Eagerly awaiting this camera. Will post a review and post some sample pictures once I have it in my posession.
I’ve been playing with the TZ-30 for a little less than a month, and must say it’s a fantastic camera!
I have upgraded from a Fuji FinePix F10, so it has been a giant leap in terms of camera functionality from what I have previously used.
Things I like
– Intelligent Auto is great for taking photos when you want to shoot without thinking about the different settings available (and there are a lot which may be one downside!). It’s able to determine when there is insufficient light and take multiple shots in combination.
– 20x zoom works a treat for taking close up pictures of peoples faces, esp from a distance such as a street parade.
– Colour reproduction is great. Vibrant and well defined. See this picture of a macaw to see what I mean
– Great to be able to change the aperture and shutter (or both) to take some arty shots with blurred background or blurred movement. I have some pictures exhibiting this…
Things I didn’t like
– face recognition failed to register faces easily. Needs absolutely perfect light to register a new face to memory.
– Some photos don’t look crash hot in low light, though this has been a mainstay of this camera series from what I’ve heard. Most of the photos ( > 90%) are taken outdoors which mitigates this problem a bit.
– Battery life is quite low compared to my last camera. Around 200 shots before it starts to wind down (this is with GPS turned on)
Has plenty of shooting modes, though sometimes too much choice can frustrate too. You’re never sure if you’re in the best mode. iA does a great job most of the time for quick point and shoot.
Movie mode rocks! I have played back the AVCHD files directly from memory card to my blu ray and the pictures are outstanding. The only thing that gives away that it was from a camera is the camera shake, though there is some OIS compensation to minimise the effect of this.
Overall, its a very full functioned camera in a small body and really fun to use. It’s a good inbetween for those who enjoy photography, but not enough to shell out for a d/slr.