Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 ( 18.9 MP,30 x Optical Zoom,3 -inch LCD )

Product Information

Video can be recorded at up to 1920×1080-pixel full HD at 50i or 50p. The optical zoom can be used while recording and there’s OIS stabilisation for steadier handheld video. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 / ZS40 review – Our verdict So what does a range of 24-720mm let you capture? Above are two photos taken from the same position with the TZ80 / ZS60 using each end of the zoom range, illustrating the range at your disposal – at one moment capturing a wide field before getting very close to distant details the next. It’s extremely flexible, and while you need to take care for camera shake at the long end, especially with the much reduced aperture, the stabilisation is excellent and there’s the option to use the viewfinder for even greater stability. The Lumix TZ60 / ZS40 inherits the built-in GPS receiver of its predecessor, which allows it to record location and time details for each image and store them in the standard EXIF header. These can then be cross-referenced by a built-in database of landmarks to display location information; you can of course also use the location details to plot your position on mapping software on your computer later.

In your hands the new model looks and feels larger, but to be fair we should now be comparing it against other 30x zooms. Sony’s Cyber-shot HX60V measures 108x64x38.3mm and 272g including battery, while Canon’s PowerShot SX700 HS measures 113x66x34.8mm and weighs 269g including battery. This makes all three 30x travel zoom rivals very similar in size and weight, although both the Panasonic and the Canon are thinner than the Sony. The viewfinder is housed in the top left corner of the body when viewed from the rear. There’s no automatic eye detection, so you need to manually switch between it and the screen using an LVF button to the side of it. Transferring via the USB cable provided in your kit will probably be the easiest choice for most. Almost all computers these days have USB ports, with exception to some of the more recent Apple Macbook Pro's, the reason for which most of us are still dumbfounded. First, you'll need to find where the connection port is on your camera. At low ISO sensitivities, the dynamic range of the TZ60 is very impressive. At ISO 100, the TZ60 was able to capture a total of 12.3EV of light, which is a very high score, although it drops to just 7.4EV at ISO 1600. For high-contrast landscapes, the TZ60’s range is noticeably better than in many cameras with a similar sensor. Also, a good amount of detail is kept in shadows and highlights, which can be brought out in post-processing. However, as the metering prioritises midtones, it can cause a loss of highlight detail, particularly in skies. The dynamic range can therefore be maximised by setting -0.6EV compensation and lightening the shadows in post-production. The addition of an EVF and raw shooting really transform the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 from a mere travel camera to one that deserves to be taken more seriously. Even the style of the DMC-TZ60 has a premium feel to it, and it will no doubt prove to be very attractive to a number of different types of users.On the upside, the TZ60 / ZS40, like its predecessor and the Sony HX60V, recharges its battery in-camera over USB. I realize people are divided over in-camera USB charging versus mains charging in a separate unit, but I’m definitely a supporter of the former, especially for a point-and-shoot camera. This is not a higher-end DSLR or mirrorless camera where many people carry a spare and prefer to keep their camera operational while a battery is charging. On a point-and-shoot camera, most people only ever have one battery and simply want to top-it-up as easily as possible. With a mains charger you need to remember to take the unit with you on trips and find a mains outlet to plug it into. With in-camera USB charging, all you need is the cable then you can simply connect it to a laptop, a portable battery, an in-car adapter, or any USB mains adapter you probably already have with you for another device, such as a phone or tablet. I love being able to topup the charge while I’m driving between locations without needing any special kit, and have also recharged on buses, planes or other vehicles equipped with USB ports. I’m also a big fan of portable USB batteries which can top-up a USB-powered device like the TZ60 / ZS40 wherever you may be; I use an Anker Astro Mini battery which is also perfect for topping-up a phone or tablet that’s flagging. Ultimately I believe USB charging is definitely the preferred solution for a camera that’s designed for travel. The Lumix TZ80 / ZS60 has 1080p HD movie modes at 25 and 50 frames per second in PAL regions and 30 and 60 fps in NTSC regions. It also supports 4k UHD video at 25 or 30fps along with Panasonic’s 4k Photo mode – a fun way of exploiting the fact 4k video captures an 8 Megapixel image up to 30 times a second. The clever part is Panasonic equips its 4k Photo cameras with menus that let you easily capture bursts of video before scrolling through the footage and extracting the perfect frame as a JPEG image, all in-camera. You could of course frame grab from video externally, but Panasonic has made it easy to perform the whole process in-camera. Gordon’s gone into more detail about 4K Photo in his Lumix GX8 review and I’ve demonstrated it later in the review, along with the Post Focus feature. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 is slightly bigger and heavier than the previous TZ40 model that it replaces, bit it does now offer a longer 30x zoom lens (the TZ40 had a 20x lens) and also a built-in electronic viewfinder. The 30x lens is equivalent to 24-720mm on a 35mm camera, which provides an incredibly versatile focal range that will cover every subject from ultra-wide angle landscapes to close-up action shots. Even when set to 720mm, the lens doesn't extend too far from the front of the TZ60, making it look to all intents and purposes like a "normal" compact camera. This helps to make the DMC-TZ60 great for candid moments, as people assume that you're using just a standard point and shoot with a much more limited range. So the TZ60 / ZS40 performed almost identically to its predecessor in continuous shooting, delivering the quoted burst sizes, often at slightly faster speeds. What’s different this time round is support for RAW, so I retested the 5 and 10fps modes with this quality setting. At 10fps, I grabbed four RAW frames in 0.31 seconds, corresponding to a speed of 12.9fps, while at 5fps I grabbed four frames again, this time in 0.72 seconds, corresponding to a speed of 5.6fps. So again the speeds slightly exceeded the specifications, but in each case shooting in RAW meant capturing four rather than six frames.

So in terms of screen composition, the TZ60 / ZS40 is very similar to its two main rivals, with the same size display and resolution. But there is a very important difference between them when it comes to an alternative means of composition. The Lumix TZ60 / ZS40 is the only one to squeeze in an electronic viewfinder, impressively without resulting in a body that’s noticeably bigger. With manual focus enabled on the TZ60 / ZS40 you can use the front control ring to adjust the focusing distance, which is also indicated by a curved graphical scale on-screen. Meanwhile the rear thumb wheel can adjust the magnified view between five and ten times, and if focus peaking is enabled the areas in focus will be surrounded by a highlight. Peaking is a welcome new feature on the TZ60 / ZS40 over its predecessor, but for me worked best when viewing the entire image rather than a magnified view.Numerically the Lumix TZ60 / ZS40 is the successor to last year’s TZ40 / ZS30, although Panasonic has made a number of key changes that make it a significantly different camera. But in the year since it was released, the TZ40 / ZS30 has fallen considerably in price to become a relative bargain, and in some respects a more attractive option than the newer TZ55 / ZS35 depending on which features you rate highest. The remote control feature is really neat, showing a live image on your phone or tablet’s screen and allowing you to take a photo or start or stop a video. You can drag a slider to zoom the motorised lens and even tap anywhere on the live image to set the focus to that area or directly take the shot – giving the TZ60 / ZS40 the touch-screen capabilities it always deserved. If the camera’s mode dial is set to Aperture or Shutter Priority, you can remotely adjust the aperture or shutter speed respectively, and in Manual you can change both.

Like the Lumix TZ40 / ZS30, LF1 and G6 before it, I was very fond of the Wifi capabilities of the Lumix TZ60 / ZS40. I enjoyed browsing through a day’s shoot on the larger screen of a tablet and once connected it was a doddle to select original images to copy over for closer examination or sharing. The remote control facility was also fun and genuinely useful, although the range could vary significantly depending on surroundings and interference. Panasonic Lumix TZ60 / ZS40 GPS Which brings me to price. In North America there can be as much as 25% difference between the HX50V and the ZS40. The difference is smaller when comparing the newer HX60V against the TZ60, but the fact is the Panasonic is more expensive. Like the Canon SX700 HS above, it’s a case of working out if you’re willing to pay the extra for the viewfinder, RAW support, GPS landmark database and superior Wifi remote control. If not, then the Sony cameras can save you some outlay, especially if you’re happy with the older HX50V. Panasonic says it has made great improvements to the autofocus in the TZ60. It claims that the AF at the 720mm (equivalent) end of the lens is as fast as that at the 420mm (equivalent) end on the TZ40, which is reassuring. Fitted with a UHS-3 card and set to AFS, I fired-off 45 Large Fine JPEGs in High mode in 4.18 seconds before it began to stutter. This corresponds to a speed of 10.76fps. Set to RAW, I captured 13 frames in 1.23 seconds for a speed of 10.57fps before the camera stopped shooting. Both essentially confirm the top speed, but if you want to shoot a burst of longer than around a second you’ll need to make do with JPEGs. On the old model, you could display your position (and those of your photos) on a crude-looking on-screen map, but it was a far less rich experience and presentation than using online maps on your phone, plus you had to pre-load maps for your region from the supplied DVD onto the camera. It was fun, but pretty redundant and I didn’t miss it on the TZ60 / ZS40. Remember you can still easily make a GPS log with the camera, set the recording interval and the total duration, then export it as a KML file for use on mapping software – or of course simply read the GPS co-ordinates embedded in the images. Panasonic Lumix TZ60 / ZS40 movie modeAbove: Lumix TZ80 / ZS60 Post Focus, Aperture Priority, 1/160, f6.1, 200 ISO, -2/3EV 101.7mm (567mm equivalent) The battery used by the TZ60 is rated to 300 shots. However, there is no standalone battery charger included, so the camera is frustratingly out of use while the battery is charging. Spare batteries are advisable. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 review – Metering The TZ80 / ZS60’s combined battery and card compartment is accessed via a door in the base – note it’s not possible to change the card or battery when the camera is mounted on a tripod. The BLG10E battery provides enough power on a full charge for 320 shots using the screen exclusively or 280 shots with the EVF so, in practice, probably somewhere between the two. That’s a little better than the 250 shots you’ll get with the Canon PowerShot SX720 HS, but the SX720 HS’s Eco energy saving mode extends that to a more generous 355 shots. One feature I found useful was the focus-peaking mode, which highlights any edges that are in focus or which are nearing their optimum point. The base of the lens acts as a focus ring in manual mode, and when engaged, MF assist helps with focusing by showing a 5x or 10x enlargement. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 review – Noise, resolution and sensitivity

Alternatively if you’re browsing your images on the camera and you see one you’d like to share, just tap the camera against your NFC phone or tablet and it will automatically establish a temporary network and copy the original over; the entire process again takes about 20 seconds. This is a brilliant feature and makes it easy to share or store your images.In the absence of a touch-screen, it’s also the new key differentiator between the TZ60 / ZS40 and its rivals, and one that even I’d admit is preferable. Neither the HX60V nor SX700 HS have built-in viewfinders, and while the Sony can accommodate a considerably nicer one as an optional accessory using its hotshoe, it is a large and expensive option which I suspect most owners won’t bother with. The key benefit of the viewfinder on the TZ60 / ZS40 is it’s built-in, always with you, and doesn’t compromise the size of the camera compared to rivals. It’s small, basic, but very useful. Like the TZ40, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 also features built-in GPS functionality, Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication (NFC). The GPS allows users to log the location of each shot they take and use the information at a later date, which is very useful, particularly for photographers on their travels. Also, the Wi-Fi is among the best in its class, allowing remote access to the camera and the sharing of images via the free iOS and Android Panasonic Image App. This will generally be on the left hand side, beneath either a plastic cap or a rubber flap. Pull away or open up the cover and you'll probably discover a couple of different connectors. Simply plug into the appropriate one. You're camera should be turned OFF at this point. It’s clear from the views above that filming in the 1080 modes captures a wider field of view, but how does the quality compare? Below are 100% crops made from the 4k footage on the left and the 1080p footage on the right. Note that the 1080p crop on the right shows a larger area with smaller detail not just because of the lower resolution of the 1080p clip, but the wider field of view. What’s interesting about this comparison is that though the detail is larger in the 4k crop on the left, there isn’t more of it, what you can see though is more noise. So though you’re getting more pixels shooting with the TZ80 / ZS60 in 4k video mode, thanks to the noise you’re not really getting more detail or better image quality.