Panasonic Lumix ZS-200 Review (TZ200)

Introduction

The Panasonic Lumix ZS200 (also known as the TZ200 in some regions) is a standout in the compact camera market, designed for those who crave portability without sacrificing essential features like zoom range, image quality, and battery life. It’s particularly popular among travelers and casual photographers who want a camera they can easily carry around.

Key Features in a Small Package

With so many compact cameras available today, what makes the ZS200 such a compelling choice? Let’s break it down:

• Portability: The ZS200’s compact size means it’s small enough to bring anywhere, from hiking trails to city tours.
• Focal Range: It offers a 24-360mm equivalent zoom, which is a standout feature among compact cameras, letting you capture anything from wide landscapes to distant details.
• Image Quality: Thanks to its 1-inch, 20.1MP sensor, the ZS200 delivers great image quality in a range of lighting conditions. Perfect for those who value versatility without compromising clarity.
• 4K Video: Record videos in 4K quality at 100 Mbps! Perfect for concerts, kids events, and other venues where bigger cameras are not allowed.

Upgrades from the ZS100

The ZS200 is a refinement of its predecessor, the ZS100, with a few important improvements:

1. Zoom Range: The ZS200 bumps the zoom up from 10x (25-250mm) to 15x (24-360mm), giving you more reach for those distant subjects.
2. Viewfinder: The EVF has been upgraded from 1.16 million dots to 1.24 million dots, offering better clarity when framing shots.
3. Battery Life: The ZS200 offers a slight boost in battery performance, adding a bit more longevity during your shoots. The ZS200 is powered by the DMW-BLG10 battery, providing approximately 250 shots per charge. This battery is shared across multiple Panasonic models, such as the Lumix GX85, GX9, and ZS100, so if you already own another Panasonic camera, battery compatibility is a plus.

Competitors

When you’re in the market for a compact camera, you’re often comparing several top-tier models. Here’s a side-by-side comparison to show how the ZS200 stacks up against its competitors:

The ZS200 holds its ground well, especially considering its price point and versatile zoom range, which outshines many of its competitors. However, if faster apertures or better video capabilities (like 4K at 60p) are more important to you, the Sony RX100 VII might be worth the investment—if you’re okay with the steep price hike. Meanwhile, for those who prefer brighter lenses and don’t need as much zoom, the Panasonic LX10 offers better low-light performance at a lower cost.

What I liked about the ZS200

• The small form factor makes it so it fits into a jacket pocket, or in my case, a compact camera bag I can wear around my belt.
• Having a pocketable camera that can go to 300mm (FF-eq) is phenomenal. I recorded my nieces dance recital using this camera. The video came out great.
• It uses the same battery as the GX85, GX9, LX100 cameras. Since I own some of these cameras already, it was an appealing feature.
• Exposure controls. It has two dials: one command dial and one control ring. I can modify shutter, aperture, and ISO easily. For ISO, I use the Fn1 button to bring it up, then the command dial to modify it.
• Macro AF. The image at the top of this article was taken on this camera using the Macro AF capability.
• 4K photo mode: it may not be a pro camera, but the 4K photo mode makes it easy to capture important moments and pull out 4K images.
• Custom modes. The first thing I did was setup a mode for photography and a mode for video. I can easily switch back and forth as I please and don’t have to fiddle with any settings.

What I didn’t like about the ZS200

There’s not much I didn’t like about the ZS200. This camera isn’t a Sony A1 or a Canon R5. It has a 1″ sensor with the traveling photographer in mind. With that said, since I’ve been shooting for several years now, I have developed some preferences when using cameras. So the things I didn’t like are really my nitpicks.

• The grip is good, but could be better. I believe this was by design to keep it pocketable.
• No dedicated ISO button. Not a big deal as I configured the Fn1 button to ISO.
• The control ring function can’t be reversed. When I set the ring to modify ISO, I wanted to reverse the ring direction, but this capability was missing. Seems like it could be easily done with a firmware update.
• Images are soft at the telephoto end so you’ll have to do a bit of processing to sharpen the images taken at this focal length.

Conclusion

The ZS200 excels by combining portability, a long zoom, and solid image quality into a travel-friendly package. If you’re looking for a versatile camera that doesn’t break the bank, it’s certainly one to consider. I picked up mine for $500 (used) in 2024.