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substitute used by other
manufacturers. Moreover, unlike the other cameras I tested, the LZ2
focuses much faster - also a trait of my six-year-old 1.3MP Panasonic -
and it does so even in dim light without using one of those startling AF
assist lamps. Because the LZ2's auto focus is almost always accurate, I
spend less time refocusing and more time snapping pictures. Better yet,
battery options are varied enough to keep the camera going just about
anywhere: it accepts AA batteries, Oxyride and rechargeable (the best
choice being the highest rated rechargeable you can find).
After nearly 1,000 photos, including some shot out of the window of a
moving car, I can say that this camera is a point-and-shooter's dream. And
you don't have to be a digital camera newbie to enjoy it, either. The LZ2
isn't bulky or heavy like prosumer models and isn't as costly as much of
its competition, yet it packs 6X optical zoom - 3x higher than average -
into a body small enough to carry in a purse.
What gives this camera an edge is its performance in full auto mode.
Whereas the cameras I tested work best after manual settings are engaged,
this camera does not suffer without full manual controls. Picture
adjustment - Natural, Standard and Vivid - allow you to obtain desired
color results; auto exposure is sufficient to eliminate much of the
highlight clipping common to point-and-shoot CCD cameras; "purple
fringing" is rarely an issue even in direct midday sun; and eight
pre-configured scene modes - including one for tricky low-light indoor
shots - will keep your choices useful rather than overwhelming; ISOs
through 400 are useable; there are four focus modes; color effects include
monochrome, sepia, warm and cool cast; a histogram can be viewed on-screen
at all times; a nine-square image composition overlay rounds out the LZ2's
assets; and exposure compensation - on the rare occasion it is needed - is
handy at the touch of a button, which means no digging through menus.
Finally, the LZ2's white balance is highly effective when set to any one
of its five choices, from manual WB to indoor or out.
Where it counts most - image quality - this camera delivers. The LZ2
reproduces color so accurately in "Natural" mode and meters so
consistently that little image correction, if any, is necessary - meaning
you can plug the camera directly into a PictBridge-compatible printer and
bypass your computer entirely without regretting it. This makes the LZ2
suited for people who want to print album-sized prints up to 8x10 at the
touch of a button.
What's not to love about the LZ2? If I had to pick just one gripe it is
that the flash does not "throttle down" enough for close-up shots in macro
mode. I consistently washed out the color and detail in my birds'
feathering - until an easy solution presented itself. Take a bit of
ordinary tape - the translucent foggy type - and affix it to the front of
the LZ2's tiny flash bulb. Remove when done. If not for this minor
inconvenience, I would have rated the LZ2 as a 5-star performer in the
digital point-and-shoot camera category.
Having read the reviews, some readers may ask if the LZ2's images are on
the noisy side. In my experience the noise is not an issue and won't be
for most people who print low ISO images at or below 8x10. A more
compelling concern, in my opinion, is the over-aggressive noise reduction
many consumer-level cameras employ to smooth out images for an airbrushed,
albeit artificial look. Keep in mind that if noise is a problem you can
always reduce it in post-processing using widely available software. By
contrast, even the most expensive, up-to-date version of Photoshop will
not replace detail where it has been previously obliterated by in-camera
processing. To their credit, Panasonic digital cameras generally avoid the
rampant noise-phobia that exists in the digital camera marketplace - with
the end result being sharper overall images that retain more of a
film-like character.
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A great camera!!, April 16, 2006
Reviewer: J. Keat
While this camera is probably the best camera I have ever had. I am sad to
report I dropped it and the "focus lens" if you will(not sure of the exact
name)is stuck in place. Panasonic told me it would cost $170 to fix it(I
was still under warrenty), now mind you, I only paid $200 for it
originallly. This is absurd and I can't find any logic to it. However,
this really is a great camera and takes great pictures. Do not buy it if
you have a tendency to drop things, it will not prove beneficial to you.
The pictures are sharp and crisp, and overall a great camera for the
price, just don't drop it like I did.
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Lots of camera for your $$$, April 4, 2006
Reviewer: Rheyn Williams "retail therapist"
The Amazon and featured reviews sum up the technical specs better than I
could, so I will spare you.
As far as my everday-use experiences go, it has been dependable and
absolutely a wonderful deal.
My biggest complaint is that you can't hear the sound when you play back
the video using the camera. (When uploaded to your computer, it comes out
fine, though.)
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