The TZ4 ... the not so bad little sibling! (Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4)

Member Name: razza321

Product:	Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4
Date:	07/03/09 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Price, ease of use

Disadvantages: Lack of HD video

Having found that the TZ5 that i had fallen in love with, was no longer being sold, and with my father needing a camera, I decided to give the TZ4 a go. I have to admit that initially I had no intention in buying the camera, with the HD video option on my TZ5 the major reason I bought and recommended the camera to my dad, but beggar's can't be choosers. I was able to pick up the TZ4 at £135 from Dixons Tax Free at the airport, which is considerably cheaper than the TZ5, and with the only major differences being the loss of 1MP on the CCD sensor, and the lack of HD video, one may argue that it represents good value for money.

The contents of the box are standard - with the camera coming with a hand strap. I must admit that the look and the feel of the camera r fantastic. Whilst not as compact as say the sony T series, given its 10x zoom lens, it is remarkably small. It also has a fantastic 3inch screen, which offers 3 different view options, that can be changed according to the light intensity. The battery is also very light, and offers very good life, which are 2 major pros. It must be said that it does lack a manual finder, but I personally was not particularly bothered by this.

The camera is very easy to use, and I think the option to quickly flick between 2 preset settings such as portrait and scenery, as well as having a manual and intelligent auto mode, was a good move. My dad being a bit of a technophobe, took a bit of time to get used to the settings on the manual option, but after a few hours, it became almost second nature.

The image quality is very good, and my dad has recently taken to using this camera to take passport photos, which have come out very well.

Overall a fantastic little camera, and given the release of TZ6, there is bound to be a massive price slash soon.

Summary: Overall a good, well priced camera, that is a decent alternative to the TZ5

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