The Panasonic DMC LS75 is a 7 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens. This is one of the cheaper digital cameras. It is also easy to use. As with other cameras in this price bracket the DMC LS75 is on the large side for slipping into a pocket.
Image Quality Panasonic DMC LS75 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The outdoor scenic shot gets my tests off to a good start. I think it is a well balanced photo when it comes to colours. I also like the brightness of the shot.
If you have read any of my recent reviews you will know that the glare from the low sun creates a problem in this shot, at this time of the year. The DMC LS75 makes a very good fist of handling sun glare and does a lot better than just about every camera I have tested recently.
The sharpness levels throughout the photo are above average, without being perfect. They hold up well as you move out from the centre of the shot.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This is another bright photo with plenty of colour. Focusing is again above average and I am impressed when taking into account the price of the camera.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Even when the lens is zoomed into its full capacity this scene is still a fair way from the camera. Therefore the DMC LS75 does well when it comes to focusing. As with the other outdoor scenic shots this is an above average effort.
Outdoor Portrait
By using a white balance setting of shady the camera produces a warm looking photo. The colours are not necessarily the most natural you will see, but I like the way the photo looks. The sharpness of the photo is also impressive.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
The DMC LS75 produces a good quality photo with the flash turned on. There is plenty of brightness and the photo is sharp as well.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
This is a relatively new test. The DMC LS75 performs better than a lot of cameras I have tested in this way. Noise does show up. This takes away some of the sharpness from the picture. If you compare this photo to the portrait with flash you will see more natural and warmer colours. I think that most of the time you are likely to be better off using flash as soon as the light starts to fall, but there will be situations when you are able to take more natural looking shots without flash.
Colours
I like the colours produced by this camera. In places they may be a touch strong for some people's tastes, but for me they give some extra life to the photos.
Macro
The macro shot is a good one. The DMC LS75 manages to produce a sharply focused shot. All in all the shot is very good when compared to other similar digital cameras.
ISO 400
This is not a bad attempt, but noise does cause a loss of detail to start to show.
ISO 1250
At this level noise becomes very obvious and picture quality is really suffering.
Overall
Panasonic digital cameras have a reputation for noise appearing in photos. I can see a small amount of noise creeping into some of the more distant photos I took with the DMC LS75. Even so this camera is one of the best of its type when it comes to picture quality. In fact picture quality matches that of many a more expensive camera.
Shutter Lag
A single photo took 0.4 seconds. This is a bit slower than average. Be aware that there were a number of occasions when this camera was very slow to focus and there were instances when it took almost two seconds to take a photo. Five photos took a long time, 18.69 seconds. With the flash on times were 0.58 seconds for a single photo and 24.23 seconds for five. The time for a single shot is average, but the camera is slow if you want to take more than one photo at a time.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: The DMC LS75 is a fairly standard, rectangular camera. Nothing really stands out when it comes to looks, but it feels solid enough to me. It is available in black and silver.
Dimensions: 93.7 x 62.0 x 29.7 mm
Weight: 138g
Batteries: Two AA batteries. Panasonic estimates you should be able to take around 250 shots with a standard set of alkaline batteries.
Memory cards: The camera is compatible with SD and SDHC cards. There is also some memory built into the camera. I was able to take 9 photos before this built in memory was full.
Click here to save money on SD cards.
Ease of use rating: Very Good. As well as being a simple, point and shoot camera I find the menu system very straightforward. You will also find a good selection of key controls on the back and top of the camera.
Points I like:
Overall picture quality - settings for 6 x 4 prints and wide shots - ease of use - high angle LCD screen setting
Where it could improve:
Shutter lag
Alternatives
Before you rush out and buy this camera I would recommend taking a look at the
Canon Powershot A550 and Canon Powershot A560.
Verdict:
When you buy a digital camera in this price bracket there are nearly always compromises to be made. Picture quality is very good, but you do have to accept some noise in the photos and the fact that it can be slow to capture a photo. The Panasonic DMC LS75 is one of the best cameras you can buy in this category.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Panasonic DMC LS75 Summary |
| Description: | 7 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 9 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 8 |
| Value for Money: | 9 |
| Style: | 7 |
| Movie Mode: | 7 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 7 |
| Total: | 79 |
| Verdict: | This is a simple, yet effective digital camera. If you do not wish to spend a fortune and the look and style of the camera is not of great importance to you then this camera is well worth considering. I found it took a decent photo in most situations. |
| Review Date: | November 2007 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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