've heard 1600 comes out too grainy for most people, but haven't tried it w/this camera) and live w/the graininess; 3) use a flash or other light source and risk the wrath of the musicians, bouncers, and nearby fans.

re: #3 ... one of my pet peeves are people who use the flash inappropriately. And I don't mean etiquette. Cameras clearly state the effective range of their flash, usually 12'-20'. If your subject is further, the flash won't reach it. Not only will you be wasting battery, but the image may actually be worse than not using the flash at all. That's because using flash tells the camera to shorten exposure time (thinking the subject will be lit by the flash). As a result, your actual subject, which is beyond the reach of the flash, will come out too dark -- and sometimes even unviewable. This is especially true of evening landscape photos.

In other words, if the band you're recording is farther than the range of the flash, don't use it.

Just bought a Canon S95 last week and this pops up! Grabbing it anyways just because of the price!

Quick question though: does this camera allow optical zoom and auto focus in video mode?

And this is no different form the ZS7 besides the GPS ability right?

gsaye2009 wrote:Anyone have a link to the manual for this camera? Sorry if this has been posted and I missed it.

I think I found it. http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DMCZS6.PDF

The Zs7 was on sale at certain Costcos for $199 until the 14th.Now its back up to $229 +tax where available. The FH27 currently on sale is similar but it only uses touch screen controls on the viewer. NO buttons or Dpad. Touch screen can be a bit laggy and of course you cant be using it to control the menu and as a viewfinder at the same time. I've been researching Panasonic for a couple of months. I'd be all over this deal but I have a Panasonic Z35 super zoom on order. I only went for it because for basically $25 bucks more than the Zs7 at Costco I get about 150 more shots on a battery and 18x zoom. The GPS on the Zs7 can be cool but it works even when u turn off the camera. Big time battery drain. I actually like the Zs6 better. Great deal.

I have a Nikon D90 DSLR and this is my point and shoot. The wide angle is awesome, the image stabilization works great and picture quality is top notch. Great price for a fantastic camera, get one!

Catjunky wrote:Is there much delay when you are taking the pic? I need a fast pic for animal shots at the shelter for adoption photos. When it delays, you loose the shot.

Reading the manual, I find that there is a specific setting/function that automatically compensates for subjects that move at the moment of capture and keeps them in focus.

First and foremost, do not be bamboozled by the Leica-badged optics. Although the optical lens meets strict Leica design and manufacturing standards, it is not produced at the Leica factory in Solm, Germany, but rather in Japan. Notwithstanding, the optical quality is, in general, excellent. I own several Panny Looms (not to be confused with pantaloons), as well as numerous Leica standards including the MP and M7 (silver gelatin film cameras) and their complementary LEICA NOCTILUX-M 50 mm f/0.95 ASPH and the incomparable LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH.

The optics of this Lumix will never compare favorably to the idyllic aforementioned glass, however, I would not hesitate to pick up this quite adequate "living and loving life" capturing device...

speedoo wrote:Almost certainly no.

Yes. My ONLY issue with Woot is with slow delivery.

Was planning to buy this from woot but once i found out i was going to be taxed, i found a better deal with a case on ebay. faster shipping too.

plus the rebates.

I'm not a pro, and I have used a cheap Nikon Coolpix with mixed results for years. I just wanted a point-and-shoot with a few extra features. I'm not serious enough to buy a true DSLR (I still haul out my old Nikon F2 and roll film for "serious" shooting). I researched this camera long before the Woot came up, and it seems like a steal here. I'm in.

This camera has quality issues. I bought one several years ago and within the first year it died. It was not dropped or damaged - the elctronics just died. So the warranty provided a refurbishment and only a 90 day warranty. After 8 more months the screen turned white and wouldn't do anything else. Panasonic offered to give me a new one for $179 (ha ha). They were pretty cold, so I am being cold.

chickenmumbo wrote:The Zs7 was on sale at certain Costcos for $199 until the 14th.Now its back up to $229 +tax where available. The FH27 currently on sale is similar but it only uses touch screen controls on the viewer. NO buttons or Dpad. Touch screen can be a bit laggy and of course you cant be using it to control the menu and as a viewfinder at the same time. I've been researching Panasonic for a couple of months. I'd be all over this deal but I have a Panasonic Z35 super zoom on order. I only went for it because for basically $25 bucks more than the Zs7 at Costco I get about 150 more shots on a battery and 18x zoom. The GPS on the Zs7 can be cool but it works even when u turn off the camera. Big time battery drain. I actually like the Zs6 better. Great deal.

Thanks for clearing this up. The whole possible Costco-sale for the Zs7 was messing with my head in the wee morning hours, since Costco is closed today for Easter and I wouldn't have a chance to run out and check and still get back to Woot. Not on sale and with tax the Zs7 would be about $100 more, enough of a difference to still the voices in my head arguing over video codecs.

Pulled the trigger or should I say clicked on the button.

I love Woot message boards!

I got one of these about 4-5 weeks ago here on Woot. It's a GREAT camera. It has a lot of bells and whistles that I haven't figured out yet but can be used on auto and you'll get a great photo. Being refurbished I took the extra SQ warranty as well. Just to be safe. I really enjoy using it. It does seem to be a Panasonic discontinued model however and their website search didn't reveal much.

Batteries are a special kind but it seems to be readily available in generic brands. Firmware updates based on comments on here the last time didn't seem to effect the battery. A Panasonic battery is rather pricey. All in all, a very fun and solid camera.

gsaye2009 wrote:I'm not a pro, and I have used a cheap Nikon Coolpix with mixed results for years. I just wanted a point-and-shoot with a few extra features. I'm not serious enough to buy a true DSLR (I still haul out my old Nikon F2 and roll film for "serious" shooting). I researched this camera long before the Woot came up, and it seems like a steal here. I'm in.

FILM is where it's at... I had the Nikon F2A with an assortment of lenses that I used for 25+ years... I really miss the "old days" of huddling in the darkroom with some red plasticine sheets covering the 12" black and white television so I could still watch baseball games and develop and print off my Tri-X Pan 400 ASA Film...

Aaaahhh... maybe we could re-ignite what now may be a lost art?...

Bought this last time around for my trip to Vegas - let me tell you that all around it is a fantastic camera that took amazing pictures.

Stabilization works amazingly well, took tons pics from the moving monorail @ 4am after a few drinks and checked them in the AM - no shake, great focus, great clarity.

Bought at extra battery but didn't need it, took almost 300 pics (mixed flash/non-flash) over the first 1.5 days and still had a battery bar left.

HD video of the Bellagio fountains - both during the day and at night - look pretty darn good, the only 'con' I can think of is using the .mov format - easily remedied by open source video conversion tools.

Strangely enough the included photo software does a better job of stitching panaromas than anything else I've used...definitely easiest I've used (some can be pretty complicated).

Optical zoom is fantastic, from off to taking a snapshot is only about 3 seconds, burst pics work as you'd expect.

For $179 this is a steal, refurb or not. Maybe that's just my opinion...but the quality of the 1000 pics I have from the past week in Vegas show the real story.

I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend this to anybody.

brucedoesbms wrote:FILM is where it's at...

How does one bring film into a discussion regarding the quality of a digital point and shoot?

It's like saying my home smoked brisket that took me 20 hours to make is better than a McRib - not even the same category and pretty dang obvious.

Again, maybe it's just me.

bacalum wrote:=============================
... use a flash or other light source and risk the wrath of the musicians, bouncers, and nearby fans.

For the particular concert series I'm thinking of, I would incur no wrath (the guitarist and drummer are good friends), which is also why I get front row seats. They would let me bring my super nice DSLR in, but often the venue won't because the headliner (my friends are still opening acts, but now for bigger names like Sevendust and Drowning Pool) doesn't allow it... If I had something like this, and could be assured it would have decent performance, then I could tuck it in a pocket when I'm done with my buddies' band...

Does anyone know of specific information about the macro capabilities of this camera? I read through the reviews on Amazon and all I could turn up were some vague comments that the macro photo abilities were "good." I want to be able to take close-up shots of homemade jewelry and such and would like to be able to focus within a few inches. Even if someone has come across a minimum focal distance, that would be great.

Drulloch wrote:How does one bring film into a discussion regarding the quality of a digital point and shoot?

It's like saying my home smoked brisket that took me 20 hours to make is better than a McRib - not even the same category and pretty dang obvious.

Again, maybe it's just me.

Well, because gsaye2009 said:

"I'm not serious enough to buy a true DSLR (I still haul out my old Nikon F2 and roll film for "serious" shooting)"...

To me, that opened up a different discussion... I am sorry you are embarrassed by "old school"...

By the way, how does one bring "home smoked brisket" into a discussion regarding the quality of a digital point and shoot?

sdc100 wrote:...there is no free or shareware program that can edit MOV.

Look around a bit, they're out there. Or convert it to another container format first - if you're technically capable of editing video you're typically capable of converting it beforehand (though I'll admit, it's an extra I'd prefer to skip).

sdc100 wrote:Conversion is tedious, time consuming

2GB MOV converted to MKV in 22 minutes on a quad core AMD with no loss of quality. Hardly time consuming, at least compared to yesteryear.

sdc100 wrote:and often degrades quality.

...perhaps if you don't use the correct settings/application when converting. Bitrate, aspect ratio, bit depth, etc. all remain the same in all my converted videos.; they remain 720P.

sdc100 wrote:The comparable Samsung HZ30W was only $119 on Woot, and offers superior video (H.264 compression and the rare ability to pause while recording) and 15X zoom.

50% of Amazon review claim 'horrible picture quality' on that Samsung; my only concern.

Nice timing. I'm going to Ireland in the last bit of May and I was a bit concerned that my old Fuji F20 wasn't going to handle the job. The "refurb" label throws me a tad... but I'm going to trust Woot on this one and go for it. Everything I've heard, except for "weak flash" makes this camera sound like the Holy Grail for this price.

Well I bought one. Hope it doesn't suck.

I'm staying away from cameras with ONLY the LCD screen. Almost worthless outdoors. A very surprising alternative is the GE X5 with 14 MP 15X zoom and dual electronic finders. Look at it on Amazon and some shots on Flickr. Impressive for a camera that is $119 - $130. Uses AA batteries as well. Smile detect, face detect, anti-shake, etc. And very good panorama, like the latest found in the pricey Sony DSLR.

brucedoesbms wrote:FILM is where it's at... I had the Nikon F2A with an assortment of lenses that I used for 25+ years... I really miss the "old days" of huddling in the darkroom with some red plasticine sheets covering the 12" black and white television so I could still watch baseball games and develop and print off my Tri-X Pan 400 ASA Film...

Aaaahhh... maybe we could re-ignite what now may be a lost art?...

Yeah, I still love the old F2 and the sincere "click." I still have a darkroom in my basement that is a fine retreat. When you take the image from exposure through the darkroom process to a print, you have a sense of true creativity that I can't really find in digital work.

brucedoesbms wrote:Well, because gsaye2009 said:

"I'm not serious enough to buy a true DSLR (I still haul out my old Nikon F2 and roll film for "serious" shooting)"...

To me, that opened up a different discussion... I am sorry you are embarrassed by "old school"...

By the way, how does one bring "home smoked brisket" into a discussion regarding the quality of a digital point and shoot?

Not embarrassed by old school man, it's a totally different world than digital and doesn't compare apples to apples in any way.

And the brisket comparison was as obvious as one can get, you're just being picky. ;-p

brucedoesbms wrote:Well, because gsaye2009 said:

"I'm not serious enough to buy a true DSLR (I still haul out my old Nikon F2 and roll film for "serious" shooting)"...

To me, that opened up a different discussion... I am sorry you are embarrassed by "old school"...

By the way, how does one bring "home smoked brisket" into a discussion regarding the quality of a digital point and shoot?

LOL. I think the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta until the end of May explains more than I can say here on Woot. I guess I could take a Pan-X shot of a brisket then a quick and easy point-and-shoot of the same brisket. That's how we bring slow-cooked meat and digital photography together! I love the digital...I just miss the labor of producing a print and the smell of fixer.

gsaye2009 wrote:Yeah, I still love the old F2 and the sincere "click." I still have a darkroom in my basement that is a fine retreat. When you take the image from exposure through the darkroom process to a print, you have a sense of true creativity that I can't really find in digital work.

Yah... and if you stick a mini-fridge in that lightroom, you might not come out for 18 hours... or more...

brucedoesbms wrote:Yah... and if you stick a mini-fridge in that lightroom, you might not come out for 18 hours... or more...

Like.

gsaye2009 wrote:LOL. I think the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta until the end of May explains more than I can say here on Woot. I guess I could take a Pan-X shot of a brisket then a quick and easy point-and-shoot of the same brisket. That's how we bring slow-cooked meat and digital photography together! I love the digital...I just miss the labor of producing a print and the smell of fixer.

H C-B is my man...

gsaye2009 wrote:I guess I could take a Pan-X shot of a brisket then a quick and easy point-and-shoot of the same brisket. That's how we bring slow-cooked meat and digital photography together!

Touché!

Drulloch wrote:Touché!

Just inspired to fire up my Big Green Egg!

I have a new camera on the way woot woot

gsaye2009 wrote:Just inspired to fire up my Big Green Egg!

....I'm about to get spanked for going off topic himself, dang hypocrite!

MMMM, big green egg, I need one to go with my sidebox smoker.

Happy FILM and Brisket Day everybody! ;-p

anybody know where i could pick up just that case ? thx!

I have a Kodak EasyShare C190. I use it mostly to take pictures of my pets and sometimes scenery when I'm out biking, so I'm definitely a casual photographer. Also, not really in the market for a new camera. Still, after reading the comments, I have to ask: if I don't buy this, will I hate myself forever?

gsaye2009 wrote:LOL. I think the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta until the end of May explains more than I can say here on Woot. I guess I could take a Pan-X shot of a brisket then a quick and easy point-and-shoot of the same brisket. That's how we bring slow-cooked meat and digital photography together! I love the digital...I just miss the labor of producing a print and the smell of fixer.

I smell the STOP bath more... and it gives me a chance to practice my Leuconychia Hygiene...

i have owned two similar panasonic cameras (tz3 and zs3, iirc) and they are great.

but ...

they both had a very serious problem: horrible protection from dust and scratches. the mechanical lens cover is easy pushed aside by the sharp object in your bag that has it out for your lens, and both of my cameras were ruined by this. also, if you don't protect the camera in some kind of bag, e.g., if you just stuff it in your lint-filled pocket, dust works its way into the lens and covers the inner elements. also ruining the camera.

so while i highly recommend this line of cameras, be extra extra careful if you buy one: protect the lens from dust and sharp objects.

I bought this new for 10 bucks more at Best Buy back in December. I love this camera. Only a couple of complaints. The panoramic mode is kinda a pita. Also motion shots are a bit tricky. I just haven't found the right setting I'm sure but I take pics of my saltwater tank and fish and they're always blurry since they don't sit still. My last cam does that very well though so i'm certain it's not just me lol. The final thing I don't like is timer burst mode. it only does 3 pics and they're like a second apart. Not very good if you wanted to use a tripod and strike some poses lol. Overall I would still recommend this as it does take great pics and the vid quality is decent. You get what you pay for and a bit more though.