Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ7 | Digital Camera Review | Storage and Energy
The Secure Digital and SDHC memory cards are without question market leader, and with Panasonic being one of the founders of the SD format, it should not come as a surprise that the LUMIX DMC-TZ7 features a card slot supporting both memory cards. In practice, you will not quickly run in to boundaries when it comes to storage capacity. SDHC cards are available up to a capacity of 32GB, and with a maximum file size of approximately 6MB it means you can store around 5500 pictures on one card in the highest quality. For some, it is an amount that will be reached during a long holiday, for others it might mean a few years of shooting.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 memory Capturing videos in AVCHD format means 4 hours of high quality (HD 720p) video on a 32GB card. By the way; the maximum recording time per video may differ per region. For example, in Europe, the maximum recording time per video is limited to 15 minutes due to taxes. We simply can't wait for the launch of the SDXC. It seems that we're waiting for the first cameras to support this new format. SDXC stands for Secure Digital Extended Capacity and features a maximum storage capacity of no less than 2TB! It doesn't make much difference for the Panasonic LUMIX TZ7 though, there is enough capacity at hand with SDHC.
Video AVCHD Lite - SH - 30 minutes
Video AVCHD Lite - H - 40 minutes
Video AVCHD Lite - L - 1 hour
Motion JPEG - HD - 16 min 20 sec
Motion JPEG - WVGA - 41 min
Motion JPEG - VGA - 42 min 40 sec
Motion JPEG - QVGA - 1 hour 58 min
USB interface & Card reader The side of the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ7 carries a USB 2.0 Hi Speed interface, which lets you quickly transfer a full memory card of 2GB to the desktop or notebook. Personally, I detest having to fiddle with cables and I prefer the optional card reader. Then it is just a matter of removing the card from the camera and transferring your files through the card reader. The advantage is the fact you can use the camera whilst transferring and it saves battery capacity. What's more convenient is that you don't have to go looking for that one cable you need…
Panasonic Li-Ion battery The Panasonic DMC-TZ7 is fed by a new type of Li-Ion battery. There are no indications just yet that this battery is an improved one, but it is clear that Panasonic built an extra contact into the battery. Without this, it is not possible to use a battery in combination with the TZ7. Obviously, Panasonic is trying to protect its accessory market, since unfamiliar brand batteries are not (yet) supported by the camera. The new Panasonic DMW-BCG10E has a capacity of 3.6V 895mAh 3.3Wh. According to CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) standards, a fully charged battery provides a capacity that equals approximately 300 pictures. That said; this standard is not likely to be the same as the circumstances in which you take pictures with the LUMIX TZ7 or the way you work with the camera. It is therefore wise to count with a few pictures less.
