Where's the TZ1??

[guxu]

panasonic.com has silver version in stock as well. :)

[bobm59]

ps: I just took some indoor shots. Will try to post thoughtfully like Doug with some scaled down shots and stats.

I could use some advice on publishing samples from any Macintosh users out there. I had to edit the html to include the cool stats that Doug has and I can't figure out how he did it! :) Here is a Photoshop Elements Web Photo Gallery. The originals have been scaled down. The last two pics are in macro mode, no flash. Time to get back to practicing...

http://web.mit.edu/robob/www/largo/TZ1_040306/index.html

[matsf]

Bogus! the people at circuit-city,san rafael don't even have the Camera in their system let alone actually getting them...typical empty "first impressions review" from the dpreview forums.

Who are you? I'm the one that went to the Circuit City store in San Rafael yesterday around 1pm and bought one. They had more... I also said on Dpreview that they did not have them on display, and they had not even "sealed" the boxes. I do not need to prove anything, but you're just out of line.

What's wrong with my first impressions?

More pictures and movies at (direct out of camera, a real TZ1 if you ask me):

http://www.df.lth.se/~matsf/pix/2006-04-02/

/Mats

[jimr]

I am going on a two week trip this Sunday. I need to know if the TZ 1 can produce excellent quality prints at ISO 100... 8 x 10 and 11 x 14 enlargements!
Does anyone have any conclusions? I have seen very good samples and....
B&H Photo has the silver TZ 1 for $309.95 ..in stock!

[Doug Lerner]

I could use some advice on publishing samples from any Macintosh users out there. I had to edit the html to include the cool stats that Doug has and I can't figure out how he did it! :) Here is a Photoshop Elements Web Photo Gallery. The originals have been scaled down. The last two pics are in macro mode, no flash. Time to get back to practicing...

http://web.mit.edu/robob/www/largo/TZ1_040306/index.html

Looks nice!

I use an inexpensive shareware application called TalaPhoto for Mac OS X. It will automatically add those stats if you turn that on in "tools".

I just drop the photos on the app and can generate a web page like the ones I've been doing in a minute.

doug

[California]

Bogus! the people at circuit-city,san rafael don't even have the Camera in their system let alone actually getting them...typical empty "first impressions review" from the dpreview forums.Bogus? I would say you have earned that title for yourself, not Mats!
I posted the following over there a couple of hours ago as a followup to Mats :
Circuit City's website showed none in Northern California until Sunday morning.
Then on Sunday nearly all stores within 100 miles of SF showed stock available to pick up an online order.
I had planned a trip on I-80, so I stopped in the Fairfield CC without prior arrangement and bought the second of three they had received. The kid said they arrived in their normal Saturday restock. Looking online I see he sold the last one as well. Concord and two Sacramento stores are sold out but most others show available.
It looks like all CC stores nationwide are likely to receive them in this week's restock shipment, then show them available the following day on their website.
See for yourself:
Circuit City online availability (http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/146862/zip/94704/showMoreStores/false/userClick/STORE_PICKUP/rpem/ccd/howToGetIt.do#tabs)

[mystro544]

Bogus? I would say you have earned that title for yourself, not Mats!
I posted the following over there a couple of hours ago as a followup to Mats :

See for yourself:
Circuit City online availability (http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/146862/zip/94704/showMoreStores/false/userClick/STORE_PICKUP/rpem/ccd/howToGetIt.do#tabs)

I did the leg work before posting..

Having called the listed CC's to check on availibility coast to coast including their corp office..not a single camera available or isted on the system except a store manager mentioned it may be avail next week, it was then I posted the "bogus" and then only after calling panasonic to double check. I have yet to find it.

A drone at Panasonic pointed out *some* unscrupulous retailers have always used B&S methods to get customers in the store,I'm not saying thats the case here but ya don't have to look very far to find that happening.

Frustrated yes but I'm ordering accessories for this mysterious TZ1 regardless.

[mystro544]

I don't know much about the technicals, but as I recall:
5MB setting, Highest quality, I think 10X Zoom.

The stats from the original file:
F 4.20
ISO 80
Focal length 52.0 MM
2560 x 1920

ps: I just took some indoor shots. Will try to post thoughtfully like Doug with some scaled down shots and stats.

Thanks Bob,my frustration at getting this camera should not distract from this excellent thread,the ongoing testing by everyone but especially Doug who has done almost everything asked with a camera and made it *almost* as good as owning it has been immensely helpful.

[cuznvin]

I did the leg work before posting..

Having called the listed CC's to check on availibility coast to coast including their corp office..not a single camera available or isted on the system except a store manager mentioned it may be avail next week, it was then I posted the "bogus" and then only after calling panasonic to double check. I have yet to find it.

A drone at Panasonic pointed out *some* unscrupulous retailers have always used B&S methods to get customers in the store,I'm not saying thats the case here but ya don't have to look very far to find that happening.

Frustrated yes but I'm ordering accessories for this mysterious TZ1 regardless.

My camera from CC is being delivered on Wednesday. I have the FEDEX tracking number to prove it.

[Kyle]

To back up the gentleman who said he bought one at CC. I went to CC on Sunday and the Sales person told me his computer said he had none in stock. I went to the consumer computer and looked it up and it said it is available for pickup. I called another sales person to look at the consumer computer in the store (CC Website). He then went and looked and said there was 5 in stock. I went in today (Monday) and purchased one. They are all silver at this point. This camera is so new that some of the sales people did not even know they have it in stock.

[Dmares]

Hi Everybody, Hi Doug

I know that everybody is keen on getting the camera so I ercon that this note was forgotten:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=17878996
Did anyone check why the photos of the open fireplace are so out of color?

Doug as you have the most experience with this camera do you have a chance to make a photo of such a open fireplace to get an confirmation if it is something with which the camera can´t cope or if it just was a a "mis photo"

Cheers
Dennis
P.S. The camera is still not available in Germany, but price dropped to 350 €.

[Doug Lerner]

Hi Everybody, Hi Doug

I know that everybody is keen on getting the camera so I ercon that this note was forgotten:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=17878996
Did anyone check why the photos of the open fireplace are so out of color?

Doug as you have the most experience with this camera do you have a chance to make a photo of such a open fireplace to get an confirmation if it is something with which the camera can´t cope or if it just was a a "mis photo"

Cheers
Dennis
P.S. The camera is still not available in Germany, but price dropped to 350 €.

Hi. I did notice that note, but unfortunately I do not have access to an open fireplace. This evening, after it gets dark, I can try taking some photos of the gas range in my kitchen though! That should be pretty close. Or maybe light some colorful candles I have. That should make for an interesting experiment.


I am guessing the white balance was out of wack. Maybe "candlelight mode" or perhaps manually setting the white balance would have been the right approach?

I will try a test and see.

doug

[Dmares]

Hi Doug,

I´ve copied the link once more:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=17878996

I have uploaded the picture of the fire as it was posted in dpreview.com

Cheers
Dennis

[ljubom]

Hi Doug,

I´ve copied the link once more:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=17878996

I have uploaded the picture of the fire as it was posted in dpreview.com

Cheers
Dennis

The problem is probably not fire, but very hot objects (picture shows a fireplace without open fire - plenty of infra red, no much of visible). It could be that Infra Red (IR) filters in TZ1 are not optimal for taking such pictures. I took my old Olymus C-220 and look into an active IR remote control, it is visible how IR LED is firing (like a small light bulb), if I took my mobile phone camera (obviously low quality :) ), then is IR LED firing very bright. However, I don't know how strong IR filter has to be (i.e. is it ok to see firing IR remote control). So to reconstruct the attached picture you have to make some object very hot, it should glow in very dark red like a fireplace, but it should not produce too much of visible light (like fire).

[Doug Lerner]

The problem is probably not fire, but very hot objects (picture shows a fireplace without open fire - plenty of infra red, no much of visible). It could be that Infra Red (IR) filters in TZ1 are not optimal for taking such pictures. I took my old Olymus C-220 and look into an active IR remote control, it is visible how IR LED is firing (like a small light bulb), if I took my mobile phone camera (obviously low quality :) ), then is IR LED firing very bright. However, I don't know how strong IR filter has to be (i.e. is it ok to see firing IR remote control). So to reconstruct the attached picture you have to make some object very hot, it should glow in very dark red like a fireplace, but it should not produce too much of visible light (like fire).

Hmmm.. Hard to duplicate in my house here maybe. :)

doug

[Doug Lerner]

I really like the way this camera handles itself at night:

http://lerner.net/doug/NightViews/

doug

[mynicksnix]

Impressed...........again. Nice work, Doug.

aaaaaaaaaaahrg.........deliver my TZ1 .......come on, hurry......:rolleyes:

[diddie]

The problem is probably not fire, but very hot objects (picture shows a fireplace without open fire - plenty of infra red, no much of visible). It could be that Infra Red (IR) filters in TZ1 are not optimal for taking such pictures. I took my old Olymus C-220 and look into an active IR remote control, it is visible how IR LED is firing (like a small light bulb), if I took my mobile phone camera (obviously low quality :) ), then is IR LED firing very bright. However, I don't know how strong IR filter has to be (i.e. is it ok to see firing IR remote control). So to reconstruct the attached picture you have to make some object very hot, it should glow in very dark red like a fireplace, but it should not produce too much of visible light (like fire).

I think you are right. I found this: http://www.jr-worldwi.de/photo/irbasic.html#heat
The color of the glowing heating spirals look like the glowing fireplace.
Another feature of the TZ1: good for IR photography :rolleyes:

Diddie

I will now order a TZ1.
But wait: Somebody in another thread found weird circles on wall with flash on :confused:
http://dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18646

Edit: I ordered it anyway :D

[mhcomp]

Wolf has the TZ1 for $325.95 w/free shipping. I thought that I saw it at B&H yesterday for $304 but they are at $349 today. Maybe I'm losing it!! Also, Corsair 2Gb 133x SD memory at ZipZoomfly for $69 w/$20 rebate=$49.

My error. Wolf does not have it in stock but that is their listed price.

HA _ HA! I wasn't crazy. B&H has the silver ones for $304 but they are out of stock because I bought the last one. I did not ask when they are getting more in.

[Kyle]

My wall is painted with semi-gloss paint. If flsh in on during shooting, maybe 3 out of 10 shots have perfectly round circles. One shot, the circle was as big as 1/2 of my daughter's head. I also noticed that at 12x zoom, the camera can't focus properly. I noticed the focus issue when my son is about15 feet away. I backed the zoom to 11x and it focused. Man, the cheapy Canon A520 and A540 have manual focus and Aperture and Shutter control. I wish TZ1 have it.

Anyway, I tried to upload my pictures with circles but the file was too big and DC REsource would not let me. If someone can tell me how, I will upload it. Sorry for any typpo but I am late for work and just wanted to put my experience with this camera in. I might exhange for another one. Maybe something is worng with mine. I have already tried cleaning the lense...

[mystro544]

Doug or any of the lucky early owners..it would be interesting to see nighttime effects using the pre-set parameters such as Night scenery,night portrait,party,candle-light,fireworks and starry night...can you fine tune the pre-sets?

[mystro544]

Update: Just called CC corp office and talked to a manager and he said there is no record of any dmc-tz1 cameras arriving at any US ports... on the computer system anyway. Maybe it's listed under a different name..sheeze.

Still digging,this has turned into a damn quest. ;);)

[bobm59]

I really like the way this camera handles itself at night:

http://lerner.net/doug/NightViews/

doug

WOW! The first pic of the tabby is stunning. Great work Doug. Like it or not you have morphed into the TZ1 Sensei on this board.

[cuznvin]

Update: Just called CC corp office and talked to a manager and he said there is no record of any dmc-tz1 cameras arriving at any US ports... on the computer system anyway. Maybe it's listed under a different name..sheeze.

Still digging,this has turned into a damn quest. ;);)

Why dont you just do a search on CC.com for TZ1S and you wil find it. If we already got ours from CC they are obviously selling them

[guxu]

Update: Just called CC corp office and talked to a manager and he said there is no record of any dmc-tz1 cameras arriving at any US ports... on the computer system anyway. Maybe it's listed under a different name..sheeze.

Still digging,this has turned into a damn quest. ;);)
So you just calling around but never check any B&M store?

Maybe you can call panasonic.com also since they list TZ1 silver in-stock too:p

[cuznvin]

Wolf has the TZ1 for $325.95 w/free shipping. I thought that I saw it at B&H yesterday for $304 but they are at $349 today. Maybe I'm losing it!! Also, Corsair 2Gb 133x SD memory at ZipZoomfly for $69 w/$20 rebate=$49.

My error. Wolf does not have it in stock but that is their listed price.

HA _ HA! I wasn't crazy. B&H has the silver ones for $304 but they are out of stock because I bought the last one. I did not ask when they are getting more in.\

Thanks for the ZipZoomFly info. I just ordered a card from them! I am still waiting for the Panasonic Gold 1 GB card to ship from buy.com

[cuznvin]

Update: Just called CC corp office and talked to a manager and he said there is no record of any dmc-tz1 cameras arriving at any US ports... on the computer system anyway. Maybe it's listed under a different name..sheeze.

Still digging,this has turned into a damn quest. ;);)

Just click here:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&context=&keyword=tz1s&searchSection=All

[guxu]

Update: Just called CC corp office and talked to a manager and he said there is no record of any dmc-tz1 cameras arriving at any US ports... on the computer system anyway. Maybe it's listed under a different name..sheeze.

Still digging,this has turned into a damn quest. ;);)
Also, there is a TZ1 on eBay, and the seller even posted his CC receipt. Guess this receipt is a fake too, huh?:cool:
http://i13.ebayimg.com/04/i/06/b9/87/38_3.JPG

[California]

Just click here:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&context=&keyword=tz1s&searchSection=All
... and enter the zip code for your nearest big city. When the first results appear, click on 'show more stores'.

mystro544, what will it take to convince you??

[mystro544]

So you just calling around but never check any B&M store?

Maybe you can call panasonic.com also since they list TZ1 silver in-stock too:p

I'm on the Panasonic Direct list for the (K) Black shipping approx the 26th and I had hoped I could find it at a B&M store but alas..nothing in my area.

btw,the CC link does show a silver version but it's NOT availible!

=c=
================================================== =======
Web Only: Save 10% on a bag and lithium ion battery with purchase

Learn more at our Image Studio
Price: $349.99
See sale
price in cart
Notify me when available <<<<====================

[mystro544]

Why dont you just do a search on CC.com for TZ1S and you wil find it. If we already got ours from CC they are obviously selling them


I thought earlier you mentioned you were waiting for one..did you get a tracking number? :confused:

[cuznvin]

I'm on the Panasonic Direct list for the (K) Black shipping approx the 26th and I had hoped I could find it at a B&M store but alas..nothing in my area.

btw,the CC link does show a silver version but it's NOT availible!

=c=
================================================== =======
Web Only: Save 10% on a bag and lithium ion battery with purchase

Learn more at our Image Studio
Price: $349.99
See sale
price in cart
Notify me when available <<<<====================


Dude, I hate to say it, but you are clueless

[cuznvin]

I thought earlier you mentioned you were waiting for one..did you get a tracking number? :confused:

Do you actually read these posts? I posted earlier " I have the FEDEX number to prove it"

[mystro544]

Dude, I hate to say it, but you are clueless

You obviously can't comprehend what "Notify me when Available" means,I could take a few lessons from you in cluelessness!

[Debbie F]

Update: Just called CC corp office and talked to a manager and he said there is no record of any dmc-tz1 cameras arriving at any US ports... on the computer system anyway. Maybe it's listed under a different name..sheeze.

Still digging,this has turned into a damn quest. ;);)
================================================== ====

I picked up my TZ1 after work last night at CC. They had 4, now only 3.
I Got a REALLY great deal too. They were selling it for $332 and I had a $40 off coupon I got in the mail yesterday which brought the price down to $293 before sales tax. Very cool.

I do sympathze with you on prying information out of the help at Circuit City.
Half the time they don't answer their phones and when I asked about the camera on Saturday, they seemed to have no clue whether or not they'd even be carrying them in Boise and acted like I had rocks in my head for asking when they'd be getting them in. "I have no way of knowing that information!" was what I was told. No Joke.

[cuznvin]

You obviously can't comprehend what "Notify me when Available" means,I could take a few lessons from you in cluelessness!

THe camers IS available for online orders. It is also available in 2 stores near my home. Maybe it isnt available in a store near YOUR home. Also, if you didnt waste so much time searching and trying to prove us wrong, you would have been able to get one. CLUELESS

[guxu]

You obviously can't comprehend what "Notify me when Available" means,I could take a few lessons from you in cluelessness!
It is not available in your local area, but it does not mean it is not available in whole US.

Try zip code 30301, and you will find 8 CC stroes in Atlanta area have this camera in stock.

[stoker]

Had a similiar experience here in St Louis--local store showed some in sock from Web Site--I called and they had no idea they had them--when they finally located them under the shelf, "yeah, we have 4 of them"

The web site says they have a years warrenty on labor which is NOT true --Panny only offers 90 days so beware of this false claim--

Anybody know where to get extra battery????

Still playing but not bad results so far for a travel camera--

[mystro544]

THe camers IS available for online orders. It is also available in 2 stores near my home. Maybe it isnt available in a store near YOUR home. Also, if you didnt waste so much time searching and trying to prove us wrong, you would have been able to get one. CLUELESS

Listen,I haven't tried to prove anyone wrong..I simply repeated for the group EXACTLT what CC management has been telling me after several days of phone calls..aren't you even alittle bit capabile of understanding this?

please ignore my posts,we'll get along better :rolleyes:

[mystro544]

It is not available in your local area, but it does not mean it is not available in whole US.
Try zip code 30301, and you will find 8 CC stroes in Atlanta area have this camera in stock.


Part of the issue is I've been searching for the DMC-TZ1K (which I want) and not available whereas the DMC-TZ1S can be located at a few stores..I should have made that clearer. sorry :o But the CC phone runaround was for *any* model. End of story :)

[mystro544]

================================================== ====

I picked up my TZ1 after work last night at CC. They had 4, now only 3.
I Got a REALLY great deal too. They were selling it for $332 and I had a $40 off coupon I got in the mail yesterday which brought the price down to $293 before sales tax. Very cool.

.

Wow,now that's the ticket..find what ya wanted and got it at a bargain! Excellent indeed! Please help Doug :) and post some results with settings. Photobucket amongst others is free for storage BTW.

[guxu]

Someone mentioned "encoding problem" in those movie clips posted by our friendly forum member;) But I do not see any problem in those movies. Any thought?

[lorien]

for all tz1 fans
SEE THAT

http://www.letsgodigital.org/html/review/panasonic/lumix_dmctz1/camera.html

[bobm59]

Just click here:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&context=&keyword=tz1s&searchSection=All

Just for kicks I did a random zip code entry on thhe CC site. The TZ1 is available all over the USA. I figured with the 24 minute guarantee/and a store 3 minutes away it was worth the trip.:cool:

[bobm59]

for all tz1 fans
SEE THAT

http://www.letsgodigital.org/html/review/panasonic/lumix_dmctz1/camera.html

from the review:
"The Lithium Ion battery, Panasonic CGA-S007E, has a capacity of 3.7V, 1000mAh. The battery needs to be charged via the external charger. It is important to know that you need to fully charge the CGA-S007E battery before you can use it.." (my bold)

Unless of course you slap the battery into the charger 90 minutes before you have to leave for work. I got about 30 pics, 3 movs, and endless searching about the menus before it died later that day. Whether I hurt the capacity or lessened the life remains to be seen!

[lorien]

is the Panasonic DE-A26A charger included in the box or I must buy it additonal??

edit: thanx!

[bobb2233]

is the Panasonic DE-A26A charger included in the box or I must buy it additonal??
-------------------------------------
Charger is included in package and is very small and portable.

Circuit City certainly has the TZ1 in the east. Picked up mine Saturday for $332.49. Didn't have the coupon, but Delaware has no sales tax so saved a little that way. By the way, they even had a sample camera on the counter.

[stoker]

Was this a CC coupon or Panny coupon???--got mine Sunday at the 332 price but didn't know about a coupon???

A great forum and THANKS Doug--good work!!!!!

[Debbie F]

It was a store coupon packaged in those coupon mailer envelopes that come in your mailbox every so often. I was walking out the door at lunch hour, and spotted a stack of coupons that my roommate had opened and I did a quick scan to see what was in it. When I saw "Circuit City", I perked right up. Then, when I saw the $40 off, I caught my breath.

[cuznvin]

It was a store coupon packaged in those coupon mailer envelopes that come in your mailbox every so often. I was walking out the door at lunch hour, and spotted a stack of coupons that my roommate had opened and I did a quick scan to see what was in it. When I saw "Circuit City", I perked right up. Then, when I saw the $40 off, I caught my breath.


A sign from above that you HAD to buy this camera!:D

[stoker]

That'll teach me to open the coupon things--Thanks for the reply--

[guxu]

Check with your company, if you have EPP, your discount price will be $288.4. Shipping will be free, but you will still have to pay tax.

[Doug Lerner]

Check with your company, if you have EPP, your discount price will be $288.4. Shipping will be free, but you will still have to pay tax.

My sister lives in MA and her birthday is next month. I was thinking of getting her one. How can I get one that cheap for her?!

doug

[stoker]

Check with your company, if you have EPP, your discount price will be $288.4. Shipping will be free, but you will still have to pay tax.


Is EPP--Employee Purchase PLan with CC--didn't know they had one

I already bought mine but will check--thanks for the heads up--

[guxu]

Employee Purchase PLan with Panasonic.com :)

Many companies offer EPP to their partners' employees also.

[bobb2233]

Has anyone found a source for spare batteries? Answer is probably among the 300+ posts on this topic, but I can't track it down. Haven't run the first charge down yet; but I'd like to have a safety factor. Great thread! Thanks for all the super information.

[California]

source for spare batteries? I searched ebay and Google. It appears this is a new unique battery that is shared only with another new camera that Panasonic introduced at the same time.

There's a real Panasonic spare battery on ebay but it's $75 including delivery from Japan. He shows part #DMW BCD10. Googling on that number returns some hits in Japanese, none in English.

The TZ-1 manual shows 'Panasonic CGA-S007A' for the battery. A Google search on that only returns 'coming soon, price TBA' and 'alternate name - CGA-S007', at Lenmar, plus some less relevant hits.

Its just too soon.

[Doug Lerner]

I searched ebay and Google. It appears this is a new unique battery that is shared only with another new camera that Panasonic introduced at the same time.

There's a real Panasonic spare battery on ebay but it's $75 including delivery from Japan. He shows part #DMW BCD10. Googling on that number returns some hits in Japanese, none in English.

The TZ-1 manual shows 'Panasonic CGA-S007A' for the battery. A Google search on that only returns 'coming soon, price TBA' and 'alternate name - CGA-S007', at Lenmar, plus some less relevant hits.

Its just too soon.

I got mine at Yodobashi Camera here in Tokyo. 5,250 yen which is about $45.

doug

[cuznvin]

How long does it take to charge a depleted battery??

[Doug Lerner]

How long does it take to charge a depleted battery??

I haven't depleted one yet. I switch to my backup when the charge falls to 1/3rd.

As far as I can tell, by estimating out with linear proportions, Panasonic's estimate of about 250 photos per charge is probably right. Maybe even more than that.

The battery seems to last at least several days for the albums I've been putting up.

doug

[mystro544]

Just for kicks I did a random zip code entry on thhe CC site. The TZ1 is available all over the USA. I figured with the 24 minute guarantee/and a store 3 minutes away it was worth the trip.:cool:

My order at Panny direct and hense the delay is for the black (K) version..it looks like the shipping date is moving up though. YES!

I guess good things happen when ya have to wait..I'm actually reading the whole pdf manual. eek: :)

[mystro544]

I really like the way this camera handles itself at night:

http://lerner.net/doug/NightViews/

doug


Thanks again Doug,were any of these shots using the pre-set night modes?

[Doug Lerner]

Thanks again Doug,were any of these shots using the pre-set night modes?

Yes, many of them were. For each picture in that album I noted which ones used the night scene mode.

doug

[Dr Don]

My sister lives in MA and her birthday is next month. I was thinking of getting her one. How can I get one that cheap for her?!

doug

Konban wa, Doug san: ("Good evening")

Ditto on your great work.

You can buy your sister one at 17 St. Photo @ www.17photo.com .

I just got one for $294.89. No coupon needed. Ship is another $16.49.
In stock (allegedly).

Bye Bye,

[mhcomp]

My sister lives in MA and her birthday is next month. I was thinking of getting her one. How can I get one that cheap for her?!

doug
Looks like B & H Photo has more silver ones in stock. Mine came out at $312 & change incl shipping (UPS). NY to MA should be about 2 days.

[Dr Don]

I've researched this rather heavily.

The hard case Panasonic sells is suspect for me. They sent me an email which says it has a "hook" to attach it to a belt. Sounds too easily lost.

There is an "alleged" LowePro sold on eBay exclusively for TZ1 which doesn't seem to physically fit the camera. So I am avoiding that too. LowePro web site doesn't list any case for the TZ1 (I suppose too new.)

There is a bona fide LowePro model which seems good for my needs. A robust
web system with velco which seems like it securely attach to belts, pack straps, etc. Even better for attaching to other LowePro "SlipLock" products apparently but I'm not THAT rich.

LowePro Model DRes 25 AW is 3.5W x 2.5D x 6H in. (9x 6.5 x 15 cm), so fits the camera nicely (room for a couple of accessories) and is pretty cheap ($20 or less). http://www.lowepro.com:8080/pages/series/dres/dres25.html

You can get it at CompUSA, Best Buy, lots of other places, too.

I am buying three so I minimize releasing the velcro for max comfort.

[Dr Don]

The "AW" means "all weather," which gives me more confidence about being caught out in the rain without the camera case under one's raincoat.

[Dr Don]

Avoid completely discharging your battery to make it last as long as possible.

I recommend never using it after it shows one-third, since that seems to be the indicator given by the camera. My research for electric cars shows some
Lithium Ions will last for thousand of charge-discharge cycles if you never discharge them more than 80%. But 2/3 is safer yet !

A reference for minimum discharge voltage is www.amicell.co.il/b_lioncon.htm.
But a good rule of thumb is just don't discharge it all the way.

[Dr Don]

Seems to be meritline for the 150X Ritek Ridata 2GB card. $74.95 with ship'g.

NewEgg has gone way up.

Up to date price comparisons (and ordering) at

http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__RITEK_Corporation_150x_High_Speed_2GB_Secure_Di gital_SD_Flash_Card,__10682736

[RoyS]

I have been looking for a new compact and this thread has convinced me to go for the TZ1 - thanks Doug, and everyone.

According to Panasonic Customer Care it is available now in silver in the UK with the black version to follow in about 10 days. Cost at Panasonic on-line store is £299.

The price is interesting - I thought there was meant to be a single market in the European Union and yet an earlier post here quotes a price of 349 Euros, which equates to £244 so here in UK we have an uplift of over 20% (and 50% compared to the US price of $349). So, I will be waiting for our discount stores to build their stocks!.

best wishes -Roy

[Dmares]

Hi All,
it seems there are different prices in Europe.

In Switzerland ( Camera is available in Blue, silver,black) the conversed price is € 280 ( One year warranty) , im America the conversed price is € 240, in Germany (not available yet) it is € 350 with a three year warranty

Cheers
Dennis

[stoker]

Can a lens filter be used on ths TZ1???--doen't look like it to me but posts on other forums seem to imply "yes"--I don't see any threads but then again my eyesite has been suspect at times--

[Cameron38]

I really wanted the Black, but I couldn't pass up buying the silver one yesterday at CC here in Los Angeles. CC's sale price PLUS an additional 10% off using a Techbargains.com coupon brought the price down to $299 (before tax). You had to buy online to use the coupon, but you could pick it up at the store. The coupon was only for april 3 - 4 so I couldn't "think about it" I just went for it.
The very impressed so far. I'm very glad the charging unit is a small self contained unit similar to the canon type instead of the separate charging box/cable shown in some of early PDF manuals floating around.
Only thing I don't like is the camera's plastic body. I guess I'm just used to the feel of the metal case on my Canon Elph.
The widescreen Video mode is awesome! My camcorder will be retired for my future trips!
If you're on the fence whether or not to buy a TZ-1, you won't be disappointed. A real bargain at $300 in my mind.. Light years ahead of my Canon Elph 5meg which I paid much more for...

P.S. As far as cases.. I found this one on Ebags... it's interior dimensions are 5.5" x 3" x 1.75"
http://www.ebags.com/mountainsmith/cyber_ii_medium_compact_camera_case/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=62898

[Dr Don]

Doug thinks his is metal. The pre-production review at http://www.letsgodigital.org/html/re...z1/camera.html says metal. It would not be unreasonable if it were plastic given the price point but I haven't yet seen anyone who has one say it's plastic.

[bobb2233]

My silver TZ1 has a full metal jacket over some polycarbonate sections. Battery compartment and tripod recepticle are plastic. I'm sure some of the interior components are plastic also. Polycarbonate is much more dimensionally stable than metal and doesn't conduct electricity.

One question- Has anyone tried this lcd shade and protecter? It looks interesting. http://www.delkin.com/delkin_products_pop_up_shade.html

Thanks for any input!

[mystro544]

Seems to be meritline for the 150X Ritek Ridata 2GB card. $74.95 with ship'g.

NewEgg has gone way up.
Up to date price comparisons (and ordering) at
http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__RITEK_Corporation_150x_High_Speed_2GB_Secure_Di gital_SD_Flash_Card,__10682736


Be careful,Ritek makes CD's and is a newbie to SD cards or is most likely just relabeling them in anycase,there's been some bad press on at least one of Ritek cards,consider a better known brand for reliability..in this case,cheap can be costly imo.

[mystro544]

I really wanted the Black,
P.S. As far as cases.. I found this one on Ebags... it's interior dimensions are 5.5" x 3" x 1.75"
http://www.ebags.com/mountainsmith/cyber_ii_medium_compact_camera_case/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=62898

I ordered a Black but waiting,no real reason except my wife wanted the blue..we compromised. :cool

I read it's Metal

I also ordered the same version case a few days it hasn't shipped yet either :( ..needed the snugger fit for biking etc,it's just alittle bigger all around then the actual camera using panny's numbers. I ordered from negg,got a 80x on-sale although the camera recommended 10mbps for best video recordings..this will be alittle slower though plenty fast for 95% of my uses unless they change. :)

[Dr Don]

Be careful,Ritek makes CD's and is a newbie to SD cards or is most likely just relabeling them in anycase,there's been some bad press on at least one of Ritek cards,consider a better known brand for reliability..in this case,cheap can be costly imo.

Good point ! I have access to a memory tester but most people don't.

[mystro544]

Can a lens filter be used on ths TZ1???--doen't look like it to me but posts on other forums seem to imply "yes"--I don't see any threads but then again my eyesite has been suspect at times--

Good Q..if it doesn't there will be a workaround,guaranteed.

For LCD shade check Hoodmanusa..not sure it's really needed though.

[Doug Lerner]

Konban wa, Doug san: ("Good evening")

Ditto on your great work.

You can buy your sister one at 17 St. Photo @ www.17photo.com .

I just got one for $294.89. No coupon needed. Ship is another $16.49.
In stock (allegedly).

Bye Bye,

Thanks! Plenty of time before her birthday on May 17!

I ended up buying a cheapo case ($8) at Bic Camera in Tokyo yesterday. They have racks upon racks of just digital camera cases. The Panasonic one just for the Lumix is over $40!

doug

[Cameron38]

Fry's has a 1 GB PQI 60x card on sale for $19.99 after $20 rebate. According to the PQI webpage.. the 60x card has a write speed of 9MBPS. Not quite the 10MBPS that Panasonic recommends for shooting video with the TZ1. Maybe close enough at that price!. I have used PQI compact flash cards on my Canon with no problems.

[cuznvin]

Just came home to find my new TZ1 was delivered by FEDEX today! I am very happy to see how small it actually is. Battery charging up now! Hopefully, the SD cards will be delivered soon too! I cant wait to start taking pictures!

[Doug Lerner]

Just came home to find my new TZ1 was delivered by FEDEX today! I am very happy to see how small it actually is. Battery charging up now! Hopefully, the SD cards will be delivered soon too! I cant wait to start taking pictures!

You can take some while you are waiting with the built-in memory!

doug

[cuznvin]

Just waiting for the battery to charge. Thanks Doug!

[mystro544]

Yes, many of them were. For each picture in that album I noted which ones used the night scene mode.

doug

Thanks,with so many night scene options one is bound to work and switching
modes looks fast and easy. Your "House by Kanda River" shot is an amazingly clear and vibrant picture BTW. I'll test a longer starry-nite mode shutter speed using a tripod when I get the camera but your results give me a much more confidence in it's low light capabilites.

[Doug Lerner]

Thanks,with so many night scene options one is bound to work and switching
modes looks fast and easy. Your "House by Kanda River" shot is an amazingly clear and vibrant picture BTW. I'll test a longer starry-nite mode shutter speed using a tripod when I get the camera but your results give me a much more confidence in it's low light capabilites.

I am looking forward to trying the starry night scene too. If we would ever get a starry night here!

doug

[bobm59]

My combo USB 1.0 Sandisk card reader is painfully slow transfering files to my iMac G5. Could be the low-speed SD card I have now (a 2GB Ultra II arrives today)? Anyone recommend or use a favorite USB 2.0 SD card reader? :confused:

[Dmares]

Hi All

if it is recommended to use a high speed sd card I would buy the ULTRA III
with up to 25 mbit/s.
The price here in germany starts at 70€ (1GB) and € 140 (2GB)

Cheers
Dennis

[Dmares]

I am looking forward to trying the starry night scene too. If we would ever get a starry night here!

doug


Hi There
I know there was a discussion going on but has anybody already tried to photograph an open fire ? - to see if the purple is common with Lumix or if it was just bad exposure

Cheers
Dennis

[Debbie F]

Morning all!
I've notice that when I shot a few test videos, the volume was pretty low.
I've even set it all the way up to level six, but it just isn't very loud, unlike my camera phone which you've got to turn down. How's everyone elses sound?

[Debbie F]

Thanks,with so many night scene options one is bound to work and switching
modes looks fast and easy. Your "House by Kanda River" shot is an amazingly clear and vibrant picture BTW. I'll test a longer starry-nite mode shutter speed using a tripod when I get the camera but your results give me a much more confidence in it's low light capabilites.

Hey Doug, are you using a tripod in your night shots? They are very impressive.

[Cameron38]

Bob, per your question about a card reader. I picked up a generic USB 2 SD card reader yesterday at FRY's for $7.99. Transfers images very, very fast.

[Dmares]

Hey Doug, are you using a tripod in your night shots? They are very impressive.

Hi Debbie
what I could recommend to you is following Sandisk Cardreader.
http://www.buchmann.ch/products/SanDisk_ImageMate_12_in_1_Reader/Writer.htm

Its really excellent and fast and has a very good make. You can pull the reader out of its socket and take it along. It has two plugs - the small and the standard USB

Cheers
Dennis

[Debbie F]

I'm confused Dennis. What exactly is this Sandisk Cardreader? I posted two
questions this morning. One asking if Doug was using a tripod for his night
shots, and the other was about the volume on the camera being soft.

[Cameron38]

Your not confused Debbie.. Dennis is confused. hehe. It was Bob that asked about a card reader. A card reader allows you to take the SD card out of the camera and plug it into the card reader. The card reader is attached to the computer via the USB port. Your SD card will show up on your computer as another "Removable Drive" and this allows you to "drag and Drop" the pictures from the memory card to any folder on your PC that you want. It's typically much faster than hooking your Camera up to the PC to download the pictures and you don't drain the camera battery while transfering the pictures.
Hope this helps..

[bobm59]

Morning all!
I've notice that when I shot a few test videos, the volume was pretty low.
I've even set it all the way up to level six, but it just isn't very loud, unlike my camera phone which you've got to turn down. How's everyone elses sound?

The speaker on the camera is tiny, so yes I agree the volume is low. Here is a 10MB movie clip shot the first day I had my TZ1 if you wonder how it turns out on the computer.

http://web.mit.edu/robob/www/largo/TZ1/P1000038.MOV

My 2GB Sandisk Ultra II card arrived today. Movie mode says I can capture over 19 minutes of video at 30fps 16:9. I'll see if I have any more guinea pigs later tonight. It really is a great little camera.:cool:

Bob

[California]

I found a suitable compact belt case at Ritz Camera. Quantaray 276, $9. Stock# 441663085.

Its outer pocket can carry a battery, the charger, and at least one cased SD card with the whole package smaller than any other case I found containing the camera alone.

I thought I would share this because I tried numerous other cases at Target, Costco, Best Buy, and REI. They had great variety but any models big enough to get the TZ1 into were awkwardly large for belt carry.

I first bought a Denali -729 at Target but discovered that was too tight. It rotated the scene dial as I shoved the camera in and no space for the wrist strap. And the camera was too slippery to pull back out.

Here's a tip someone might find useful: To improve grip on the camera, I added transparent tape where the right fingertips and thumb grasp it, and next to the tripod socket on the left. This is the transparent shipping tape used on cardboard boxes (cut to fit) with a rubbery high traction feel. Big improvement.

[mynicksnix]

Hi All

if it is recommended to use a high speed sd card I would buy the ULTRA III
with up to 25 mbit/s.
The price here in germany starts at 70€ (1GB) and € 140 (2GB)

Cheers
Dennis

I bought a ULTRA 3 myself. It is quick (25 MB/sec)......... but the camera doesn't need that speed (in 30 fps movie mode it will write only at 1.7 MB/second........count for yourself (with about 20 min. on a 2 GB card).

In fact, some guy at Dpreview created a 20 min. movie without any trouble with his 2 GB standard! Sandisk SD card.
So a 10 MB/S (like the ULTRA 2) would definitely be fast enough.

I think Panasonics recommends the high speed cards mainly to increase their own profits..... they also recommend to use only Panasonic accu's..... never heard anyone complain about compatibles........

[Doug Lerner]

My combo USB 1.0 Sandisk card reader is painfully slow transfering files to my iMac G5. Could be the low-speed SD card I have now (a 2GB Ultra II arrives today)? Anyone recommend or use a favorite USB 2.0 SD card reader? :confused:

I just got a cheap made-in-Taiwan card reader. But the important thing is that it is USB 2.0. Much faster if your computer USB supports that, which the iMac G5 should.

doug

[Doug Lerner]

I'm confused Dennis. What exactly is this Sandisk Cardreader? I posted two
questions this morning. One asking if Doug was using a tripod for his night
shots, and the other was about the volume on the camera being soft.

I did not use a tripod. What I did was:

1. Put the camera on some convenient wall and

2. Using the self-timer mode at 2 seconds to further eliminate camera shutter.

doug

[Dr Don]

Apparently pretty good because I ordered yesterday and they shipped today.

That's make them the low price provider with stock and a sub-$300 price.

[Debbie F]

Hey all,
I saw this cool stick anywhere tripod (monsterpod) on cnet's pma show news. They showed a video and I had to check it out more. I've got one on order and can't wait for it to arrive.
http://www.monster-pod.com/

[mystro544]

Ok new owners,what DC power adapter requirements will be needed?

Can Filters be adapted..I haven't found a close-up picture showing threads,not having a polarized filter for that extra
sharp ocean/sky/cloud photo's will be needed..taking shots thru my sunglasses is not an option. :)

[Dr Don]

$63 at http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4620408?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG.

Or Transcend 80X 1GB for $30 at http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4799339?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG.

[sirccchar]

does anyone know if the camera supports 4gb sd card. i know most camera is listed as 2gb max, but the fx9 supports 4gb and im thinking this camera would too

[avi777]

does anyone know if the camera supports 4gb sd card. i know most camera is listed as 2gb max, but the fx9 supports 4gb and im thinking this camera would too

2 GB I know for sure. Dont wanna find out that 4 GB doesnt work after buying one. Technically I dont see why it shouldn't work, would be a lot slower though

[lincoln30]

Beware little old ladies driving Hondas!!

I bought the camera yesterday (at Circuit City) which, so far, is proving to be a nice camera. While waiting in the grocery store parking lot for my wife to finish shopping I decide to try the movie mode and got out of the car and started panning. Next thing I know this weird lady jumps out of her Honda and is shouting at me why am I taking her picture. Told her I was taking a movie. Well I get half mile down the road and get pulled over by 3 local squad cars and a state trooper Boy one day and this camera has gotten me in trouble. Nothing came of it but.........the officer thought the quality was great and wanted the name of the camera.

Enough of this trivia. I haven't gotten into the camera yet but it looks like a keeper. The day shots are sharp and the movies are the best I have seen. I think I am winning over a Canon nut. He admits that 10X in a small package is hard to beat. I like the way the controls are set up. I don't have to remember what the symbols are on the dial. Just go to the scene mode and it is all spelled out.

Those of you who have the camera. How are the flash shots in low light coming out. I want to say some of mine look a little noisy. It looks that way when I bring them up on Paint Shop Pro X and magnify them. ISO is 80.

[Dmares]

I'm confused Dennis. What exactly is this Sandisk Cardreader? I posted two
questions this morning. One asking if Doug was using a tripod for his night
shots, and the other was about the volume on the camera being soft.

Hi Debbie

sorry I mixed it up. YOu shouldn´t go into the net if you have a flue ongoing ;-)
Sorry once more
Dennis

[mystro544]

Ok new owners,what DC power adapter requirements will be needed?

Can Filters be adapted..I haven't found a close-up picture showing threads,not having a polarized filter for that extra
sharp ocean/sky/cloud photo's will be needed..taking shots thru my sunglasses is not an option. :)


AC not DC takes 5volt: DMW-AC5 AC $70 approx :(

Still no filter feedback ...it's not looking good,

I guess the owners of this type
PS camera don't need stinking filters. ;)

[Noodlez]

2 GB I know for sure. Dont wanna find out that 4 GB doesnt work after buying one. Technically I dont see why it shouldn't work, would be a lot slower though

If I remember right FAT16 has a size limt of 2GB, the cam would have to support FAT32 for 2GB and above. But I could be way off base also.

On a side note mine will be here Monday, weehoooo

[Dr Don]

and I guess they should know. Haven't inquired into the technical reasons.

I can forward the email to any interested parties. Just promise not to post my email address on bathroom walls.

[Dr Don]

You can order the spare battery from Panasic's spare parts group but it is on a 4 week back order. It is part number CGA-S007A/1B. The phone number is 800-833-9626. The price is $51.99 plus about $15.00 in tax and shipping.
Ninety day warranty from date of receipt.

Expensive but I hate to prematurely kill my first battery by over discharge.

[Jim Monroe]

Today I was able to try out the new TZ1 at Circuit City in Portland
Oregon and the new FX-01 at Best Buy.
The 10 to 1 lens seems to be sharper on the TZ1 than the wider
lens on the FX-01. I took my own SD card to try out both cameras.
After looking at both photos the TZ1 is a better lens and processor.
The new computer in the TZ1 does a better job at lighting indoor
pictures than the FX-01. If you can live with a bit larger camera
the TZ1 is the best choice. The FX-01 is the best pocket camera
if size is most important. I took all indoor pictures without flash.
Hope this info will help most of you looking at these two cameras.

[Cameron38]

OK guys.. I happened to find a case for the TZ-1 that is a perfect fit at, of all places, Walmart. It's nylon padded case and fits like it was made for the TZ-1. And the price? A whopping $4.88 LOL.
It's the ICON C model# ATR110-KHA. It has a belt hoop, but no shoulder strap.

[mystro544]

You can order the spare battery from Panasic's spare parts group but it is on a 4 week back order. It is part number CGA-S007A/1B. The phone number is 800-833-9626. The price is $51.99 plus about $15.00 in tax and shipping.
Ninety day warranty from date of receipt.

Expensive but I hate to prematurely kill my first battery by over discharge.


I'm not convinced we'll need an expensive proprietary battery,when I finally get my camera I'll do further searching but I'm fairly sure there are other sources especially since it's using common 3.7 voltage..it is a three prong isn't it?

BTW,I posted a helpful battery tip I gleaned from ol'reliable Usenet in the tips-forum today.

[mystro544]

I asked a few days ago if the camera has threads but alas..no response or I missed the post.

Anyway,I had my doubt's but was again hopeful after looking at this photo..it almost looks like it has but then..hmmmm?

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/static/image/2006/03/29/tz1_16l.jpg

[mystro544]

Today I was able to try out the new TZ1 at Circuit City in Portland
Oregon and the new FX-01 at Best Buy.
The 10 to 1 lens seems to be sharper on the TZ1 than the wider
lens on the FX-01. I took my own SD card to try out both cameras.
After looking at both photos the TZ1 is a better lens and processor.
The new computer in the TZ1 does a better job at lighting indoor
pictures than the FX-01. If you can live with a bit larger camera
the TZ1 is the best choice. The FX-01 is the best pocket camera
if size is most important. I took all indoor pictures without flash.
Hope this info will help most of you looking at these two cameras.


B&H photo's P&S expert said the better comparison was against the highly rated DMC-LX1..he did a shake down for us several weeks ago with both cameras,it was/is a very difficult choice but his expert advise (as usual) made it somewhat easier after I told him our needs and what we already owned. Venus III and Tele cinched the deal.

[Jim Monroe]

Sorry no threads to mount any filters

[ljubom]

Two questions to lucky TZ1 owners :) :

Is there a possibility to charge battery without taking it out of camera?

What happens with clock during battery charging, do we need to adjust the camera clock every time the battery is recharged?

[bobm59]

Two questions to lucky TZ1 owners :) :

Is there a possibility to charge battery without taking it out of camera?

What happens with clock during battery charging, do we need to adjust the camera clock every time the battery is recharged?

1. No
2. The clock does not need to be reset after the battery is charged (if outside of the unit for a long period of time I don't know)

...and due to my sloth and exuberance I have fully discharged the TZ1 battery twice already. Time will tell if I have adversely lowered the life of the battery. :eek:

[Cameron38]

Buydig.com now has the silver TZ-1 for $309. No tax, Free shipping.

[Dr Don]

I am thinking I will carry the TZ1 with me most of the time because of its small size. Thus there is a fairly high probability of rough treatment, maybe significant underwater use. So I am thinking of getting the "ultimate" in extended warranties, the Mack Ultimate warrant gives labor and material costs for : "This exclusive warranty covers most malfunctions including impact, sand damage, and customer misuse." http://www.mackcam.com/warranties/2yearultimatedig500.html

I can get this as low as $60 for 2 extended years on the TZ1. http://www.berger-bros.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BBCVD&Product_Code=MACE2PDIG59

Any thoughts from the crew prior to my purchase ? I think after 3 years I can spring for a new generation.

[adamsfamily]

The silver is available over here for £298.99. But the Black has been put back until May. Does anyone know if the Blue will be available in the UK?

[dadster]

You might check out the thread on extended warrantees. I think that Stanstan's idea of a personal property floater is probably the best in terms of coverage and cost--it takes care of almost ALL losses except for "manufacturing defects" (which would be covered under the manufacturer's warrantee and typical extended warrantees). This type of floater typically covers theft and accidental loss.

[dannystraus]

After reading and participating in this thread, for the last week I have decided to purchase the TZ1. Since i am from Canada, i am to be purchasing from 17th St. Photo as they are one of the rare outlets that ship to Canada, any thoughts or concerns that anyone may have had with them, they seem to have a high constumer rating.

[Dr Don]

Danny, hold off until tomorrow and I'll post about mine which gets delivered from them in the AM. They called me twice to confirm the order and shipped the next day. That was fairly impressive.

[dannystraus]

Danny, hold off until tomorrow and I'll post about mine which gets delivered from them in the AM. They called me twice to confirm the order and shipped the next day. That was fairly impressive.
thanks i will

[mystro544]

Request to owners:

Has anyone attached the 5 sec Audio to a picture? I'm curious how large the the finished photo/audio file will actually be? Should be very handy for documenting photos if it's not overly large.

[mystro544]

The silver is available over here for £298.99. But the Black has been put back until May. Does anyone know if the Blue will be available in the UK?

Part of the reason we decided to wait,my wife wants the Blue (A) and I the Black (K) B&H photo said all three will be available in May at their store and online which makes me think maybe some of the better Photo stores in the UK will have that option.

[Hikescdnrckys]

After reading and participating in this thread, for the last week I have decided to purchase the TZ1. Since i am from Canada, i am to be purchasing from 17th St. Photo as they are one of the rare outlets that ship to Canada, any thoughts or concerns that anyone may have had with them, they seem to have a high constumer rating.

Dannystraus - any idea what the customs charge is? How much did 17th St. Photo charge for shipping? Thanks.

[dannystraus]

Dannystraus - any idea what the customs charge is? How much did 17th St. Photo charge for shipping? Thanks.
I havent ordered or called yet, just checked out their web page. But i will not order from them if they use UPS as they have outragous brokerage fees at the border. Subposidley no duty, just gst.though. So I'm guessing the bottom line will be less, plus i dont want to wait until its available in Canada, from what ive heard is 5 weeks.

[adamsfamily]

Thanks Mystro544, what a pain though!! You'd think that they'd ship everything at the same time.... trouble is, when in May they'll be available as I'm on holiday near the end and I don't want to go away without a camera!!!

So come on Panasonic, get your fingers out!

[menashe]

After reading and participating in this thread, for the last week I have decided to purchase the TZ1. Since i am from Canada, i am to be purchasing from 17th St. Photo as they are one of the rare outlets that ship to Canada, any thoughts or concerns that anyone may have had with them, they seem to have a high constumer rating.
Just bought the camera from 17th Street Photo. I work in NY, so I walked over and bought it from their showroom. They seemed to have plenty in stock (silver only, like everyone else) and I was able to try a number of cases as well. The Lowepro D-Pods 40 fit well, with room for a spare battery (not yet available, unfortunately) and a spare card. Price was the same as on the website ($294.89). The clerk was knowledgeable too - when I had a hard time focusing on a camera box with the zoom at the long end, he pointed out that I was too close and should switch to macro.

[Snoopy1010]

Hello all, I am new to this forum and this thread too...:)

I am going to buy TZ1 soon and I like this camera very much.

But I have a question about this camera....

Where can I buy an extra battery for this camera?

It seems that I cannot find it anywhere in the US.

Also, when fully charged, how long the battery can last usually?
Any real experience from existing proud owner of TZ1?

Thanks...

[stoker]

I can't find battery either so hopefully it will show up soon--

This week end I took about 85 pictures,some with flash and some no--some with zoom ,and 4-5 video clips of probably 15-20 seconds apiece--battery showed 2/3 full --camera was on and off over an 8 hour period both from battery save and on/off button--

There are some comments on this string about battery life from Doug--so far it looks pretty good but I want a 2nd for juust in case--

Have had the camera about 2 weeks and still playing but so far--GREAT--want it for travel and hiking and brief case so it is perfect for me --

[Snoopy1010]

I can't find battery either so hopefully it will show up soon--

This week end I took about 85 pictures,some with flash and some no--some with zoom ,and 4-5 video clips of probably 15-20 seconds apiece--battery showed 2/3 full --camera was on and off over an 8 hour period both from battery save and on/off button--

There are some comments on this string about battery life from Doug--so far it looks pretty good but I want a 2nd for juust in case--

Have had the camera about 2 weeks and still playing but so far--GREAT--want it for travel and hiking and brief case so it is perfect for me --

Hi Stoker,

Thanks for the reply.

It seems that the battery can last long based on your experience.

I always want at least 2 batteries for the camera...
Always prepare with the back-up :D

I wonder how much the extra battery will be cost...??

Is it really we can't buy it in the US now? I mean the battery.....

[stoker]

It is available in Japan as Doug has pointed out--You could try ebay--I think I saw a post that said somebody was offering it out of Japan--So it is manufactured, just not available in US yet--

[Snoopy1010]

It is available in Japan as Doug has pointed out--You could try ebay--I think I saw a post that said somebody was offering it out of Japan--So it is manufactured, just not available in US yet--

I have called Panasonic and it sells the battery for US$51.99.
Plus shipping and handling based on the shipping address.

Does it make sense?

By the way, based on your experience, how good the camera under low-light condition in simple mode? What's about in other mode?

What's about red-eye? Any?

How's good is the flash? It is kinda small...?!??

Thanks. :)

[dannystraus]

Did you recieve your TZ1 from 17 st Photo today, as they promised?

[stoker]

I have called Panasonic and it sells the battery for US$51.99.
Plus shipping and handling based on the shipping address.

Does it make sense?

By the way, based on your experience, how good the camera under low-light condition in simple mode? What's about in other mode?

What's about red-eye? Any?

How's good is the flash? It is kinda small...?!??

Thanks. :)

I have seen the battery advertised thru Circiut City battery connection for 39.99 when available--I have not done enough snapping et to answer your questions--when I used the flash for fill outside and for lowlite inside it's OK fo close work--like most P&S it is not meant to go to far

It has red eye reduction with preflash and is as good as any other I have used but I am no expert

You can go back thru this thread and read and see a lot of great work done by Doug Lerner as an early owner in Japan--

[Dr Don]

Did you recieve your TZ1 from 17 st Photo today, as they promised?

Arrived as promised. They called to confirm delivery. All parts there. The reason I mention the latter is on-line discount camera houses sometimes will seel the camera cheap but ask additional for manual/cable/software/etc.

I would recommend them to anyone ! Of course, hiccoughs still possible.:cool:

[dannystraus]

Arrived as promised. They called to confirm delivery. All parts there. The reason I mention the latter is on-line discount camera houses sometimes will seel the camera cheap but ask additional for manual/cable/software/etc.

I would recommend them to anyone ! Of course, hiccoughs still possible.:cool:
Thats great, I am ordered tommorow then, I will be using with the Sandisk Ultra 11 card 1GB,I hope this will be a good combo.

[Dmares]

I have seen the battery advertised thru Circiut City battery connection for 39.99 when available--I have not done enough snapping et to answer your questions--when I used the flash for fill outside and for lowlite inside it's OK fo close work--like most P&S it is not meant to go to far

It has red eye reduction with preflash and is as good as any other I have used but I am no expert

You can go back thru this thread and read and see a lot of great work done by Doug Lerner as an early owner in Japan--

The Battery is now available here in Germany

Panasonic CGA-S007E/1B Lithium Ion Akku, 3,7V, 1000 mAh
Aufladbarer Lithium Ion Akku, 3,7V, 1000 mAh.
Für LUMIX Digitalkameras:
DMC-TZ1
Preis: 44,90 €
(Preis inkl. VAT.)

The camera too, but still expensive with € 429 at the big retailers
Cheers
Dennis

[lorien]

i preordered my tz1 (black) for 342 euro (incl. shipping) but it will be available not before 27th april...

[Dmares]

i preordered my tz1 (black) for 342 euro (incl. shipping) but it will be available not before 27th april...

Hi Lorien

I am next week in Switzerland and I hope I can get one there. They have all colors on stock and the price is arounf € 310.-. I tried getting one here in Munich but the price is around € 400.-

Cheers
Dennis

[mystro544]

Arrived as promised. They called to confirm delivery. All parts there. The reason I mention the latter is on-line discount camera houses sometimes will seel the camera cheap but ask additional for manual/cable/software/etc.

I would recommend them to anyone ! Of course, hiccoughs still possible.:cool:

DD,does the Mountainsmith case fit properly?

[mystro544]

Request to owners:

Has anyone tested the 5 sec Audio attached to a picture? I'm curious how large the the finished photo/audio file will actually be,so I can approximate how large a SD card to order. Should be very handy for documenting photos on the fly.

[lorien]

@Dmares

Berlin to switzerland - it's to a long distance... :(
Is there a gold-color cam, too? (or black, silver, blue only)

[mystro544]

@Dmares

Berlin to switzerland - it's to a long distance... :(
Is there a gold-color cam, too? (or black, silver, blue only)

I think Doug mentioned getting the champagne color in Japan

[Dr Don]

DD,does the Mountainsmith case fit properly?

Sorry Mystro, I don't have a mountainsmith case. I have a LowePro D-RES 25AW which is a large and loose in the fit but nicely padded and waterproof. It has a double velcro belt loop which is very secure. $15 on eBay.

I have a padded Samsonite case which is a little snug but fits ($5 at Walmart) and may be water resistent. I am skeptical of the belt loop velcro.

I also have a Targus which fits perfectly but has no padding, no secure means of closing, and no water resistence. But it was only $0.94 at Walmart.
Belt loop is permanently closed on this one.

[stoker]

Hey folks

Somebody posted on another forum-dpreview-that Profeel Video has the CGA-S007 battery--I verified that it is there--not sure if its the same as CGA-S007A--but he said he ordered it with his TZ1--I asked him to confirm he's used it--

Any clues or comments--Almost too good to be true

[Dmares]

@Dmares

Berlin to switzerland - it's to a long distance... :(
Is there a gold-color cam, too? (or black, silver, blue only)

Good Morning,

Switzerland it is not to far away from Munich. The retailer told me that gold would be available soon

Cheers
Dennis

[menashe]

Somebody posted on another forum-dpreview-that Profeel Video has the CGA-S007 battery--I verified that it is there
What's the URL?

[menashe]

What's the URL?

Never mind - I found it: http://www.profeelvideo.com/showpage.asp?itemid=6424&manufid=19&category=DigitalCameras

[stoker]

I called Profeel and the battery is NOT in stock--standard 8-10 day answer--oh well

[Dmares]

Hi All,

if you follow the link you will find one of the first tests regarding this camera. Sorry it is in German. Over all not a bad result, some points I cant quite follow regarding the shots shown here on these pages.

Link: http://www.digitalkamera.de/Info/News/32/52.htm

Cheers
Dennis

[Cameron38]

You can translate the german article using Babelfish.. but the results can be pretty funny...

[tim11]

This TZ1 creates such a stampede. :D
HOW ABOUT A REVIEW JEFF?

[mynicksnix]

Thanks for the link Dmares! Too bad they don't show any sample photo's.
So an extensive review would be very welcome indeed!!! :D

According to this review, a disadvantage is that the TZ1 lacks a wide angle. Of course - it is -but no one expects it to have one......... although that would make it the perfect camera (......I'm missing mpeg4 too by the way).

[mystro544]

This TZ1 creates such a stampede. :D
HOW ABOUT A REVIEW JEFF?



The highly respected NY camera retailer B&H,usually quite reserved when it comes to passing out accolades mentioned that this model panasonic has attracted by-far the most interest of any camera in recent years.

Yes Jeff..strap this camera on. :)

[John_Reed]

This (http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=18011942) will take you to a thread on dpreview where I posted some shots of my Cat & flowers in my garden with the TZ1.

[Jim Monroe]

Hi John,
I must be doing something wrong.
Couldn't pull up your pictures of your
cat.

[John_Reed]

Hi John,
I must be doing something wrong.
Couldn't pull up your pictures of your
cat....it seems to work fine for me. Here's the link itself:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=18011942
If it still doesn't work, go to the Panasonic Talk forum of http://www.dpreview.com, and you should find it there in a fairly recent thread under my name.

[Jim Monroe]

Hi John,
Beautful cat and garden.
Nice colors and detail
Can't wait to get our
TZ1 K might settle for Silver
Jim

[blackbird]

Beautiful shots John. Thanks for sharing. I am really looking forward to get this camera. Initially my local camera store told me that the TZ1 would be in by last week and it seems that there is some miscommunication between them and the dealer. The FX01 and FZ7 is already in store but not the TZ1... :mad: Wonder how long more I will have to wait....

[Makeitwork]

I purchased a TZ1 silver this morning at Walmart. :)

[louiskam]

I purchased a TZ1 silver this morning at Walmart. :)

May I know at which location and what price?

[jpmccormac]

May I know at which location and what price?
TZ1 is available at WalMart here in Florida also. I checked it out but there was no battery or card in it:(

It IS quite small. I didn't like the fact that your right thumb covers the menu buttons. Anyone find this annoying or leading to inadvertent mode/button changes?

[John_Reed]

TZ1 is available at WalMart here in Florida also. I checked it out but there was no battery or card in it:(

It IS quite small. I didn't like the fact that your right thumb covers the menu buttons. Anyone find this annoying or leading to inadvertent mode/button changes?
But the camera doesn't come with an SD card anyway, has a built-in memory that will hold a few shots if you don't have a card plugged in.

As far as the switch position is concerned, the rocker switches are low on the back of the camera, and I find that with my index finger on the shutter button, my thumb is dangling up top too, away from the rocker switches. Moreover, the switches themselves give a very definite tactile click when pushed; I don't think there's much danger of inadvertantly changing modes.

[jpmccormac]

Moreover, the switches themselves give a very definite tactile click when pushed; I don't think there's much danger of inadvertantly changing modes.

Thanks for the info., John. I've been to several large chains (which will remain unnamed) and have yet to find a Panasonic camera that was charged and ready to test - or anyone who was willing to take the time to make the cameras work.

[Doug Lerner]

TZ1 is available at WalMart here in Florida also. I checked it out but there was no battery or card in it:(

It IS quite small. I didn't like the fact that your right thumb covers the menu buttons. Anyone find this annoying or leading to inadvertent mode/button changes?

I haven't noticed that. My right thumb seems to naturally rest on that raised patch ABOVE the menu buttons. I assumed that is what it was for.

doug

[Cameron38]

With the lack of spare battery availability, most retailers may choose to NOT put the battery in the display model for fear it could easily be stolen.

[Dmares]

Hi Folks

for all who are interested in reading the manual first I have uploaded it onto a file server. It takes some time to download it (6.7MB)

http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=82030

Enjoy it
Cheers
Dennis

[adamsfamily]

Fanatastic pictures John Reed!! Between you and Doug, yo have convinced a lot of people!!

Anyway, does anyone in the UK have this camera, because I have been wayching the Panasonic website, and it was in stock for two days, and now it's not.... yes i know, i should have bought when when I saw it, but I wanted to have a feel first!! Lesson learnt!!!

So come on, any UK readers, let me know if you have sourced one!!!

[duvl]

Live in the UK and my silver TZ1 arrived this morning. (18th)

Ordered through Panasonic's online shop on April 13th for £298. Quoted 3-5 working days but the Easter break got in the way. Not had much use yet. Happy hunting.

[Dmares]

Hi all users

If I record videos with the camera is it possible to select not only the size (640 or 320) but also the quality of the pictures ( equal to the pentax A10 (*,**,***). This has nothing to do with the fps.

The second: Has anybody recorded a sequence at night time ? Would be great, to see how effective the camera records video in bad light.

Regards
Dennis

[Dmares]

Sorry I forgot

could somebody please upload two examples with 30fps of the same motiv. One for VGA and one for QVGA ?
I would like to compare the two settings regarding general quality.



Thanks a lot
Dennis

[mk15]

I was going for the Pana FZ7. However, the pic quality of the TZ1 has got me into two minds. Its much smaller than the FZ7 and I wont be using the manual controls.

However, I read somewhere that the indoor flash pics taken by the TZ1 were quite noisy and had incorrect color rendition.

What have been your experience as I am mostly gonna use it for indoor pics.

Thanks

Mike

[adamsfamily]

Live in the UK and my silver TZ1 arrived this morning. (18th)

Ordered through Panasonic's online shop on April 13th for £298. Quoted 3-5 working days but the Easter break got in the way. Not had much use yet. Happy hunting.
Knew I should have done it when I saw it!! Now I've got to wait... and wait.... and wait....

[RoyS]

I was in one of the better stores (!) in Tottenham Court Road last week - TZ1 not in stock but expected end of the week or very early this week at the latest. Went in to buy this morning - they had not arrived. Shop manager phoned Panasonic - none in UK and no delivery date.

Too many being sold in US perhaps??

I wanted one now as we are going to France on holiday in a few days. But perhaps I may be able to buy one in France - and blue at that??

best wishes - Roy

[adamsfamily]

Good luck with the hunt Roy.....
Not sure how much longer I can wait myself, may have to go with second option!!!

[Dmares]

Good luck with the hunt Roy.....
Not sure how much longer I can wait myself, may have to go with second option!!!


Hi There,

I received this link from another use. As far as I know they send internationally. The only thing what I do not know is how high customs fees would be.
http://www.prestigecamera.com/product~id~psdmctz1s.htm

In France delivery takes about 10 days but the camera is quite expensive (around 400€).(google.fr)

In Germany the camera is available and price starts at € 350.- Custom should be no problem es it is already in the EU.
You get the best results with: www.preissuchmaschine.de

Cheers
Dennis

[berth]

I was in one of the better stores (!) in Tottenham Court Road last week - TZ1 not in stock but expected end of the week or very early this week at the latest. Went in to buy this morning - they had not arrived. Shop manager phoned Panasonic - none in UK and no delivery date.

Too many being sold in US perhaps??

I wanted one now as we are going to France on holiday in a few days. But perhaps I may be able to buy one in France - and blue at that??

best wishes - Roy
Hello,

TZ1 still not available in French retailers too. It seems that it won't be in the next 2 weeks. Web stores still postpone its availability. I am also waiting to buy a blue one :( ...
Have a good time in France!

Berth

[adamsfamily]

Thanks for ther heads up Dennis and Berth....
What a waiting game we're playing, and I'm sure it's deliberate by Panasonic, just hyping things up more.

They knew before the launch how popular this thing was going to be by the number of enquiries they had, and still they can't keep up demand. Not good in my book, which would then lead me to worry about problems with the first couple of manufactured batches as they are knocking them out so quick....

I may be wrong completely of course, but it wouldn't be the first time!!

[ceaton]

Knew I should have done it when I saw it!! Now I've got to wait... and wait.... and wait....

Ritz Cameras (http://www.ritzcamera.com) do international delivery and claim to have the silver in stock (black coming soon!)

Select International Checkout after adding the camera to your cart.

Price in GBP is 195.68, 22.69 shipping and 44.59 tax/customs/duty/insurance making a total of 262.96 (although you will apparently be billed in USD!)

I'm off to the US tomorrow so hoping to pick one up from a store :)
But don't you all go buying on-line and exhausting all their supplies! :D

Chris

[RoyS]

Thanks for the info. on availability. I will have a look while I am in France but will not spend all my holiday on it! The TZ1 seems to match my requirements so closely that I am prepared to wait a while for it.

Best wishes - Roy

[adamsfamily]

Ritz Cameras (http://www.ritzcamera.com) do international delivery and claim to have the silver in stock (black coming soon!)

Select International Checkout after adding the camera to your cart.

Price in GBP is 195.68, 22.69 shipping and 44.59 tax/customs/duty/insurance making a total of 262.96 (although you will apparently be billed in USD!)

I'm off to the US tomorrow so hoping to pick one up from a store :)
But don't you all go buying on-line and exhausting all their supplies! :D

Chris

Thanks Chris, good investigation!!!
Hey, you should take some orders from us UK folk, go buy them there, and then make some money for doing it. After all, you'd be saving us £45 in duties!!!

[mystro544]

Good luck with the hunt Roy.....
Not sure how much longer I can wait myself, may have to go with second option!!!

And don't forget...

B and H Photo,the perpetually highest rated camera retailer in the USA has always shipped internationally:

"International Delivery
We can ship via US Postal Service, or International UPS, depending on the weight, value, and destination of your merchandise. Please note that we will ship only to your home address, or to a USA residential address."

[berth]

Compare pictures taken with the TZ1 with (almost) any other camera.
This is a french site but you can proceed without any translation. Just select the 2 brands and 2 models you want to compare. Then select the kind of shot. It is quite informative!

http://www.lesnumeriques.com/duels.php?ty=1

kind regards,

Berth

[adamsfamily]

Good sight Berth. Let's hope they're the true pictures from each camera.

[Joe Dobbs]

I just received my TZ1 from ButterflyPhoto.com for $315.00 with 2 day shipping. Thanks to all, especially Doug, for contributing their pictures and comments which helped me decide on purchasing this camera.

Joe

[garritan]

You can get the TZ1 from ebay and a solid reputation Japanese seller for £240 with shipping and insurance. Auction comes, supposedly, VAT Free. I've ordered one this week. As other buyers have said, they do have great communications. very prompt replies and updates. the camera *should* arrive in a few more days. Will report if it does and the VAT situation. They have 10 for sale online right now and as long as people are buying and panasonic starve a doug-induced UK market, they'll probably just keep selling them. If all works out, can't beat the price.

[berth]

Hi all,

Here you will find many tests, pictures, rating, pros and cons.
It helps waiting. Still no TZ1 around here :(

English version:
http://www.megapixel.net/reviews/panasonic-tz1/tz1-gen.php

French version:
http://www.megapixel.net/reviews/panasonic-tz1/tz1-genf.php

Regards,

Berth

[Snoopy1010]

Hi all,

I finally got my TZ1. I like it very much. I got it from Crutchfield
for $299.00.

Everything is good.
But sometimes when I tried to record a long movie clip, I got
the error "WRITE ERROR PLEASE CHECK THE CARD".
I turned it off and on again. It worked okay again.
I suspect something is wrong with my SD card.
It only happen when recording long movie clip.

Anyone see this before..??:confused: :confused:

I use the Ridata Pro 150X 2GB SD Card.
I do not have another SD card so I can't experiment with it further.

Thanks...

[Doug Lerner]

Hi all,

I finally got my TZ1. I like it very much. I got it from Crutchfield
for $299.00.

Everything is good.
But sometimes when I tried to record a long movie clip, I got
the error "WRITE ERROR PLEASE CHECK THE CARD".
I turned it off and on again. It worked okay again.
I suspect something is wrong with my SD card.
It only happen when recording long movie clip.

Anyone see this before..??:confused: :confused:

I use the Ridata Pro 150X 2GB SD Card.
I do not have another SD card so I can't experiment with it further.

Thanks...

I saw that error one time, just yesterday! I was really worried about it because the SD card I got is supposedly rated for a write speed of more than 20 MB/sec, twice of the Panasonic required spec.

So I did another test, recording a full five minute long movie (460 MB!) and the error did NOT occur again.

So, I am not sure.

I still suspect the SD card. What speed is yours rated for?

doug

[Snoopy1010]

I saw that error one time, just yesterday! I was really worried about it because the SD card I got is supposedly rated for a write speed of more than 20 MB/sec, twice of the Panasonic required spec.

So I did another test, recording a full five minute long movie (460 MB!) and the error did NOT occur again.

So, I am not sure.

I still suspect the SD card. What speed is yours rated for?

doug


:eek: I guess I am not alone..?!

The SD card web site does not mention the actual write speed.
For its 120X SD card, it states the write speed up to 11MB/sec.
Mine is 150X, so it should be much faster (at least 11MB/sec, I guess)...

BTW, for the faulty clip you got while you saw the error,
I think you can't delete it afterwards, right?

I can still use the SD card after turn off and turn back on
without problem. But I still see it when recording long clip
sometimes. No problem when shooting pictures.

Snoopy1010

[Doug Lerner]

:eek: I guess I am not alone..?!

The SD card web site does not mention the actual write speed.
For its 120X SD card, it states the write speed up to 11MB/sec.
Mine is 150X, so it should be much faster (at least 11MB/sec, I guess)...

BTW, for the faulty clip you got while you saw the error,
I think you can't delete it afterwards, right?

I can still use the SD card after turn off and turn back on
without problem. But I still see it when recording long clip
sometimes. No problem when shooting pictures.

Snoopy1010

That's right. For the faulty clip I could not delete it afterwards, so I needed to reformat the card via the format menu.

Maybe it was a problem with deleting so many times without reformatting. I thought of that possibility too, but I don't really know.

Anyway, it has only happened 1 time so far.

Anybody know a good way of completely testing an SD card?

doug

[Snoopy1010]

That's right. For the faulty clip I could not delete it afterwards, so I needed to reformat the card via the format menu.

Maybe it was a problem with deleting so many times without reformatting. I thought of that possibility too, but I don't really know.

Anyway, it has only happened 1 time so far.

Anybody know a good way of completely testing an SD card?

doug


I have just checked the manual. It explicitly states that we
need to re-format the SD card in order to delete the clip...:mad:

I am on a trip right now and can't back up the existing data
on the SD card so I cannot re-format for now...

Do you have a feeling the problem is about the SD card but
not the camera itself?

:(
Do you know which brand has a SD card which got good write speed
for the TZ1?

[Doug Lerner]

I have just checked the manual. It explicitly states that we
need to re-format the SD card in order to delete the clip...:mad:

I am on a trip right now and can't back up the existing data
on the SD card so I cannot re-format for now...

Do you have a feeling the problem is about the SD card but
not the camera itself?

:(
Do you know which brand has a SD card which got good write speed
for the TZ1?

What I don't really know is if (1) it is a problem with the card (only happened one time to me so far or (2) a problem with the camera (for example, maybe you need to reformat the card every so often?

So sorry, I have no idea!

doug

[overseas]

Hi folks,

still online to your interesting thread! :)

Concerning an undeletable clip, I´ve had the same problem some days ago with my new FZ7. I also needed to reformat the card (extrememory 1GB x133) in order to remove the clip because cameras 'delete' function didn't work. Same message occured as described. Sorry, but I've got no idea what was the fault with this. :confused:

overseas

[garritan]

Just to confirm that you can get the TZ1 from ebay.co.uk from a great japanese seller. No VAT. Total price with delivery is £240 or 60 quid less than panasonic estore. I received mine about a week after ordering.

[Dmares]

Hooray I finally got it. Price was OK 345 € with a two year warranty.
I´ll do some test shots and let you know. So far I have seen you can change the cammera settings at your own disposal.

Cheers
Dennis

[berth]

Everybody gets it but me :(
Don't know if I should choose the black or the blue one :confused:
Help meeeeee...

Berth

[Dmares]

Everybody gets it but me :(
Don't know if I should choose the black or the blue one :confused:
Help meeeeee...

Berth

I would take blue, it has a bit more of a classy finishing. I have it in silver, because in germany there are only two colors available.

Why don´t you order your camera by net from Germany. As far as I know there is no further custom to be paid as soon as the good is once within the EU.

Best connection is www.preissuchmaschiene.de or if you are near the swiss boarder www.preissuchmaschiene.ch

Cheers
Dennis

[Dmares]

Hi All,

I can remember that some had problems deleting the AVI files on SD cards.

By testing I found out that you can delete the files (same procedure as deleting photos) the only difference is, that you have to do it twice. In the first step the first frame is deleted, on the second step all other frames of the AVI files.

Technical question: To change the recording from AVI to DivX. Is this a soft ot hardware related issue ?

Regards
Dennis

[bobb2233]

Just got back from Walmart here in Maryland. Even they have the silver TZ1 in stock and on display. List price though, no Walmart discount.

[Snoopy1010]

Hi All,

I do not have much time to follow up on the SD card and write error
issue. But I do have another question and hope someone can help.

It seems that the TZ1 do have some noise issue, especially in a
dark envirnoment.

For the normal mode, under the REC mode menu, there is a setting
called "PICT.ADJ". Does it really make any difference on the
noise level when setting to "Natural"? I took some pictures for
experiment but I really can't notice any difference.

If shooting outdoor, the pictures are really great and sharp.

But shooting indoor, sometimes the pictures are not that sharp.

How can I shoot picture sharper and focus and with less noise
(indoor and outdoor)?

Any tip?:confused: :confused: :confused:

Another question, does it make any difference if I choose 3MP
instead of 5MP? Will 5MP pictures have much better quality i.e.
less noise and sharper? I choose 3MP mostly because of the EZ.

Thanks a lot!!!

Snoopy1010:rolleyes:

[6GHz]

When I learnt that the TZ1 is going for sale, I was hooked, lock stock and sinker with this little tiny wonder. And I've been following this thread religiously since then. Thanks Doug, for giving us the valuable and real-time insights!

Just an introduction, I'm from Singapore... that's a long way from anywhere! I've just been informed that the TZ1 was available last week, and at S$620, it's a pretty good bargain! (that's about US$380). But I was also told the FZ-7, at about US$440, is also available. Phew, choices!

Be going down these few days to take a closer look at both of the cameras... no matter what, it would be a tough fight between the two, cos I value both size (I hate lugging a biggie everywhere) and scalability (in case my photography improves through time!).

Thanks, once again, to everyone here who had provided me with the nuggets of information. This forum rocks! :D

[John_Reed]

Hi All,

I do not have much time to follow up on the SD card and write error
issue. But I do have another question and hope someone can help.

It seems that the TZ1 do have some noise issue, especially in a
dark envirnoment.

For the normal mode, under the REC mode menu, there is a setting
called "PICT.ADJ". Does it really make any difference on the
noise level when setting to "Natural"? I took some pictures for
experiment but I really can't notice any difference.
According to the TZ1 manual, if you don't like "noise in dark places" you should choose the "Natural" "PICT ADJ" setting. I changed my setting to "Natural," and I was at a party the other evening, took about 100 flash photos of various people, using Auto ISO. The photos came out pretty well, and I didn't notice much noise. I e-mailed a couple of photos off to the party host, and he e-mailed back that he'd like full resolution images, a couple of the shots he wanted to print. One of them was shot at ISO 400! Just to check, I printed that one myself, on my Epson 2200, and it really looks sharp and clean. Often times people will trouble themselves about noise that they see on the computer screen at a big magnification, and it won't even show up on the print. Is that what you're doing?:confused:

Another question, does it make any difference if I choose 3MP
instead of 5MP? Will 5MP pictures have much better quality i.e.
less noise and sharper? I choose 3MP mostly because of the EZ.

Thanks a lot!!!

Snoopy1010:rolleyes:
It will make no difference. The 3MP image is just a crop of the 5MP sensor, so whatever noise or quality level you observe at 5MP will still be there

[adamsfamily]

At last...

I've got one...

And it's

BLUE

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D


I'll post some shots up soon....

[overseas]

At last...

I've got one...



Hi Steve! What a happy day! Hope you'll have lots of fun with your new cam! I'm really looking forward to seeing your first pics... :D

Greetings, Stephan :)

[mystro544]

At last...
I'll post some shots up soon....


Please do and a few shots of the blue model..wifey likes that color. :)

[Dmares]

Hi All

I had time now to test the camera - I always compare it to my old Pentax Optio 550.

Start Up Time - Excellent
Handling - it has a good grip thanks to the bulk on the right side. Even if you do not put on the lens cap, the lens is quite safe due that it is retracted far into the body. The LCD screen is bright ( especially with the 140% bach light) but as expected in bright sunlight you have poor visibility. It would be great if the next generation has an optical view finder again. The buttons and menues are easily accesible . For the beginner: It takes some time to get accustomed to all the possible settings.
Sharpness - is as good as my old Pentax even though Panasonic only uses a 2.5 " CCD.
Color - The color is not as natural as it is with Pentax. Panasonic has a very strong blue and green saturation ( I didn´t manage to get rid of that) I tried settings on Color none and warm
Autofocus - works excellent. For me best setting is "one spot high speed"
OIS - I set it to OIS 2, the pictures are sharper and for my feeling the system works better
Video - my setting is VGA 30fps -excellent, especially when using the optical zoom. I have shut off the digital zoom.
Battery Life - excellent, the same as my old Pentax.
Burst Mode - Wow, especially the undefinite. But you need a fast SD card, otherwise the burst mode stops in between when storing the pictures
Macro - If xou have zoomed in on smth and then switch to Macro, the zoom is not retracted, meaning that the camera can´t focus on the object. You first have to retract the zoom and then you can shoot the object

Cheers
Dennis


Over All a good camera. Hope I´ll get the colors under control.

Cheers
Dennis

[John_Reed]

Hi All

I had time now to test the camera - I always compare it to my old Pentax Optio 550.

Start Up Time - Excellent
Handling - it has a good grip thanks to the bulk on the right side. Even if you do not put on the lens cap, the lens is quite safe due that it is retracted far into the body. The LCD screen is bright ( especially with the 140% bach light) but as expected in bright sunlight you have poor visibility. It would be great if the next generation has an optical view finder again. The buttons and menues are easily accesible . For the beginner: It takes some time to get accustomed to all the possible settings.
Sharpness - is as good as my old Pentax even though Panasonic only uses a 2.5 " CCD.
Color - The color is not as natural as it is with Pentax. Panasonic has a very strong blue and green saturation ( I didn´t manage to get rid of that) I tried settings on Color none and warm
Autofocus - works excellent. For me best setting is "one spot high speed"
OIS - I set it to OIS 2, the pictures are sharper and for my feeling the system works better
Video - my setting is VGA 30fps -excellent, especially when using the optical zoom. I have shut off the digital zoom.
Battery Life - excellent, the same as my old Pentax.
Burst Mode - Wow, especially the undefinite. But you need a fast SD card, otherwise the burst mode stops in between when storing the pictures
Macro - If xou have zoomed in on smth and then switch to Macro, the zoom is not retracted, meaning that the camera can´t focus on the object. You first have to retract the zoom and then you can shoot the object

Cheers
Dennis


Over All a good camera. Hope I´ll get the colors under control.

Cheers
DennisI've switched over to "Natural" mode, and I think the colors are coming out pretty well there. Give it a try, if you haven't already.

[adamsfamily]

Please do and a few shots of the blue model..wifey likes that color. :)

Ok, firstly apologies about the quality... taken with my phone camera. It's supposed to be a 2mp one, but these are rubbish.

Secondy, I'll try and post some of my first shots soon, but I'm trying to figure out how to do it without reducing them down too much!

Thirdly, looks like I'll be switching to natural mode.

[Dmares]

Hi There

I have uploaded four photos:
The first two photos (55&99) show what I mean with the saturation.
The other two are an example for the magnificent zoom (32&33)
Cheers

*Sorry upload did not work. Photos to big ******
Dennis

[adamsfamily]

Hi There

I have uploaded four photos:
The first two photos (55&99) show what I mean with the saturation.
The other two are an example for the magnificent zoom (32&33)
Cheers
Dennis

And where have you uploaded these photos too???

[Dmares]

Hi All
I finally managed to find a spot in the web were to place the photos:

http://www.dmares.myphotoalbum.com/

You will find test shots and movies with different kind of settings.

Cheers
Dennis

[adamsfamily]

Some nice and interesting shots there Dmares.

It would appear that you have/had the same issue I am having though, catching your dog in focus in some of the shots.
I have tried the sports mode and high speed continous with Continous AF on.... not sure how yours were taken... but this seems to work pretty well.
Otherwise as I said, nice pics!

When I've worked out how/where to upload to the internet, I'll post some of mine up.

[Dmares]

Some nice and interesting shots there Dmares.

It would appear that you have/had the same issue I am having though, catching your dog in focus in some of the shots.
I have tried the sports mode and high speed continous with Continous AF on.... not sure how yours were taken... but this seems to work pretty well.
Otherwise as I said, nice pics!

When I've worked out how/where to upload to the internet, I'll post some of mine up.

Correct
If you use the normal mode camera and focus can´t keep up with a fast moving object.
If I change the setting (Scene Mode) to Sport and focus (high Speed - broad)
then the camera can follow a fast object.

I will try this weekend to get the color saturation under control and try out different kind of settings.

What I find flabbergasting is the zoom of the camera and that you can use it during movies. the only negativ is, that the zoom works then veeeeerrry slow .

I stored them now at "www.myphotoalbum.com." Its for free and you don´t have to install any software.

Cheers
Dennis

[adamsfamily]

Correct
If you use the normal mode camera and focus can´t keep up with a fast moving object.
If I change the setting (Scene Mode) to Sport and focus (high Speed - broad)
then the camera can follow a fast object.

Good, I'm glad it wasn't just me then...
When you say you use High Speed-Broad focusing, is that the One point High or the 3 point high... ??? I've kept mine set on one point high, so that may be another change for me!!

I will try this weekend to get the color saturation under control and try out different kind of settings..Try changing the setting to Natural Mode, this has quite an impact on your colours.

What I find flabbergasting is the zoom of the camera and that you can use it during movies. the only negativ is, that the zoom works then veeeeerrry slow ..
Yes the Zoom is great, but I even find it a little slow in Camera mode, let alone in Video mode!! But then I did have a Canon before which was super fast!!

I stored them now at "www.myphotoalbum.com." Its for free and you don´t have to install any software.


Thanks Dennis, I'll check that site out later and upload some pics for all to share.

[Dmares]

[QUOTE=adamsfamily]Good, I'm glad it wasn't just me then...
When you say you use High Speed-Broad focusing, is that the One point High or the 3 point high... ??? I've kept mine set on one point high, so that may be another change for me!!

I used the one point high at the beginning and then changed to three point high. I find it better for fast moving objects (like my dog) to focus on. The time difference between one and three is practicaly "0"

Zoom: The zoom in camera mode is definitely slower as with my former Pentax.

Scene -Mode: Does anybody know how I can allocate to Scene Mode 1 and 2 permanentely a scene?. Every time I switch to one or two I have to press the enter button first to acknowldege the chosen program.

Cheers
Dennis

[adamsfamily]

Hi Dennis, you can't "programme" the scene modes as such, however, if for example you think you'll use the Sports Mode quite often, then go to SCN1 and set Sports, then say High Sensitivity is your next most used, go to SCN2 and set this one here.

Now when you want to use these, choose either SCN1 or SCN2, and as soon as it appears just half press the shutter button. No need to hit the SET button. Thats about the best you'll get.

[mystro544]

Correct
What I find flabbergasting is the zoom of the camera and that you can use it during movies. the only negativ is, that the zoom works then veeeeerrry slow .
Dennis


I'm going to change "Flabbergasting" to "Frig-gin Amazing" with sound even..hmmm,which makes it also the worlds smallest digital 10x zoom movie camera doesn't it? :D

..all this in a package truely the size of a deck-of-cards.

[Dmares]

Hi All,

I have changed the photo album and included a second folder ( Test Shots with TZ1).

Here you will find the same photo taken with different kind of seetings (Color+ Picture) for comparison and also a example for optical zoom and digital zoom.

http://www.dmares.myphotoalbum.com/

TX adamsfamily: I always pressed enter prior shooting. Your way is shorter :-)

Cheers
Dennis

[mystro544]

Ok, firstly apologies about the quality... taken with my phone camera. It's supposed to be a 2mp one, but these are rubbish.
.


Thanks anyway..picture it using a mirror,I do it accidently all the time. :rolleyes:

[ryanbrancel]

Hi Dennis, you can't "programme" the scene modes as such, however, if for example you think you'll use the Sports Mode quite often, then go to SCN1 and set Sports, then say High Sensitivity is your next most used, go to SCN2 and set this one here.

Now when you want to use these, choose either SCN1 or SCN2, and as soon as it appears just half press the shutter button. No need to hit the SET button. Thats about the best you'll get.

Actually, this is incorrect. There is a setting in the menu that will set a scene mode so you do not need to reselect it each time.

[adamsfamily]

I just love helpful people!!

If you're going to post something like that, at least give a clue what you're on about.......please!!!

But it's OK, I have found it!!!

Dennis, my apologies, I must have missed this in reading the manual as thoroughly as we all do!!!

Firstly, do as I suggested in my previous Posting, set your two SCN modes to the two you will use most.

Set your camera into any mode except the SIMPLE (heart) mode.
Press the Menu/Set button on the back.
Press the Left (self timer) arrow
Press the Down (review) arrow
Press the Right (flash) arrow
On the Zoom Control, move this right 3 times to get to Menu 4/4
SCN SCENE MENU should be highlighted
Press the Right (flash) arrow to get your option of OFF or AUTO
Press the Up (Exposure) arrow to highlight OFF
Press the Central (set) button to set it, and once again to come out of your menu.

Now whenever you go to either of your SCN modes, the correct one you "programmed" will be there.

Once again, apologies for my oversight, and giving you duff information in the first place.
Hehehee, think I made my point!

[adamsfamily]

Thanks anyway..picture it using a mirror,I do it accidently all the time. :rolleyes:

Promise I'll get some better ones up soon.... along with some of my first shots!!

[Sinkers]

Actually, this is incorrect. There is a setting in the menu that will set a scene mode so you do not need to reselect it each time.


To quote from the manual:

Setting frequently used scenes to the mode dials SCN1 and SCN2

1 Set [SCENE MENU] in the [SETUP] menu to [OFF]. (P24)
2 Press up/down to select the scene mode and then press [MENU/SET].

•When the mode dial is set to SCN1 or SCN2, the selected scene mode is activated and the [SCENE MODE] menu is not displayed. This is convenient as you do not need to select the scene mode in the [SCENE MODE] menu every time you take pictures.

[adamsfamily]

Ok, so yours was a quick way through it Sinkers... but I beat you and did all that typing!!! :p

But at least you gave a clue unlike some!

[!hack]

Man, what a thread! New posts coming faster than I can read them, I've been at it for 5 days now, counting side trips to see Doug's and other shots. This thread has got me 95% sure I'm gonna by this camera, though maybe the F30 is still possible.

There's one thing I'd like to know -- how about landscape shots? I'm an outdoors guy, so I'm often taking big landscape shots. Did anyone see the New York Times review of the TZ1, Casio z280, Canon A700, Nikon P4 and Sony W100? The reviewer favored the w100 and the TZ1, but said the TZ1's weak in sunlight. Doug's shots look great to me, but can anyone advise me on what it would do with a big landscape -- mountains and valleys and whatnot -- on a bright day? I haven't seen that come up here, or pictures posted like that, and it's probably 70% of what I shoot...

Again, to all of you, thanks -- this thread has been instant education.

[Cameron38]

It's funny the Times would find the TZ "weak" in sunlight since almost everyone else seems to feel the TZ is great for outdoor shots and marginal for indoor shots.. LOL

[!hack]

The shots posted here look better than I expected after reading that NY Times story, that's for sure. Anyone know if the TZ1 can be had in Amsterdam, and for how much? Is anyone out there willing to make a case for the Fuji F30 over the TZ1?

Also, a question for the battery experts: so if I'm clear on this, the idea is to fully discharge the battery the first time, then recharge at 1/3 left? Is it wise to completely drain it once in a while? That's what I thought was the thing to do with LI-ON batteries.

[Dmares]

Hi All

1) Thanks to Adamsfamily and Sinkers - that was exactly what I was looking for. I should have read the manual page by page - but it contains a lot of stuff - but thats what "threads" are for :D

2) I have included further testshots to the page http://www.dmares.myphotoalbum.com/
- Macro Shots - different kind of setting
- Night Shots ( almost no light)
- Night Video shots in *.mov and *.wmv ( almost no light)
- Burst Shots - indefinite setting
- Bird high up in the sky
- Video *.mov bird high up in the sky

3) Question of !Hack: No Li-Ion batteries do not have the "memory" effect anymore. So it doesn´t matter how you charge/discharge them. As far as I can say the battery in the Lumix lasts the same as in my old Pentax ( about 200 shots - mixed modes)

Cheers
Dennis

[RoyS]

Steve - did you get your blue model in the UK and, if so, where??

(Ssorry if I missed an earlier post - I've been on hols.)

Roy - still waiting to buy

[mystro544]

Costco has the TZ1(S) with costco extras for $329

[Cameron38]

CircuitCity has the Black for $307.99 this week online. And it's pretty easy to find a 10% off coupon you could use on top of that.

[adamsfamily]

Steve - did you get your blue model in the UK and, if so, where??

(Ssorry if I missed an earlier post - I've been on hols.)

Roy - still waiting to buy

Hi Roy,
I was very lucky with my purchase.
I was out in Bath with every intention of getting the FZ7 or the Canon S3IS as I was fed up waiting for the TZ1.

I had come to the conclusion as well that I may want the flexibility of some of the Manual modes hence my choices.

I walked in to London Camera Exchange after a lengthy conversation with the Manager the day before to try both these models out and there it was, sat on top of it's box at the very top of the display cabinet.

I fell in love with the colour immediately and as soon as I held it, well, it was just perfect!!

But now I'm wondering if I should have gone with the FZ7 as I AM missing the manual mode in a couple of situations.

It's hard for me to make a final decision of where I'm going with it as most of my pictures will be outdoors, during the day in good light. But I really want to be able to capture my son doing TKD which is indoors, under fluorescant lighting with no flash.
The camera in high sensitivity mode is giving me the right light on the picture, but because it's only pushing the shutter at 1/30 it's not freezing the action as well as I would hope.

I'm contemplating returning or selling it in favour of some manual modes, but need to research some more.

I did put a couple of pictures up of it, but they weren't great. I'll mail you some if you want to see it.... just let me have your email.

Cheers for now

[Dmares]

I did now a lot of shooting around with the TZ1 and my conclusion is, the picture quality is not that of my old Pentax 550.

If I want a sharp picture I have to choose "vivid" mode, which has the effect that green and blue saturation are strong. In "natural" mode the colors are exactly as they are in nature but the pictures miss brilliance and sharpness.

The cause for this is simple: To save costs 2.5" chips are produced (instead of the former used 1.8" CCD chips. The pixel themselves are now bigger ( you need less per chip). This causes less sharpness and brilliant pictures and of course higher noising.

I understand Adamsfamily - I am not altogether happy with the camera neither and I will be on the further lookout.

Do not misunderstand me. It is a great camera with lots of possibilities and it does shoot good photos. You have lot of possibilities to change the settings, a geat zoom and excellent "anti blur".
What I am missing is the optical view finder and a bit better picture quality.

As comparison I have set up into the photo album a shot from the Pentax (last Photo) and cover photo.

Cheers
Dennis

[adamsfamily]

Your absolutely right Dennis, it has a lot of Pro's!!

It takes great pictures outdoors in sunlight, but you need to decifde on the best setting as you say, Vivid, Natural or Normal...?? But I find each picture will require it's own different setting. As an example, I have a blue fence in our garden, and on the Vivid mode it looks fantastic, but the grass is greener than green, so stick it in the Natural mode, and the fence pales out, but the grass is now the correct green!!! Tad annoying!!

Fast, yes, very fast... I have some great shots of my dog jumping as high as my Wifes head, and it's caught him clean, sharp and no blur.... but again, I either suffer the blue fence or put up with VERY green grass!!

The High ISO works well, but unfortunately as posted by others, the picture is looking very "Watercolourish", almost Oils.... and I don't like it!!

And yes, I have started to miss the Optical VF already!!!

[Dmares]

[QUOTE=adamsfamily]Your absolutely right Dennis, it has a lot of Pro's!!
I have a blue fence in our garden, and on the Vivid mode it looks fantastic, but the grass is greener than green, so stick it in the Natural mode, and the fence pales out, but the grass is now the correct green!!! Tad annoying!!QUOTE]

There is a program called Xe847: http://www.xe847.com/main.shtml
According to the company it automatically transfer’s the colors of a picture to the colors our eyes see. You can download a trial version. I am going to have a look and see what happens.

But the point you have mentioned above is exactly the problem and very annoying


Cheers
Dennis

[mystro544]

Your absolutely right Dennis, it has a lot of Pro's!!

It takes great pictures outdoors in sunlight, but you need to decifde on the best setting as you say, Vivid, Natural or Normal...?? And yes, I have started to miss the Optical VF already!!!

John Reed whose obviously a very experienced photographer and has posted excellent examples of what this camera is capable of made it quite clear (to me) it's an exceptional camera but first remember what this camera is intended for and why people will use it,it's a camera that will fit in a pocket therefore be where you are,it's loaded with advanced features and has a tremendous lens system etc etc. Is this the endall/beall camera..no but it's close in the hands of a good photographer IMO.

Steve,I'd suggest you keep this camera and buy a second *manual* type of any brand..then see which camera you use the most.:p

[Dmares]

John Reed whose obviously a very experienced photographer and has posted excellent examples of what this camera is capable of made it quite clear (to me) it's an exceptional camera but first remember what this camera is intended for and why people will use it,it's a camera that will fit in a pocket therefore be where you are,it's loaded with advanced features and has a tremendous lens system etc etc. Is this the endall/beall camera..no but it's close in the hands of a good photographer IMO.

Steve,I'd suggest you keep this camera and buy a second *manual* type of any brand..then see which camera you use the most.:p

Hi Mystro544

do you have a link to the photos. I would really like to see them, as I am not to happy with Panasonics results.

Regards
Dennis

[mk15]

Hello there

I was nearly going to buy the FZ7 and then I chanced upon this thread. Seeing the image quality, I deferred my purchase and am still waiting for the TZ1 to be launched here.

However, seeing the above thread of Adams family and Dmares, I have got totally confused. Though I dont see myself using manual controls but I do want very good quality and sharp images,especially indoor photos. Also, FZ7 is also portable enough.

Would like your comments and advise coz' I can get a FZ7 tomorrow itself.

Thanks

Mike

[adamsfamily]

John Reed whose obviously a very experienced photographer and has posted excellent examples of what this camera is capable of made it quite clear (to me) it's an exceptional camera but first remember what this camera is intended for and why people will use it,it's a camera that will fit in a pocket therefore be where you are,it's loaded with advanced features and has a tremendous lens system etc etc. Is this the endall/beall camera..no but it's close in the hands of a good photographer IMO.

Steve,I'd suggest you keep this camera and buy a second *manual* type of any brand..then see which camera you use the most.:p

You're spot on Mystro, it is an exceptional camera, and yes it is very capable, and yes it's the type that will be with you wherever you go.....
that is my quandry!!!

I have discussed this in lenght with a friend who is a Proffesional Photographer, and he too thinks it's a super camera (in fact he is getting one himself) but he can see my frustration on two counts:

Firstly the colour issues and secondly the lack of manual.
The colour issues that I, and Dmares have seem to be when you get two contrasting colours in the same shot, where as a lot of the shots on here, fantastic though they are, they don't appear toi have this issue!! ( I may be wrong here)
My lack of manual is purely on the indoor shots: especially at my sons TKD. Stick it in HIGH SENSITIVITY and the camera works well, allowing the right amount of light in to get the shot, but the fastest speed I can get out of it is 1/30, and it's just not freezing the shot enough. The noise level is low, but then comes the Watercolours, and add that to the slight blur I get, the shot is only just usable......

Yes, the subject of keeping this and getting a second camera has been discussed... at length.... but the pennies just ain't stretching at the moment!!!

[adamsfamily]

[QUOTE=adamsfamily]Your absolutely right Dennis, it has a lot of Pro's!!
I have a blue fence in our garden, and on the Vivid mode it looks fantastic, but the grass is greener than green, so stick it in the Natural mode, and the fence pales out, but the grass is now the correct green!!! Tad annoying!!QUOTE]

There is a program called Xe847: http://www.xe847.com/main.shtml
According to the company it automatically transfer’s the colors of a picture to the colors our eyes see. You can download a trial version. I am going to have a look and see what happens.

But the point you have mentioned above is exactly the problem and very annoying


Cheers
Dennis

Let me know how you get on with this Dennis......

[nrbelex]

Thaks to all you guys, I bought a TZ1 today... So far I'm loving it but I can't try it outdoors yet due to rain. :mad: Anyway... I just thought I'd let you know that I got it for $297 at Best Buy Online and got a 1 gb card for $39. Very pleased so far!

~ Brett

[Debbie F]

Last weekend I attended a 50th birthday party and gave my camera a real run for the money with the video feature. The videos came out great and were pretty long. I Filled up my SD card which is 1 gig. Anyway, last night I went to make a dvd to give to the birthday boy as a gift, and ran into some road blocks. The files are MOV and not compatable with dvd burning software. My son in-law who was trying to burn the dvd finally downloaded a conversion program, but the dvd somehow only created portions of my movies. Tons of footage was missing.

I also noticed today, that my videos won't play in windows media player which is what I have here at work. I have Quick Time at home, but not here at work.

Since a few people have actually posted videos on this thread that I can see, I'd really appreciate some help both on viewing tz1 movie files on a computer and also help in the making of dvd's.

Thanks in advance to all in the know.
Debbie :)

[John_Reed]

Last weekend I attended a 50th birthday party and gave my camera a real run for the money with the video feature. The videos came out great and were pretty long. I Filled up my SD card which is 1 gig. Anyway, last night I went to make a dvd to give to the birthday boy as a gift, and ran into some road blocks. The files are MOV and not compatable with dvd burning software. My son in-law who was trying to burn the dvd finally downloaded a conversion program, but the dvd somehow only created portions of my movies. Tons of footage was missing.

I also noticed today, that my videos won't play in windows media player which is what I have here at work. I have Quick Time at home, but not here at work.

Since a few people have actually posted videos on this thread that I can see, I'd really appreciate some help both on viewing tz1 movie files on a computer and also help in the making of dvd's.

Thanks in advance to all in the know.
Debbie :)When I downloaded a 1-minute movie I made with my TZ1, it was in .MOV format, and took up about 81MB. I opened it on my Mac (running OS X Tiger), and viewed it there. It gave me the option of saving it as a "high quality" movie, which I did. The final file was 7.4MP, in the MP4 format. I think that format is compatible with Windows Media Viewer?

Like I say though, it may not be helpful if you're only running Windows; maybe there's an equivalent process you can run there?