Customer Reviews:
 ZoomZoomZoom Good Buy August 19, 2008
J. Galanis (Easthampton, MA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After scouring the internet for reviews and comparisons on various digital cameras, I found myself purchasing the Panasonic Lumix TMC-TZ4K. I purchased this camera mostly because my prior digicam (Nikkon 7600) took AA batteries and they died constantly. For someone like me, this camera is perfect.
As far as point and shoot cameras go, this one is really top notch. At 8.1 megapixels, the shots come out crisp and clear. The intelligent autofocus mode can make even an amateur look like a fairly good photographer. For those of us who are not all that camera-savvy but are interested in learning, the TZ4 enables you to use manual mode and work the settings on your own.
The "scene" mode settings are pretty typical of most point and shoot cameras. One extra that I thought was interesting was the "starry sky" setting, which enables the user to use shutter speeds of 15, 30, and (i think) 45 seconds. In very low light settings this feature is excellent. It is also a neat setting if taking photos of a band in a dark basement.
The camera is very sturdy and just holding it you get a feel that you have a quality product.
The 10x zoom really is what sets this camera apart from any other point and shoot camera you can get today. The next highest zoom I found was only 5x. After having a camera with such a high zoom capacity I can't imagine going back to anything less.
Conclusion: For the amateur photographer who wants to have a chance to fiddle with a few settings, this camera is great. It shoots people very well as well as scenery (which are the two major functions I use it for). At $221, it isn't too heavy on the wallet for the quality of a point-and-shoot camera you are getting.
 it's a very beginer's camera August 17, 2008
I. Toufique
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
this is a camera for very beginers. if you are a occasional user, this is an OK camera for you. I took this thing to take pictures in a wedding, after taking 15-17 pictures, the unit started to hit up, flash was sucking up all the battery juice.
 Fantastic camera for novice or DSLR user alike August 13, 2008
B. Colonna (Somewhere in NJ)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is another great Panasonic camera. I own a couple of other Lumix models, the FZ20 and FZ50. I bought this as a lightweight option to those full-sized cameras. There are other smaller, less expensive cameras in this megapixel and price class.
My advice right off the bat is that this camera is an excellent choice. Don't be tempted by the more expensive TZ-5, unless you really need HD video capability in a still camera, and an extra megapixel.
At 8mp, this camera has plenty of capability to provide high quality shots at 8x10 or so. The lens is able to produce the equivalent of a 28mm focal length (wide-angle by conventional camera terms), and it has a best in class 10x optical zoom. Not digital, folks, 10x OPTICAL. That's like having a 28mm - 280mm lens on a traditional 35mm camera. Few competitors match that.
Like its bigger FZ brothers, the TZ4 features a lens made by renowned lens maker Leica.
The ISO speeds on this camera range from 100 to 1600, exceptional speed range for a compact digital. 80 ISO is very nice for minimizing "noise', but Panasonic's new Venus IV engine works wonders in that respect, and I really don't see a difference in noise between my other cameras at 80 or 100 ISO and this camera at 100 ISO.
The 2.5" LCD is very bright and easy on the eyes.
The TZ-4 also has "face detection". It has the ability to "find" faces in the exposure and select the best focus for the subject.
For a fairly small camera, this device is easy to operate, takes great shots, and is a wonderful "second camera" when you don't want to carry a lot of gear yet still produce high quality photos.
This camera works well for the novice, those who don't like gadgets or the young camera user! it also has enough flexibility to allow more experienced photographers to enjoy it.
I've taken a lot of shots with the TZ-4 and can't find much difference between the shots and my other Panasonics or my Nikon DSLR.
Summertime blues August 13, 2008
Ashley Gray (Vancouver)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was hoping I'd really like this camera. After all, a great lens and powerful zoom fitting in my pocket is very cool. Other reviews I'd read suggested this would be a great travel camera.
Unfortunately, I cannot agree. Without a viewfinder, the reflective lcd is virtually impossible to see on a bright day. In fact, with my prescription sunglasses, there was no image whatsoever. With them off, I could barely make out my shot, but with no definition. I did read the manual and adjusted the display for outdoors, but it still was very poor. Further, with the lcd operational, I couldn't get more then 70 shots on a battery charge.
I had a Canon before, and ended up going back to another. I didn't get the lense and zoom, but I sure feel I got a more thought out camera. Right from the manual (didn't need a magnifying glass to read it) to the auto focus, the Canon just seems to get it right more of the time.
v. good buy July 30, 2008
Fred (WA)
This was the best combination of price, quality build, zooming and Megapixels for me. High quality photos. Had to compromise for a little bulkiness; much heavier than I expected. I bought an 8GB SD card with it from Amazon- both at an awsome price; we recorded several short videos & took hunderds of 8MP pictures with ample memory space left on the card.. it was a good decision.. Highly recommended if you don't mind the extra bulk and weight (4 out of 5 due to that) compared to the slicker slimmer cameras with less features.
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