Review Date: May 3, 2011
Category: Beginner Amateur
Photoxels Silver Award – Compact Superzoom
IMAGE QUALITY
The Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 targets beginner photographers and features 14.1MP resolution (on a 1/2.33-inch MOS image sensor), a 16x ultra wide-angle optical zoom (24-384mm Equiv.135) lens, and a maximum aperture of F3.3(W)-F5.9(T).
We find the overall image quality of the Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 to be good to very good at ISO 100 with low noise and slight detail loss. Image quality is also good at ISO 200; at higher ISOs, images suffer from noise and loss of detail but you may be able to use them at small print sizes and for Web display.
| 16x Optical Zoom | |
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| Wide-angle 4.7mm (24mm, 35mm equivalent) |
Telephoto 68.8mm (384mm, 35mm equivalent) |
The Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 has a 16x ultra wide-angle optical zoom lens. In the above pictures, we show the coverage for 24mm and 384mm. We love the 24mm ultra wide-angle coverage that allows us to capture wide landscapes. Optical image stabilization helps reduce camera shake at the long focal lengths.
Macro can be as close as 3 cm (1.2 in.) at wide-angle, 100 cm (39.4 in.) at tele. AF is fast, works very well in good light and in low-light, with the help of the AF-assist illuminator.
There are three metering modes: Intelligent Multiple (Multi-Pattern), Center-weighted and Spot. Touch AF/AE allows you to touch the LCD screen to where you want the camera to focus and lock exposure.
| Auto White Balance Indoors | |
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| AWB | Custom WB |
As the above two pictures show, the Auto White Balance (AWB) is quite accurate indoors under artificial lighting [I have two energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs on the ceiling]. The Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 allows WB to be easily set manually and this brings out the real colors. AWB works very well in natural light.
| ISO Comparisons | |
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| ISO 100 | |
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| ISO 200 | ISO 400 |
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| ISO 800 | ISO 1600 |
The Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 has 5 ISO settings going from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The 100% crops above (area delimited by the white square) demonstrate the noise at the available ISO Speeds. At ISO 100, noise is under control but fine detail loss is slightly apparent. Noise starts to be visible at ISO 200 but is still acceptable. Images at higher ISOs are noisy with appreciable detail loss but may still be usable in small prints and for Web display.
CA is under control in everyday shots and is not much of a problem at all even in high contrast shots. The corner delimited by the red square at top left, and reproduced at 100% crop at bottom right, shows minimal purple fringing.
Our Long Shutter Speed test is a torture test for digital cameras. Here we test whether (and how well) a camera can lock focus, provide accurate WB and obtain a correct exposure in extreme low light situations. The ZS10 / TZ20 passes this test well: it focuses fast and precisely, and gets a correct exposure in Manual mode.
The Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 allows the use of a long shutter speed of up to 60 sec. in Manual mode which makes possible some nice night photography. Generally, with image sensors, noise becomes more prominent at long shutter speeds.
To test this noise reduction algorithm, we take an extreme low-light shot. I experiment a bit to obtain the optimum exposure, eventually settling on 60 sec. at F6.3. At this long shutter, we can see some noise at ISO 100.
We find the overall image quality of the Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 at ISO 100 to be good to very good. Viewed at 100% on screen, it is obvious that low noise has been achieved at the expense of fine detail. If you make normal-sized (4×6 in.) prints, you will probably find the images more than acceptable. It is those who want enlargements, the ability to crop or need the sharpest photos who might be disappointed. I would recommend the Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 for travel snapshots and for beginners who want a compact camera with an incredible lens reach and enough manual functions to allow them to learn and grow in photography.
View the Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 Photo Gallery [In the Photo Gallery, click on the picture of the camera to return here.]
Next: Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 Handling & Feel
