Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 Review
Review Date: April 21st 2006
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Conclusion
(out of 5 stars)
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 is a unique camera in a crowded market-place, thanks solely to its combination of a 10x zoom lens and compact dimensions. Using such a small camera with such a large zoom range opens up lots of photographic opportunities that you just won't get with similar sized models. The DMC-TZ1 isn't the fastest camera available, but the ability to zoom from 35mm up to 350mm and still get sharp results thanks to Panasonic's Mega O.I.S system is a revelation. Everything from mild wide-angle scenics to distant close-ups is possible, all from a camera that you can just about squeeze into a (large) pocket. There's obvious distortion at both ends of the zoom range, but that's a small price to pay for the flexibility that's on offer. The 5 megapixel sensor is modest in this day and age, but more than adequate for prints up to A4 in size. Image quality is on the whole good, although the inability to alter sharpness in the camera is frustrating as the images are soft. The 5 megapixel 1/2.5 inch sensor used in the DMC-TZ1 is not as noisy as those used in other Panasonic cameras that I have tested, with ISO 80-200 being perfectly usable. This means that in conjunction with the Mega O.I.S system, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 can deal with most shooting situations, both indoors and out, although in low-light situations the camera struggles to focus at the telephoto end of the zoom range. The TZ1 may be just a simple point and shoot camera in terms of creativity, with no control over aperture or shutter speeds, but you may also find that the focal range is simply too liberating to ignore. Highly recommended.
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