The Panasonic ZS99 is one of the few new compact cameras that offer a 30x zoom range in an affordable camera, but the price of the popular point-and-shoot seems to have jumped in the US. At launch, the Panasonic ZS99 retailed for $499.99 in the US. The price on Panasonic’s official website, as well as multiple retailers, is now listed at $699.99.
The UK price of the camera, which is called the Panasonic TZ99 outside of the US, remains at the £469 price that the compact camera first launched at. In Australia, the compact camera also remains listed at the original AU$999 list price.
The US price of the compact camera has increased quietly. A Panasonic US representative has not yet responded to a request for a comment. Amazon price tracker Camelcamelcamel indicates that the camera’s price increased on May 01.
While demand for compact cameras has pushed some third-party sellers to increase prices when cameras are hard to find, the price of the Panasonic ZS99 has also been updated on Panasonic’s official US website, as well as jumping in price at retailers such as Adorama, B&H, and Best Buy.
The $200 increase amounts to about 40 percent of the camera’s original price.
While Panasonic has not yet commented on the change, a number of camera prices in the US have been increasing due to new tariffs. Leica cameras have already increased in price, for example, along with the popular DJI Osmo Pocket 3.
But, prior to the announcement of the Trump administration’s tariffs, the compact camera’s resurgence in popularity made many models hard to find, which could also be influencing the camera's new price. B&H, for example, lists the black variant of the ZS99 as backordered, Adorama lists both color options as temporarily unavailable, and Best Buy lists the camera as sold out.
Panasonic's recent mirrorless camera models like the Lumix S9 and S1R II, remain at or under the list price as of this writing. The Panasonic G97, which was announced alongside the ZS99, also has not changed from the original $849 list price.
A post on Panasonic’s support page indicates that many of the brand’s cameras are designed in Japan but manufactured in China. US imports from China are currently facing a 145 percent tariff, while Japan’s rate is 10 percent, lowered from 24 percent as part of a 90-day pause that lasts until July 31.
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