I bought myself an early Christmas present, and didn’t have to wait until the 25th to unwrap it. Always keen to expand my digital camera collection, I have currently been trying to find small cameras that I can carry around easily when I am out walking with Ollie.
Not long ago, I bought a second-hand Panasonic LX100 that fits nicely into a coat pocket. I have been pleased with it so far, so explored the range further. I found an immaculate used Panasonic TZ70 silver version, advertised as boxed with all accessories and instructions. The price was around a third of what it cost new in late 2015-2016. It arrived this morning, and is in first-class condition, as promised. In fact, it shows no signs of use whatsoever.
As well as a rear screen, it also has an electronic viewfinder, albeit a very small one.
The control ring on the front can be set to perform an operation of choice, whether to change aperture, white balance, or exposure compensation. As you can see, it does lack the range of knobs and dials that I usually prefer, but there is a reason for that.
It is VERY small!
It is actually small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, and is barely half the size of my Oppo smartphone. The downside of this is that some of the controls and buttons are fiddly to use, even with my small hands. It came with a dedicated wrist strap that doesn’t even fit over my wrist.
Yes, we are talking small!
However, this diminuitive digital camera launched in 2015 has two huge selling points. Like the LX100, the lens is manufactured by Leica. Unlike the LX100, it packs a massive 30 times zoom into the small body, offering a range from 24mm-720mm. (Equivalent) The compromise for this is the sensor, which is only a modest 1/2.3, the same as the one on my Fuji X30.
To help with the very long telephoto range five-axis stabilisation is built in, and as well as most features you might expect from a modern digital camera, it can also shoot video in 4K resolution. Add numerous effects filters, a tiny built-in flash, various focusing and exposure modes, and Panasonic really threw everything into such a small package.
Once I have charged it up and adjusted the settings, I will take some photos and let you know what I think of it in use.
I’ll have a look locally and see what’s available second hand. Thanks for this post, Pete.
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No problem, Robbie. I bought mine from a camera shop in England, but there are many the same on Ebay.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Nice!! You deserve it 🙂 xxx
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Thanks, Em. Good to see you! XXX
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🙂 xxx
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I’d leica Panasonic camera like that.
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PUN MANIA! You have been ‘resting’ for too long, David! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Congratulations, Pete! Leica is always preferable. Keep on to investigate the surroundings of Beetley. xx Michael
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I will do, once the light is better. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you in advance, Pete! But dont hurry, nothing will leave the North. 😉 Have a nice rest of the evening! xx Michael
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Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Merry Christmas, Pete! can’t wait to see pictures from your new present! 🙂
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Thanks, Wilma. The weather has been dark and wet since the camera arrived, I think I will wait until the light improves. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I got a few presents yesterday when my in-laws arrived. You and ( do have parallel lives!
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We have always known that, GP. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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😄
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I used to have a camera like this, but now I find the photos from my iPhone come out much clearer. I never use digital cameras now.
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I only use my phone sometimes for video, and i bought a special clamp handle for that.. I find it fiddly to hold, and prefer a viewfinder to looking at a screen. But I know that most social media photos are taken on phones, probably the majority of them. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Merry Christmas to you! Have fun and I look forward to your future pictures, my friend.
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Thank you, dear Cindy.
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Never been so bored . .
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I’m sure you must have been, Ro. Just think harder… x
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I’ll give it some time but nothing’s coming up at the moment . . xx
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Oh, hang on, I remember waiting for the ceiling to dry after a coat of Dulux white mist emulsion . .
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That’s the one! 🙂
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Looks promising. Warmest regards, Theo
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I is tiny to have such a zoom range. The apertures are a little limited of course, (3.3-8) but time will tell if the results are satisfactory.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Wonderful, Pete! Thanks for the review! I just bought a Lumix FZ300 based on a number of blogger’s recommendations, when it seemed like my Sony RX10 was failing earlier this year. I tried it for the first time yesterday and already love it, though I still have much to learn. I bought it for the longer zoom and as a backup to my RX10. I’ll look into the LX100 for my next pocket size camera! I love that it also has a long zoom!
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Thanks, Susanne. This has a huge zoom, compared to the LX100’s 75mm. And it is one third of the size of that camera, in every dimension.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oops. I got lost in the fine print! 😉 I meant the one you just got, the TZ70!
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What fun!
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I have charged it up, and it seems to be working well. I just need to adjust all the settings, get some good light, and I will be taking photos. One downside is that the tiny size does make it tricky to hold, but the lens appears to be sharp, so I am happy so far, given the price.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Sounds like a result
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Cant’ wait to see the pics Pete. I bought myself an early Christmas gift too, a pair of red pumps for Christmas, I should have held out for something more useful! Ho, ho, ho, C
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Red shoes might make you feel good, so that’s useful in itself. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete. x
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What an amazing camera. How do they manage to get such a huge zoom range?
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They make sacrifices with the maximum and minimum apertures, and use a smaller sensor. But it’s a useful range nonetheless, and has most apertures I need for everyday photography. I have other cameras with larger maximum and minimum apertures if I need them, David. This new one is ideal for carrying around in a pocket, especially as it is a lot smaller than a smartphone. (Though thicker of course.)
Best wishes, Pete.
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That is super! Can’t wait to see the photography!
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Thanks, Pejj. Once I have set it up, and the light is good enough, I will be posting some photos.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Love it! Well I just put my ambition out there! LOL New blog about Shibui, Free will and my plans. LOL It seems my mind is ready to go back to work!!!!
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I like the sound of this but can’t justify yet another camera! 🤣 look forward to your pictures.
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It was the smallest one I could find with a viewfinder. Very small to hold though. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I just bought myself a new old film camera for next years project.. 🙂
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I bought a Canon T90 film camera a while back. But I haven’t used it, as it’s mainly just ‘to have it’. 🙂
(I have a lot of film cameras stored in the loft. Some go back to the late 1920s. I couldn’t be bothered to fiddle with roll film and developing, but they are lovely to look at. Or were, when I had them on display!)
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I have the same camera but I am not sufficiently knowledgeable to get the best out of it. I wanted a stronger zoom so I got another camera and that is the one I mostly use as going back and frth with 2 cameras is more confusion than I can deal with. I think I must go back to the Lumix for a bit as I do like it.
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Interesting to hear you have this camera too, Carolyn. I don’t know anyone else who has it.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I look forward to seeing the photos!!
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Me too. Thanks, Liz.
Best wishes, Pete.
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You’re welcome, Pete.
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Looks nice! I’ve been considering replacing my little Canon PowerShot A4000 at some point. This one might be a possibility.
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You can still find them brand new online here, Jeanne. They range from £235-£260, depending on the dealer.
Best wishes, Pete.
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What a find! To be able to do video, have a long lens and so small, can’t wait to see how it performs!
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Thanks, John. It’s a lot in a very small camera, so I am hoping it all comes together.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Congratulations! Great camera. The features look a bit like those of my Nikon A1000, but the Nikon seems to be somewhat bigger. It still fits into my pockets, though. I just got myself an remote for it, plus a flexible arm with a suction cup to mount it on the inside of our truck’s windshield. I hipe I can take videos with it now while driving. That is something I really wanted to do on many of our travels. I did some on our last one, but it wasn’t easy to even hold my cell phone with outstretched arms for a longer time. I’m really curious if that arrangement will work.
Have a great Sunday,
Pit
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I bought my wife a charging mount for her smartphone, and that can be twisted round to use as a dash cam. (She never used it though… 🙂 )
Best wishes, Pete.
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The problem, as I see it, will be reflexions from the windshield and all the dead insects on it. I’ll have to see hoe it turns out.
Have a great weekend,
Pit
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Wow nice one, cool present 👌😁
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Presents to yourself are always fun, Daphny. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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They definitely are the best ones 😁😊
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The OH still uses the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ40 (2013) and it is a great little camera.
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Good to hear that it’s a good camera, Jude. That was one of the forerunners of this of course.
Best wishes, Pete.
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My daughter has one as well and she loves it chuq
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Good to hear. Thanks, chuq.
Best wishes, Pete.
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