Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10K 10MP with the the LZ10’s 30mm wide-angle lens, you can capture larger group photos or more expansive scenic shots.
To provide digital photographers with added creative elements and performance, the LZ10 sports manual control over aperture and shutter speed, thanks to the camera’s newly-adopted iris. When shooting manually, you can choose from three modes: A-aperture priority, S-shutter speed priority and M-manual and enjoy added control and creativity normally reserved for higher end models. Also new to the LZ10 is Advanced Scene Mode — a feature that gives you manual control using some of the frequently-used scene modes: Portrait, Sports, Landscape and Night portrait.
While in Advanced Scene Mode, when selecting the Portrait or Sports mode, the consumer is then presented with additional settings, with the option of choosing outdoor or indoor. When selecting Landscape mode, there are options to specify if the shot is nature or architecture. For budding photographers who desire even more artistic freedom, they can choose Creative mode, which adds more manual controls over an aperture or a shutter speed.
With both a 30mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens and a 5x zoom, this is one camera that does it all. You can fit more in the photo than you can with a 35mm lens, so you can get more of a sweeping landscape in a single shot. The 5x zoom is great for capturing dramatic shots of small or distant subjects. There’s also an Extra Optical Zoom function that boosts zoom power to 8.9x in 3-megapixel resolution mode. Simply set the LZ10 to iA mode and let the camera do the rest. Intelligent Scene Selector chooses the mode that best fits the situation; MEGA Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) helps prevent blurring from hand-shake; Intelligent ISO Control helps prevent motion blur; and Face Detection helps produce clear portraits by optimizing the focus and exposure settings. The brightness and contrast of the large 2.5″ diagonal LCD adjust automatically in 10 steps as ambient light conditions change, so images are clear, bright and easy to see day or night, indoors or outdoors. f=5.2-26mm (35mm Equiv. – 30-150mm) Focal Length 2.5 Diagonal Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display (230K dots) Focusing Area Normal – Wide 50cm/ Tele 100cm – infinity, Macro / Intelligent AUTO – Wide 5cm / Tele 100cm – infinity 8 – 1/2,000 sec. Starry Sky Mode – 15, 30, 60sec. Shutter Speed Auto / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 (High Sensitivity Mode – Auto(1600 – 6400) ) ISO 27MB Internal Memory (additional memory recommended to store more photos and video) Built-in Microphone and Speaker SD/SDHC, MultiMedia Card Slot Built-in Flash with Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced Off modes DC Input, AV Output (NTSC/PAL), USB Connections PictBridge Compatible Approximate Battery Life – 260 Shots (Oxide Batteries) Approximate Unit Weight – 0.33 lbs.
Helpful consumer’s review
I want to start off by saying I am a loyal Canon shooter. I own both film and digital SLRs and love them very much. When I needed a digital point and shoot to carry with me whenever carrying the DSLR was impractical, I saved my pennies and bought a G9. The G9 is a fantastic point and shoot which I highly recommend.
So why am I writing a review for the Panasonic DMC-LZ10? Well, about a week ago, I dropped my G9 and the lens was stuck in the open position. I have to send it in to Canon for repair. In the interim, however, I didn’t want to be without a digital point and shoot. I also didn’t want to spend a boat-load of money. My first instinct was to get another Canon. I tried several of the lower-cost versions, in particular the A590Is. It’s a fine camera, and I liked the IQ enough (but not as much as my G9). I didn’t like the feel of it in my hand or the fact that it felt a bit flimsy. So I began to look around…and at other brands.
