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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 compact camera

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By George Cole (via reghardware.co.uk)

Review Panasonic’s DMC-TZ6 could be considered the little brother or, if you want to be a little less charitable, a stripped-down version of the DMC-TZ7 we looked at in August. Both models are super-zoom compacts or Travel-cams, designed for the person who wants a big optical zoom in a pocket-sized Camera. The DMC-TZ6 is around £60 cheaper than the DMC-TZ7, but does it show in the results?

Lighter on features and on price: Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-TZ6

On the face of it, there’s relatively little to choose between the DMC-TZ6 and DMC-TZ7, with both offering 10.1Mp performance and a 12x optical zoom courtesy of a 4.1-49.2mm f/3.3-4.9 Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens, providing the equivalent range of 25-300mm on a 35mm. They both measure 103.3 x 59.6 x 32.8 mm and weigh around 230g with a lithium-ion battery and an SD/SDHC card.

Each has around 40MB of internal memory and they share the same normal shutter speed range of 8-1/2000sec. They include AF tracking, which allows you to lock onto a moving subject without half-depressing the shutter button. Their normal ISO range operates between 80 and1600, and there’s a high sensitivity setting offering ISO 1600-6400. Both models are supplied with Panasonic’s PhotofunStudio, plus Arcsoft’s Panorama Maker and Media Impression software.

However, the most obvious difference is that the DMC-TZ7 offers HD movie recording (in both AVCHD and MJPEG formats) at 30fps, whereas the DMC-TZ6 provides WVGA, VGA and QVGA-resolution MJPEG movies at 30fps. The DMC-TZ6 uses a smaller 1/2.5-inch image chip and utilises a Venus Engine IV image processor whereas the DMC-TZ7 has a Venus Engine HD dual processor.

Both cameras offer Face Detection technology, but the DMC-TZ7 also includes Face Recognition technology. The DMC-TZ6 has a 2.7in LCD screen composed of 230,000 dots while the DMC-TZ7 sports a 3in screen with 460,000 dots. So, if anyone tells you the DMC-TZ6 is simply the DMC-TZ7 without HD video, think again.

Finger trouble: the Mode dial could be more robust

When it comes to handling however, both share the same irritating mode dial which has a flimsy locking mechanism and slides around like a wet bar of soap. The result is that it’s very easy to inadvertently move it out of position and get a “Mode Dial is not in proper position” warning message on the LCD screen – or find you’ve taken a short movie clip and not the single shot you intended.

The shooting modes comprise of Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto, which does everything bar recommend the shooting angle, and Normal mode, which is another name for auto mode. There are 27 scene modes, including Panorama, Movie mode, Clipboard (for storing graphics and text), plus a single My Scene mode. This lets you store your favourite scene mode, but it’s rather superfluous, as using the Scene mode control is no hassle.

No optical viewfinder so the LCD panel has to be relied upon, which is less than ideal in bright sunlight

Sadly, there is no optical viewfinder, which is useful on any Camera offering a long zoom. It would have been especially useful on the DMC-TZ6, as the LCD screen is hard to view in bright sunlight. The menu system is pretty simple to use, although in some modes, it does mean scrolling through multiple screens.

Thankfully, a Q (Quick) menu system makes it easy to alter parameters such as ISO, white balance and drive mode. If you like a fair bit of manual control on your Camera, then the DMC-TZ6 is not for you, as there is no manual aperture or shutter control. You can use the exposure compensation control and select from three long exposure times (15, 30 and 60 sec) in Starry Sky mode, but that’s about it.

This Camera resembles a teenager being forced out of the bed in the morning: it’s a rather sluggish starter. We found that power-on to first shot took around four seconds – twice as long as the DMC-TZ7 we looked at. The main problem seems to be the AF system, which takes a while to lock onto subjects. As both cameras use the same optics and basically the same electronics apart from the image processor, it’s hard to explain the difference, although sample variations can sometimes produce unexpected results. On a happier note, the battery is said to offer 320 frames before needing a recharge, using the CIPA standard, and we shot more than 290 frames and still had juice to spare.

Also available in black

Picture quality in most shooting conditions was very good, especially in terms of resolution, contrast, exposure and colour saturation. The high quality lens means that chromatic aberration is not a big issue. With the Camera using a smaller CCD, we did expect noise to be an issue but, provided you shoot at ISO 400 or less, noise levels are low.

Sample Shots

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Close-up
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Wide-angle

Tele-photo
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Panorama
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Panorama
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15-second exposure

30-second exposure

60-second exposure

ISO 100
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ISO 200
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ISO 400
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ISO 800
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ISO 1600
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Users will appreciate the ability to shoot both wide angle and long-range shots with one zoom lens, and the versatility of the DMC-TZ6 makes it fun to use. The DMC-TZ6 offers a range of continuous shooting modes, including 2.5fps when shooting at the highest resolution, although this is limited to three frames. Using the Hi-Speed Burst (HSB) mode you can shoot at speeds of up to 10fps, but file size is reduced to 3MP. Unless you’re looking for good quality prints, this isn’t a problem, and HSB lets you to shoot up to 100 frames.

Manual control freaks are likely to be frustrated by the various mode restrictions

Optical image stabilisation is provided by a Mega OIS system, and this does a good job in keeping hand-held shots steady, especially when shooting at the extreme zoom setting. The panoramic mode lets you grab a wider view (albeit with some distortion) and produced some interesting results, although alas, you can’t check your results at the scene, as there is no in-Camera stitching.

There are several options for low-light shooting and all produce variable results. The Night Scenery mode can extend the shutter speed up to 8sec, but the results we got were disappointing, and the shutter speed stubbornly remained at 0.8sec for a series for shots taken with the DMC-TZ6 mounted on a tripod. The relatively short exposure time meant that resulting images were badly underexposed and there is no way of manually adjusting the Night Scenery settings.

The High Sensitivity mode bumps the ISO speed between 1600-6400 and, once again, the Camera decides on all the settings. In our night shot, the DMC-TZ6 shot at ISO 6400 in High Sens mode, and the results were poor, with high levels of noise giving the impression that you were looking at a snow fall through frosted glass. The Starry Sky mode produced better results, but even here, it’s a bit hit-and-miss, as you are restricted to the three preset exposure times. video quality is not HD, but it is was fine for capturing short clips.

Verdict The DMC-TZ6 offers a good mix of features, apart from its limited manual control. So, if you’re quite happy for your Camera to make most of the shooting settings for you, then this model will deliver the goods under most shooting conditions. If you want HD movies and a few extras, then it’s worth shelling out a bit more the DMC-TZ7. But if you’re simply looking for a big zoom inside a small(ish) Camera and aren’t too fussed about high quality video, then save yourself a few quid and opt for the DMC-TZ6.

Lots of automation, a fair sprinkling of features and a good overall performance, but no HD movie recording.

Suggested Price: £230

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