The resurgence of compact cameras has made choices like the Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99 popular options – but a leak from a live vlog hints that another Lumix camera could be coming. The question is, is this the camera that Lumix fans are hoping for?
A vlogger was livestreaming a Panasonic event when the creator failed to cut the footage before recording a confidential compact camera. The video has since been removed, but not before Lumix fans spotted the camera and posted it on Reddit.
The purported leak shows two of the same compact camera on a pedestal: The Panasonic Lumix TZ300. According to the leaked image, the compact camera houses a 20MP one-inch sensor with a 15x zoom lens and a 3cm macro mode. The leaked image indicates the vlogger wasn’t supposed to share those images until after March 24.
Article continues belowNew Lumix TZ-300 leaked from r/Lumix
Those specifications sound a lot like the Lumix TZ200 / ZS200, which was announced in 2018 and also housed a one-inch sensor with a 15x zoom lens. Redditors flocked to the post to comment, with some saying the camera looks identical to the TZ200, except for USB-charging. Others speculated whether or not the camera would keep the viewfinder from the previous model, though the rear of the camera isn’t visible in the leaked image.
But, other commenters lamented that the announcement isn’t for a revival of what’s perhaps the most iconic Lumix compact camera: The LX100 series, which houses a Micro Four Thirds sensor and was often touted as a more affordable alternative to the Leica D-Lux series.
I personally would love to see Lumix revive its Micro Four Thirds compact camera, though I suspect there’s still a massive market for more affordable compact cameras with a one-inch sensor. A one-inch sensor is significantly larger than the basic 1/2.3-inch used in budget compact cameras – the popular Canon G7 X Mark III and Sony RX100 series use one-inch sensors.
Zoom is also something that’s hard to come by on smartphone cameras, and a 15x zoom lens is nothing to sneeze at. The existing Panasonic Lumix FZ2500 has a larger 20x; it isn’t a pocketable camera but a bridge superzoom.
If the leaked photo is accurate, it offers a lot of details on the rumored camera. But, a key question will be the camera’s price. The Lumix ZS99 cost $498 / £469 at launch, but the US price later went up to $779. A compact with a larger sensor would likely cost more than that, but would need to compete with the likes of the Canon G7 X Mark III and Sony RX100 VII.
The rumored camera isn’t the one I was hoping for, but with the way compact cameras with one-inch sensors are hard to find right now, I’m still hoping that this camera leak is accurate.
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