Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ80

The DMC-TZ (Travel Zoom) range of digital cameras from Panasonic are quite popular because of the size and the features they come packed in. The company recently announced the new Liumix DMC-TZ80, available at AED 1699, which was sent to us for review.

This one's an 18.1-megapixel digital camera that comes with a 30x optical zoom, which is equivalent to 24-720mm. Despite its incredible zoom capabilities, the digital camera easily slides into a pocket. What's more, the TZ80 is also capable of shooting videos and photos in 4K, making it a perfect travel companion.

The TZ80 also comes packed with RAW shooting support, a customizable control ring around the lens, and a surprisingly good EVF. It however is priced a little bit higher than the competition. The camera can be had in all-black or a two-tone black and silver finish. We received the all-black version for review.

The camera's lens matches the field of view of a 24-720mm lens on a full-frame camera. Lenses with that type of range don't exist for sensors that big—you'd need a sherpa to carry one that's matched with an SLR's image sensor. Compact cameras like the TZ80 use relatively tiny 1/2.3-inch sensors in order to minimize the size and weight of the integrated zoom lens.

If you want a camera with a larger image sensor and a long zoom ratio, you'll need to get something that's closer in size to an SLR, like the Panasonic FZ1000. It uses a 1-inch image sensor and has a lens that covers a 25-400mm range with a variable f/2.8-4 aperture.

The 18.1-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor on the camera and the new image processor Venus Engine allow you to shoot images at a higher quality, even under low-lit conditions. The TZ80's apperture is also fairly modest when compared with a bigger camera like the FZ1000, with its light gathering capabilities ranging from f/3.3 at the wide angle down to f/6.4 when zoomed all the way in.

When zoomed out to the widest setting through about the 50mm (2x) equivalent, macro focusing allows you to lock on to subjects that almost touch the lens. In-camera stabilization makes it possible to handhold shots at longer shutter speeds, and the 18.1-megapixel image sensor works to improve the image quality at higher sensitivities.

The TZ80 can also record QFHD 4K videos in 3840x2160 resolution at 30p(60Hz) and 25p(50Hz) in MP4. With the 4K technology, you can also capture photos at 30 fps in 8-megapixel equivalent resolution as a 4K photo. The Post Focus feature allows you to select in-focus area after actually shooting a photo.

The TZ80 has one of the better control schemes you'll find in a compact camera, thanks to a front control ring around the lens and a flat control dial on the back. By default both will control aperture or shutter speed, depending on your shooting mode, but you can reprogram their functions.

On the top plat you'll find a standard mode dial—the TZ80 supports the standard PASM shooting modes, and also includes a wide variety of scene modes, art filters, and in-camera panorama capture. Joining the dial are the shutter release and zoom rocker, the power button, and a dedicated button to start video recording.

The rear houses several controls. Above the LCD you'll find Fn4, a programmable button that toggles between the rear LCD, EVF, and automatic switching via an eye sensor by default. There's a thumb rest at the top right corner of the rear plate. Under that is the aforementioned command dial, which has directional presses that control EVF compensation, the flash output, the drive mode, and the focus mode.

The rear LCD is the typical 3-inch panel that you'll find on most compact cameras and is quite sharp. Integrated Wi-Fi is a must in a modern camera, especially one as well-suited for travel as the TZ80, so it's no surprise that it's a built-in function. The camera works with the free Panasonic Image App, available for iOS and Android devices. The app allows you to copy pictures and video from the camera to your phone or tablet, and also supports remote control.

In terms of performance, the TZ80 starts and captures an in-focus image in 1.4 seconds, which is a fine result for a camera with such a long zoom lens. Its autofocus is fast, locking in at less than 0.1-second at its widest angle, and in just under a second when zoomed all the way in.

We use Imatest to check the sharpness of images captured with cameras we receive for review. We look for an image to score 1,800 lines per picture height on a center-weighted sharpness test. The TZ80 was able to scored 1,955 lines on the test, which is brilliant.

A major plus point of the TZ80 is that it can capture images in RAW format, a feature that's not easy to find in a compact camera. Video is typically a strong suit of Panasonic cameras, and it's no different with the TZ80. It captures footage at 1080p50, 1080i50, or 1080p25 quality in the AVCHD format, and 2160p25 (4K), 1080p50, 1080p25, 720p25, 480p25 in MP4 format.

The AVCHD footage and the 4K footage was smooth and rife with detail, and colours were accurate. The sound of the lens zooming in and out was just barely audible on the soundtrack, and the camera is quick to adjust focus as the scene changes. Image stabilization is always a challenge, but I was able to handhold the camera and record smooth video, even when zoomed all the way in.

The TZ80 ships with a micro USB cable for all your charging needs, along with an adapter. You'll need to charge the battery in-camera, which is fine if you stick with a single battery, but a pain if you opt to buy a spare. The camera also features a micro HDMI port, and has a single memory card slot that supports SD, SDHC, and SDXC media.

All in all, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ80 is a fine example of a compact superzoom. Its 18.1-megapixel image sensor does a better job capturing details in low light than competing models. Its zoom lens covers an incredible range, starting at a 24mm wide-angle and zooming all the way into the 720mm super-telephoto range, and it can focus very close for macro shots.

A pocket camera with a small sensor like this can't match an SLR or mirrorless camera in terms of image quality, but it certainly trumps both when it comes to form factor and versatility. When you add in Raw shooting support, excellent video quality, and a sharp EVF you have a camera that you cannot go wrong with.