Trying something not-at-all new. That's new!

 In the next few days a ZS-100 camera will join me for a going over. That's a "compact camera" (not a profanity, in fact) with no interchangeable parts. Wow, I haven't had one of those in a while - the Fuji fx550 until it died in 2011, then back to 2006 or so!

This one is different though. It has a one-inch sensor - that means nothing regarding measurements, so let's call it a small step below the µ43 sensors that I've been using a lot lately. It's substantially larger than the 1/2.3-inch sensor (again a meaningless value.. though that means it's probably 2.3x larger than that sensor?) it can capture much more subtle detail and is more efficient when light levels are low. And when shooting in raw mode instead of jpeg, the images can be improved even further.

In fact, comparing this to the GX7 that I've enjoyed several times.. it performs better except in low light, according to the dXo sensor database! Total scores for both are 70 overall, but the ZS100 outpoints the GX7 by a smidge in both color and dynamic range, which I value more than the low-light score anyway.

This little camera has a 25-250mm lens so who needs exchangeable lenses? It can also do 4k video unlike the GX7, and thereby can extract 8Mpxl still images from said video format. I like the concept but have barely scratched the surface of that tech; maybe this camera will be more amenable to exploration..

The zs100 also charges its little battery via USB, allowing it to act like it has a much larger battery. Plug into the wall, the car, a solar panel or battery bank and it's ready to resume any adventure. Well, not the damp adventures: no weather seals on this little thing. It does have a decent screen and a basic e-viewfinder though.

A new thrill!