Lumix DMC-TZ110, Ideal Travel Camera?

PANASONIC has been producing their TZ (TRAVEL ZOOM) compact camera range for nearly 10 years, their latest offering is the LUMIX TZ110 (with a LARGE 1" sensor) and the TZ80, which has same features but a smaller sensor.

TZ110 (in NZ) are also known as TZ100 or ZS100 in some countries.

The compact but solid TZ110 in "OFF" position.

Before I start, there are a lot of reviews done on the TZ110, some are really detailed and you can find all the features well explained.  I especially like this one, this one and this one.

What I will inform you here are my personal like and don't like on this travel-cam, I will not repeat what others has written about.

In 2010 I concluded that...

A good travel camera should have the following quality:

1) It must be relatively light weight.
2) Take interchangeable lens.
3) Digital, with video.
4) Larger sensor than a point and shoot.
5) Able to shoot RAW.

Six years later, look like the TZ110 fit all the bill, except 2) on interchangeable lens!

But six years later, the TZ110 come with a Leica branded 25-250 10X zoom!  So may be I do not need my ideal travel-cam to be able to change lens anymore?

LUMIX GX85 with MF PRIME LENS

According to Wikipedia... In film and photography, a prime lens is either a photographic lens whose focal length is fixed, as opposed to a zoom lens, or it is the primary lens in a combination lens system.

My manual focus PRIME LENSES hibernating in the cloth closet 

Like most photographers living through the FILM ERA, we accumulated a few manual focussing prime lenses from our SLRs.

You can see from the above picture that I have a few Nikon (Nikkor) and Leica-M prime lenses. Most of the time, these once highly sought after lenses are hibernating in my cloths closet!

I have used my selections of old Nikon and Leica M optics on my Olympus E-P2 and OM-D before, the experiences were not intuitive mainly because it is so bloody hard to get an accurate manual focussing on these digital cameras! Not until I try out my 25 year old 50/2 Leica Summicron-M lens on the GM1!

If you read that review, you will realise I LOVE IT!

Now with the Lumix GX85, it should be even better, right?

Shooting Video With LUMIX GX85

FIRST OF ALL, I am NOT a VIDEO / MOVIE sort of guy...

In the last two years, the only time I shoot videos were of my wife's line dancing sessions, I shot them with different "point n shoot" cameras, I then turn those movies into a DVD so she can practice her dances by watching them on TV.

Then three weeks ago, my wife asked me to film a Tai Chi Master from China. Master Victor Zhang is giving some free Tai Chi lessons, I went and record his demonstration with my little GM1.

My GM1 is set to HD, MP4 (720, 25P) mode.

This is a movie taken with the GM1 with the 12-32 kit lens.

The kit lens has build-in I.S., I am not sure if it work for movie mode. I doubt it because my hand holding clip look a bit shaky.

LUMIX GX85 Did Panasonic GET IT RIGHT?

MY FRIEND ask me why I am excited about the recently launched PANASONIC LUMIX GX85, well, let me count my way...

First of all, the GX85 look like a SMALLER GX8!

The Panasonic Lumix GX85 is also known as the GX80 in some parts of the world, or alternatively as the GX7 Mark II in Asia.

I love the GX8, but personally, I feel it is a bit BIG; mind you, I can live with it but now we are having the baby GX8... time to replace my GM1?

Last week, Panasonic New Zealand let me try out their new baby with three lenses.

The new GX85 is seen here wearing the retractable Lumix 12-32 zoom (the GM1 kit lens), in New Zealand, however, it come with the new  LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II ASPH with MEGA O.I.S. as the kit lens (the lens in the middle).

NEW LUMIX GX80 a Smaller GX8!

SOMETIME TODAY, Panasonic Japan is going to launch a NEW compact, GX80!

This is exciting (to me at least) because from the leaked data, the GX80 is like a smaller version of the GX8 which I tested and like very much!

Take a look at the composite digram I created to give you an idea of the GX80 size compare to the larger GX8 and mini GM1.

Look like the GX80 is the perfect upgrade for my heavily used, dropped, but still kicking mini GM1!

Can You Bounce Tiny GM1 Flash?

I dislike using flash in my photography, but most indoor lighting condition are not really bright enough for even illumination.

Direct flash can cause even the most flattering photos to turn out bad, direct flash is harsh and highlight in photos are "burn out" and lack detail.

If you are serious about your photography, the first technique you must learn is how to BOUNCE your flash!

Sadly, virtually all the smaller, so called "point & shoot" cameras came with tiny, fixed flash that you cannot tilt and bounce! Even if it can, the output is just too weak for that purpose.

Panasonic launch LUMIX TZ110, TZ80 and Compact Zoom

PANASONIC today launch a very exciting premium compact travel camera with a 1"-type sensor. The new Panasonic Lumix TZ110 is the first in the Lumix TZ series to incorporate an f/2.8-5.9 Leica (25-250mm equivalent) DC lens with 10x optical zoom and hybrid O.I.S., the compact also do 4K video capture and Post Focus!

TZ80, with a smaller sensor is announce at the same time.

TZ110 in black