New Camera Test: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 and Sony T900

If the two compact digital cameras we're looking at today have one thing in common, it's that they're both extremely well-built.  Apart from that, they display radically different characteristics: the Panasonic TZ6 has one of the best (and biggest) zooms around, while the Sony T900, with its touch-screen interface, is ultra-compact.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 is a more basic version of the excellent TZ7, with an emphasis more clearly on photography rather than a mixture of photo and video.  720p HD video is not an option here, and neither is stereo sound recording.  The multi-aspect sensor has also disappeeared--the widest angle, 25 mm, is only available in 4/3 ratio--and the screen is less advanced.  However, it's a lot cheaper than the TZ7 and could be a great camera for anybody who doesn't the bigger camera's more expensive features.

The Sony Cyber-Shot T900 is a tiny camera, measuring just 16 mm thick.  You can't work miracles inside such a small amount of space, so you'll have to make do with a 4x zoom and no real wide-angle lens.  What you lose in features you gain in style, with the VGA resolution 3'' screen being a particularly attractive addition.  LIke the TZ7, the T900 films in HD with stereo sound.

> Product Survey: Compact Digital Cameras 2009