Panasonic Lumix ZS200D: Best Travel Compact Camera in 2024

After writing a brief review of the Panasonic Lumix ZS200D where I called it something along the lines of the only camera I might ever use again, my wife and I took a two week trip to Morocco. I brought the camera along with me and after using it in a variety of situations and climates, I can comfortably double down on my original claim and add another: for the price, the Panasonic Lumix ZS200D is the best travel compact camera in 2024.

You can read the review linked above for specs and camera basics. This review focuses more on the cameras capabilities for amateur travel photography, with sample photos at the bottom.

Why buy the Lumix ZS200D for travel photography

I originally got the Lumix ZS200D because I was tired of draining my phone battery while taking photos and video while traveling. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in a national park without phone service or GPS because I just had to take photos of a cool mushroom from every possible angle. Safety aside, there are several other reasons why the Lumix ZS200D is a must for amateur travel photographers.

The camera is compact

Sure, it’s thicker than your phone, but it’s way smaller than your mirrorless or dSLR with similar capabilities for about 90% of use-cases (disclaimer: this is an estimate that I made up just now; if you really think you need a bulky pro camera, then go nuts… I don’t know your life). The camera will fit in most pants pockets, fanny packs, or purses which is impressive for a device that shoots crisply from 24mm to 360mm.

The ergonomics are perfect

The camera weight about 100 grams less than the latest largest iPhone model and feels comfortable in my hand. Between the rubber grip on the front and thumb grip on the back, I was never worried about dropping it off a cliff or having it slip from my hand in the rain. The hand strap is always there for insurance anyway. You can reach all of the controls and on back and top of the camera with your thumb and forefinger so there’s no need to fiddle with cumbersome menus.

The autofocus is fast

I had to return my Fuji XF10 in part because the autofocus was painfully slow. If you’re taking photos of people on the street or cuddly creatures in the jungle, you’re going to need the autofocus to be as fast as your trigger finger. The Lumix ZS200D is quick to react to a half-press of the shutter of a finger tap on the touch screen.

The zoom is fantastic

I already mentioned this above, but the camera has a powerful zoom allowing you to ignore the old adage of zooming with your feet. Some of us don’t feel comfortable getting close to our subjects and that’s completely fine. The maximum focal length is 360mm which comes with a minimum f/6.4. That might be tough at night without some added stabilization (i.e. a compact tripod), but is no issue on a sunny day.

The price is right

The Lumix ZS200D is frequently available on Amazon for around $650 which is a steal for this camera - a camera that’s the exact same as the Leica C-Lux without the branding. Seriously, it’s the same camera.

Lumix ZS200D photo samples

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. The quality is exactly what I was looking for without having to lug around a bulky camera or waste my phone battery. A few extra memory cards and a couple of back up batteries ( less than $20 on Amazon) had me shooting without missing a beat the entire trip. Have a look at the photo sample below.

Have you traveled with the ZS200D? What are your thoughts?