Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 is a six megapixel superzoom bridge digital camera that utilizes Panasonic's Venus II Engine. It features a 12× zoom lens and several modes of operation. It was replaced in 2007 by the DMC-FZ8
The main improvement over its predecessor, the FZ5, is a thumb joystick that can be used for manual focusing and for changing the exposure (shutter speed and aperture values) for a full manual shot.
The lens is manufactured by the German company Leica Camera. An optical image stabilization system is embedded in the lens, reducing blurring by compensating for camera shake.
Video recording is available at either 10 frames per second (frame/s) or 30 frame/s in VGA (640×480), QVGA (320×240) or wide-screen 16:9 (848×480) resolutions. The image can be directly made output to a TV via a provided RCA cable.
The camera was reviewed in April 2006 by "PC Magazine" and was awarded Editor's Choice. The camera also won a Gold award in 2006 from DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association).
The features are comparable to the ones offered by the Canon PowerShot S3 IS, among other cameras.
Among the main disadvantages is high noise in low-light conditions.