Panasonic Introduces First Waterproof Camera with EVF

2018.05.13

Panasonic just unveiled their latest rugged compact which comes with several first-in-class features. The new Lumix DC-TS7 is pretty much anything-proof: Waterproof, weatherproof, dustproof, crushproof and shockproof! This new offering is built around a 20 megapixels CMOS sensor capable of 4K Ultra-HD capture paired with a 4.6X stabilized wide-angle optical zoom lens.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-TS7 introduces a new design, compared to previous waterproof digital cameras from Panasonic. The new body has a sizable grip on the front and a small 0.2" EVF with 1 megapixel on the back. It offers a 0.45X magnification and 100% coverage to frame precisely and in bright light when the rear 3" LCD, also 1 megapixel, could become hard to see. This body dives deeper than any digital camera before it, down to a maximum depth of 31m or 102'. It is also shockproof to drops of 2m or 6' and crushproof to 100kg or 220lbs of pressure.

The imaging pipeline in the TS7 starts with a 20 megapixels 1/2.3" CMOS sensor with high-speed read-out, making it possible to shoot continuous at 10 FPS for up to 11 frames. Since it can also record 4K Ultra-HD video at 30 FPS, Panasonic included their 4K Photo-Burst mode which saves 8 megapixels images at 30 FPS. The hybrid shutter in the TS7 covers shutter-speeds of 1/16000s to 4s.

An internal lens offers almost 5X optical zoom, covering a 28 to 128mm range in 35mm-equivalent terms. This lens uses an ND-filter rather than iris aperture, so its exposure flexibility is limited. At least Panasonic includes a fully Manual mode on the TS7, something which is very rare among waterproof digital cameras. There are plenty of fun features included in this camera, including Time-Lapse Video. WiFi is built-in to facilitate sharing of images.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-TS7 is scheduled to ship this July for $449 USD or $589 CAD. Pre-orders are already accepted at Adorama and B&H Photo, so lock in your order to get it for summer vacations! Remember, your credit-card will not get charged until the camera actually ships.

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