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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 - Easy Camera Review
by Emily Raymond
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 is among one of the first digital cameras to cram a lot of zoom into a little package. The TZ1 has a 10x optical zoom lens and can still fit into a pocket with its 4.4 x 2.3 x 1.6-inch measurements. With its 5 megapixels and a host of scene modes, the TZ1 is a good fit for point-and-shooters who don’t want to get too close to their subjects. When the TZ1 first came out in 2006, there wasn’t much competition since there just wasn’t many digital cameras that were compact and had lots of optical zoom. Panasonic introduced the TZ1 as “the world’s thinnest 10x optical zoom digital camera,” but only weeks later, the Kodak EasyShare V610 came out with the same title and measured only 0.9 inches thick.
Still, the TZ1 has a lot to offer even if it isn’t “the world’s thinnest” anymore. Its 10x Leica lens is optically stabilized and functional while recording movies, and that can’t be said of many cameras’ lenses. This translates to less blur in pictures and less shaking in movies. The lens does make an audible noise while recording video, but movies otherwise look and sound good.
Pictures look great too. The resolution is decent for a 5-megapixel model, so there is enough detail to print 8 x 10-inch pictures. Colors are fairly accurate. Aunt Gertrude’s green blouse will come out just as vibrant as you see it. Pictures were clean – but only when the ISO was manually set and when in optimal lighting. When the lights were turned low or when the automatic ISO setting was enabled, speckles of noise crept into the images.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 can shoot pictures in three different formats – 4:3 for standard images, 3:2 for nicely cropped 4 x 6-inch prints, and 16:9 for widescreen viewing. The camera can also record standard or widescreen movies.
There aren’t many manual controls on the camera since most of the modes are automatic. There are 18 scene modes including an Underwater mode that caters to the accessory waterproof housing that can seal the TZ1 to depths of 130 ft. The underwater case is optional and retails for $249 on the manufacturer’s web site.
There are also two Baby scene modes that save the exact age of up to two children with the file information. That info can be printed too, so you will have an easier time chronologically scrapbooking your baby’s life.
The Panasonic Lumix TZ1 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with resolution that is decent – but not great – at 207,000 pixels. The screen has a narrow viewing angle, but Panasonic tries to make up for this by adding a High Angle LCD setting. This allows you to see the screen when you’re holding it above your head trying to grab that shot from the pack of the mob surrounding Britney Spears.
There is also a Power LCD function available from the same button; it brightens the screen by 40 percent and makes it easier to see in broad daylight. Competing cameras have screens that can be seen in adverse conditions without pushing buttons.
The TZ1 is also equipped with a small built-in flash that isn’t very effective. Panasonic claims that it can reach up to 12 ft, but it doesn’t seem to work even that well. It looks spotty and shooting subjects within about 6 ft makes pictures almost unusable. The flash overexposes subjects so they look pure white, and the background is left completely black – a lighting tactic that was effective in frightening millions of people who watched the Blair Witch Project.
The Panasonic TZ1 is a decent camera at an affordable $250 price. It has a lot of good qualities, but it has a few drawbacks too. If the flash or the finicky LCD would bother you, don’t buy this camera. But if you don’t mind those inconveniences and you want a lot of zoom in a portable package, the TZ1 may be for you.
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 - THE BOTTOM LINE.... Rating: 316.63 |
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| Likes |
| - Low price - Simplicity - Effective image stabilization - 10x optical zoom lens |
| Dislikes |
| - Not many manual controls - Balky zoom control - Harsh flash - LCD gimmicks |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 Compared to the...
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Rating: N/A |
Canon PowerShot S2 IS
Rating: 317.39 |
Kodak EasyShare V610
Rating: 336.30
|
Nikon Coolpix S4 Rating: 266.34 |
Fujifilm FinePix S700 Rating: N/A |
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| Better | Better | Better | Better | Better |
| - 7.2 megapixels - Wider 28mm lens - Optical image stabilization - ISO up to 1250 - Slightly more compact 4.2 x 2.4 x 1.5-inch measurements - New Pet and Sunset scene modes - Intelligent ISO control - 3 inch LCD screen with 230k pixels - Clipboard function - Dual display in playback mode to compare two pictures at once - Transitions in slide shows |
- 12x optical zoom lens - Stereo audio recording - LCD monitor folds and rotates - 2 fps burst mode shot until memory was full - More manual controls - Dual recording buttons - Cleaner pictures when ISO automatically set - Much better images in low light - Longer burst mode - More effective flash - My Colors picture effects |
- Thinner camera body at 0.9 inches thick - 6.1 megapixels - 2.8 inch LCD screen with 230k pixels and wide viewing angle - Bluetooth technology - Very easy to use - Cooler slide shows - 22 scene modes - Better included software - Panoramas stitch together inside the camera |
- 6 megapixels - Face priority auto focus system - 15 scene modes, some with “assists” - Better pictures in low light - Interval and time-lapse shooting |
- 7.1 megapixels - Better 230k resolution on LCD screen - More natural looking and effective i-flash - Dual shot mode snaps pictures with and without flash - ISO up to 1600 - Compatible with SD and xD-Picture memory cards - Manual and priority modes - IrSimple wireless communication |
| Equal | Equal | Equal | Equal | Equal |
| - Comes in blue, black, and silver - 10x zoom power - Same white balance options - High Angle and Power LCD functions - Widescreen and standard pictures and movies - Optional underwater housing |
- 5 megapixels, and resolution tested similarly - Optical image stabilization - 640 x 480, 30 fps movies - SD card compatible |
- 10x optical zoom - Zoom functional in movies - Similar $250 online price - Similarly poor low light performance - Manual ISO to 800 - Compatible with SD cards |
- 10x optical zoom lens - Compact body - 2.5 inch LCD screen with limited angle of view - Compatible with SD cards |
- 10x optical zoom lens - $249 retail price - 2.5-inch LCD screen - 640 x 480, 30 fps movies |
| Worse | Worse | Worse | Worse | Worse |
| - $349 retail price - Smaller f/3.3 max aperture |
- Not as portable - Smaller 1.8-inch LCD screen with 115k - Optical zoom doesn’t work while recording movies - More expensive at about $300 - Colors not as accurate - Manual ISO only to 400 - Longer shutter lag - No widescreen movies - 10 scene modes - Runs on 4 AA batteries |
- Jump between 114mm and 130mm on lenses - Digital image stabilization doesn’t work as well - Inaccurate colors - Slow processing times - Lengthy shutter lag - Less effective flash - Smaller f/3.9 max aperture - Handling not as good - No widescreen movies - Battery only gets 135 shots per charge |
- Strange pivoting design - Only 110k pixels on LCD - No image stabilization - Optical zoom isn’t functional while recording movies - Movies record at choppy 15 fps - More expensive at about $300 - Inaccurate colors - Flash isn’t as effective - Small f/3.5 max aperture - Only multi-metering available - ISO to 400 - Runs on 2 AA batteries |
- Chunky SLR-shaped body - No optical image stabilization - Powered by 4 AA batteries - Smaller f/3.5 max aperture - Shorter 4-1/1000 shutter speed range - Slower 1.4 fps burst mode - Multi-metering only |