Panasonic’s New ZS300 Compact Camera

credits: Panasonic

Panasonic’s new Lumix ZS300 camera is here. It is a follow-up to the Lumix ZS200 from 2018, and on paper it sticks very closely to what came before. The camera still combines a 15x optical zoom lens with a 20.1MP 1-inch BSI CMOS sensor inside a compact, pocket-sized body. But despite the familiar setup, there is also a notable step backward in terms of usability. At the same time, the release does bring one practical advantage, the ZS200 has been discontinued for a while and is hard to find, so this effectively brings the series back into circulation.

In terms of actual changes, there are not many. One is the move to USB-C, replacing the older micro-USB port found on the ZS200, which makes charging and data transfer more in line with current standards. The bigger change, though, is the removal of the 2.33-million-dot electronic viewfinder. Instead, that space has simply been replaced with more plastic, which is the same approach Panasonic took with the ZS99. Aside from that, the core hardware remains unchanged, including the 24–360mm equivalent Leica

lens with a variable aperture of f/3.3–6.4, a native ISO range of 125 to 12800, and support for both JPEG and RAW (RW2) capture.

Performance and video features also carry over. The ZS300 can shoot 4K Photo at up to 30 fps (8MP stills) and full-resolution images at 10 fps, and it includes an AF Macro mode with a minimum focusing distance of 3cm. Stabilisation is handled by 5-axis Hybrid O.I.S. and Power O.I.S., helping with both stills and video. Video specs remain the same as before, with 4K at 30p and Full HD up to 120p. The camera also supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for transferring photos through Panasonic’s mobile app. The Lumix ZS300 will be available ‘‘soon’’ in black and silver, priced at $899.99, which is about $100 higher than the ZS200 at launch.