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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ18 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £230
inc VAT

Builds on its excellent predecessor with more of everything, but the competition has caught up.

Specifications

1/2.33in 14.1-megapixel sensor, 16.0x zoom (24-384mm equivalent), 210g

http://www.askdirect.co.uk
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Automatic exposures were extremely reliable, with the camera picking the best shutter and ISO speed combinations to make the most of the available light. However, there was no getting away from this sensor’s noisy output. Even at iso 100, noise reduction gave details a slightly plastic appearance, as you can see here (click image to enlarge).

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ18 sample 1

In addition, high-contrast lines and darker block colours were a little grubby. At faster ISO speeds, noise reduction obliterated fine details, but most photos looked OK when resized to fit a computer monitor. 720p videos are saved in the capacity-hogging Motion JPEG format and clips are limited to eight minutes, but quality was excellent and the zoom and autofocus motors didn’t spoil the soundtrack.

With the TZ8 currently available for £174 from Amazon, and the aging but more upmarket Panasonic Lumix TZ10 at £206, it’s hard to currently recommend the TZ18 with its modest improvements over the TZ8. The competition is better than ever, too, such as the Canon Ixus 1000 HS. The TZ18 is a dependable camera, though, and its superb lens keeps it in the running.

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Basic Specifications

Rating ****
CCD effective megapixels 14.1 megapixels
CCD size 1/2.33in
Viewfinder none
Viewfinder magnification, coverage N/A
LCD screen size 3.0in
LCD screen resolution 230,000 pixels
Articulated screen No
Live view Yes
Optical zoom 16.0x
Zoom 35mm equivalent 24-384mm
Image stabilisation optical, lens based
Maximum image resolution 4,320×3,240
Maximum movie resolution 1280×720
Movie frame rate at max quality 30fps
File formats JPEG; QuickTime (M-JPEG)

Physical

Memory slot SDXC
Mermory supplied 70MB internal
Battery type Li-ion
Battery Life (tested) 340 shots
Connectivity USB, AV
HDMI output resolution N/A
Body material plastic
Lens mount N/A
Focal length multiplier N/A
Kit lens model name N/A
Accessories USB and AV cables
Weight 210g
Size 58x105x33mm

Buying Information

Warranty one-year RTB
Price £230
Supplier http://www.askdirect.co.uk
Details www.panasonic.co.uk

Camera Controls

Exposure modes program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed 60 to 1/4,000 seconds
Aperture range f/3.3-6/3 (wide), f/4.9-6.3 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution) 80 to 1600
Exposure compensation +/-2 EV
White balance auto, 4 presets, manual
Additional image controls i.Exposure, Intelligent Resolution, Color Mode
Manual focus No
Closest macro focus 3cm
Auto-focus modes multi, centre, spot, face detect, tracking
Metering modes multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect
Flash auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, red-eye reduction
Drive modes single, continuous, self-timer

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