Panasonic Recommits to the Point-and-Shoot with the New ZS99

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A black Lumix digital camera with a prominent lens and Leica branding is shown against a plain white background. The camera features several control dials on the top and a textured grip on the side.

As point-and-shoot cameras are growing in popularity at the same time manufacturers have all but pulled back on making new models, Panasonic is recommitting to the format with the announcement of a new ZS99 — a successor to the ZS80 and ZS80D.

The ZS99 (which will be known as the TZ99 in some regions) is designed to be a compact, pocketable camera that offers solid image quality with a huge zoom range. The new ZS99 isn’t hugely different from the previous models, though, and serves as a minor refresh of the format. That said, a new release keeps the camera on manufacturing lines and shows Panasonic’s support for the revived love of point-and-shoots.

A black digital camera with a flip-up screen and a Leica lens. The screen is extended upward, and the camera is labeled with "Lumix.

The ZS99 keeps the same sensor, lens, image stabilization, focus system, rear 1,840K dot display, and video options as its predecessor but does add some new things. For example, the the ZS99 supports vertical video shooting (the camera knows when it is oriented vertically) and adds the “REC” red frame indicator when it is recording. Additionally, camera has been updated to support Bluetooth V5 and upgrades the micro USB port to USB-C.

Side view of a black digital camera with visible buttons and ports for HDMI and charging. The camera has a textured grip and a lens mount on the right side.

Rear view of a digital camera with a large LCD screen and various control buttons, including a mode dial, function buttons, and a delete button, all arranged on the right side of the camera.

Panasonic also added a “Send Image” button to the camera body in addition to the in-Menu method that existed in its predecessors.

These changes aren’t without consequence, however. In order to accommodate the new USB-C port, Panasonic opted to remove the electronic viewfinder entirely — the ZS99’s only finder is the rear LCD. As a recap, the ZS80 and ZS80D had a 2,330K-dot live electronic viewfinder located in the upper left-hand corner of the camera (when viewed from the back).

A black Lumix digital camera with a Leica lens. The camera features a textured grip on the left side and lens specifications are visible around the lens.

The Panasonic Lumix ZS99 will be available in black (DC-ZS99E-K) and silver (DC-ZS99E-S) in mid-February 2024 for $499.99.

A Slightly Upgraded G97, Too

In addition to the ZS99, Panasonic also announced the G97, which is an upgraded G95/G95D. This micro four thirds interchangeable lens camera features improved slow and quick motion capability (a maximum of 4x slow motion or 8x quick-motion in FHD recordings), a higher-resolution 1,840K-dot rear LCD, the update to Bluetooth 5.0 and the addition of the Send Image button (same as in the ZS99), as well as the shift from micro USB charging to USB-C. Gratefully, it’s all upgrades with no compromises here.

A black LUMIX digital camera with a wide lens and viewfinder flash extended. The lens is marked with "Vario 14-140" and has visible focus and zoom rings. The camera has a textured grip and various buttons and dials for settings adjustments.