Before you buy your Panasonic Lumix ZS7 digital camera, there are a few things you need to consider. More accurately, there are 5 that will be mentioned here.Before getting to the list, let your mind be at ease about purchasing a camera that is not made by Canon or Nikon. They are obviously the leaders in camera sales, but that does not mean another brand does not match up to their quality. In fact, Panasonic has been a leader in the digital compact market for a few years now. They are a quiet leader, drawing attention to their products with quality and performance that is second to none.My passion for Panasonic Lumix ZS7 is based on personal experience. You see, I recently purchased one for my own use. I have been a long-time digital SLR owner, and I still contend that they are superior to point and shoot cameras in terms of image quality, but that is not an issue up for discussion. Practically everyone will admit that it is true. The simple fact that the sensor size of a DSLR is far bigger than that of a compact digital, and this fact alone makes it nearly impossible for a compact to out-perform a DSLR.OK, that disclaimer is out of the way. Now let's talk about the Panasonic Lumix ZS7.First, there is the ease of use. There are a couple of reasons to buy compact cameras, and the most popular one is that they are "point and shoot". Playing with dials, buttons, and camera settings does not compute with your idea of photography. This little Panasonic will fill the bill.Image Quality is also a plus for the ZS7. As already mentioned, the quality is not the same as a digital SLR, but it is considered excellent by many experts whose business is to evaluate such things. Truth is that compacts are getting better with every release. This one is no exception. I put mine through the paces and was extremely happy with the image results in every situation. With a 12-megapixel sensor, you get pictures that can be printed at 16x22 inches (at 180 ppi). And if you choose the right printer, you can have them blown up as wall murals.Reason number 3 is a little magical item called Intelligent Auto. So far, this is my favorite feature. Intelligent Auto is really intelligent. It's as if the camera has a brain. The camera automatically selects the right settings for you, including ISO, shutter speed, and everything else to make the picture come out perfect (almost every time). How the camera knows it's a people picture as opposed to a landscape, I have no idea, and I don't care. It is nothing short of... well, magical. It gets the lighting right at night, too. Another great facet of Intelligent Auto is that you can set it to No Flash and get excellent lighting in your photo. Did I say that I love this feature?Number 4 on the hit parade is the Super-Zoom lens. The equivalent of 25mm to 300mm focal lengths are available. I did a little test in the snow to see how well this works with respect to image quality at 300mm. I took a picture at 25mm of a birdhouse in my yard, then zoomed to 300mm and took the same picture. To my surprise, they both had very good quality. I also took the same picture with my Canon Digital SLR, and I was still impressed. While the images with the Canon were slightly better, I was sufficiently pleased with the Panasonic performance. Panasonic uses Leica lenses on their compact cameras, a very high quality result.Fifth and finally is Price. My reason for buying included finding an excellent camera that was small enough to carry everywhere and not have to haul my entire camera bag with all my gadgets and camera widgets. I can carry the ZS7 anywhere and everywhere in a pocket. The good news is that I found a camera that meets all my needs for about $250. Considering the features and benefits, that is quite reasonable.I highly recommend the Panasonic Lumix ZS7.