Overview
The Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ10 is an excellent choice for holidaymakers and tourists. It has 12 megapixels and a 12x wide angle zoom lens packed into a relatively small body. When shooting at lower resolutions you can increase the zoom available up to a maximum of 23.4x. This introduces even more flexibility to the camera.
Other features squeezed into the Lumix DMC TZ10 include manual exposure controls, High Definition movies and a GPS function. In travel mode this records where and when a photo was taken. Stereo sound can be captured when shooting movies.
When it comes to picture quality the Lumix DMC TZ10 is one of the best in class. I was very impressed by the sharpness of the shots it offers. This camera has plenty of strengths and very few weaknesses.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
12
12x
3 inches
103.3 x 59.6 x 32.6 mm?
196g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
3cm
Yes
Yes
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD / SDHC / SDXC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
I really like my outdoor scenic shots. The Lumix DMC TZ10 scores well in all my tests and the camera does not appear to have any obvious weaknesses. The lens is capable of letting in plenty of light to produce bright, colourful pictures.
One of the most impressive areas for me is the sharpness of the shots. Running the camera through various different amounts of zoom seems to make little difference. The camera performs well with the lens zoomed all the way out, all the way in and at points in between. I was also pleased to see very little sharpness was lost as you moved away from the centre of each shot. You should be able to make some large sized prints with images produced by the Lumix DMC TZ10.
Contrast in each scene was handled well and detail in shady areas compares well with other compact cameras.
Portraits
As with other Panasonic digital cameras the Lumix DMC TZ10 is able to produce a portrait shot with a warm glow to the colours. As I have stated elsewhere I think this is a test where Panasonic outperforms rival brands. The shot is also sharply focused.
Moving indoors this is another area where I can see the Lumix DMC TZ10 is a step up in terms of picture quality from cheaper compact digital cameras. The picture taken with flash has just the right amount of lighting. The lighting is controlled sufficiently to ensure colour is retained in the shot.
Likewise with flash turned off the camera is still able to show a high amount of definition in the photo. It is also able to control noise and keep this to a minimum.
Macro, Colours and Noise
You should be able to produce good quality macro shots with the Lumix DMC TZ10. Photographing a reflective object I had a problem with the large silver lens unit reflecting back in the picture, but this will not be a problem with most macro subjects. The level of definition produced is impressive.
To my eye Panasonic have toned down the colours their cameras produce over the last three years. Even so the Lumix DMC TZ10 is capable of packing a real punch, as demonstrated in the second outdoor portrait shot. This camera certainly produces more vivid photos than most digital cameras.
I thought the camera coped well with noise levels. As is always the case darker areas in a scene will always cause a problem, but this camera copes as well, if not better, than most models.
Summary
It is difficult to find fault with the Lumix DMC TZ10 when it comes to picture quality. It does a good all round job. For a camera this size it will be hard to find anything much better.
Style
Although the Lumix DMC TZ10 is not really small enough to slip into a pocket it is still a compact size. On the front is a small raised area to help you take a good grip of the camera while taking a picture. It is available in black, silver, blue and red.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.37 seconds
8.39 seconds
0.54 seconds
16.99 seconds
3.03 seconds
Ease of Use
It is not surprising that with the number of features on offer it will take a little time to work out this camera in order to get the most from it.
Points I Like
Picture quality - Features - High Definition movies - Handy Size _GPS positioning
Where it Could Improve
Small internal memory
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Panasonic DMC TZ10 Review Panasonic DMC TZ10 Specification Panasonic DMC TZ10 Sample Images Panasonic DMC TZ10 Features Fuji Finepix F80EXR vs Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ10 Panasonic DMC TZ10 vs Fuji Finepix F300exr
Review Date
May 2010
