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Note: This camera was first sold in Mar 2006. It has been replaced by the Panasonic TZ3.

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Panasonic Lumix TZ1

HQ Grade: C+

A	is outstanding and exceptional, rated in the top 10% of digital cameras.
B	means they are good, with some standout features.
C	means they are mediocre, and probably more trouble than they are worth.
D & F	mean they are absolutely awful or old. Avoid at all costs.

4 out of 5

"Best camera for traveller. Buy online."

4 out of 5

"great camera! do buy one!"

See rating based on 329 user reviews
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This camera is ranked

3rd of 32 in 5 Megapixel (#1 is Canon A460)
46th of 63 in Extended Zoom (#1 is Panasonic FZ35)
35th of 54 in Panasonic (#1 is Panasonic FZ35)
65th of 107 in $200 - $300 (#1 is Canon SD780 IS)
27th of 49 in $300 - $350 (#1 is Panasonic FZ35)

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Answered!

Steven (sgstyla) 18 pts

December 17, 2006 3:45 PM

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Huge doubt buying pentax T10 or Canon A540...

I`m going on a holiday to Egypt, so a lot of pictures are going to be taken. I don`t know much about digital camera`s... so maybe somebody could help me out !
There are just to many to choose from. (Maybe someone could give me an another good advise for an another camera other than the T10/A540)

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This question is also associated with Pentax T10, , Canon A630, Olympus Stylus 740, Canon A710 IS and Panasonic FX07.

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Ben Keough (DeadWolfBones) 10631 pts

December 18, 2006 10:23 PM

Hi Steven,

If you don't mind spending a few dollars more, the Canon A630 (8 megapixel) and A640 (10 megapixel) would be a better choice than either of these. They're similar in size but far more powerful and much better handling. They're pretty much crowd favorites around here, and you can't do much better in the compact digital range.

Good luck!

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Steven (sgstyla) 18 pts

December 20, 2006 10:46 AM

Thank you for answering Ben. I`ve checked them but they both need 4x AA.... I don`t find this very convenient. Today i went to the store to check some other ones.... The olympus MJU740 what is your opinion about this one ?

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Ben Keough (DeadWolfBones) 10631 pts

December 20, 2006 12:14 PM

Steven,

The Olympus 740 is really a pretty mediocre camera. It has issues with glare on the LCD screen, which makes taking pictures very difficult outdoors, and its build quality and picture quality are only so-so.

Just out of curiosity, why are you anti-AA batteries? Most people find them incredibly convenient, as you can buy NiMH AA rechargeables, which have a longer life than most kinds of batteries, and can be recharged up to 1000 times in their lifetime. I use them in my Canon S2 IS and get about 450 pictures out of each charge. You can get 4 AA rechargeables and a rapid charger for ~$15, and if for some reason you don't have the NiMH batteries around, you can always sub in alkalines in a pinch. Can't do that with a proprietary battery pack.

Let me know if this doesn't change your mind and I'll try and point out a few good cameras similar in price/features to the ones we've already talked about, that have battery packs.

Good luck!

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Steven (sgstyla) 18 pts

December 20, 2006 1:11 PM

Ey Ben,

First of all thanks for helping me out ! Because it seems to get more confusing everytime i'm reading reviews, go to sellingpoints and other stuff....
I`m not anti AA-batts but I think 4 is a lot, kinda need 8 then to back yourself up on a trip. A camera with two AA's is the limit for me.
my Cam facts: - Good pictures (night and day) ofcourse....
- about $270 max
- 6 or more Mp
- prefer SD card
- Easy to handle
- min. 3x optical zoom

This should be it...

I hope you can name a few good cameras....

I want to buy one tonight on the internet, because Ã¬'m leaving pretty soon :)

Steve

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Ben Keough (DeadWolfBones) 10631 pts

December 20, 2006 2:25 PM

Steven,

I feel you on the 4 batteries thing. There's a reason for the 4 instead of 2, though--much longer battery life. ;)

Ok... within your specs...

First of all, there's the Canon A710 IS. It's very nearly as good as the A630 and A640, and has some extra features those cameras don't have--optical image stabilization being the most important of these. It's got a very nice 7.1MP sensor, can shoot in 16:9 widescreen, has a great 6x optical zoom, and does use a SD card. It uses 2 AA batteries. As you might have determined by this point I'm a fairly staunch Canon supporter, but I assure you it's solely due to my admiration of their image quality. This one is very slightly out of your price range (~$300), but I believe it's worth the extra cash.

Another you might want to consider is the Panasonic FX07. It's equipped with a 7.2MP sensor, a 3.6x optically stabilized zoom, uses SD cards, and it uses a LiIon rechargeable battery. Users seem to like it a lot, and the only difference between it and the more expensive FX50 is a slightly smaller LCD screen (2.5" to the FX50's 3.0").

Finally, there's the Panasonic TZ1, which has a 5MP sensor (below your spec, I know) but a great 10x optical zoom in a very compact package. It also uses SD cards and a LiIon battery and has the same optical image stabilization as the FX07. Some pro reviewers have complained about high image noise even at low ISO settings, but most users seem quite pleased with the camera.

These are the only three I really feel comfortable recommending under your specifications. I think you'd be happy with any of them, but my pick is the A710 IS.

Hope this helps you make a choice. :)

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Steven (sgstyla) 18 pts

December 20, 2006 2:50 PM

Ben,

In the meantime I was checking a site, which gave a good summery.
The panasonics score was good !
I think it`s going to be this one, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7, FX 07 or A710 IS :)
Can I ask for your last opinion please ?
Hahhahah you are definately going make a serious point now...
After this... i'm buying the piece of S*#T ;)

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Ben Keough (DeadWolfBones) 10631 pts

December 20, 2006 3:08 PM

Yo Steven,

Ok... between those three, if you're prepared to spend the money it's really between the FZ7 and the A710 IS.

The FZ7 is of a different class than the A710 IS and the FX07--it's quite a bit larger and heavier (about twice as heavy, actually), and this might factor into your choice if you have a problem with carrying the camera somewhere other than your pocket (i.e., a camera bag).

It is, however, a very powerful camera, with a nice 12x stabilized zoom (twice that of the A710, three or four times that of the FX07) and a good 6MP sensor. Panasonic has had some complaints in general regarding high image noise and excessive noise reduction (which smears away some fine detail in an effort to get rid of graininess), but users seem to not have nearly as much trouble with this as pro reviewers do. But hey, it's their business to scrutinize everything, right?

The A710 IS is not an ultracompact, but it's small enough to fit in your average jeans pocket. Its lens is top quality, and while its 6x zoom isn't a match for the 12x of the FZ7, it's still quite impressive. Canon's image stabilization is as good as or better than Panasonic's, and their image quality is quite frankly second to none.

Honestly, my gut is still leaning toward the A710 IS, though its feature set doesn't match the FZ7's. If the longer zoom matters to you, and if you can deal with the larger size, the FZ7 may be a better choice for you. If not, I'd definitely go for the A710.

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Steven (sgstyla) 18 pts

December 20, 2006 3:13 PM

OK ! You made a point here.... Thanks for helping me out and probably a lot more people too !

Continue what you`re doing, A +

Steve

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Ben Keough (DeadWolfBones) 10631 pts

December 20, 2006 3:16 PM

No problem. Hope whichever one you choose works out for you. Let us know how it goes!

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Steven (sgstyla) 18 pts

December 21, 2006 8:02 AM

The A710 IS has been ordered, I`ll definately share my experiences after my holiday !

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Val 0 pts

February 17, 2007 4:55 AM

Hi ! I was actually just looking at those cameras myself ! I was wondering how it went with the canon (Steven !) and Ben, is there any other cameras that came out since that could be added to the list ?
Thanks heaps
Val

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Rich Watson (Richio) 5683 pts

February 17, 2007 6:05 AM

Hi Val,

Not to beat a dead horse, but the A540 DOES have 6MP, not bad. And now the new A550 has 7.1MP, just like the A710.

I have the A710, I looked at the A630-640 and the S3. These last three were a bit bulky when I went to Best Buy to try them out. I was spoiled by the compact A520, and the A710 is just slightly bigger.

When people camera-shop, I don't think that they realize that the longer the optical zoom, the thicker the camera. It's strictly a matter of physics.

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Val 0 pts

February 17, 2007 7:10 AM

Hi Richio !
I was actually more thinking about a bigger zoom, aka the Panasonic DMC FZ7 ; we've tried to work out which one would be the best between this one, the Sony DSC H2, and the Olympus SP 500. My heart goes to the FZ7 :) but i am open to any other hint !!

Thanks for the help :)
Val

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Rich Watson (Richio) 5683 pts

February 17, 2007 7:39 AM

Hi Val,

Tip: Sony uses memory sticks (yuk!) and Olympus uses Xd memory, correct? The most popular, hence economical---memory cards are SD. (Panasonic uses SD). So the SD will probably be the standard for a long time. If you buy another camera in 2-3 years, you would most likely be able to use your current (SD) memory cards.

Rich

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Steven (sgstyla) 18 pts

February 18, 2007 7:41 AM

Hi Val,

I`m actually very happy with my canon a710s ! I`ve made 350 pictures on my holiday and they`ve been shot on the highest conditions on a 1gb SD card. Egypt came out very clear and almost fake (positive thing !) on the pictures. You can see all details and stuff when zooming the pictures on your pc. I think it`s worth the money ! The only thing which could be a turning point for your decision is the durability caused by the 2x AA.
You have to make sure the AA`s you`re using are strong because the camera uses a lot of energy. But on the other hand, 2x AA is always handy because you can always buy them practically in every store (just in case). To back up Richio, SD is definately the easiest way to use and to have with an eye on future buyings !!!

Steve

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Rich Watson (Richio) 5683 pts

February 18, 2007 9:19 AM

Hi Steve,

Thanks for getting back to the crowd. Glad to hear your A710 is working great.

However, it sounds like you are buying alkaline AA batteries!! You should run, not walk, to pick up NiMH batteries somewhere. (See Ben's second comment.) Once you go NiMH, you won't ever go back.

Check out http://www.thomas-distributing.com/index.htm for nice package deals on batts and chargers.

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Val 0 pts

February 18, 2007 4:06 PM

Hello guys !
We opted for the panasonic, it has been ordered, that and a 2GB card. The only thing that I feared was the lack of battery time as this model have one of its own and not AAs 'that you can buy anywhere', so we bought a pack of 2 extra batteries with it !! (Should I say we want to go to Europe for 2 months to explain why we bought extra mem and batt ???) Steve, just be aware that you have different qualities of rechargeable AAs and that the 2500mAh are WAY better than the smaller ones. ;)

Thanks again for the help and we'll tell you how it turned out as soon as we get the whole lot and we have time to try it !!

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Steven (sgstyla) 18 pts

February 21, 2007 2:03 PM

Hahahaha.... I think I have the good batteries but not the best charger ;) It's an old one.... the batteries are 3200mAh NI-MH. Val Good luck with the Panasonic. Hope the camera will provide your wishes. Where in Europe are you heading too ? I`m from Holland, maybe you`ll need some tips ?!

StevoOo...

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Rich Watson (Richio) 5683 pts

February 21, 2007 3:56 PM

Who made the 3200 mAh? I mean, the brand? I haven't seen any that large.

One problem with rechargeables is that the charger is soooo 20th century. The new chargers analyze the condition of the batteries with sophisticated electronics, and adjust the current as needed. Then, when the batteries are 'full up' these new chargers will apply a little current every 10 seconds or so, to keep the batteries fully charged.

You can buy a battery kit (batts + charger) at your local discount store, but that will probably come with mediocre batteries (like 2000 mAh, or less!) and a charger that sucks. Spend $50 and get a nice setup. Check out http://www.thomas-distributing.com/index.htm for great batteries and chargers. (No, I don't work there, no, I am not the owner's bro, etc.)

I bought their charger---Maha C204W 18 months ago. Best money I spent in a long, long time. This charger does AA's, AAA's, has a 're-conditioning' button, has a top-off routine, works internationally on voltages from 100 to 240 automatically, will charge up to 4 batteries 'in pairs'---which means that 2 batteries can be in the charger indefinitely, while YOU ADD two depleted batteries which then start charging with a different program, etc.

Defines STATE OF THE ART

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Val 0 pts

February 21, 2007 7:27 PM

Hihi :o) No thanks Steven, I am from France (and Switzerland) myself... Should be better to visit our friends first before they kill us (it's been 4 years we are in Australia, and they've never seen the 2 kids we got since) !! Thanks Richio for the tip about the battery charger. We have an old camera that takes AAs, we may purchase one !!

Val

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WiccaMan (NZ) 0 pts

February 22, 2007 2:22 PM

Well I knew nothing about cameras when I got mine. The only things I knew were
1 - Need 4 Batteries - rechargable
2 - Don't even look at the digital zoom figures - Only consider the optical zoom
3 - What type/size card was in use (prefer SD/1gig myself)
4 - Main Stream manufacturer

Result - Canon Powershot S3 IS - - Got it in November and over 6000 shots later I still think its the best thing since beer and pretzels.

Cheers Jon
The Happy Amateur from New Zealand

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grace 0 pts

March 25, 2007 2:13 AM

well after reading all of your comments i am confused as to where to go from here. I was nearly sold on the panasonic fx07 till now. The main features that i am concerned with are macro lens, i photograph lots of small gemstones and need crispness and acurate color. I also want a fast burst feature as i always seem to miss the shots with my now very outdated canon A300. But i am traveller and on the road heaps so i need small and convenient. I am going to look up this canon a710 now but after how my a300 deteriorated after a few years i am a bit skeptical. I want a good price, but can spend a bit more if all these features are top notch of one. If anyone can recommend something for me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
grace

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Tracey 0 pts

March 25, 2007 10:37 PM

Help! Going on vacation and looking for a great compact easy to use camera. Was told the Casio EX Z75 was the best but also looked at some Canons. Now confused. Want great pictures of grandbaby, mountains etc. Have a Canon Powershot S2 IS but have never liked it. I don't really know much and just like to point and shoot. The Canon I have always seems to blur pictures exp if baby moves etc. So need easier but like quality and small size so I can take easily on trips. Can anyone help?
Thanks! Tracey

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Huge doubt buying pentax T10 or Canon A540...

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