The recent birthday of someone close to me who I appreciate a lot caused me to start looking for a suitable gift, specifically a compact digital camera . But of course, there are so many brands, models and features. In this type of situation, one always ends up buying one and having the feeling that they have been cheated or that they have made the worst choice of their life. The fact is that after doing some research on Google, reading reviews in other blogs, comparisons and opinions... I finally found this little bug that I'm very proud of ? the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30. Proud because when you want to buy a camera for yourself, you research and look at everything with a magnifying glass to make the right decision, but when it comes to another person with whom you want to look good, the stress and pressure multiply.
WHAT GROUP ARE YOU FROM?
In general, 100% of the readers of this humble blog LOVE photography, but a good percentage of them HATE SLR cameras . They do not lack a reason: an SLR camera is a tacky thing, with a bulky body and a not inconsiderable weight. These cameras could be used to lift weights and lose weight, don't you think? In addition, an SLR camera has the drawback that we have to buy different lenses depending on the type of photography we want to do. It looks like a scam!
Personally I couldn't live without my SLR. Manías, what are we going to do? But I recognize that there is a type of user who normally does not need an SLR at all. They find a compact digital camera more practical , one that they can carry with them all the time, one that they can turn on and shoot immediately without fuss or fuss. It is a type of amateur who knows what they are looking for: a good camera with which to take good photos, period. No more no less. People who know that they are never going to dedicate themselves to professional photography , that they are more interested in the practical side.
This article is for them.
ONE OF THE BEST COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERAS
Go ahead what I always say: that the "best" camera does not exist , there is a camera for each person, for each user profile and for each need. But if you identify with the user profile I just described above, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30 will probably be the best compact camera you can buy right now.
WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THE LUMIX DMC-TZ30?
Enough of so much talk. Let's get down to the concrete facts. Below I explain why this camera is, in my opinion, a little gem of photography. As always, you already know that by searching Google for the name of the camera you will find hundreds and thousands of pages detailing the technical characteristics of this camera. Here I will only highlight the highlights:
-
- Zoom: 20X. It is one of the few compact cameras (really compact, not bridge or evil or anything like that) that offer such a wide zoom range. To give you an idea, 20x would be equivalent in SLR cameras to an objective of more than 400mm, when most of us who own SLR cameras do not exceed 200mm or 300mm. 20X Zoom is amazing. It is also all optical zoom, that is, the optical quality of the photo does not suffer in the slightest.
-
- Lens: The objective of this small camera bears the signature of Leica, a legendary lens manufacturer , famous for the quality of its optics.
-
- Burst Mode: The Lumix DMC-TZ30 is capable of burst photos of up to 10 photos per second. I repeat: 10 pictures per second.
-
- Screen: Huge. And tactile, although you can do without the tactile part and use the camera through normal buttons.
-
- Video: Record video in Full HD 1080p up to 60fps (other resolutions are possible as well).
-
- Other features: it has everything a modern digital compact camera can have: Panoramic photos, HDR photos, 3D photos, Image Stabilizer, built-in GPS, long exposure photography, manual and semi-manual modes like in SLR cameras , and some what else.
- Megapixels: 14MP. I have left this for last due to the little relevance it currently has in digital cameras.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
There will be everything but I don't know ANYONE who is unhappy with Panasonic's line of LUMIX compact cameras. They are famous for being robust cameras. Panasonic does not expressly offer any guarantee in this regard, but I remember a Panasonic Lumix that I had back in 2006 that withstood falls, bumps, and even dropped me in the water and kept working as if nothing had happened.
PRICE
The Lumix DMC-TZ30 was released for more than 300 euros, but right now on Amazon you can get it for 200 euros (sometimes even less) .. I think it's the best purchase I've made in a long time. I think it is a very well spent price, for all the features it offers. A few years may pass and it will still be a good camera. For those who have always been jumping from flower to flower, from camera to camera, never feeling satisfied with any, the Lumix DMC-TZ30 is the kind of camera one would want to marry. Forever.
Note: If you find this article useful please share it with other frustrated would-be photographers who can't find their compact better half. You will do them a favor.
