Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Digital Camera - Black (12.1MP, 12x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

 

 

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This certainly deserves a 5 star rating and I'm not sure if one of the previous reviewers had a defective unit as I don't recognise the description at all.

I've used DSLRs for over 4 years now and I was dying for a product that I could take with me (on occasions when a DSLR would not work) that approached DSLR levels of image quality. This is undoubtedly it. As a previous reviewer notes, the intelligent auto function is approximately 10 times more effective than the auto options on other digital cameras. Most of the time you really can point and click.

My battery life on medium to average use (say about 150-200 pictures in a day) was about a day and a half. I don't think that's unusual. I think the default setting for GPS is to check location about every 10 minutes or so - if you increase the frequency of checking it will drain the battery. In any event, I didn't find battery life a problem and the GPS feature does add some fun to looking at pictures in Picasa.

I just wanted to mention another feature that's great - the 16:9 picture mode. I know cameras increasingly have this, but it really does let you create amazing desktop wallpapers for your PC.

The AVCHD video quality is good as long as you don't expect it to approach 1080p/full hd video quality (obviously, since its effectively 720p). It isn't shabby for a compact though. AVCHD playback is widely available with Windows 7 (the codec is included) so I wouldn't worry about compatibility.

Very satisfied with my purchase, even though I paid more for it than it currently retails for.

Good points
Fantastic sharp pics
Fantasatic sharp motion pics in AVCHD LITE
The iA function does all the hard work for you, and it really works.
All the scene modes work and do what they are ment to. (some cameras dont seem to make much difference)
The starry sky mode is brilliant. (must use a tripod though)
Really easy menu to follow.
Battery lasts longer than I thought, some of the reveiws I have read did not give it much of a good rating, but i have had the GPS mode off and not tried it yet.
The Manual mode lets you change Aperture and shutter speed etc, but unless you know what you are doing with them there is not much point.
The 12x optical zoom is very good.
Build quality is excellent.
The software provided does a good job.

Bad points
Hard to keep your fingers away from the AF light on the front corner.
The AVCHD "LITE" (different to standard AVCHD)video files are not recognised by the older editing programs, I have had to upgrade my "Corel videostudio 12" to corel videostudio pro x3.
Quite annoying that the price will rapidly drop in a few months, so if you can wait,you will save a few quid.

Fantastic bit of kit

UPDATE

You do get a slight clicking sound when you are zooming on video mode, and you can clearly hear it in playback.
When playing back the HD AVCHD movie clip on a large TV screen, you do get slight blocking, but still very good.
When you order a new battery, (which you will) make sure the model number of the battery ends with the letter E, IF NOT IT WILL NOT WORK.

Having spent many weeks doing much research regarding my next camera purchase, I finally settled on the Lumix TZ10 a few weeks ago. I'm very glad that I did.

Firstly, let me start with my requirements. I wanted a camera that first and foremost took quality still photos and HD video. Beyond that, I wanted manual control over shutter speed and exposure for creative photography, plus a wide angle lens. All of this I ideally wanted in a compact camera that would still fit in your pocket.

The Lumix TZ10 ticked all the boxes and after reading exceptionally favourable professional reviews online I took the plunge.

I can now safely say that I am delighted with this camera. The intelligent auto mode generally works well if you don't want to fiddle too much with the other settings, and the dedicated one touch record button enables HD recording instantly.
Most people already know this, but bear in mind that the camera does not ship with an SDHC card or a HDMI mini cable. You will have to purchase both of these separately. I strongly recommend a card with "class 6" speed or later or you will find any HD videos "jerky" on playback.

Image quality is excellent all round (the 16x intelligent zoom also makes great use of the dreaded digital zoom) and surprisingly so for a compact, is still very good in low light. There are an abundance of scene modes to choose from if you wish, plus the ability to select and store your own presets using the mode dial.
You also get the choice of three different aspect ratios, 4:3, 16:9 and 3:2. Taking photos is 16:9 widescreen resolution will of course mean the absence of those annoying black bars down the side when viewing on a widescreen TV!

Remember as well that you can set up face recognition for up to six people. This means the camera will remember their names when they appear in the shot and will give them focus priority.

Regarding the mode dial, it's great to see Panasonic have include the P, A, S, and M modes. These stand for:

Program Mode
Aperture Priority Mode
Shutter Priority Mode
Manual Exposure Mode

Now if you are not familiar with any advanced photography, then I suggest you leave the camera on intelligent auto mode.
However, if you've spent the money then it would be nice to know how to use these modes to your advantage.
I won't go into the detail here, but you can find plenty of tutorials online regarding them and they are easy to understand. Plus it's fun to learn and try, so give them a go! You will open up a whole new world of creative opportunity which will help you utilise this cameras full potential.

HD video is recorded at 720p 30fps and the quality is exceptional. Panasonic have included two stereo microphones and the sound quality is excellent.
However, please be aware of the following:

1) The built in wind cut feature helps cut down wind noise from outside recordings but does not eliminate it completely. Please also note that this option is not available in intelligent auto mode.
2) The zoom motor noise can be heard on playback occasionally. I find that it is generally masked by the ambient noise but if you are recording indoors and use the zoom then you will hear the motor on playback.
3) If you have brought a European model, the maximum amount of recording time you will be permitted in one go is 29m 59s. This is because of tax laws which stipulate that any camera that records longer than this must be sold as a camcorder instead.

All of these minor points do not detract from the excellent video capability overall.

Beyond that, the other headline feature is the inclusion of a GPS receiver. (Global Positioning System)
This automatically records your location into the EXIF data of each photograph. Generally speaking it works well; the camera takes roughly one minute to locate itself and will display the location on screen.
Sometimes it isn't always exactly accurate, it will display a location from it's built in database of 500,000 locations. If you're not happy with the location description, you can always manually overtype it.
It is a handy and useful feature for geotagging photos, but it has an inevitable strain on battery life. For this reason, I generally find that I turn it off; if you intend to heavily use the GPS then purchasing an additional battery is essential.

In summary, I strongly recommend the Lumix TZ10. The still image quality and HD video are both excellent. It is a superb camera loaded with advanced features.
Just remember to factor in the additional accessories required, plus a tripod for creative photography and a decent quality case. The last thing you want to do is damage it.

One final point, Panasonic have released a firmware update to version 1.2. It can be downloaded directly from the Panasonic website and increases performance.

Added 28.1.11

For those of you considering this camera, please be advised that Panasonic have recently announced this model's successor, appropriately called the Lumix TZ20.

Due for commercial sale in March, new features include an 14 megapixel MOS sensor, 16 x optical zoom, touchscreen control, full HD movies and an updated GPS with a database of over 1 million world landmarks.

Professional reviews are yet to be released but the camera looks identical to the TZ10. It'll be slightly more expensive, but if it performs as well as this one then Panasonic will have another compact winner on their hands.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Quality camera
Having bought my wife a TZ8 I was inspired by it to look for a new digital camera to replace my old Olympus Mu. Read more

Published 6 days ago by MrD

5.0 out of 5 stars excellently camera
excellently camera with a lot of functions. Its to use in a automatically mode but its also possible to choose f-stop and exposure manual. A little sensitive to dampness.

Published 20 days ago by FFbln

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Camera - A delight to own!
Great Camera - I have had several cameras over the last few years, cannon, sony, nikon! But as far as this one goes its all you need for a family camera, easy to use, is a video... Read more

Published 23 days ago by Wilf12

5.0 out of 5 stars panasonic lumix tz10 camera
Great camera,takes brilliant pictures,and hd quality video also has gps its very easy to use just point and click,looks good not to heavy im very pleased with this camera.

Published 24 days ago by rachie

1.0 out of 5 stars Rubbish battery
The battery on this camera does not last. Got the camera and noticed the battery did not last long. It went flat, was fully charged, took about 20 pics and flat again. Read more

Published 25 days ago by M. Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent camera - hard to fault
I rarely have the time to post reviews but I felt I had to for this.

I am a keen amateur photographer, do a bit of stock photography as well so I am reasonably aware of... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Stephen Psallidas

3.0 out of 5 stars I don't like this camera
I am disappointed in this camera. I needed a new one after my Ixus (which I loved) collapsed. I now regret not getting another Ixus. I find this camera too big and bulky. Read more

Published 3 months ago by toro

2.0 out of 5 stars OK images but not robust
Had this camera for 10months and have often been a little dissapointed with the image quality -especially poor indoors and the robustness. Read more

Published 3 months ago by S. Dewar

4.0 out of 5 stars good camera
picture quality is excellent. only reason why io wont give it top marks is it drains the battery like nobodys business, as ended up getting a spare from 7dayshop. Read more

Published 3 months ago by AndyL

5.0 out of 5 stars very pleased
i was very pleased with the service i got from start to finish kept you inform where your order was

Published 4 months ago by noby

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