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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8
Digital Camera Review
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Model Design / Appearance (6)
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8 isn’t anything special to look at. It’s not super skinny, but could still fit into a pocket. Its plastic shell comes in silver or black colors, and the shiny silver ring around the lens adds a bit of spice. It’s no ugly duckling, but it won’t be named prom queen, either.
Size / Portability (5.5)
The LZ8 measures 2.44 x 3.84 x 1.31 inches and weighs slightly less than 5 ounces, so it’s not the tiniest of the tiny point-and-shoots. It’s still portable though, and the included wrist strap will enable users to dangle it from their wrists without strain.
Handling Ability (6.5)
Unlike some sleek and slippery point-and-shoots that are less than an inch thick, the LZ8 gives users a little more to hold onto. It’s still not the most convenient camera to shoot one-handed, but it’s more comfortable than most skinny point-and-shoots. The sloped portion of the front gives the right hand something to grip, allowing the right pointer finger to rest easily on the shutter button. Fingers won’t get in the way of the LZ8’s tiny built-in flash, either.
Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (5.5)
The buttons on the back of the LZ8 are small and feel cheap. We found it easier to press them with our fingernails, since distinguishing between buttons on small point-and-shoots like this one is often tricky. This is the case with the majority of tiny point-and-shoots, though, and the LZ8 certainly isn’t the worst we’ve tested. The multi-selector is effective: four buttons arranged in a circle around the central Menu/Set button. The mode dial could have been a little larger, but it spins a full 360 degrees, making it easier to get to modes on the opposite side of the mode dial. The shutter button is nice and large, and the zoom ring is well placed.
Menu (5.0)
Panasonic is known for its easy-to-use menu system. Menus are split into two colored tabs: red for the Recording menu, marked by a camera icon, and blue for the Setup menu, marked by a wrench icon. Options are more limited in the Auto mode, but it still keeps this tabbed format. The menu text is black on a white background and is large and easy to read. Most icons are easily discernible, although novice users may have a tough time deciphering the icons for metering, autofocus and LCD options.
Setup Menu |
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Battery Type |
Alkaline (LR6), Oxyride (ZR6) |
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Clock Set |
M/D/Y, D/M/Y, Y/M/D |
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World Time |
Set world time at home, destination |
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Monitor |
Adjust brightness +/- 3 |
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LCD Mode |
Off, Auto Power LCD, Power LCD, High Angle |
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Beep
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Beep Level (Off, Low, High), Beep Tone (1, 2, 3), Shutter Volume (Off, Low, High), Shutter Tone (1, 2, 3) |
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Volume |
1-6, Off |
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Guide Line |
Recording Info (On, Off), Pattern |
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Histogram |
On, Off |
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Travel Date |
Off, Set |
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Economy |
Power Save (Off, 2 min., 5 min., 10 min.), Auto LCD Off (Off, 15 sec., 30 sec.) |
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Auto Review |
Off, 1 sec., 2 sec., Hold, Zoom |
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No. Reset |
Yes, No |
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Reset Rec. Settings |
Yes, No |
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USB Mode |
Select on Connection, PictBridge (PTP), PC |
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Video Out |
NTSC, PAL |
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TV Aspect |
16:9, 4:3 |
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M/Ft |
Meters, Feet |
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Scene Menu |
Off, Auto |
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Dial Display |
Off, On |
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Format |
Yes, No |
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Language |
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese |
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Demo Mode |
Jitter, Subject Move Demo, Auto Demo |
Recording Menu
| Recording Menu |
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Picture Size |
8M, 5M, 3M, 2M, 0.3M |
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Quality |
High, Low |
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Aspect Ratio |
4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
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Intelligent ISO |
Off, ISO Max 400, ISO Max 800, ISO Max 1600 |
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ISO Sensitivity |
Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 |
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White Balance |
Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set |
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Metering Mode |
Evaluative, Center Weighted, Spot |
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Autofocus Mode |
Face Detection, 9-Area, 3-Area High-Speed, 1-Area High-Speed, 1-Area, Spot, |
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Quick Autofocus |
Off, On |
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Burst |
Off, On, Continuous |
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Digital Zoom |
Off, On |
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Color Effect |
Off, Black and White, Sepia, Cool, Warm |
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Picture Adjust |
Contrast (+/- 2), Sharpness (+/- 2), Saturation (+/- 2), Noise Reduction (+/- 2) |
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Stabilizer |
Off, Mode 1, Mode 2 |
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Minimum Shutter Speed |
1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, ¼, ½, 1 |
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AF Assist Lamp |
Off, On |
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Clock Set |
M/D/Y, D/M/Y, Y/M/D |
The Menus of the LZ8 provide plenty of controls, but they are not the easiest in the world to use. The recording menu in particular involves a lot of scrolling to get to certain options that may be used quite often (such as the white balance mode on the recording menu). Meanwhile, other options that are less frequently used (such as battery type on the setup menu) are right at the top of the menu tree.