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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 A Full Review covers everything, including operation. (more)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 Performance


Timing and Performance

Startup/Shutdown
Power on
to first shot
1.4 seconds
Time it takes for LCD to turn on and lens to deploy.
Shutdown
1.4 seconds
How long it takes to retract lens and stow in your pocket.
Buffer clearing time
1.0 second
(Large/Fine JPEG,
Unlimited shots in
continuous mode)
Worst case buffer clearing time.* This is the delay after a set of shots before you can remove the card. Some cameras won't retract their lenses and shut down until the buffer is cleared.
Mode switching
Play to Record,
first shot
0.5 seconds
Time until first shot is captured.
Record to play
2.0 seconds
Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture.
Display
recorded image
0.9 second
Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.
Shutter response (Lag Time):
Full Autofocus Wide
0.35 second
Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position.
Full Autofocus Tele
0.37 second
Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at telephoto position.
Prefocused
0.013 second
Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.
Continuous AF
0.39 second
This mode usually shows no speed increase with our static subject; we have no way to measure performance with moving subjects.
Cycle time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode
Large Fine JPEG
1.64 seconds
Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.
Single Shot mode
640 x 480 JPEG
1.22 seconds
Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.
Early shutter
penalty?
Yes
Some cameras refuse to snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer.
Continuous High mode
Large Fine JPEG
0.34 second (2.99 frames per second);
3 frames total;
1 second to clear
Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Continuous High mode
640 x 480 JPEG
0.33 second (3.00 frames per second);
5 frames total;
1 second to clear
Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Continuous Low mode
Large Fine JPEG
0.48 second (2.11 frames per second);
3 frames total;
1 second to clear
Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Continuous Low mode
640x480 JPEG
0.47 second (2.14 frames per second);
5 frames total;
1 second to clear
Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Continuous Infinite mode
Large Fine JPEG
0.49 second (2.04 frames per second);
No limit w/fast card*;
1 second to clear
Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Continuous Infinite mode
640x480 JPEG
0.47 second (2.14 frames per second);
No limit w/fast card*;
1 second to clear
Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Flash recycling
3.3 seconds
Flash at maximum output.
Download speed
Windows Computer, USB 2.0
663 KBytes/sec
Typical Values:
Less than 600=USB 1.1;
600-770=USB 2.0 Low;
Greater than 770=USB 2.0 High
*Note: Buffer clearing times measured with a Kingston Ultimate 120x SD memory card. Slower cards will produce correspondingly slower clearing times. Slow cards may also limit length of bursts in continuous mode.

The TZ1's performance is generally above average. Startup and shutdown speeds are above average. Shutter response is above average, too, with a blistering prefocus shutter lag of 0.013, making it an excellent kid camera if you remember prefocus. Shot-to-shot cycle times and continuous-mode speeds are also above average. The flash, which is a bit weak, takes 3.3 seconds to recharge after a full-power shot, which is also above average (but then it isn't packing much of a punch). Connected to a computer or printer with USB 2.0, download speeds are only average. Bottom line, the TZ1 is responsive enough (particularly at wide angle lens settings) to handle most family photo opportunities.

Battery and Storage Capacity

Battery
Only mediocre battery life for a lithium-ion design.

Operating Mode
Battery Life
Still-image capture mode
LCD on
250 shots

The Panasonic TZ1 uses a custom rechargeable LiIon battery for power. The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

We recommend picking up a spare battery and keeping it freshly charged and on-hand for long outings.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))

Storage
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 accepts SD/MMC memory cards or its 13.4MB internal memory, though no card is included with the camera.

Image Capacity vs
Resolution/Quality
13.4MB Internal Memory
Fine Normal
2,560 x 1,920 Images
(Avg size)		 5
2.6MB		 10
1.3MB
Approx.
Compression 		6:1 11:1
2,048 x 1,536 Images
(Avg size)		 8
1.7MB		 16
865KB
Approx.
Compression 		6:1 11:1
1,600 x 1,200 Images
(Avg size)		 13
1.1MB		 26
542KB
Approx.
Compression 		6:1 11:1
1,280 x 960 Images
(Avg size)		 20
695KB		 38
373KB
Approx.
Compression 		5:1 10:1
640 x 480
 Images
(Avg size)		 65
220KB		 106
136KB
Approx.
Compression 		4:1 7:1

We strongly recommend buying a large capacity SD/MMC memory card at least a 512MB card, preferably a 1GB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings. (Check the shopping link above, cards are really cheap these days, so no reason to skimp.)

 


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