Panasonic Dmc Fz7 Operating Instructions Manual

							Operating Instructions
Digital Camera
Model No. DMC-FZ7
VQT0V63
Before connecting, operating or
adjusting this product, please read
the instructions completely.
For USA assistance, please call: 1-800-272-7033 or send e-mail to : [email protected]         
For Canadian assistance, please call: 1-800-561-5505 or visit us at www.panasonic.ca  
PP 
						

							Before Use
2VQT0V63
Before UseDear Customer,
We would like to take this opportunity to 
thank you for purchasing this Panasonic 
Digital Camera. Please read these 
Operating Instructions carefully and keep 
them handy for future reference.
Information for Your 
Safety
Carefully observe copyright laws.
Recording of pre-recorded tapes or 
discs or other published or broadcast 
material for purposes other than your 
own private use may infringe copyright 
laws. Even for the purpose of private 
use, recording of certain material may 
be restricted.• Please note that the actual controls and 
components, menu items, etc. of your 
Digital Camera may look somewhat 
different from those shown in the 
illustrations in these Operating 
Instructions.
 SD Logo is a trademark.
 Other names, company names, and 
product names printed in these 
instructions are trademarks or registered 
trademarks of the companies concerned.
WARNING
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR 
SHOCK HAZARD AND ANNOYING 
INTERFERENCE, USE ONLY THE 
RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES 
AND DO NOT EXPOSE THIS 
EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR 
MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE THE 
COVER (OR BACK); THERE ARE NO 
USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. 
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED 
SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The socket outlet shall be installed near 
the equipment and easily accessible or 
the mains plug or an appliance coupler 
shall remain readily operable.
CAUTION
Danger of explosion if battery is 
incorrectly replaced. Replace only with 
the same or equivalent type 
recommended by the manufacturer. 
Dispose of used batteries according to 
the manufacturer’s instructions.
A lithium ion/polymer battery that is recyclable powers the 
product you have purchased. Please call 1-800-8-BATTERY for 
information on how to recycle this battery.RBRC
Li-ion
TM 
						

							Before Use
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FCC Note: (U.S. only)
This equipment has been tested and 
found to comply with the limits for a 
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are 
designed to provide reasonable 
protection against harmful interference 
in a residential installation. This 
equipment generates, uses, and can 
radiate radio frequency energy and, if 
not installed and used in accordance 
with the instructions, may cause harmful 
interference to radio communications. 
However, there is no guarantee that 
interference will not occur in a particular 
installation. If this equipment does 
cause harmful interference to radio or 
television reception, which can be 
determined by turning the equipment off 
and on, the user is encouraged to try to 
correct the interference by one or more 
of the following measures:
 Reorient or relocate the receiving 
antenna.
 Increase the separation between the 
equipment and receiver.
 Connect the equipment into an outlet 
on a circuit different from that to which 
the receiver is connected.
 Consult the dealer or an experienced 
radio/TV technician for help.
FCC Caution: To assure continued 
compliance, follow the 
attached installation 
instructions and use only 
shielded interface cables 
with ferrite core when 
connecting to computer or 
peripheral devices.
Any changes or modifications not 
expressly approved by the party 
responsible for compliance could void 
the user’s authority to operate this 
equipment.
Trade Name: Panasonic
Model No.: DMC-FZ7
Responsible party: Panasonic
Corporation of
North America
One Panasonic
Way, Secaucus, NJ
07094
Support Contact: Panasonic
Consumer
Electronics
Company
1-800-272-7033
This device complies with Part 15 of the 
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the 
following two conditions: (1) This device 
may not cause harmful interference, 
and (2) this device must accept any 
interference received, including 
interference that may cause undesired 
operation.
This Class B digital apparatus complies 
with Canadian ICES-003 
						

							Before Use
4VQT0V63
-If you see this symbol-
∫Care of the camera
Do not strongly shake or bump the 
camera. The camera may stop operating 
normally, pictures may not be recorded or 
the lens may be damaged.
 Retract the lens before carrying the 
camera.
 Retract the lens before playing back 
pictures.
• Sand or dust may cause the camera to 
malfunction. Make sure that sand or 
dust does not get into the lens or the 
terminals when using the camera on a 
beach etc.
 Make sure that water does not get into the 
camera when using it on a rainy day or on 
a beach.
 If water or seawater splashes on the 
camera, wet a soft cloth with tap water, 
wring it well and use it to wipe the 
camera body carefully. Then, wipe the 
camera again with a dry cloth.∫About the LCD monitor/Viewfinder
 Do not press the LCD monitor with 
excessive force. Uneven colors may 
appear on the LCD monitor and it may 
malfunction.
 Condensation may form on the LCD 
monitor in places with large temperature 
differences. Wipe the condensation with a 
soft, dry cloth.
 If the camera is cold when you turn it on, 
the picture on the LCD monitor/Viewfinder 
will be slightly darker than usual at first. 
However, the picture will return to normal 
brightness when the internal temperature 
of the camera increases.
∫About the Lens
 Do not press the lens with excessive 
forc e.
 Do not leave the camera with the lens 
facing the sun as it may cause the camera 
to malfunction. Also, be careful when you 
leave the camera outside or near a 
window.
 When there is dirt (water, oil, and 
fingerprints, etc.) on the surface of the 
lens, the picture may be affected. Lightly 
wipe the surface of the lens with a soft, 
dry cloth before and after taking pictures. Information on Disposal in other 
Countries outside the European 
Union
This symbol is only valid in the European 
Union. 
If you wish to discard this product, please 
contact your local authorities or dealer 
and ask for the correct method of 
disposal.
Extremely high precision technology is 
employed to produce the LCD monitor/
Viewfinder screen. However there may 
be some dark or bright spots (red, blue 
or green) on the screen. This is not a 
malfunction. The LCD monitor/
Viewfinder screen has more than 
99.99% effective pixels with a mere 
0.01% of the pixels inactive or always lit. 
The spots will not be recorded on 
pictures on a card. 
						

							Before Use
5VQT0V63
∫About Condensation (When the lens 
or the Viewfinder is fogged up)
 Condensation occurs when the ambient 
temperature or humidity changes as 
described below. Be careful of 
condensation since it causes lens stains, 
fungus and camera malfunction.
– When the camera is taken from the cold 
outdoors to the warm indoors.
– When the camera is taken from outside 
to inside an air-conditioned car.
– When cool wind from an air conditioner 
etc. blows directly on the camera.
– In humid places
 To prevent condensation, put the camera 
in a plastic bag until the temperature of 
the camera is close to the ambient 
temperature. If condensation occurs, turn 
the camera off and leave it for about 
2 hours. The fog will disappear naturally 
when the temperature of the camera 
becomes close to the ambient 
temperature.
∫When not using the camera for a long 
period of time
 Store the battery in a cool and dry place 
with a relatively stable temperature.
[Recommended temperature:
15oC to 25oC (59oF to 77oF),
Recommended humidity: 40% to 60%]
 Always remove the battery and the card 
from the camera.
 If the battery is left inserted in the camera 
it will discharge even if the camera is 
turned off. If the battery continues to be 
left in the camera, it will discharge 
excessively and may become unusable 
even if charged.
 When storing the battery for a long period 
of time, we recommend charging it once a 
year. Remove the battery from the camera 
and store it again after it has completely 
discharged.
 We recommend storing the camera with a 
desiccant (silica gel) when you keep it in a 
closet or a cabinet.About The Mode Dial
Adjust part A to the desired mode.
The mode dial can be rotated 360o. Rotate 
it slowly and surely to adjust to each mode. 
(Do not adjust it to parts where there is no 
mode.)
: Program AE mode (P25)
The exposure is automatically adjusted by 
the camera.
: Aperture-priority AE mode (P53)
The aperture value is automatically 
determined by the shutter speed you set.
: Shutter-priority AE mode (P53)
The shutter speed is automatically 
determined by the aperture value you set.
: Manual exposure mode (P56)
The exposure is adjusted by the aperture 
value and the shutter speed which are 
manually adjusted.
: Macro mode (P51)
This mode allows you to take a close-up 
picture of a subject.
: Motion picture mode (P68)
This mode allows you to record motion 
pictures.
: Scene mode (P58)
This mode allows you to take pictures 
depending on the recording scenes.
SCN
P
A
SMA 
						

							Before Use
6VQT0V63
: Simple mode (P29)
This mode is recommended for beginners.
: Playback mode (P35)
This mode allows you to play back 
recorded pictures.
∫About indications in these operating 
instructions
Modes indicated here allow you to use the 
functions or settings described on this 
page. Set the mode dial to any of the 
modes to use the functions or settings.
Convenient or helpful information for use of 
the camera is described.
∫About illustrations in these operating 
instructions
Please note that the appearance of the 
product, the illustration or the menu screen 
are a little different from those in actual use.
∫About illustrations of the cursor 
button and joystick
In these operating instructions, the 
operations on the cursor button are 
described as illustrated as shown.
Cursor button
e.g.: When you press the 4 buttonJoystick
e.g.: When you tilt the joystick right
e.g.: When you press the center of the 
joystick
REV
MENUSET 
						

							7VQT0V63
Contents
Before Use
Information for Your Safety ....................... 2
About The Mode Dial ................................ 5
Preparation
Standard Accessories ............................... 9
Names of the Components ....................... 9
Quick Guide ............................................ 11
Charging the Battery with the Charger ... 12
About the Battery (charging/
number of recordable pictures) ........... 12
Inserting/Removing the Battery .............. 13
Inserting/Removing the Card .................. 14
About the Card........................................ 15
Attaching the Lens Cap/Strap ................. 16
Attaching the Lens Hood ........................ 17
Setting Date/Time (Clock Set) ................ 19
About the Setup Menu ............................ 20
Basic
Taking Pictures ....................................... 25
Taking Pictures in Simple Mode ............. 29
Taking Pictures with the Zoom ............... 31
 Using the Optical Zoom .................... 31
 Using the Extended Optical Zoom 
(EZ) .................................................. 31
 Using the Digital Zoom 
Further extending the zoom ............. 32
Checking the Recorded Picture 
(Review) .............................................. 34
Playing Back Pictures ............................. 35
Deleting Pictures..................................... 36
Advanced
About the LCD Monitor/Viewfinder ......... 38
 Changing the information 
displayed .......................................... 38 Brightening the LCD Monitor
(Power LCD/High angle mode)......... 41
Taking Pictures using 
the Built-in Flash ................................. 42
Taking Pictures with the Self-timer ......... 46
Compensating the Exposure .................. 47
Taking Pictures using Auto Bracket ........ 48
Optical Image Stabilizer .......................... 49
Taking Pictures using Burst Mode .......... 50
Taking Close-up Pictures ........................ 51
Aperture-priority AE ................................ 53
Shutter-priority AE .................................. 53
Manual exposure .................................... 54
Aperture Value and Shutter Speed ......... 55
Taking Pictures with Manual Focus ........ 56
Scene Mode ............................................ 58
– Portrait mode ................................. 59
– Soft skin mode ............................... 59
– Scenery mode ............................... 60
– Sports mode .................................. 60
– Night portrait mode ........................ 60
– Night scenery mode....................... 61
– Panning mode ............................... 61
– Food mode .................................... 62
– Party mode .................................... 62
– Candle light mode.......................... 62
– Fireworks mode ............................. 63
– Starry sky mode............................. 63
– Baby mode 1/Baby mode 2 ........... 64
– Snow mode.................................... 65
– High Sensitivity mode .................... 65
Recording which day of the vacation 
you take the picture ............................. 66
Motion Picture Mode ............................... 68
Displaying Multiple Screens 
(Multi Playback)................................... 70
Displaying pictures by recording date 
(Calendar playback) ............................ 71
Using the Playback Zoom ....................... 72
Playing Back Motion Pictures/
Pictures with Audio.............................. 73Menu Settings
Using the [REC] Mode Menu .................. 74 
						

							8VQT0V63
 [W.BALANCE]
Adjusting the hue for a more 
natural picture................................... 75
 [SENSITIVITY]
Setting the light sensitivity ................ 77
 [ASPECT RATIO]
Setting the aspect ratio 
of pictures ......................................... 77
 [PICT.SIZE]/[QUALITY]
Setting a picture size and quality 
that matches your use of 
the pictures ....................................... 78
 [AUDIO REC.] 
Recording still pictures with audio .... 79
 [METERING MODE]
Deciding the method to measure 
brightness ......................................... 80
 [AF MODE]
Setting the focus method.................. 80
 [CONT.AF]
Continuously focusing 
on a subject ...................................... 81
 [AF ASSIST LAMP]
Focusing in low light conditions 
becomes easier ................................ 82
 [COL.EFFECT]
Setting color effects for the 
recorded pictures.............................. 82
 [PICT.ADJ.]
Adjusting the picture quality for the 
recorded pictures.............................. 82
 [FLIP ANIM.]
Connecting images to create 
a motion picture file .......................... 83
 [CONVERSION]
Using an optional lens ...................... 85
Using the [PLAY] mode menu ................ 87
 [SLIDE SHOW]
Playing back pictures in order for 
a fixed duration ................................. 88
 [FAVORITE]
Setting your favorite pictures ............ 89
 [ROTATE DISP.]/[ROTATE]
To display the picture rotated ........... 89
 [DPOF PRINT]
Setting the picture to print and the 
number of prints ............................... 91 [PROTECT]
Preventing accidental erasure of 
pictures ............................................. 92
 [AUDIO DUB.] 
Adding audio after taking pictures .... 93
 [RESIZE]
Making the picture smaller ............... 94
 [TRIMMING]
Enlarging a picture and 
trimming it ......................................... 95
 [ASPECT CONV.]
Changing the aspect ratio of 
a 16:9 picture.................................... 96
 [FORMAT] 
Initializing the card............................ 96
Connecting to other equipment
Connecting to a PC................................. 98
Printing the Pictures.............................. 100
Playing Back Pictures on 
a TV Screen ...................................... 104
Others
Using the MC Protector/ND Filter ......... 105
Screen Display...................................... 106
Cautions for Use ................................... 108
Message Display .................................. 110
Troubleshooting .................................... 112
Number of recordable pictures and 
available recording time .................... 117
Specifications........................................ 120
Digital Camera Accessory System ....... 122
Digital Camera Accessory Order Form
(For USA Customers)........................ 123
Request for Service Notice 
(For USA Only).................................. 124
Limited Warranty (For USA Only) ......... 125
Customer Services Directory 
(For USA Only).................................. 127
Index ..................................................... 128
Spanish Quick Use Guide/
Guía rápida en español ..................... 130 
						

							Preparation
9VQT0V63
Preparation
Standard Accessories
Check that all the accessories are included 
before using the camera.1 SD Memory Card (16 MB)
(Indicated as “Card” in the text)
2Battery Pack
(Indicated as “Battery” in the text)
3 Battery Charger
(Indicated as “Charger” in the text)
4 USB Connection Cable
5AV Cable
6 CD-ROM
7 Shoulder Strap
8 Lens Cap/Lens Cap String
9 Lens Hood/Hood Adaptor
A:Silver
B:Black
 For information about optional 
accessories, refer to the “Digital Camera 
Accessory System”. (P122)
Names of the 
Components
1 Lens (P4)
2 Flash (P42)
3 Microphone (P68, 79, 93)
4 Self-timer indicator (P46)
AF assist lamp (P82)
3 12
45
67
8
9
VFC4160
RP-SD016BCGR-S006A
DE-993B
K1HA08CD0007 K1HA08CD0008
VYK1T69
A: VYQ3808/VYQ3796 
B: VYQ3809/VYQ3797
1234 
						

							Preparation
10VQT0V63
5 Flash open button (P42)
6 Diopter adjustment dial (P39)
7 Viewfinder (P38, 106)
8 Speaker (P73)
9 [EVF/LCD] button (P38)
10 Camera ON/OFF switch (P11)
11 Joystick (P26, 35, 36, 53, 54)
12 LCD monitor (P38, 106)
13 [DISPLAY/LCD MODE] button (P38, 
106)
14 Status indicator (P25)
15 Single or burst mode button (P50)/
Delete button (P36)
16 Cursor buttons
2/Self-timer button (P46)
4/[REV] button (P34)
1/Flash Setting button (P42)
3/Exposure compensation (P47)/Auto 
bracket (P48)/White balance fine 
adjustment (P76)/Flash output adjustment 
(P45)/Backlight compensation in simple 
mode (P30) button
17 [MENU/SET] button (P20)
18 Zoom lever (P31)19 Shutter button (P25, 68)
20 Mode dial (P5)
21 AF/MF button (P54)
22 Optical image stabilizer button (P49)
23 Strap eyelet (P16)
24 [DIGITAL/AV OUT] Socket (P98, 100, 
104)
25 [DC IN] Socket (P98, 100)
 Always use a genuine Panasonic AC 
adaptor (DMW-AC7; optional).
 The camera cannot charge the battery 
even if the AC adaptor (DMW-AC7; 
optional) is connected.
26 Terminal door
27 Lens Barrel
28 Card/Battery door (P13, 14)
29 Tripod receptacle
 When you use a tripod, make sure it is 
stable when the camera is attached to 
it.
8
1311
12 14 15 1610 9 56 7
17
20 21 22
18 19
24
25
26
23
27
28 29