13Jun
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 14.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 2.7-Inch LCD
Posted by Gadget as Camera
- 14.1-megapixel effective recording
- 4.6X optical zoom
- waterproof down to 10 meters
- shockproof (rated for drops up to 6 feet)
- freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit
Product Description
14.1MP/4.6X OPTICAL ZOOM/2.7INLCD/SILVER… More >>
5 Responses to Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 14.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 2.7-Inch LCD
Julian Thomas
June 13th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Had this camera (yellow color) for a few days. Pictures taken under bright sunlight with iA mode are very good and comparable to those taken by DMC-ZS1. Low light pictures are far worse. Video is not sharp and color is not bright even under bright sunlight with iA mode. Maybe I should play with other mode to see whether I could get better result. Audio is mono. With the included silicone case on, you can not take out battery/SD card or open the USB/HDMI door to transfer pictures to computer. The camera can be pretty comfortably fit into pocket but the lens has no cover so it might easily get scratched unless you put the camera in a case. Will check how it holds up in water soon.
Update:
Just got back from 7 day Caribbean cruise. The camera is dead just a few minutes into water when I was swimming at Magen beach with my kids in St, Thomas. The water where we were swimming is less than one meter deep! Although all the doors were closed and locked, water still got into the camera from somewhere. I could see water came out from INSIDE the camera once I removed the battery and the 16 GB SD card (also ruined) after dry up the outside of the camera and open the door on land. The lens and LCD screen also fogged up. Before get the camera into water, I carefully read the instruction from the manual and triple-checked to make sure that all the doors were closed and locked and even used the brush (yes, the camera comes with a small brush) to brush the rubber seal to make sure there is nothing there to cause leak! I read some customer reviews about water leaking from TS1 and thought TS2 is the improved model and should not have that concern. How wrong I am! I used to have a old Olympus waterproof camera. Though the shutter lag is almost unbearable, it was truly water-proof. I have taken fish pictures at least 2 m deep in the sea without problem. The TS2 is my 4th Panasonic camera. I used to have FZ10, FX9, ZS1 and really love them. This one is really a joke. I gave it one star because it could take ok picture and video on land before went into water! Waiting to return the camera.
Update 2:
[...]’s response to my return request is quick and polite (At the time I ordered it, amazon did not have the camera. My amazon order went to [...] directly). The return is quick and painless. Really great customer service!
Rating: 1 / 5
John Antista
June 13th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Very easy to operate. HD video was impressive – the zoom and management of light levels in particular – and the format played well on my PC without the need to download any additional drivers, etc (Windows7 machine). Flash is not overly bright and shoots well in low light with relatively little graininess. It also seems better built / engineered than the competing Olympus models, also offering better video than the equivalent models.
Rating: 5 / 5
R. KO
June 13th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
It is a great sport camer for picure taking. However, fine print in user manual says image stablization does not work for moving sujects — translation: you have to SIT/STAND STILL and DO NOT PAN for the image stablization to work when you take video! Otherwise the video footage shakes so much it is not worth watching! I bought this mainly for taking video on kayaking outtings, guess what, none of the video footage taken with any kind of boat movement except in extreme flat water has so much hand induced (not boat induced) shaking and it makes the viewer sea sick. It is such a shame that a device made for water sport can not handle day to day real water sport environment… I sincerely hope a firmeare upgrade fixes this problem!
Updated 6/1/10:
The problem is that small hand shakes are not being removed when the camera is moving along with the boat. I have no problem having the video panning with the boat movement, which gives the viewer the real life feeling of being on a boat. It is the handshakes that are not being removed because the image stablization fails to work when the camera is moving with the boat. My Sony point and shoot camera does not have this problem, even though the video shows the rocking effect from the boat, it is not shaking due to hand shakes.
Rating: 2 / 5
Rolls
June 13th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
I purchased this camera to compare to the Pentax W90 which i also bought from amazon. This camera was far better than the W90, the video was clearer (especially in sunny conditions) and you can use the optical zoom while in movie mode. On the W90, you can only use the digital zoom in movie mode, and there is much noise. The regular still pictures were also much better on the TS2 – however, I think the macro feature on the W90 was a little better. For panorama shots on the TS2, you need to use photo editing software to mend them together, which is not too bad because you can use more then three files to make a really large panorama. The W90 makes the panorama in the camera itself.
The zoom button on the TS2 is a little close to the shutter button, but it is not too bad to get used to. Underwater pics and video on the TS2 are also very good, much better than the W90, in my opinion. While the TS2 is not a high end point and shoot or DSLR, it does take very good pictures and video. And even though I really liked the style and menu system of the W90 better, I sent it back because for this much money the camera should take decent video and photos and it did not – luckily, amazon is very good about returns! (Another thing about the TS2 which i thought was good, is that the seals look like they are easy to replace.)
Rating: 5 / 5
J. Kolb
June 13th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I really tried to like this camera. I did my homework, wanted something pocketable but still reasonably rugged and waterproof for an upcoming vacation.
In full sun, it takes great pictures. in low light, my 3 year old Canon powershot does a MUCH better job. all of my vacation pictures taken at night are worthless, including in slightly dim restaurants etc.
The image stabilization doesnt seem to be very useful, videos are difficult to keep steady and in low light modes (longer lens opening) you must use a tripod.
however, biggest problem is that the camera failed on me after a few days! I was extremely paranoid about ensuring all doors were closed and locked, and that i washed it off after each use and let it dry completely. Nevertheless, after the 4th day or so (probably went in the water 5 times for 45 minutes total), i noticed the screen fogging up. within an hour, dead, with water in the lens and screen.
Thankfully, the amazon vendor was extremely helpful in getting an RMA processed. I hope that mine was just a lemon, because it is an attractive and feature filled camera. its also possible that i caused the flooding, but i was genuinely careful and not in what i would consider a “rough” situation. Unfortunately, I am now just looking at the Sony TX7 even though its neither rugged or waterproof since its just so pretty (and apparently takes good pics).
Rating: 2 / 5