Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 8.1 Megapixel Compact Camera - Silver

Versatile, quality zoom camera

Strengths: Intelligent Auto works well, Great 10X lense, comfortable to hold, reasonable speed (for 10x zoom), & takes very good quality photos in a broad variety of situations.

Weakness: A little slow to focus at times, but not so as to be a problem (usually at the long end of the zoom, which is understandable). No major weaknesses!!

This is the most versatile camera I have owned (and I have owned film SLR's & point-and-shoot, and digital cameras of various sizes). The Intelligent Auto combines optical image stabilization, intelligent scene selector (knows when to choose macro vs. landscape vs. portrait, etc.), face detection, intelligent exposure, and intelligent ISO control. Nothing is flawless, but this camera saves a lot...
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This is the most versatile camera I have owned (and I have owned film SLR's & point-and-shoot, and digital cameras of various sizes). The Intelligent Auto combines optical image stabilization, intelligent scene selector (knows when to choose macro vs. landscape vs. portrait, etc.), face detection, intelligent exposure, and intelligent ISO control. Nothing is flawless, but this camera saves a lot of scene flipping and menu muddling and does most things well by itself. You can set limits on it so that the ISO doesn't go above what desired (such as 800).

I compared its photos to a Canon SD870 IS and the outdoor shots are very comparable, though this Panasonic compensates for shadows well and gives some detail in the dark areas. The Canon shots look sharp ourdoors and are tough to beat, but this camera does close to that well plus improves high contrast areas. Indoors the Panasonic wins (unless you're very close to the subject) because this handles light better and uses fill flash. So this is a good all round camera with a lot of options if desired. So far I find Ai quite rewarding.

Ergonomics are good and the flash as good as most small cameras, so I would not hesitate to buy this camera. The 10x zoom is very handy and you can use 15.9x at 3MP if desired.

By pammyyoha - Jun 20, 2008

great features!

Strengths: 10x optical zoom, different scene settings, comfortable grip

Weakness: Battery charger takes up two electrical outlets

I bought this solely for the purpose of using the 10x optical zoom for my Alaska cruise. Boy, I was very delighted and impressed with the quality of the pictures. The pictures I took of the mountains in Alaska were very detailed and beautiful. I liked the fact that you can quickly choose and save two "scene settings" for taking different pictures. I used mostly the scenic background and the burst...
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I bought this solely for the purpose of using the 10x optical zoom for my Alaska cruise. Boy, I was very delighted and impressed with the quality of the pictures. The pictures I took of the mountains in Alaska were very detailed and beautiful. I liked the fact that you can quickly choose and save two "scene settings" for taking different pictures. I used mostly the scenic background and the burst shots during my trip. The burst shot was very useful while in a moving car or ship.

The TZ5 model is a bit expensive, so I went with this one. I'm sure they share a lot of the same features, so why pay for that model?

I was expecting a dock/cradle to charge the camera, but the battery is placed into the charger. This took up at least 2 electrical outlets, which was probably a neg. for me.

Overall, I am very pleased with this camera for its features and its price. Best Buy and Circuit City were selling it for nearly $300! I would search around to get a feeling about its price range. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

By loophole; - Jun 2, 2008

Great camera

Strengths: 10X Zoom..... Large LCD....

Weakness: No view finder....

Only had it a week but so far I am very pleased.... I've used the automatic setting as well as the normal and both have produced nice clear pictures with good color....

By Jon; - May 28, 2008

Great Camera

Strengths: Scene Modes, Backup internal memory, Clean Interface, LCD Screen

Weakness: size

This camera is awesome! The zoom has surpassed all my expectations, having only a 4x, and 3x time zoom before, now I can never go back to a smaller one, I like the fact that it has a backup memory in the camera, I also love the fact that there are different modes and they are easy to understand and the best thing is they actually work! I’ve only tried 80% of them atm, but yes awesome camera,...
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This camera is awesome! The zoom has surpassed all my expectations, having only a 4x, and 3x time zoom before, now I can never go back to a smaller one, I like the fact that it has a backup memory in the camera, I also love the fact that there are different modes and they are easy to understand and the best thing is they actually work! I’ve only tried 80% of them atm, but yes awesome camera, only regret i have it is not as thin as my old cameras, but for the zoom is worth it just to have a case to carry along with it.

By relidtm - May 15, 2008

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4

TestSeek.com has collected 10 expert reviews for Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 and the average expert rating is 84 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use TestSeek.com to find all ratings, product awards and conclusions.
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By testseek.com - Jul 21, 2008