- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Conclusion Check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6
12 MP
1/2.5"
Rated 100% by by John (May, 2011)WHile I am still learning a lot of the features of this camera I am thouroughly impressed by the ease of use and quality of photos.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 18 MP    | 30 MP |
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by Nancy-J-Robertson (Jul, 2010)I bought the Lumix to take on a trip to the UK because it is much smaller, still has the large zoom and has a much higher pixel count than the Olympus.
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by Jacques-T.-Weissman (Jan, 2011)The only downside is that you may have to stop shooting in the middle of a particularly long performance, sports event, etc.So now I have over 17 minutes of total video stored on my card, and still have space to shoot 4017 photos at 5 megapixel resolution.
sensor size
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by Tim-Naff--Tim (Dec, 2011)I also took along a full-frame DSLR and an APS-C DSLR, both current models.
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by Analyst-1951--Bob (Jun, 2010)So the bottom line is that the Panasonic DMC-Z series has the best combination of lens & sensor/built-in image processing software of any of the point-and-shoot cameras and is the most capable of producing an image that can stand up to being enlarged.
wide angle lens
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by lordhoot--lordhoot (Jun, 2010)When you add the wide angle with the super zoom, you got a camera that is truly awesome in what it can do for you.
aperture size
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by C.-Winton--cwinton (Jun, 2011)Second, unlike my Canon, a zoomed picture is clear enough that you can zoom in on the already zoomed image by a factor of 8 or so and still be crisp.
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by teerav (Aug, 2011)This camera is great, 12x optical zoom, wide angle lens, somewhat compact... etc..
zoom range
| 0x | 20x  | 20x |
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by Jamazon (Jun, 2010)In the highest zoom, took clear, sharp photos, even though I felt a little unsteady.
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by lordhoot--lordhoot (Jun, 2010)When you scale down to 8 meg, the zoom goes up to to 14.7x. When you scale down to 5 meg, the zoom goes up to 18.8x and I usually shoot my p/s camera at that scale.
body size
103 x 60 x 33 mm
132 x 98 x 81 mm
129 x 98 x 78 mm
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by R.-Doug--R.-Doug-Wicker—Author (Jun, 2010)Highly recommended as a backup for your primary DSLR camera, or for when carrying a big, heavy DSLR is not practical.
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by John-E.-Drury--jedrury (Aug, 2011)This light weight Lumix camera is simple with a sharp lens and has uncomplicated easy to master functions which will save the photographer money when bought and weight when one travels and will take fine photographs.
Performance Real world tests of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6
max continuous shooting
Lumix DMC-ZS6 by J.-F.-Sarile (Mar, 2011)I am the sort of person who does not have the patience to read the manual over and over again, but somehow I've managed to discover how to work the macro functions, burst mode, the different scene modes, and video (including the white balance adjustments) without much difficulty.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
HD video -
86.44% -
60 s
cons
-
Jan, 2010 -
HD video -
12 MP -
2.3 fps -
No automatic 3D -
No automatic stitching -
No automatic HDR -
Lacks the ability to create slow motion video -
33 mm -
217 g -
103 x 60 x 33 mm
Reviews Word on the street
 |
|
|---|---|
 |   Rated by 45 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Analyst-1951--Bob (Jun, 2010) Rated 100% by by lordhoot--lordhoot (Jun, 2010) Rated 100% by by Tim-Naff--Tim (Dec, 2011) |
Lens
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by Analyst-1951--Bob (Jun, 2010)My final comment on the Panasonic DMC-Z series optics is that the wide-angle setting on the zoom lens is equivalent to a 25mm lens on a 35mm camera.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by J.-F.-Sarile (Mar, 2011)It is a good looking camera, well-crafted (get a load of that "Leica" name on the big wide lens), and Made in Japan!
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by lordhoot--lordhoot (Jun, 2010)So if you are looking for a great point and shoot camera that can take great photos, got good video and impressive range of zoom, this is it.
Video
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by R.-Cong-leton--Mr.-Cong (Jun, 2011)Without a camera, there is no photograph; the Lumix ZS6 makes the best use of size and weight, allowing the picture to be taken by its very presence and quality.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | by c|net (Oct, 2010)It also has the capability of recording HD movies in the smaller AVCHD Lite format; the ZS5 and ZS6 record in Motion JPEG only.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by bill-faulkner (Jul, 2010)It may have HD video, but side by side it with the Z series and you will see its not worth consideration.
Zoom
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 80% by by Jorge (Mar, 2011)The zoom function is great, so if you're traveling this would make a perfect camera for you.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by Chandra (Jun, 2010)Zoom in video more is one of the cool features and works flawlessly.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 80% by by Ernie--Husband (May, 2011)Telephoto works very well, sharp photos at extreme optical limits (I don't use extended telephoto).
Screen
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 80% by by Nancy-J-Robertson (Jul, 2010)The LCD screen is amazingly bright in direct sunlight and very sharp.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by livebike (Oct, 2011)but you can't take GREAT pictures in bright daylight now can you?
Photography
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 60% by by Floyd-Sense (Jan, 2011)In my experience, this type of camera is most frequently used indoors, taking photos at kids birthday parties, family events, etc..
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by lordhoot--lordhoot (Jun, 2010)I must say that as a casual shooter (not a high demanding professional), I found this camera superior to my old TZ4 in just about every single feature.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 | Rated 100% by by ededwards (Jan, 2011)People were startled with the clarity and color of the photos, and the extra wide capability allowed landscape and group shots that no one else could take.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D5200 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark Nikon D5200 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 |
 | 2 | Sony SLT A57 Fastest rapid fire mode Sony SLT A57 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 |
 | 6 | Olympus E-420 Fastest to start up Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 |
 | 7 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 7-way tie: Image stabilization DMC-TZ3 vs DMC-ZS6 |
 | 8 | Nikon Coolpix L24 7-way tie: Image stabilization Nikon Coolpix L24 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
