Choosing a digital camera - Lumix TZ7/TZ10 etc?

tvout · 28-08-2010, 23:58

Hi all,
I've recently 'upgraded from a Nokia N95 to HTC Wildfire and miss having such a great camera as the N95 but thought I might as well get a proper camera with decent zoom...
Through several recommendations I'm thinking of one of the Lumix TZ series but a lot of the tech spec is confusing...
I'm thinking the TZ7 has the major better feature with the HD video quality but my Dad mentioned his Lumix has an issue where sound breaks up when zooming?
Is there much improvement from the TZ7 to TZ8 or TZ10 or is the TZ7 a really good camera?
I'm looking at the refurbs on a certain auction site which are between £150-200 as opposed to paying nearly £500 in a camera shop...
Many thanks in advance for any advice...

jonbxx · 01-09-2010, 09:10

I have a TZ7 bought for £200 from Amazon in April and I love it! The picture quality is stunning and I think a lot of that is down to the lens. Having the wide angle and 12x zoom is really handy too. I have to admit I haven't tried to zoom while recording movies.

The only thing I'm not so keen on is having to charge the battery out of the camera - you can't charge using USB.

haydnwalker · 01-09-2010, 09:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonbxx

The only thing I'm not so keen on is having to charge the battery out of the camera - you can't charge using USB.

I haven't known any camera around that allows you to charge via USB

It would take AGES

---------- Post added at 09:27 ---------- Previous post was at 09:25 ----------

A colleague of mine at work bought a TZ7 and its AMAZING! I guess it depends on the types of shots you're taking, but it certainly has good low-light shooting, and can be very close to a subject and still focus. Also the wide angle is brilliant (better than my olympus compact and as good as my Digital SLR with 18-55mm Lens)

jonbxx · 01-09-2010, 09:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by haydnwalker

I haven't known any camera around that allows you to charge via USB

It would take AGES

Maybe I was spoilt with my previous camera, a Casio

haydnwalker · 01-09-2010, 09:46

Oh right, we had a casio before the olympus and ours couldn't

maybe we were cheap-skates then

Osem · 01-09-2010, 10:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvout

Hi all,
I've recently 'upgraded from a Nokia N95 to HTC Wildfire and miss having such a great camera as the N95 but thought I might as well get a proper camera with decent zoom...
Through several recommendations I'm thinking of one of the Lumix TZ series but a lot of the tech spec is confusing...
I'm thinking the TZ7 has the major better feature with the HD video quality but my Dad mentioned his Lumix has an issue where sound breaks up when zooming?
Is there much improvement from the TZ7 to TZ8 or TZ10 or is the TZ7 a really good camera?
I'm looking at the refurbs on a certain auction site which are between £150-200 as opposed to paying nearly £500 in a camera shop...
Many thanks in advance for any advice...

I have a Panasonic TZ3 and it's a very good compact camera with a great lens but all cameras involve compromises. In its case, there are cameras with better zooms and extra feaures but very few can be carried around in a pocket so my TZ3 allows me to get pictures I'd never have got with a bigger camera simply because I tend to carry it around all the time. I've recently also bought a Sony DMC HX1 which I'm delighted with but again with these devices now offering so many possibilities, some compromises are inevitable. My advice would be to do what I did - have a good look around sites like DPReview for information, reviews and, most importantly, user feedback in the forums. Getting the right camera is about understanding what features really matter to you and being prepared to accept compromises in areas which are less important to you. These factors are often subjective and rather than just technical specifications, e.g. zoom, pixel count etc. it's what's actually achieveable with the camera that really matters.

tvout · 01-09-2010, 12:09

Hi all, many thanks for all the replies and info. I think its pretty much confirmed I'm going to go for the tz7 now.

Osem · 01-09-2010, 12:58

If you haven't done so already have a look at this:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q209grouplongzoom/

The ZS3 (TZ7) fares very well but, as you'd expect, is better at some things than others.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q210...oom/page24.asp

In this group test the TZ8 and TZ10 don't appear to come out quite as well against the competition.

The important thing is getting a camera which suits your actual needs.

Pauls9 · 01-09-2010, 14:00

There are a number of sites that help you choose the best camera for your needs. A few:

http://www.selectsmart.com/camera/
http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/digita...a-selector.cfm
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Photography-...F8&node=560834

tvout · 01-09-2010, 23:03

Many thanks for all the links, checking the reviews I think I'd still be happy with the TZ7, especially for the price it's now available at.