Panasonic Lumix TZ30 and TZ25: A Triumphant Return?

Looking for a compact camera with a powerful zoom? A few years ago, the simple answer to that question would have been 'buy a Panasonic TZ camera'. But Panasonic seemed to get a little complacent, as Sony, Canon and Fujifilm worked hard to improve their lenses, upgrade screen quality and switch to BSI CMOS sensors while Panasonic's TZ cameras stood frozen in time ... or even took a step backwards. The TZ20, the flagship superzoom compact from 2011, couldn't match 2010's TZ10 on sensitivity. Plus, in 2011, Sony's HX9V, Canon's SX230 HS and Fuji's F550 EXR all performed better than the TZ20. Even Olympus' more modest SZ-30 MR managed to take better-quality pictures indoors, and would have outshone the Panasonic if it had come with a decent LCD!

Panasonic therefore needed to take drastic action, a bit like with the FZ150. The result of that shake-up is the new Lumix TZ30, which doesn't have much in common with its predecessor, the TZ20.

The TZ30 uses a new 14-Megapixel 'high sensitivity' MOS sensor, which is almost certainly a BSI CMOS even though it's not stated officially. It also has a new 24-480 mm lens, which although only opens to f/6.4 at the longest focal length, brings Panasonic back in line with the now commonplace 18x lenses seen elsewhere. Another key new addition is 1080p video at 50 frames per second (the TZ20 sticking to just 25 fps).

There hasn't been much change to the camera body, however. The screen still has a 460,000-dot definition and selected touch-controls for choosing a subject to focus on or for navigating though the menus, for example. The GPS has been upgraded a little, however, with a pre-loaded map and over a million points of interest.

All in all, the TZ30 looks better equipped to fight off the competition that last year's model.



As usual, Panasonic will be releasing a lower-spec TZ compact alongside the TZ30. The Lumix TZ25 has the same basic design as the TZ30, but with no touchscreen or GPS. It uses the 12-Megapixel MOS sensor already seen in the likes of the FZ150 and only films HD video in an interlaced format at 50 fields per second or in progressive scan at 25 frames per second.

One surprising difference between the two models, however, is that the TZ25 uses the same 24-184 mm lens seen in the TZ20. We can therefore expect the TZ25 to be a pretty interesting camera, as this lens gave excellent results, particularly at long focal lengths. What's more, the FZ150 scored five stars for picture quality thanks to its sensor's excellent noise control.

In fact, given that it's likely to sell with a more reasonable price tag than the TZ30, Panasonic's TZ25 could shape up to be one of this year's best buys. We're already looking forward to testing both models!

> Digital Camera Reviews: Choose the Best Compact Camera



> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products