Unfortunately this camera had one flaw and was returned to Amazon for a refund: The battery door has a flimsy plastic tab which had snapped off. However to be fair this seems a rare occurance and I was just unlucky. I had enough time to take pictures and video before returning to confirm that this is a lovely little camera.
What this camera has over the similar and newer Lumix TZ30 is that its image quality is noticeably better, and in fact the TZ25 probably has the best image quality compared with all the recent TZ series. This is likely down to the slightly different sensor type and processing software, together with a smaller pixel count. The TZ30 tries to squeeze too many pixels onto its small sensor and it shows, and if you want to get just slightly better image quality the TZ25 is the choice between the two. While the display is not as good it is still perfectly useable and doesn't get washed out too much in bright sunlight.
Where this (and almost all of the TZ type cameras from Panasonic) shines is in its construction and handling. It is a quite beautiful object with a very handsome design. The mode dials and four way control are made of sturdy, attractive chromed metal which are far superior in quality than any other camera in this price range. Though the controls are necessarily small they are a pleasure to use. Compared with many other manufacturers' small point and shoot cameras which tend to be festooned with plastic, the TZ has a premium construction feel, battery door tab excepted.
There are five qualities which make this camera a very good buy:
1. For the size and small sensor type, it takes pleasing, rich and colourful images.
2. It has a very good zoom capability, slightly trumped by the TZ30 and also exceeded by the Sony HX20v, but not by much.
3. Video quality is excellent at this price.
4. Image stabilisation is very good, but yet again the HX20v is even better
5. It is cheaper than the TZ30.
So why choose this over the Sony equivalent, or the TZ30? Overall its image quality, though subject to a fair degree of processing in order to overcome the tiny sensor, is not as drastically processed as the often smeared images of the Sony HX20v and somewhat overdone processing of the TZ30, so images and colours are arguably more true, and it is almost impossible not to get a decent shot. It is also much nicer to handle than the HX20v and has an exquisite design that is not matched by any similar-sized camera apart from other TZs.
The zoom is very quiet and sensibly slowed down in video mode. Most zoom motors are too fast for tasteful video implementation, assuming you need to zoom at all while shooting video. The menu system is far better than the Sony HX20v and more intuitive. Panasonic/Lumix have always been good at this sort of thing. It very nearly matches the Sony's video quality though the Sony pulls ahead in low light. There is a lot of graining, as you would expect, with higher ISO settings but this can be overcome somewhat with a larger aperture, low ISO and slower shutter speed. The TZ25 also has excellent auto-combined images to overcome low light situations and this works well. Excellent macro photography is another plus.
Compared with the TZ30 the TZ25 is almost the same camera in other regards except for a slightly less powerful zoom, no GPS, and the display is not as good. But it's worth repeating yet again, for which I apologise, that the cheaper TZ25 pulls ahead on image quality, an aspect that is at the root of most users' requirements, though the differences are not that obvious at first sight.
No other camera in this category and at this price is easier to use, yet is possessed of a very impressive set of features if you want detailed control. You can literally point and shoot or you can customise nearly everything except video to get the results you wish for. Very few other cameras are such a pleasure to use, the Sony HX20v being probably a better camera overall but far less intuitive and having a rather prosaic design, and while the Sony's display is much higher resolution it completely washes out in bright sunlight.
The TZ25 is available in a range of colours and it is at the moment better value than either the TZ30 or many other cameras of its type. I'm told that the battery door issue is very rare and I could only find one other person online who had a similar problem, so it is unlikely to be a factor for the vast majority of users. Though I now use the Sony HX20v as my preferred point and shoot, there are aspects of the TZ25 I miss, the main one being that although not quite as good overall it is lot more pleasurable to hold and use. It's very light, very pocketable and just begs to be used at the slightest excuse. I think this will be regarded as a classic camera in years to come.
| Package dimensions | 15.6 x 13.8 x 6.8 centimetres |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.93 Pounds |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 10.5 x 3.3 x 5.8 centimetres |
| Item Weight | 208 Grams |
| Brand | Panasonic |
| Colour | Black |
| Continuous shooting speed | 10 fps |
| Has image stabilisation | Yes |
| ISO Range | 100-3200 |
| Max Focal Length | 68.8 Millimetres |
| Memory Slots Available | 1 |
| Min Focal Length | 4.3 Millimetres |
| Model year | 2012 |
| Part number | DMC-TZ25EB-K |
| Zoom Type | Optical Zoom |
| Lens Design | Zoom |
| Focus type | Auto Focus |
| Maximum shutter speed | 15 seconds |
| Effective still resolution | 12.1 MP |