Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 reviewed
The big company's
little camera division that could has been doing it over and over for years now, and CNET Asia caught a preview of
their new DMC-TZ1, the
smallest 10x optical digital camera around. They seemed to find the 5 megapixel shooter's OIS and pixel binned 1600 ISO
to be decent (despite the expected exaggerated noise at higher ISOs, of course), and its travel functions useful
-- though its unique folded optics design seemed to impair zoom-in time, and the TZ1's removable lens cap raised an
eyebrow or two. CNET still seemed to find it "very good," though, so being that it's a straight up point and
shoot, if you're cool going without manual camera functions this thing might just be in your future.[Via DP Blog]
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
justice @ Apr 2nd 2006 3:08PM
Wargh.
Don O'Shea @ Apr 2nd 2006 5:27PM
As the owner of a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20, I am a little more respectful of the spec on this new camera than Ryan. The prospect of taking my current beast into the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos is somewhat daunting. So a compact 10X camera is attractive especially with image stabilization. Also the camera speeds are comparable. This looks like a good design compromise that would make for a serious travel camera.
Hiro11 @ Apr 2nd 2006 8:47PM
Do people really need 10X in a compact camera? I used to own an FZ20, and I loved it, but it was very difficult to get a clean image at max zoom without a tripod. It seems silly to sacrifice some nice features to get the small form factor only to need to carry a tripod to take full advantage of the zoom.
jordan wheeler @ Apr 2nd 2006 8:55PM
It does have use Panasonic's MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer, which helps tremendously. My hands are so shaky that even at 3x optical, I find it difficult to take a clear shot, but with the OIS, it's easy, even at 12x optical, on the FZ-7
Chris K @ Apr 2nd 2006 9:18PM
The fact that they found ISO1600 to be decent makes me question the integrity, or at least the vision of CNET. Not that I had a high opinion of their reviews before this.
Here's what ISO1600 looks like:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz7/page12.asp
Looks worse than my old 1.3MPixel Fuji!
Gygaxis @ Apr 4th 2006 5:34AM
I'm personally waiting for dpreview or another more indepth site to review the camera, cnet's camera reviews leave much wanting. I do have my eye very hungrily set on this exact camera though... soo promising *_*
3: Moore's Law demands that we do!
5: you're linking test shots from a totally different camera. And for a digital that is pretty reasonable for iso 1600. Ultra high iso's are not meant for exceptional studio shots, they are meant for extremely low light when you have to take what you can get.
charlie g @ Apr 4th 2006 11:37AM
The photo link above is THE WRONG CAMERA!
AP @ Jul 19th 2006 7:04AM
I am a Sony buyer mainly because of the Carl Zeiss lens, ISO1000, and their ability to take amazing close-up pictures. However, this 10X optical zoom and optical image stabilizer is somewhat attracting me.
Is there any other reason I should switch and get this camera instead of the Sony DSC-W70?