Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1

Viewfinder
Optical viewfinders are fast becoming obsolete on point-and-shoot-styled digital cameras, as evidenced by its omission on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1. Instead, the TZ1 uses the LCD screen for composition and image review. This is what most consumers want anyway. It has a big-screen view and 100 percent coverage of what is recorded – things that a small optical viewfinder just can’t deliver.

LCD Screen
The Panasonic TZ1 is equipped with a 2.5-inch polycrystalline TFT LCD screen that has 207,000 pixels. Its 100 percent view of the frame makes it a worthy replacement of a viewfinder, although it does have some viewing angle issues. The screen can be viewed horizontally at almost any angle, but the vertical view is awful. To fix this, Panasonic included a High Angle LCD mode that can be selected via its designated button. When the High Angle mode is selected, the screen is washed out when viewed straight on but can be viewed vertically and horizontally – but still not at a very wide angle. Panasonic claims that the TZ1 is the world’s first digital camera with the High Angle LCD mode. While that is true, other compact models offer better viewing angles without the push of a special button. Pushing the LCD Mode button also accesses the Power LCD mode, which brightens the image by 40 percent for better viewing in direct sunlight.

Flash
The built-in flash is skinny and placed far from wandering fingers, which is nice. When the right side of the multi-selector is pushed, the following modes are available: auto, auto with red-eye reduction, slow sync with red-eye reduction, on and off. In many cameras, users have to dig through menus to access the red-eye reduction function, so it’s a plus that the red-eye reduction modes are easily accessible and located with the rest of the flash modes. The Panasonic TZ1 fires two slow and distinctive flashes in the slow sync with red-eye reduction mode. Overall, the coverage looks fairly even. The TZ1’s flash can reach from 0.98-12.14 ft. at the widest focal length and 3.28-7.87 ft. in telephoto with the automatic ISO setting. When the High Sensitivity mode is enabled, the flash is effective at a much longer distance: 2.62-18.7 ft in wide and 3.28-12.14 ft in telephoto. Overall, the range is average at best and a bit disappointing for a camera that flaunts its focal range.

Zoom Lens
Perhaps the most marketable aspect of the Panasonic TZ1, other than its size, is its 10x optical zoom lens that extends from 5.2-52 mm or an equivalent 35-350 mm. This is quite a lot of zoom for a relatively skinny camera. Panasonic claims that this is the longest zoom to come on such a thin model. The Leica DC Vario Elmarit lens uses folded optics to fit its 12 elements, 10 groups, and 3 aspherical lenses in the diminutive camera body. The lens does extend from the camera body when powered on, but is still quite small considering its 10x zoom. The camera offers an "extended zoom" feature that works similarly to Sony’s Smart Zoom function. The TZ1 uses the entire 1/2.5-inch CCD to "zoom" in on a subject; this is only available at a reduced resolution of 3 megapixels or less.

The lens is supported by Panasonic’s MEGA optical image stabilization, which has two modes. The first mode operates continuously and the second mode only stabilizes the image when the shutter release button is pushed; the latter mode saves a little more battery power. The image stabilization modes can be selected with the button atop the camera. Near it is the zoom switch, which surrounds the shutter release button. The switch isn’t incredibly sensitive and the lens itself moves rather strangely. For instance, no matter what pressure is applied the lens moves slowly at first, then speeds up rapidly toward the middle of the zoom range. We’ll see if this issue is unique to the pre-production model we’re looking at or if it is consistent with all production models of the TZ1. Despite all this movement, the Leica lens on the TZ1 is quiet.