Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 Review

Click on the Lumix TZ4 to take a 360° tour

The 8.1-megapixel TZ4, joins the TZ5 in Panasonic's TZ series offerings for 2008. These models pack a 28mm wide-angle, 10X optical zoom Leica DC lens in a compact design, ideal for the active user needing a versatile camera. By combining a 28mm wide-angle lens with the 10x optical zoom - consumers are empowered to take expanded shots, both wide and far. Adding to these feature-rich digital cameras, Panasonic also expands its Intelligent Auto technologies with new Intelligent Exposure and Digital Red-eye Correction. The TZ4 also has the ability to take 1920 x 1080 pixel High Definition-ready photos that perfectly fit a wide-screen (16:9) HDTV. Also, with the newly added HD component output capability, users can also connect the TZ models to an HDTV and watch a slideshow complete with mood appropriate music.

Also new to the TZ4 and the TZ5 is the Venus Engine IV, Panasonic's new high-performance image processing LSI. The Venus Engine IV produces higher-quality pictures than its predecessor, the Venus Engine III, by using a more advanced signal processing system. The new Venus Engine IV also improves noise reduction, elevates the detection accuracy and corrective effects in both MEGA O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO and reduces the shutter release time lag. Both models also incorporate Intelligent LCD, which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level of the LCD in 11 fine steps, to offer optimal clarity in any situation, whether dark or light; indoors or outdoors. With a newly developed 460,000-dot high resolution in the TZ5's 3.0-inch LCD and 230,000-dot in the TZ4's 2.5-inch LCD, photos can be easily viewed on the display, regardless of the shooting environment.

With the addition of Intelligent Exposure and Digital Red-eye Correction, Panasonic's Advanced Intelligent Auto mode consists of seven intuitive technologies, all which are specifically designed to help make photo-taking an enjoyable and seamless process unnoticed by the consumer - helping them to take clear photos. When in Advanced Intelligent Auto mode, the following technologies all operate automatically; the consumer does not need to change any settings:

• Intelligent Exposure - With this new feature, photos will no longer be under- or over-exposed. Instead, the TZ5 and TZ4, instantly analyze the framed image and adjusts the brightness in areas that are too dark because of dim lighting, backlighting or the use of the flash. The camera will automatically adjust the brightness accordingly.
• Digital Red-eye Correction*- This feature helps to eliminate the red-eye problem that sometimes results when taking flash shots at the night. Incorporated into the built-in flash, the camera emits a small preliminary flash before the main flash, detects red-eye and will digitally correct it.
• MEGA O.I.S. - Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent hand-shake from creating a blurry image.
• Intelligent ISO - With Intelligent ISO, the TZ4 and TZ5 can determine if the photo subject is moving and change the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly, thus giving a blur-free photo.
• Intelligent Scene Selector - Intelligent Scene Selector senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode. This intuitive technology, helps the consumer use the most common scene modes that are built into the camera, but often go unused, without making any manual adjustments.
• Face Detection - Panasonic's Face Detection detects faces anywhere in the frame and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear and crisp. Detecting up to 15 faces, Panasonic's Face Detection can even track a face if the subject is moving.
• Continuous AF - The Continuous AF (auto focus) system maintains focus on the subject even without pressing a shutter button halfway, thus minimizing the AF time.

Major DMC-TZ4 Features:

• 8.1-megapixel effective CCD for images up to 3264x2448 pixels
• Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens 10x "Wide" optical zoom, covering 28-280mm (35mm equivalent)
• MEGA O.I.S. (Optical image stabilization) system
• Intelligent Exposure and Digital Red-eye Correction
• 9-point AF system with focus-assist lamp
• 2.5-inch TFT color monitor with (230k pixels)
• Program AE, Macro, Intelligent AUTO + 21 scene modes
• Burst (3fps @ 8M; 10fps @ 2M) and AE bracketing capture modes
• 640x480/320x240 (4:3) or 848x480 (16:9) QuickTime movies, 30fps or 10fps with audio
• Shutter speeds from 1/2000 to 8 seconds
• Built-in flash with auto, fill, slow synchro and red-eye reduction modes
• TTL Auto White Balance, 5 presets and custom set
• 27MB of internal memory plus SD/SDHC/MMC memory card slot
• Optional DMW-MCTZ5 Underwater "Marine" Case
• Plug-n-Play USB, Mass Storage compliant
• PictBridge Direct-Print compatible
• Powered by a 3.7v 1000mAh Lithium-ion Battery Pack

The Lumix DMC-TZ4 is available now in black or silver finish with a suggested retail price of US$299.95, and ships with Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Battery Carrying Case, AV & USB Cables, Strap, CD-ROM.