Panasonic Dmc Fz7 Operating Instructions Manual

							Preparation
21VQT0V63
3Press 34 to select the menu 
item.
Press 4 at A to switch to the next 
menu screen.
4Press 1, press 34 to select the 
setting and then press [MENU/
SET].
5Press [MENU/SET] to close the 
menu.
 You can also press the shutter 
button halfway to close the menu.
∫About the menu screen items
 There are 4 menu screens (1/4, 2/4, 3/4 
and 4/4).
 You can switch menu screens from any 
menu item by rotating the zoom lever.
[CLOCK SET]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
Change date and time. (P19)
[MONITOR/VIEWFINDER]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
Adjust the brightness of the LCD monitor 
(when pictures appear on the LCD monitor) 
or Viewfinder (when pictures appear on the 
Viewfinder) in 7 steps.
 The [MONITOR/VIEWFINDER] setting 
also affects simple mode [ ].
[TRAVEL DATE]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[SET]:When taking a picture, the date on 
which it was taken is recorded.
[OFF]:When taking a picture, the date on 
which it was taken it is not recorded.
 Refer to P66 for information about setting 
[TRAVEL DATE].
SETUP
EXIT
MENUSELECT
0 nMONITORCLOCK SET
1/4
SETUP
EXIT
MENUSELECT
2/4
SHUTTER VOLUMELEVEL3
2MIN.POWER SAVE
BEEP
TRAVEL DATEPLAY ON LCDOFF OFF
MF ASSISTMF1AUTO REVIEW1SEC.
SETUP
SELECT
SHUTTER VOLUMELEVEL3
MF ASSISTMF1
MENU
SET
2/4
BEEP
SETMENU
AUTO REVIEW1SEC.
SETUP1/4
EXITMENUSELECT
0 nMONITORTRAVEL DATEPLAY ON LCDOFF
CLOCK SET
2MIN.POWER SAVE
SETUP
EXIT
MENUSELECT
2/4
BEEPSHUTTER VOLUMELEVEL3
MF ASSISTMF1AUTO REVIEW1SEC.SETUP3/4
EXITMENUSELECTNTSCVIDEO OUT
USB MODERESET
HIGHLIGHTOFF
NO.RESETSETUP4/4
EXITMENUSELECT
SCENE MENUAUTOLANGUAGEENG
ftMF m/ftTV ASPECT
MENUSET
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							Preparation
22VQT0V63
[PLAY ON LCD]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[ON]:If you were using the viewfinder to 
record, the display automatically 
switches to the LCD monitor when 
reviewing or playing back pictures. 
(P39)
[OFF]:Does not automatically switch.
[POWER SAVE]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[1MIN.]/[2MIN.]/[5MIN.]/[10MIN.]:
Power save mode is activated (the 
camera is automatically turned off to 
save the battery life) if the camera 
has not been used for the time 
selected on the setting.
[OFF]:Power save mode is not activated.
 Press the shutter button halfway or turn 
the camera off and on to cancel power 
save mode.
 In simple mode [ ], power save mode is 
fixed to [2MIN.].
 When using the AC adaptor (DMW-AC7; 
optional), connecting to a PC or a printer, 
recording or playing back motion pictures 
and during a slide show, power save 
mode is not activated. (However, the 
setting for power save mode is fixed to 
[10MIN.] while pausing a slide show or 
playing back a manual slide show.)
[AUTO REVIEW]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[1SEC.]:The recorded picture 
automatically appears on the 
screen for about 1 second.
[3SEC.]:The recorded picture 
automatically appears on the 
screen for about 3 seconds.
[ZOOM]:The recorded picture 
automatically appears on the 
screen for about 1 second. It is then enlarged 4 times and 
appears for about 1 second. This 
mode is useful for confirming 
focus. Pictures recorded using 
auto bracket or burst mode and 
pictures with audio are not 
enlarged even if [ZOOM] is 
selected.
[OFF]:The recorded picture does not 
automatically appear.
 The auto review function is not activated 
in motion picture mode [ ].
 When pictures are recorded in auto bracket 
(P48) or burst mode (P50), the auto review 
function is activated regardless of the 
setting on the auto review function. (The 
picture is not enlarged.)
 The auto review function is activated while 
pictures with audio (P79) are being 
recorded regardless of its setting. (The 
picture is not enlarged.)
 When the quality is set to [TIFF], the auto 
review function works until the end of 
recording onto the card. (The picture is 
not enlarged.)
 The auto review setting is disabled when 
using auto bracket or burst mode, in motion 
picture mode 
[], when [AUDIO REC.] is 
set to [ON] or when the quality is set to 
[TIFF].
[MF ASSIST]
(Recording mode only)
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
In manual focus, the assistance screen 
appears on the center of the screen to 
facilitate focusing on the subject. (P56)
[MF1]:The center of the screen is 
enlarged. You can adjust the focus 
while determining the composition 
of the whole of the screen.
[MF2]:The whole of the screen is enlarged. 
This is convenient for adjusting the 
focus in Wide angle shots.
[OFF]:The screen is not enlarged.
MENUSET
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							Preparation
23VQT0V63
[BEEP]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[ ]: No operation sound
[ ]: Soft operation sound
[ ]: Loud operation sound
 The [BEEP] setting also affects simple 
mode [ ].
[SHUTTER]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
Set to select the volume of shutter sound.
[]:No shutter sound
[]:Soft shutter sound
[]:Loud shutter sound
[VOLUME]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
The volume of speakers can be adjusted in 
7 steps from level 6 to 0.
 When you connect the camera to a TV, 
the volume of the TV speakers does not 
change.
[NO.RESET]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
Set this when you want the file number of 
the next recording to start from 0001. (The 
folder number is updated and the file 
number starts from 0001.)
 A folder number between 100 and 999 
can be assigned.
When the folder number reaches 999, the 
number cannot be reset. We recommend 
formatting the card after saving the data 
on a PC or elsewhere.
 To reset the folder number to 100, format 
(P97) the card first and then use this 
function to reset the file number.
A reset screen for the folder number will 
then appear. Select [YES] to reset the 
folder number. Refer to P99 for detailed information about 
the file number and the folder number.
 The [NO.RESET] setting also affects 
simple mode [ ].
[RESET]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
The [REC] or [SETUP] menu settings are 
reset to the initial settings.
 The birthday setting for [BABY1]/[BABY2] 
(P64) in scene mode and the number of 
days that have passed since the 
departure date for [TRAVEL DATE] (P66) 
are also reset when the [SETUP] menu 
settings are reset. Also, [FAVORITE] 
(P89) is fixed to [OFF] and 
[ROTATE DISP.] (P89) is fixed to [ON].
 The folder number and the clock setting 
are not changed.
[USB MODE]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
Select the USB communication system 
after or before connecting the camera to 
your PC or your printer with the USB 
connection cable (supplied).
[ SELECT ON CONNECTION]:
Select either [PC] or [PictBridge (PTP)] 
if you connected the camera to a PC or 
a printer supporting PictBridge.
[PC]:
Set after or before connecting to a PC.
[ PictBridge (PTP)]:
Set after or before connecting to a 
printer supporting PictBridge.
 When [PC] is selected, the camera is 
connected via the USB Mass Storage 
communication system.
 When [PictBridge (PTP)] is selected, the 
camera is connected via the PTP (Picture 
Transfer Protocol) communication system.
MENUSET
MENUSET
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							Preparation
24VQT0V63
[HIGHLIGHT]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[ON]:When the auto review or review 
function is activated, a white 
saturated area appears blinking 
in black and white. (P39)
[OFF]:No highlight display
[VIDEO OUT]
(Playback mode only) (P104)
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[NTSC]:Video output is set to NTSC 
system.
[PAL]:Video output is set to PAL 
system.
[TV ASPECT]
(Playback mode only)
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[ ]: 
Select this if connecting the camera to a 
16:9 TV.
[]:
Select this if connecting the camera to a 
4:3 screen TV.
 This is suitable for displaying pictures 
recorded with a [ ] aspect on the 
full screen of a 16:9 TV. Pictures 
recorded with a [ ] or [ ] 
aspect are displayed with black bands 
on the left and right of the screen.
 When [ ] is selected, pictures 
recorded with a [ ] or [ ] 
aspect are displayed with black bands 
on the top and bottom of the screen.
 When you select [ ] and use the 
AV cable (supplied) for output (P104), 
pictures are displayed vertically on the 
LCD monitor.
[MF m/ft]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[m]:In manual focus, the distance to the 
subject is displayed in meters.
[ft]:In manual focus, the distance to the 
subject is displayed in feet.
[SCENE MENU]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
[AUTO]:[SCENE MODE] menu appears 
automatically when setting the 
mode dial to scene mode. Select 
the desired scene mode. (P58)
[OFF]:[SCENE MODE] menu does not 
appear when setting the mode 
dial to scene mode and the 
camera is operated in scene 
mode currently selected. If you 
change the scene mode, press 
[MENU/SET] to display the 
[SCENE MODE] menu and then 
select the desired scene mode.
[LANGUAGE]
Press [ ] to display the [SETUP] menu 
and select the item to set. (P20)
Set the language on the menu screen from 
the following languages. Set to the desired 
language with 3/4 and store it with 
[MENU/SET].
[ENGLISH]:English
[DEUTSCH]:German
[FRANÇAIS]:Fr e n c h
[ESPAÑOL]:Spanish
[ITALIANO]:Italian
[]:Chinese (Traditional)
[]:Japanese
 If you set a different language by mistake, 
select [ ] from the menu icons to set the 
desired language.
 The [LANGUAGE] setting also affects 
simple mode [ ].
MENUSET
MENUSET
MENUSET
MENUSET
MENUSET
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							Basic
25VQT0V63
Basic
Taking Pictures
The camera automatically sets the shutter 
speed and the aperture value according to 
the brightness of the subject.
 Remove the lens cap.
11 Turn the camera on.
2 Select program AE mode [ ].
 The status indicator  A lights for 
approximately 1 second if you turn the 
camera on when using the LCD monitor.
 The status indicator continues to light if  you turn the camera on when using the 
Viewfinder. The status indicator blinks 
when the remaining battery power is low.
2 Aim the AF area  1 to the point 
you want to focus on and then 
press the shutter button halfway.
 B : Press the shutter button halfway to 
foc us.
 The focus indication  2 lights and then 
the aperture value  3 and the shutter 
speed  4 are displayed.
 If 9-area-focusing or 3-area-focusing 
(High speed) is used in AF mode, the  AF area does not appear until the 
subject is brought into focus. (P80)
 The AF area displayed is bigger than  usual when using the digital zoom or 
when taking pictures in dark places. 
(P80)
 Refer to P26 for information about 
Program shift.
3 Take a picture.
C : Press the shutter button fully to take 
the picture.
 We recommend checking that the clock is set properly before taking pictures. (P19)
 When you press the shutter button, the 
screen may become bright or dark for a 
moment. This function allows easy 
adjustment of focus and the recorded 
picture will not be affected.
 When a time is set for power save (P22), 
the camera automatically turns off if you 
do not operate it within the set time. To 
operate the camera again, press the 
shutter button halfway or turn the camera 
off and on.
 To avoid picture noise, we recommend 
decreasing the ISO sensitivity, setting 
OFF ON
SCNPASM
1/251/25F2.8F2.8
When the 
subject is not 
focusedWhen the 
subject is 
focused
Focus 
indication Blinks (green) On (green)
AF area Turns white to  red or no AF 
area Turns white to 
green
Sound Beeps 4 times Beeps 2 times
1/251/25F2.8F2.8 
						

							Basic
26VQT0V63
[NOISE REDUCTION] in [PICT.ADJ.] to 
[HIGH] or setting every item except 
[NOISE REDUCTION] to [LOW]. (P83).
(ISO sensitivity is set to [AUTO] when the 
camera is shipped. Therefore, when 
taking pictures indoors etc. the ISO 
sensitivity increases.)
∫ Program shift
In program AE mode, you can change the 
preset aperture value and shutter speed 
without changing the exposure. This is 
called program shift.
You can make the background more blurred 
by decreasing the aperture value or record 
a moving subject more dynamically by 
slowing the shutter speed when taking a 
picture in program AE mode.
 Press the shutter button halfway and then 
use the joystick to activate program shift 
while the aperture value and the shutter 
speed are displayed on the screen (about 
10 seconds).
 The program shift indication  D appears 
on the screen when program shift is 
activated.
 Program shift is cancelled if the camera is  turned off or the joystick is moved up and  down until the programme shift indication 
disappears.
∫ Example of program shift
(A): Aperture value
(B): Shutter speed
1 Program shift amount
2 Program shift line chart 
3 Program shift limit 
 If the exposure is not adequate when the 
shutter button is pressed halfway, the 
aperture value and shutter speed turns 
red.
 Program shift is canceled and the camera  returns to normal program AE mode if 
more than 10 seconds pass after program 
shift is activated. However, the program 
shift setting is memorized.
 Depending on the brightness of the  subject, program shift may not be 
activated.
∫ Tips for taking good pictures
 Hold the camera gently with both hands, 
keep your arms still at your side and stand 
with your feet slightly apart.
 Make sure the camera does not shake 
when you press the shutter button.
 Do not cover the microphone or the AF  assist lamp with your fingers or other 
objects.
 Do not touch the front of the lens.
 If the LCD monitor screen is difficult to see 
because of light from the sun etc. shining 
on it, we recommend using your hand or 
3
1/30 1/30 F4.0F4.0
3
1/601/60F2.8F2.8
1  2 3  4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1 1 /
2  1
/
4  1
/
8  1
/
15  1
/
30  1
/
60  1
/
125  1
/
250  1
/
500  1
/
1000  1
/
2000
2 
2.8  4 
5.6  8 
11
(B)
(A)
14 
						

							Basic
27VQT0V63
another object to block the light when 
using the camera.
When recording with LCD Monitor
When recording with Viewfinder
A: When holding the camera vertically
∫Direction detection function
Pictures recorded with the camera held 
vertically are played back vertically 
(rotated). (Only when [ROTATE DISP.] 
(P89) is set to [ON])
 Pictures may not be displayed vertically if 
they were taken with the camera aimed up 
or down.
 Pictures cannot be displayed vertically 
when recording motion pictures or 
creating flip animations.
∫When you want to take a subject 
outside the AF area (AF/AE Lock)
When recording a picture of people with a 
composition like the following picture, you 
will not be able to focus the camera on the 
subject because the people are outside the 
AF area.
In this case,
1Aim the AF area at the subject.
2 Press the shutter button halfway to fix 
the focus and the exposure. The focus indication lights when the 
subject is focused.
3 Press and hold the shutter button 
halfway while moving the camera as you 
compose the picture.
4Press the shutter button fully.
 You can repeatedly retry AF/AE lock 
before pressing the shutter button fully.
∫Focusing
 The focus range is 30 cm (0.98 feet) to ¶ 
(Wide), 2 m (6.56 feet) to ¶ (Tele). Use 
macro mode when recording close-up 
pictures. (P51)
 If the distance between the camera and 
the subject is beyond the focus range of 
the camera, the picture may not be 
properly focused even if the focus 
indication lights.
 In the following cases, the camera will not 
focus on subjects properly.
– When there are both near and distant 
subjects in a scene.
– When there is dirt or dust on glass 
between the lens and the subject.
– When there are illuminated or glittering 
objects around the subject.
– When taking a picture in dark places.
– When the subject is moving fast.
– When the scene has low contrast.
– When jitter occurs.
– When recording a very bright subject.
We recommend taking pictures using 
prefocus (P58) and AF/AE lock. In dark 
places, the AF assist lamp (P82) may turn 
on to focus on the subject.
 Even when the focus indication appears 
and the subject is focused, it is canceled if 
you release the shutter button. Press the 
shutter button halfway again.
3
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							Basic
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∫Preventing jitter (camera shake)
 Be careful of jittering when pressing the  shutter button.
 If jitter could occur because of slow 
shutter speed, the jitter alert  A appears.
 When the jitter alert appears, we  recommend using a tripod. If you cannot 
use a tripod, be careful how you hold the 
camera (P26). The use of the self-timer 
prevents jittering caused by pressing the 
shutter button when you are using a tripod 
(P46).
 Shutter speed will be slower particularly in 
the following cases. Keep the camera still 
from the moment the shutter button is 
pressed until the picture appears on the 
screen. We recommend using a tripod.
– Slow sync./Red-eye reduction (P42)
– [NIGHT PORTRAIT] (P60)
– [NIGHT SCENERY] (P61)
– [PARTY] (P62)
– [CANDLE LIGHT] (P62)
– [FIREWORKS] (P63)
– [STARRY SKY] (P63)
– When you set to a slow shutter speed  (P53, 54)
∫ Exposure
 If you press the shutter button halfway  when the exposure is not adequate, the 
aperture value and the shutter speed turn 
red. (They do not turn red when the flash 
is activated.)
 The brightness of the screen may differ 
from the brightness of the recorded 
pictures especially when recording in low 
light conditions.
 When most of the subjects on the screen  are bright (e.g. a blue sky on a clear day, a  snowy field etc.), the recorded pictures 
may become dark. In this case, 
compensate the exposure value on the 
camera. (P47)
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							Basic
29VQT0V63
Taking Pictures in 
Simple Mode
This mode allows beginners to take 
pictures easily. Only the basic functions 
appear in the menu to make operations 
simple.
∫Basic menu settings
1Press [MENU/SET].
2Press 34 to select the desired 
menu item and then press 1.
3Press 34 to select the desired 
setting and then press [MENU/
SET].
4Press [MENU/SET] to close the 
menu.
 You can also press the shutter 
button halfway to close the menu.
∫Settings in Simple mode
[PICT.MODE][AUTO REVIEW]
[BEEP]
[CLOCK SET]
Change date and time. (P19)
If [4qk6q/10k15cm] or [E-MAIL] are set in 
[PICT.MODE], the extended optical zoom 
is activated and the zoom ratio is 
extended to a maximum of 16.5k. (P31)
 The settings for [BEEP] and 
[CLOCK SET] in simple mode are also 
applied to other recording modes.
 The settings for [MONITOR/
VIEWFINDER] (P21), [NO.RESET] (P23) 
and [LANGUAGE] (P24) also effect simple 
mode.
∫Other Settings in Simple mode
In simple mode, other settings are fixed as 
follows. For more information about each 
setting, refer to the page indicated.
 [POWER SAVE] (P22):
[2MIN.]
 Self-timer (P46):
10 seconds
 Optical Image Stabilizer (P49):
[MODE1]
 Burst speed (P50):
Low speed (2 frames/second)
 [W.BALANCE] (P75):
[AUTO]
 [SENSITIVITY] (P77):
[AUTO] ENLARGE Suitable for enlarging the 
pictures to be printed to 
8qk10q size, letter size 
etc.
4qk6q/
10k15cmSuitable for regular size 
printing.
E-MAIL Suitable for attaching 
pictures to e-mails or 
adding pictures to 
websites.
SIMPLE MODE
BEEP
CLOCK SET
SELECT SETMENU
AUTO REVIEWPICT.MODEENLARGE4k6/10k15 cmE-MAIL
OFF The recorded picture does not 
automatically appear.
ON The recorded picture 
automatically appears on the 
screen for about 1 second.
OFF No operation sound
LOW Soft operation sound
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							Basic
30VQT0V63
 [ASPECT RATIO]/[PICT.SIZE]/[QUALITY] 
(P77, 78):
– [ ENLARGE]:
/ (6M)/Fine
–[ 4qk6q/10k15cm]:
/ (2.5M EZ)/Standard
–[ E-MAIL]:
/ (0.3M EZ)/Standard
 [AF MODE] (P80):
[ ] (1-area-focusing)
 [AF ASSIST LAMP] (P82):
[ON]
 [METERING MODE] (P80):
[ ] (Multiple)
 You cannot use the following functions in 
simple mode.
– High angle mode
– White balance fine adjustment
– Exposure compensation
– Flash output adjustment
– Auto bracket
– [AUDIO REC.]
– [D.ZOOM]
– [COL.EFFECT]
– [PICT.ADJ.]
–[CONT.AF]
– [HIGHLIGHT]
– [PLAY ON LCD]
– Out-of-frame display
– Recording guide line
 You cannot set the following items in 
simple mode.
–[TRAVEL DATE]
– [CONVERSION] ∫Focus range in simple mode
 The zoom magnification values will 
change when using the extended optical 
zoom.
 Refer to P51 for the tele-macro.
∫The Backlight Compensation
Backlight refers to when light comes from 
the back of a subject.
In this case, the subject, such as a person, 
will become dark.
If you press 3,  (compensating 
backlight ON indication) A appears and the 
backlight compensation function is 
activated. This function compensates the 
backlight by brightening the whole of the 
picture.
 If you press 3 while [ ] is displayed, 
[ ] disappears and the backlight 
compensation function is canceled.
 We recommend using the flash when you 
use the backlight compensation function.
(When using the flash, it is fixed to Forced 
ON [ ].)
 The flash setting is fixed to AUTO/Red-eye 
reduction [ ] when the backlight 
compensation function is set to [OFF].
5 cm (0.17 feet)
2 m (6.6 feet)
1 m (3.3 feet)
3
BACKLIGHT
3
BACKLIGHT