Panasonic LUMIX ZS99 Point and Shoot Camera, Compact Camera for Travel with 30x Zoom with 24-720mm Zoom Lens, and 4K Video/Photo, Great for Travel and Concerts, DC-ZS99

I wanted a camera with great optical zoom and when I heard this was being released I pre-ordered it. I wish I would’ve waited a bit and done more research. Also, wish I would’ve tried it more within the “return window”, otherwise I would’ve sent it back. For amateurs photographers, such as myself, the automatic modes are not great. For some more experienced photographers, not sure why they would bother with this camera. Not sure who it is for (other than suckers like me.). I guess I’ll try to make best of it and use it in certain situations (bright light situations where I can’t get close to things like day trip to the zoo, or peeking at women on the beach… joking!?).

PROS:
As of first half of 2025 there really isn’t a “name brand” (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic…) compact pocket camera being made by anyone that is in this price range and general features.

Has best in class optical zoom lens. You can really zoom in close!

Decent macro for close up picture in bright light.

CONS:
It is advertised as a pocket camera and does fit in a jeans pocket, but is tight. And because of the way the buttons are located I often accidentally hit the “on” button and the lens tries to extend and the gears grind. Though that does make “my package” look larger, it will probably at some point break the lens.

Speaking of the design of the buttons… the flash is also located in a horrible place, on right side near the shutter button so lots of chance that you’ll finger will block the flash.

Takes HORRIBLE grainy\dark pictures in low light (at least in automatic AI mode), and doesn’t really take crisp pictures in medium level light either (see attached pic). Depth of focus is shallow and things just seem fuzzy.

The focus detection is below average. It would be slow to focus or lose focus and stay blurry while I was trying to zooming in for videos.

Flimsy door to cover charge port which will most likely break very soon.

Have had this for 5 months or so but mainly used for concerts & events not daily

I was looking for a compact camera with long-range zoom for concerts and sports, that will capture good quality video from both close seats and from higher or nosebleed seats and this totally delivers. Over time, it’s actually cheaper than buying floor seats lol

Why I Chose It

For this specific use, there’s really nothing else like it

No phone camera, not even high-end or Chinese global models like the:

Oppo X8 Ultra

Vivo X200

Xiaomi 15 Ultra
(which are largely praised for their camera capabilities – mostly photo, not so much video)
can match this compact camera’s video zoom.

Those 3 are super expensive (>$1000) and don’t come close. Phones rely heavily on multiple lenses and AI after 5x zoom. This gives you a 30x optical zoom from one lens

Galaxy s25 ultra has a 5x optical zoom and the iPhone 16 pro max is 10x zoom. Even if Im slightly wrong it still doesnt come close..thats my whole point

The other camera I considered…

FZ80D
That was a chonky boy and not inconspicuous enough for me, I didn’t want to risk being stopped before going into the venue.

From the research I did:

Probably the second closest option

Has great stabilization

Similar or bigger zoom range

More affordable
Still worthy of consideration if size isn’t an issue.

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Pros of the ZS99

Doesn’t look pro-level, so most venues allow it
(It meets the standard requirement of not having a detachable lens-always check the rules first, but you should be fine unless they’re being picky. You can also email some venues in advance and have their response for reference once the event rolls around just in case)

Compact but sturdy, good grip

Fits in men’s pockets

(Maybe not women’s, those pockets are a scam… check bag size limits and toss it in a small bag if needed.)

Intelligent Auto Mode is easy to use

User Manual is super organized and easy to search through

Stabilization is good

Not as buttery as a phone’s “super steady” mode

But that kind of adds to the live-event vibe

Steady you can see what’s going on clearly but you can tell someone recorded it handheld, like you wouldn’t assume a tripod was used
Bonus tip:
Turn on Continuous Autofocus (AFC) for sports / action / lots of dancing or movement
→ Game changer for me. I noticed the difference immediately

Way better zoom than any phone, period.

—

Cons

Overheats during extended use. When it overheats it can stop recording

Charging port rubbery thingy feels flimsy

Be gentle, or just get a separate battery pack and external charger
(Manual tells you what kind of battery to look for)

Wrist strap is fine

Especially if you’ve got a bag to store your camera between uses

But if you’re planning to record for hours → consider a sturdier neck strap so you can just be ready to record without having it in your hand 24/7

Time limits:

4K caps at 15 minutes per clip

1080p (FHD) maxes out at 30 minutes

Feels a bit short, but unless you’re filming an entire Metallica concert, one song at a time should be fine
(Personally, I think 1080p actually looks better than 4K at full zoom)

Battery life
My battery died right before the main event after ~6 hours.
→ Bring a power bank or spare battery

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Final Thoughts

If you’re a casual enjoyer, you’ll likely walk away pretty satisfied.

The main selling point is that 30x zoom.
It’s unmatched in a compact package like this.

If anything looks a bit grainy or overexposed in the moment, you can always clean it up later in editing.
And when I refer to editing it’s literally just the built-in editing for saturation and highlights / shadows etc on your phone.

Transfer is straightforward, and there are good YouTube videos on this camera.
My favorite channel on it is Tech to Remember’s videos. Great help.

That wraps up my casual review of the ZS99 for concerts and live events.

I’ll update if anything else comes to mind.
I took a ton of videos from a few events but I already transferred those to an SD card, so I might have to transfer a few back as an example.