Panasonic DMC LZ2 Review

The Panasonic DMC LZ2 offers something different. It is an easy to use point and shoot digital camera, but it has a much longer optical zoom lens than is normal for this type of camera. It has a 6x zoom as opposed to the standard 3x. Again unlike some other digital cameras with longer zoom lenses it retains its compact size and shape rather than looking more like a much larger, traditional SLR camera. The DMC LZ2 has five megapixels.

It is likely to appeal to anyone who is prepared to pay a extra to get a longer zoom lens, but would like to retain the simplicity of operation this camera offers.

Overall I was very pleased with the standard of the images I was able to produce with the DMC LZ2. There was only one image out of all my test shots where I was unable to achieve the level of quality I was looking for otherwise this looks to me to be a very good digital camera.

In my view the outstanding shots were the outdoor landscape style photos. The feature I liked the most about these pictures is the clarity and sharpness of each image. The definition in each of the shots is very good indeed. This is backed up by the colours. They show up as being strong without being overpowering. I would say each picture is a true reflection of the scene as it was when the photograph was taken.

The outdoor portrait picture was also pleasing. With this shot more than any other I take I am at the mercy of the lighting available at the time. The ones taken on summer evenings are more flattering and offer a warmer, more pleasant tone to each picture. Therefore considering the time of year this one was taken and looking at photos taken with other digital cameras at the same time this is a pleasing reasult and the DMC LZ2 is the best of the group.

The test for colour also comes out well. Again the colours show up strongly without being too vivid and starting to look unnatural.

The indoor test shot of bottles taken in more or less complete darkness proved to be a disappointment. In these extreme conditions I was unable to get the camera to focus properly and the result is a blurred image.

The indoor portrait is very well lit and sharply focused. In terms of the lighting and picture clarity it is one of the better attempts. The shot does suffer from a degree of red eye though. This is despite the fact the cameras red eye reduction setting was used on the flash.

The DMC LZ2 managed to take a single shot in 0.48 seconds. This time is slower than the average time, but fast when compared to other digital cameras with a five or six times optical zoom. It took 10.32 seconds to take five consecutive shots. This works out at a rate of one photo more or less every 2.06 seconds. This is an average time. I was able to get a slightly better response when I switched the camera into continuous shooting mode. In this mode I was able to take five photos in 8.98 seconds.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

The 6x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 37-222mm in 35mm format. This is supported by a 4x digital zoom function. The lens has aperture ranges of F2.8 / F5.6 (wide) and F4.5 / F9 (tele). Image stabilisation is built into the lens. This helps to combat any camera shake and helps to produce sharp, clear images. For close up photography the camera can focus from 5cms away from the subject.

For composing images, accessing the menu system and checking photos you have already taken there is a 2" LCD screen. The screen is made up of around 85,000 pixels. To help you line up a shot you can display gridlines on the screen to make sure everything is level. You can also display a histogram to help insure a good balance to you shot. The brightness of the LCD can be adjusted. This can be useful in lowlight situations and on bright sunny days. There is no viewfinder.

The built in flash unit has a maximum range of 4.2m. This drops down to around 2.6m when the zoom lens is fully extended. The flash modes available to you are automatic, red eye reduction, slow sync, always on and always off.

There are a few different shooting modes. These modes are quite similar in their operation with fairly subtle differences. The first mode is automatic. This allows you access to all the menu functions. Next is simple mode. In this mode the menu options available to you are reduced to a minimum. This is likely to help anyone who feels uncertain when faced by a full set of menu options. The third setting is economy. In this mode the camera attempts to conserve battery power. Its main method of doing this is by reducing the brightness of the LCD screen.

In addition there is also a selection of scene modes. For each scene mode the camera is able to work out the optimum settings it should use. This should lead to better pictures. All you need to do is select the most appropriate type of scene. There is also a short piece of text available to you explaining how each mode works and also giving you some shooting tips for some of the scenes. The available scenes are portrait, sports, scenery/landscape, night scenery, night portrait, fireworks, party and snow.

For when you would like to appear in the picture yourself there is a self timer. The delay can be set to either two or ten seconds. You can also add five seconds of audio commentary to a still image.

To add something different to a photo there are a few effects available. These let you shoot in black and white and sepia. Cool and warm settings are available too. Colours can be set to standard, natural and vivid.

Movies can be recorded at a resolution of 320x240 at a maximum speed of 30 frames per second. The duration of each movie is only limited by the capacity of the memory card. Although you can record sound with the movie there is no speaker on the camera itself. Therefore you can only hear the sound recording when the movie is played back on a computer or television set.

Among the more advanced features are intelligent multiple light metering, ISO sensitivity (auto, 80, 100, 200 and 400), white balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Halogen, White Set and White Balance Adjustment) and exposure compensation (1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV). Shutter speeds range between 8 and 1/2000 seconds. In simple shooting mode backlight compensation is also available.

Burst shooting and continuous shooting are available. For burst shooting you can take a maximum for three photos at a rate of three frames per second. When I tested this I must admit I was unable to get anywhere near taking three frames in a second. In continuous shooting mode the number of shots you can take is only limited by the space available on the memory card, but photos are captured at a slower speed than in burst mode.

Panasonic supplies all the necessary cables and software to connect the DMC LZ2 to a television set, computer and PictBridge compatible computer.

The DMC LZ2 is easy to use. Once you become familiar with the control dial that sits on the top of the camera it is very straightforward indeed. The back of the camera is relatively free of buttons. This should avoid any real confusion. The menu system is also easy to understand and is well designed. If you do get into any difficulties with the menu system then you can switch the camera to simple mode and the most basic of menus becomes available. All in all this camera is a good choice for anyone who is unsure about using digital cameras.

You can pick up a Panasonic DMC LZ2 for around £195. This compares to around £200 for a Pentax Optio SVi, £225 for a Olumpus C-55 and £125 for a Fuji Finepix S3500. It is very hard to find cameras to compare the DMC LZ2 against. Both the Olympus C-55 and the Pentax Optio SVi offer manual exposure controls, but a shorter optical zoom. The Fuji Finepix S3500 is a more basic model and is larger and more bulkier.

The DMC LZ2 looks like a typical compact digital camera. It is rectangular and is a shiny silver colour. It is also available in black. With dimensions of 100.5 x 63.5 x 32.9 mm it is on the large size to fit into a pocket, but at the same time it is not overly cumbersome. Its made out of plastic and weighs 178g.

Two AA batteries are required to run the camera. Panasonic estimates the DMC LZ2 should be able to take 235 photos with one set of batteries. Their tests are likely to have been carried out with the LCD screen off and without using the flash unit for any photos. Other factors such as shooting movies, reviewing images and accessing the menu system all have an impact on battery life as well.

The camera comes with 14mb of memory built in. Therefore no memory card is supplied. I was able to take six photos using the default settings before the internal memory was full. The camera is compatible with both SD cards and MMC memory. It is advisable to pick up a card with a high capacity to go with your camera.

Click here to save money on SD cards.

Ease of use
Outdoor picture quality
Longer optical zoom
Layout and design

No viewfinder

With a six times optical zoom lens in a compact body the Panasonic DMC LZ2 offers something different to other digital cameras. The quality of the outdoor photos is excellent and I was also struck by how easy it is to use the camera. If you are looking for a compact camera with a lens that can get you in that bit closer then this camera is well worth considering.

Panasonic DMC LZ2 Front View

Panasonic DMC LZ2 Back View

Panasonic DMC LZ2 Top View

Sample Menus

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Panasonic DMC LZ2