Panasonic Lumix ZS60 Camera–The Perfect Travel Camera

(Note to readers: I was given a Panasonic Lumix ZS60 to put to the test while at a retreat at Walt Disney World. I am not otherwise compensated for this post and, as always, my opinion remains my own.)

It’s good to keep things simple when you travel, packing as little as possible, but sometimes, you may find a little extra weight necessary, especially when it comes to making sure you have the right tech gear with you, including a quality camera that will help you document your trip forever. For example, I have a top of the line (and yes, very expensive) camera that’s always been my go-to on trips, but have to admit, I’ve been getting lazy lately, hesitant to haul the heavy camera around with me when I know I can just use my smart phone that fits right in my pocket. Yet, quite often, I get back and look through the photos and kick myself over the poor quality in those pictures, especially if I’m using it at night.

Those pictures so often end up grainy because of poor lighting, or the zoom just doesn’t cut it, or they’re blurry because the camera just can’t keep up with the action.

Well, I think I’ve found the perfect compromise in a camera.

Meet the Panasonic LUMIX ZS60.

This camera has the benefits of a top of the line (and yes, again I’ll say it, expensive) models, without the drawbacks. And although it’s not as thin as my iPhone, it’s skinny enough to fit into a pocket or small purse, and I’ve found that has more advantages than you might realize (more on that later).

This camera can be as simple or as complicated as you’d like, and still end up with vibrant, beautiful color.  You can point and shoot and keep things easy if you don’t want to have to think about much when you’re using it. Heck—it even lets you go back in later and change the focus on certain parts of the picture, bringing things that were blurry before into focus.

It has 4K imaging, so your quality is as good as it gets, whether you’re taking pictures or shooting video.

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Not just that, you can now easily turn that 4k video into still shots. Once you have the 4K turned on, press the capture button like you normally would and you’ll see 30 images stacked across the bottom of the screen. You can swipe left or right on the touch screen (yes—it has a touch screen!), picking the shot you like best… then you can use the 4K Post Focus.

You can also turn the point and shoot into more of a DSLR-type camera by using the mounted control ring on the front of the camera. That lets you adjust the aperture, shutter speed, focus and zoom manually.

There’s an OIS or Optical Image Stabilization feature, too, but this Lumix ZS60 also offers options like the Level Shot Function that will maintain the horizon, even when the camera is not level.

The High Sensitivity MOS sensor is probably the part that makes this camera so much better than what your smart phone offers. It is night and day in comparison (ha, I did not intentionally make that pun, but it works).

And this is the part I referred to earlier regarding size: it looks small enough that most people have no idea the zoom is so powerful. So, when you are at an event that might not allow a big zoom lens (maybe a sports competition or concert), nobody will have any idea that your camera is getting you up close and personal with the action—even though you may be very far from it. I am not telling you to break any rules, I am just pointing out that it is possible (do not ask me how I know).

I do love that I can slide it in my pocket or small purse and not be bothered by extra weight.

You can use dozens of different features, from a ‘star feature’ that makes images dazzle, to a ‘one-color’ option that lets you highlight one color in each image.

The only drawback I see is that I would be tempted to use up a whole lot of storage with the 4K feature and I am bad about putting photos on my computer instead of a hard drive. It is a habit I will need to break soon.

Beyond that, in my book, the Panasonic ZS60 is the total package—all the good stuff and almost none of the bad.